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The recorded history of Jackson, as well as all of the municipalities in what is now Monmouth and Ocean Counties first appeared over 330 plus years with the purchase by a dozen on Long Island and Rhode Island residents of English and Huguenot descent from the native Indians, the Lenni Lenapes.

Once the Indian sale was completed, the new settlers went to the Governor of New York - New Jersey, Richard Nicholls, to get a confirmation grant. The settlers obtained the grant and moved to initiate its first settlement in Shrewsbury.
Source: https://www.jacksontwpnj.net/300/History-of-Jackson-Township

History of Jackson Township

by David T. Miller, Sr.
Former Registered Municipal Clerk and Township Historian
______________________________

Jackson's history had been primarily agricultural and subsistence related. Early settlements were family oriented hamlets.
Source: New Jersey Historic Sites Inventory - Jackson
Ocean County Cultural & Heritage Commission R N.J. 790.9749 C Oce

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- Jackson's Mill, a sawmill is built. One of many saw mills during this time.

- Original Cassville Tavern,  is built.
Each hamlet had it's own general store, church, tavern and mill.

Sawmilll drawing above from Google images.

New Jersey Historic Sites Inventory: Ocean County - Jackson
Ocean County Cultural & Heritage Commission

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On March 6, 1844 Jackson Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature from portions of Dover Township (now Toms River Township), Freehold Township and Upper Freehold Township, while the area was still part of Monmouth County.
Six years later it became part of Ocean County.

Residents believed the township was named after William Jackson, a successful and well-known saw and grist mill owner in Jackson Mills. Others claim it was named after President Andrew Jackson. For many years the township was recognized for its small villages each having similar features such as a general store, tavern, mill and one room schoolhouses, the foundation of Jackson.

Mills, small farms and horse breeding in the 19th century transitioned to cranberry bogs and chicken farms in the early 20th century.

map image: Historical Maps of New Jersey

http://mapmaker.rutgers.edu/MAPS.html

Source: Images of America Jackson Township by Victoria O'Donnell and Christopher Ippolito   R 974.948 Odon

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1850 - Ocean County was set-off from Monmouth County by charter on February 15, becoming the state’s twentieth county, the second largest in area. It consisted of six original townships – Brick, Dover, Jackson, Plumsted, Stafford, and Union (now Barnegat).

Image: Ocean County Courthouse, Toms River, NJ
courthousehistory.com

1880 - Europeans continued to settle throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

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Toms River - Old  B_large OC Courthouse old postcard

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Four oil Wells were drilled during this time. It was a bust since not one drop of oil was ever produced from the wells.

Source: Jackson Mills: A Personal Reflection by Borden Applegate 974.948 Appl

Image: Oil well icons free PNG downloads
Publicdomainfiles.com

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On June 2, 1935, Amelia Earhart made the first public parachute jump at the Switlik Parachute Co. in Jackson. She jumped from a 115-ft. tower designed by her husband, publisher George Palmer Putnam.

The Rova Farm Resort - This tourist attraction began in 1938 when Russian immigrants continued to arrive during the 30s in the Cassville section (formerly called Goshen) of Jackson. It had a restaurant, school, library and a pavilion.
In 1938 St. Vladimir's Memorial Russian Orthodox Church cornerstone was laid with construction beginning a few years later. Today 34 acres of Rova Farms, a part of the historic district is owned by the Township. The property was acquired for open space purposes and to preserve a treasured part of Jackson history indicated officials. For more information about the history of Rova Farms go to the library and ask for books and articles about this historic place.

Source: Jackson Closes on $600,000 purchase of historic ROVA farms. Tri-Town News July 16, 2019 by Charles Daye, Staff writer.
https://centraljersey.com/2019/07/16/jackson-confirms-600000-purchase-of-historic-rova-farms/

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Earhart parachutes in Ja NJ image from NJ Local paper article

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Saw mills long disappeared by this time and cranberry farming for the most part a thing of the past.
Chicken farming very much a part of the landscape as were family farms.

Most men during this period were self-employed and either worked at Lakehurst Naval Air Station or in neighboring towns.

1948 - Switlick School being built. One and two room schoolhouses became obsolete and were either abandoned or used for other purposes. After eighth grade all had to ride a bus to Lakewood High School.

Jackson Mills: A Personal Reflection

Borden Applegate 974.948 Appl

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There’s an interesting story in in the Asbury Park Press in 1951 about a 450 pound beer loving pig named Archie who passed away. Archie was a resort owner's pet.

The Lakeside Inn was an establishment that overlooked the Jackson Mills Lake . It consisted of an inn, rental bungalows, a bath house, boat rentals, camp sites and in 1928 a dance hall was later added with a wooden pavilion that extended over the lake.

