Monroe Township and Jamesburg

Monroe Township and Jamesburg Borough have ties as far back as the seventeenth century. From the early eighteenth century to the middle of the twentieth, Monroe Township was comprised of many small hamlets, which were made up of smaller farming communities. Prospering industry and a healthy economy helped shape the community into the bustling suburb it is today.
Monroe Township and Jamesburg includes photographs, store receipts, old postcards, and images of early potato sacks-all of which illustrate the early development in the hamlets. Forsgate Farms, Bernarr McFadden's Physical Culture City, the Camden & Amboy Railroad, and Manalapan Lake, known today as Thompson Park Lake, are rediscovered. This book shows in detail what Jamesburg looked like at about the time it officially separated from Monroe Township, and it highlights the forgotten hamlets of Applegarth, Half Acre, Prospect Plains, Union Valley, Pleasant Grove, Pleasant Hill, Rhode Hall, Outcalt, and Texas.

In Monroe Township and Jamesburg, author and lifelong resident John D. Katerba preserves the exciting beginnings of his hometown's rich history, much of which he uncovered with help from the historical society and other longtime residents. His love of the town and dedication to its history inspired him to compile this tribute.