Farmingdale and Squan Village Railroad
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The Farmingdale and Squan Village Railroad was a shortline railroad that traversed via central New Jersey. The railroad was formed under a special law of New Jersey, on April 3, 1867. On May 21, 1879, it was one of three railroads consolidated to form the Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad Company. Its former right-of-way, along with a portion of the Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad's right-of-way, has become the Edgar Felix Bikeway.[1]
During its service life, the primary economic advantage provided by the F&SV was to move farm produce and seafood products from the fertile central Jersey coast to major rail corridors providing direct lines to Philadelphia (P&NYRR) and New York (NJ Southern RR). The F&SV Railroad served the Allaire Iron Works during its peak production days. The Allaire works was an innovator in iron casting and produced propellers and steam engine parts for some of the largest steamships of the period.
When the F&SV was under control by the New York and Long Branch Railroad in 1875, service was provided to the following locales:[2]
F&SV | Milepost | F&JA | Milepost | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sea Girt | 28.0 | |||
Squan Village | 0.0 | 27.0 | ||
Allenwood | 3.0 | 24.0 | located near the Old Squan Bridge about three miles from Manasquan | |
Allaire | 5.5 | 22.0 | 5.5 miles from Manasquan; was an early thriving village due to the Howell Iron Works established by James P. Allaire | |
Farmingdale | 8.5 | 19.0 | Intersected NJ Southern RR | |
Fairfield | 12.5 | 15.0 | ||
Howell's | 13.5 | 14.0 | ||
Freehold | 16.5 | 11.0 | ||
Battle Ground | 9.0 | |||
Manalapan | 19.5 | 8.0 | ||
Englishtown | 20.5 | 7.0 | ||
Tracey's | 5.0 | |||
Hoffman's | 3.0 | |||
Jamesburg | 27.5 | 0.0 | Terminus of F&J; Junction with Camden & Amboy Railroad | |
Dayton | Dayton was first known simply as The Cross Roads, where James Whitlock built a tavern on Georges Road around 1750. Early enterprises included a brick manufacturer and large nursery. In 1866, the name was changed from Cross Roads to Dayton, in honor of William L. Dayton, an attorney for the Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad. Dayton had helped settle disputes arising from the location of a railroad right-of-way. He was later a U.S. senator, vice presidential nominee, and Minister to France. | |||
Monmouth Junction | Monmouth Junction was created as the junction of three rail branches, the New York division of Pennsylvania Railroad, the Rocky Hill and the Jamesburg and Freehold. | |||
Kingston | Kingston's location on the Lenape Assunpink Trail where it crossed the Millstone River was the prime factor in its early prominence. Kingston was by far the most active and important village of South Brunswick, being situated on both the heavily traveled King's Road and Milestone River, combining commercial activities of both mills and taverns. | |||
Rocky Hill | In 1839, the Camden & Amboy Railroad Company constructed the first railroad line
located in the vicinity of Rocky Hill. It was a single track railroad extending from Trenton, and generally followed the winding contour of the Delaware and Raritan Canal to Princeton and Rocky hill, then east to Monmouth Junction. |