1714 – 1908

THE ASTONISHING BIRTH OF A TOWN

Long ago the Minisink Indians were the main folk here. They lived in tepees and stopped here occasionally on their way from the land up north to the southern area. They camped mainly where the new American Legion apartment is now, on WOLF PIT HILL, so named by the Indians. They called the area near the bay, FISHING POINT, but the folk further inland, such as Middletown, described it as "the key port of Monmouth County."

John Bowne, Jr., of Middletown, was the first Monmouth Patentee, having power to sell land he bought from the Indians to the early settlers. It was he whom the two New York merchants, Thomas and his brother, Michael Kearny, interviewed when they found some land they wanted to buy, in 1714. They had an appointment with Bowne at the Brown's Point Inn, where much business was carried on.

The New Yorkers were delighted with Fishing Point on that July day and bought 140 acres—2/3 to Thomas and 1/3 to Michael. However, before long Michael sold his third to Thomas, who had put his slaves to work building a