The Central New Jersey Home News from New Brunswick, New Jersey • 137

jBUhfllH 5MOf PAGES G6-7 HIT SOUTH BRUNSWICK HISTORY OF SOUTH BRUNSWICK 1700s: The initial settlements in South Brunswick are located along the first roads of the area such as the present day Route 27, Old Georges Road and Cranbury-South River Road and the present day Ridge Road. Development occurs around the location of taverns, and the region is defined by its rural agricultural nature with small clustered settlements located on major transportation routes. The important crops are grains, potatoes, hay apples and peaches. 1704: Kingston is recognized officially as a settlement 1705 A wooden bridge is built over the Millstone River at Kingston; a stone bridge replaces the wooden bridge in 1738. 1730s: Davidsons Mill is built on Lawrence Brook.

1732: James Whitlock builds an inn at The Cross Roads, now called Dayton. 1780: Samuel Combs builds the first township distillery at Fresh Ponds. 1780: An early attempt to drain Pigeon Swamp begins with the construction of the Great Ditch, which is maintained by the state until the 19th century The name Pigeon Swamp is said to have come from an 18th century owner of the swamp area Ann Pidgeon, daughter of East Jersey Gov. Jerimiah Bass. The swamp is also the nesting place for passenger pigeons until their extinction early in the 20th century 1798: A legislative act formally creates South Brunswick, specifying "the inhabitants of the South Ward of the City of New Brunswick.

be now known as Township of South Brunswick." A ,0 V-VN i 1800s: Hay jS Pro' oath 11 -Cs. r-ir I and Hay oV JI sqsr xiTi' I IS': i ar Si' ES" 91 fi" A its ft 51 CO i HU I I i rU fM i tt 1 1 nm.lt IK! I 7:14 p.m. rlfllMIMI llll MIIIMMMIIIWrMIlTt Members of the Adult Bell Choir at First Presbyterian Church of Dayton rehearse for an upcoming concert. IBUU WFICTWMW i in jAiwyg 1)11 IIWIWWWW 4 1804: Construction of the Straight Turnpike what is now Route 1 is authorized. This road bypasses Kingston, marking the gradual decline of the town's bustling activity Kingston had been a regular stop for travelers going from New York to Philadelphia by way of the Lenape Assunpink Trail, now Route 27.

The construction of the Delaware and Raritan Canal in 1834 and the Camden and Amboy Railroad in 1838 stimulated a renewal of commercial traffic and business. 1810: Abraham Dean and family dam up the Lawrence Brook, creating Deans Pond where a sawmill and grain mill are built 1833-1865: Various railroad lines are built in The Cross Roads section, the last of which culminate in the extension of the Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad to connect with the Perm Railroad. This results in the construction of a depot south, of the Five Corners intersection. 1840: A rail line built from Trenton JASON TOWLEN Staff photographer 4:55 p.m. to Princeton Basin area is completed to Monmouth Junction.

1848: The first post office is established in Dayton, but it is called the South Brunswick Post Office. After it is discontinued, the post office is reestablished on Feb. 9, 1852, and the name is changed to Dayton in 1888. 1850: Rhode Hall Driving Park race course opens. 1854: The Withington Estate and the Gulick house, now called Red Maple farm, are believed to have been stops on the Underground Railroad.

South Brunswick's Ed Helrrey steadies himselt before heaving a shot put during the Greater Middlesex Conference boys and girls track and field championship. Applegato House, Georges Road, Dayton SHEILA SPRINGSTEEN Staff photographer 1854: Dayton's first school is built on Georges Road. 1860: Monmouth Junction develops from the juncture of three railroad branches: the Pennsylvania, the Rocky Hill and the Jamesburg and Freehold railroads. noX 1866: Dayton replaces the name The Cross Roads in hor of William L. Dayton, an attorney for the Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad and U.S.

senator. Dayton spread out from a crossroads, which was typical of the South Brunswick communities. 1872: The Legislature reduces the size of South Brunswick with the creation of the separate Township of Cranbury 1882: Monmouth Junction's school district is formed. 1885: Cranbury Township receives an additional portion of South Brunswick land. fwwej 1 I 1 tbV1 ii.ir rh(5.

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ji ji.iy ikh: I 1 I860: Dayton House during the Ctvtl War. 1 a. i- atari if Li kjiud 1 rTAA '-0i 5" The sun begins to set over a green i-f V-C' pasture in the W'C township. i La SHEILA SPRINGSTEEN Staff photojripher 1913: The Kingston Town Improvement Association is formed. 1919: The size of South Brunswick is reduced further with the formation of Plainsboro Township.

The present boundaries of South Brunswick date back to this last change. 1924: Both Monmouth Junction's and Kingston's volunteer fire companies are established. Sources: Historian Ceil Leedom; South Brunswick Public Library Web site at www.lmxac orgsobr on the Internet; and the Kingston Web site at wumbb.orgkingstontimeline. html on the Internet main- -i n.MMt.