The Monmouth Inquirer Archive

In June of 1865, Colonel Edwin Forrest Applegate changed the name of the Monmouth Herald and Inquirer to the Monmouth Inquirer. The newspaper continued to be a weekly, published on Thursdays. It also remained Republican in outlook, and had a vituperative relationship with the Monmouth Democrat though the editors remained on friendly terms outside of the newspaper business.

On October 30, 1873, the building housing the Inquirer was destroyed by a devastating fire that started at the Inquirer and also destroyed the Courthouse next door, the sheriff's offices, the jail, the offices of the clerk and surrogate, and numerous businesses and residences. In the immediate aftermath of the fire, the newspaper was issued from the offices of The Monmouth Democrat. It subsequently moved to an office over Mr. White's stove warehouse for four months. In March of 1874 it relocated to a building on South Street, Freehold. Through the generosity of the New Jersey Editorial Association, $1,258.25 was raised and a Number Three Country press made by Andrew Campbell of Brooklyn was placed in the office, a gift of the members of the Association. Applegate purchased a Degener press and its attachments for doing small job work. Another press that had been in the old office was rebuilt at the Freehold Iron Foundry, and also put to use. Applegate also purchased a Baxter steam engine, manufactured by the Colt Fire Arms Company, and it was used to run all the presses.

When Edwin Applegate died in January of 1885, his son, Maxcy Applegate, who had been Assistant Editor since 1875, while attending school, assumed editorial control of the Inquirer. He remained in that position with the exception of two years spent in the West, until his death in February of 1927. His son, Maxcy Applegate Jr. inherited the Inquirer. However, he lived in the Veterans' Convalescent Hospital at Toms River because of injuries sustained during the World War. Not being disposed to manage and edit the Inquirer, the job fell to Emma Florence Beach, a woman dedicated to the service of injured soldiers and sailors. Maxcy Applegate Jr. died in October of 1931, and his will stipulate that the ownership of The Monmouth Inquirer should pass to Miss Beach.

Emma Beach continued to publish and edit The Monmouth Inquirer until January of 1933 when she sold it to the Freehold Transcript. At the time of its sale, it had a circulation of around 2,500. Emma Beach continued to reside in Freehold where she became assistant librarian at the Freehold Public Library.