Farmingdale and Squan Village Railroad
The Farmingdale and Squan Village Railroad was a short-line railroad in 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 | ||
| Allendale | 3.0 | 24.0 | located near the Old Squan Bridge about three miles from Manasquan | |
| Allair | 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 | ||||
| Monmouth Junction | ||||
| Kingston | ||||
| Rocky Hill |
Brief Connection to NY & Long Branch RR
In 1875, S. Leonard Thurlow owned all of Sea Girt and occupied the Mansion House of the late commodore Richard Stockton. Thurlow was eager to have the railroad, which had been built from Farmingdale to Manasquan (Squan Village), extended to Long Branch. (original account difficult to read - under study).
References
- ↑ Edgar Felix Bikeway web page
- ↑ "The Pennsylvania Railroad: Its Origin, Construction, Condition and Connections"; Sipes, W.B.; The Passenger Department, Philadelphia, 1875
- History of Monmouth Country 1664-1920, Volume II, Lewis Historical Pub Co., 1922
- Freehold: A Hometown History, Arcadia Publishing, Barbara Pepe, 2003; ISBN 0-7385-2418-2
- Kobbe, Jersey Coast and Pines, 1889
External links
- Corporate Genealogy: Freehold & Jamesburg Agricultural
- Edgar Felix Memorial Bikeway{}
- Significant Customers: Howell Works (later Allaire Iron Works)