Editing Monmouth County, New Jersey (section)

===Indigenous history===
{{see also|Lenape people}}
Around the year 1000, the area of Monmouth County began to be inhabited by the [[Lenape]] [[native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] prior to the arrival of European settlers. They came from the Mississippi River area. They lived along the vicinity of the [[Jersey Shore]], the [[Raritan Bay]], the [[Raritan River]] and other areas in the [[northeastern United States]]. The Lenape were a [[hunter-gatherer]] society. They were largely sedentary, changing campsites seasonally. They were prolific hunters of small game and birds. They were also skilled fisherman, and were known to harvest vast amounts of clams from the bays and inlets on the Jersey Shore. They also practiced some agriculture to augment their food supply. During this time, an important crossroad of two major Lenape trails was located in the area of [[Freehold Township, New Jersey|Freehold Township]] in western Monmouth County.<ref name="Pepe, p. 19">Pepe, p. 19.</ref>