Wall Township History

taken from "HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL ATLAS
OF THE NEW JERSEY COAST Originally published by
Woolman & Rose of Philadelphia 1878

History of Wall Township-1878

This township was incorporated from a part of Howell Township in 1851. It is bounded on the north by Ocean and Shrewsbury townships, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Ocean County, on the west by Howell. The population is 2613. The principal towns are Squan Village, Blansingburgh and New Bedford. Sea Girt, Spring Lake, and Ocean Beach are new and growing seaside resorts.

Squan Village is an old town situated near the beach. It contains about 600 inhabitants, five churches, a town hall, and a number of stores and mechanics' shops. The principal hotel, nown as the Osborn House, is situated near the railroad depot. The New York and Long Branch Railroad terminates at this place. The railroad extends to Freehold and Monmouth Junction on the line of the Pennsyvania Railroad.

N.W. Norris, Esq., the owner of a tract of land adjoining the village of Squan, had laid out a new place, giving it the name of Sea View.

Squan Village was so-called in 1825 by Timothy Bloomfield. The ground where the village now stands was covered as late as the year 1815 with a growth of original oaks, hickory, and other timber of large size. At that time only a few houses were known in this section, then called Howell Township, originally Shrewsbury.

The trees were cut away from the place where the Osborn House now stands about 1808.

The only communication with the outside world in 1812 was by vessels out of Squan River to New York, except occasionally by teams through the country.

About 1775 Squan Inlet opended into the Atlantic Ocean, near where the Beach House now stands at Sea Girt, and one mile and a half north of its present position.

History of Atlantic Township-Woolman & Rose
History of Howell Township-Woolman & Rose
History of Monmouth County-Woolman & Rose
Directory of Historical Material
Population & Census Information-Woolman & Rose