Source: Jackson Mills: A Personal Reflection by Borden Applegate    N.J. 974.948 Appl

Source: Jackson School District
Images of America - Jackson
By Victoria O'Donnell and Christopher Ippolito
R 974.948 Odon

1954 - Garden State Parkway opens.

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The early 1960s Housing Developments such as Brookwood, Robin Estates, Edgewood Park came along with an expanding population according to longtime resident and author Borden Applegate.

1964 - Jackson Memorial High School students begin in the first high school built in Jackson. Jackson students formerly attended Junior and High school in nearby Lakewood Township. Today it has a second floor and another building constructed next to it named Joseph E. Clayton as an extension.

Source: Images of America - Jackson

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1974 -  Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park. Opened in 1974, it has since added a water park and a safari adventure, and now occupies 510 acres, making it one of the largest theme parks in the world.

Source: New York Times Article, "Jackson Township, NJ: A Range of Housing with Tremendous Value." November 25, 2020

Accessed: Proquest Database, New York Times currently available with your Ocean County library card.

1974 – A library commission was formed in the Township to determine the feasibility of having a library. A 2.34-acre parcel of land on Coventry Road was deeded to the Township for the site of the library. The name of the road was subsequently changed to Don Connor Boulevard. The building was a 4,000 square foot facility.

1976 – The Jackson Township seal was adopted.

1978 - Grand Opening of the Jackson Branch of the Ocean County Library.

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Six Flags Great Adventure and Safari You Tube

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1982 – With a growing awareness throughout the country to preserve, restore and rehabilitate older buildings and neighborhoods, the Ocean County Cultural & Heritage Commission, the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders and a federal grant made possible a survey, study and report of the various structures historically and architecturally relevant. It is titled, Ocean County Historic Sites Survey. The Jackson volume is available to view at the Jackson and Toms River branches of the Ocean County Library.

1984 – A library building addition is built. A new wing, a geodesic dome housing the children’s collection and a small staff room, was completed in time to celebrate the Branch’s sixth anniversary.

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1990 - There are 33,233 Jackson residents according to the U.S. Census.

1994 – Jackson celebrates its 150th year of existence as an incorporated municipality in the State of New Jersey.

Source:  https://www.jacksontwpnj.net/300/History-of-Jackson-Township

History of Jackson Township

by David T. Miller, Sr.
Registered Municipal Clerk and Township Historian

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2001 - The Grand Opening and Dedication Ceremony for the new Jackson Branch of the Ocean County Library. The new branch is 24,000 square feet – about six times the size of the original building. The cost of the new branch was projected at $4.5 million.

2006 - Jackson Liberty High School, 2nd high school opens.

2019 - Jackson purchases a portion of historic ROVA farms.

Tri-Town News July 16, 2019 by Charles Daye, Staff writer.

https://centraljersey.com/2019/07/16/jackson-confirms-600000-purchase-of-historic-rova-farms/

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Today, Jackson is a commuter community. Jackson can look back with pride over its 330 years of European settlement and its 150 years of development as an incorporated municipality, watching the population of its 100.4 square miles mount from 1,330 in 1844 to a population estimated at 57,731 in about 20,304 dwelling units according to U.S. Census.gov estimates.

Source: Jackson Township Official Website: https://www.jacksontwpnj.net/

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This very short timeline of Jackson Township's history highlighted no more than 2 notable events by decade due to space constraints. Want to know more about the history of Jackson Township? Come visit the Ocean County Library and go to the Information Services desk. A librarian/staff member will find materials listed below and more.

Sources available at the Ocean County Library:

Articles

A Day in the Life of Jackson

April 20, 2000 (page 73 of 81). (2000, Apr 20). Asbury Park Press (1974-2011) Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/2018753577?accountid=345

Rova Farms purchased by Jackson Township

https://www.app.com/story/opinion/readers/2019/04/22/rova-farms-jackson-nj-purchase-open-space/3537020002/

Jackson provides land for library by Gary Liebesman, Toms River Bureau,

Asbury Park Press, 12/10/96

Books

Images of America Jackson Township

Victoria O’Donnell and Christopher Ippolito R 974.948 Odon

Jackson Mills: A Personal Reflection

Borden Applegate 974.948 Appl

New Jersey Historic Sites Inventory: Ocean County - Jackson

Ocean County Cultural & Heritage Commission

Ocean County: Four Centuries in the Making

Pauline S. Miller R 974.948 Mill

Websites

Jackson Township, New Jersey

History of Jackson by David T. Miller, Sr.
Registered Municipal Clerk and Township Historian

https://www.jacksontwpnj.net/300/History-of-Jackson-Township

Ocean County Cultural & Heritage Commision

https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/ch/

Historical Maps of New Jersey

http://mapmaker.rutgers.edu/MAPS.html

Native People of New Jersey

http://www.usgennet.org/usa/nj/state/Lenape.htm