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Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad

Field	Value
railroad_name	Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad
system_map
map_caption	Maximum extent of the Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad
locale	New Jersey, USA
start_year
end_year
predecessor_line	Farmingdale and Squan Village Railroad,
Freehold Marl Company Railroad,
Camden and Amboy Rail Road and Transportation Company
successor_line	Freehold Industrial Track
old_gauge
gauge
length	27.323 mi
hq_city	Jamesburg, New Jersey, U.S.

Freehold Marl Company Railroad, Camden and Amboy Rail Road and Transportation Company The Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad was a short-line railroad in New Jersey. The railroad traversed through the communities of Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Manalapan Township, Englishtown Borough, Monroe Township, and Jamesburg Borough, en route to Monmouth Junction in South Brunswick Township.

The railroad's former right-of-way, along with a portion of the Farmingdale and Squan Village Railroad's right-of-way, has become the Edgar Felix Bikeway and the Freehold right-of-way between Route 537 and Big Brook Park in Marlboro Township has become the Henry Hudson Trail. The section of right of way from Route 537 parallel to Jackson Street and behind the former Karagheusian Rug Mill to the former Central Railroad of New Jersey depot on Jackson Street at Mechanic Street in Freehold Borough has not as of yet been improved to be part of the trail. It is not clear whether this part of the right of way is still owned by New Jersey Transit which owns the rest of the line north into Matawan. The latter has been ‘railbanked’ which means it can be reactivated (if economic conditions warrant.)

History

19th century

The railroad was first chartered on March 12, 1851, and incorporated on March 21, 1851. The establishment of the Freehold & Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad caused Jamesburg to become a railroad hub.

The company was formed as a means to haul marl for fertilizer production. The headquarters of the railroad was originally in Jamesburg; later it was moved to Camden.

William L. Dayton, who would later serve as a United States senator, the first Republican nominee for vice president (in 1856), and as minister to France, was an attorney for the Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad. Dayton had helped in settling land disputes arising from the location of the railroad's right-of-way route passage. In 1866, the community of Dayton in nearby South Brunswick Township was renamed in his honor.

The railroad was reorganized under a special law of New Jersey, on May 21, 1879, when it was incorporated, in which three railroads consolidated to form the company, including the Farmingdale and Squan Village Railroad, the Freehold Marl Company Railroad (which later became the Monmouth County Agricultural Railroad) and Camden and Amboy Rail Road and Transportation Company.

The length of the trackage amounted to 27.323 mi. The Allaire family was a major stock holder in the company and James P. Allaire's son, Hal, was on the board of directors.

20th century

The railroad line was abandoned after 1964. In 1976, Conrail took over the abandoned railroad line, and operations resumed. The railroad line is known as the Freehold Industrial Track, which occasionally runs freight service between Freehold and Jamesburg.

21st century

On July 1, 2022, The Chesapeake and Delaware, LLC bought the line from Conrail to form the Delaware and Raritan River Railroad. On January 16, 2023, they started to rehab the line from Jamesburg to Farmingdale. Most of the portion was completed in October 2023. A new section was added to allow rail service to head south to Lakewood via a "Wye".

References

(2002). "Allaire". Arcadia Publishing.
(July 1, 1971). "Council OKs License for Inn". The Coast Star.
(May 31, 1907). "History of Steam Railroads of Monmouth County; Paper Read by George V. Sneden at Meeting of Monmouth County Historical Society". The Daily Standard.
(July 15, 1858). "The Freehold & Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad". Monmouth Democrat.
(June 15, 2000). "History of South Brunswick". The Central New Jersey Home News.
"A Walking Tour of Jamesburg".
(June 5, 1855). "Freehold & Jamesburg Ag. Railroad Co.". Monmouth Democrat.
Paone, Phil. (2000). "The Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad".
(April 11, 1918). "Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad Company". The Monmouth Inquirer.
Chang, Kathy; and Kesten, Karen L. [https://archive.centraljersey.com/2009/12/17/birth-of-a-town-10/ "Birth of a town"], ''South Brunswick Sentinel'', June 2, 2011. Accessed June 23, 2021.
"Corporate Genealogy: Freehold & Jamesburg Agricultural".
(January 8, 1874). "(untitled notice)". Monmouth Democrat.
(4 August 2008). "Library & Archives Manuscript Collections: Collection 6, Allaire Family Papers, 1808-1901".
(May 9, 1881). "Tuesday's Railroad Elections". Camden County Courier.
(June 27, 1966). "Sale of Land to JCP&L IS Approved". Asbury Park Press.
(June 27, 1966). "JCP&L (From Page 1)". Asbury Park Press.

Info: Wikipedia Source

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