Toms River was first settled in in the early 18th century, around 1702, by European settler Thomas Luker. Luker lived on the shore of the river, then called Goose Creek, and ran a ferry of tied logs to and from present day Downtown to South Toms River. Luker married into the local Lenni Lenape tribe, wedding the Chief’s daughter, Princess Ann. Luker had his own family and other settlers soon moved down to the surrounding area as well. A small village began to form on the north side where the river narrows and where Luker first lived. This village and the river took his name “Tom’s River”. Many local residents, including Toms River South principal Michael Citta, can trace their lineage back to Luker.
The village was largely independent and focused on shipping, fishing, clamming, whaling, and shipbuilding. Many residents were living on scattered farms or operated mills along the various waterways such as Cedar and Kettle Creeks. The village petitioned with other nearby communities to become a town, which was granted on June 24th, 1767. The Town of Dover included most of present-day northern Ocean County. Infringement from the royal government on local affairs drew ire from residents. Many Toms Riverites were sympathetic to the growing Revolutionary cause and participated in anti-British activites. Local captains commandeered British vessels at sea and upset loyalists around the area, becoming a target of leadership. On March 24th, 1782, a British group from New York City took the ship “Arrogant” and landed near where the bridges to Seaside are today. They met with local loyalists, forming an army of 120 people who marched on the village. The plan was to eradicate the nuisance to British activities along the Jersey Coast and to punish the village for partaking in them. 25 Patriots manned the local garrison that had been constructed to defend from British assaults. It was a small wood piling structure on top of Robbins Street. The army marched inland hoping to surprise the villagers, but lookouts such as Garrett Irons ran to the Blockhouse to warn the men. After a couple hours of fighting the 25 men surrendered, surrounded on all sides. Leader, Captain Joshua Huddy, was captured and brought back to New York with other colonists. Huddy was hanged on April 12th as a claimed retaliatory killing for the execution of a British captor by the Americans. Patriots all the way up to General George Washington called out the death of Huddy and peace negotiations in Paris were actually disrupted. The British left Toms River burning to the ground, except for two houses in town they spared.
Toms River citizens reassembled and slowly rebuilt the town. Continuing with seafaring trades, the area recovered. In 1812, a key inlet closed in the area of Ortley Beach, limiting convenient access to the sea from the mouth of the river. Other economic activities were taken up, such as charcoal making in the pine forests and farming.
Mid-century brought about new cultivation traditions such as cranberry growing which happened to the north of the village and to the south in places such as Double Trouble. Mercantile businesses Downtown began to become more important as well, George Cowperthwaite built an Exchange building at the end of Washington Street meeting Main in 1856, providing office spaces and a local post office. Coal and lumber yards appeared on Water street as well as more housing for ship captains forming Captain’s Row (a series of homes built from 1824-1916).
In 1850, New Jersey created the County of Ocean and recognized Toms River as the seat of the government. The County Courthouse was built on Joseph Coward’s cornfield on Washington St., finishing a red brick greek revival structure in 1851 along with a Sheriff’s residence behind it. Coward was selected among a number of property owners for a courthouse site and was so grateful he ordered 6,000 bricks to assist in construction. When the Civil War broke out many young men from town were sent with the New Jersey 14th Volunteers, and drilled in front of the courthouse. Following the war, returning veterans provided new strength to the community building homes on Washington, Main, Walton, and Union Streets. Vets such as Ralph Gowdy invested in Double Trouble’s cranberry operations and lived in a large home on Washington Street (where the Elks lodge is today).
Toms River finished the 19th century and fired into the 1900s with a booming economy. The First National Bank of Toms River was chartered in 1881 located on the southeast corner of Water and Main Streets. The Ocean House Hotel and Riverside House on the northwest and southwest welcomed guests such as Ulysses S. Grant. In 1870 a large mansard roof commercial building was constructed on the corner of Washington and Main and provided meeting space and restaurant space. This design continued down Main with various shoe, clothing, grocery, and office frontages. In the teens local thespians organized Traco Theater Company which set up shop on Washington St and hosted plays and vaudeville shows. Events were paused during the First World War, but set the stage for a boom at the end of the conflict. Veterans formed the George P. Vanderveer Post 129 (Vanderveer was a young man killed in Europe) and organized charity events. The regional school district began condensing small one room schools to large buildings including the Toms River Grade School finished in 1925 on the hill of Hyers Street. Main and Washington Streets were converted from dirt to concrete roads in the 1920s.
As the 20th century progressed, Toms River continued to experience exponential growth. Italian, Irish, Eastern European, and Jewish immigrants began settling in the predominantly Anglo-Saxon Protestant town. Families like the Cittas started in local endeavors such as concrete block making. The 1920s also saw a major building boom. Within downtown dozens of homes were constructed in the Dutch Colonial, Craftsman, and Arts and Crafts styles. Curbs and sidewalks complemented the streets. Traco Theater finished a 1921 expansion that quadruped the space with a yellow brick facade. In 1913 Toms River Fire Company finished its stucco headquarters on Robbins Street. In 1921 as well Jesse P. Evernham completed his 60 foot tall business complex on the westside of Main Street (next to Wells Fargo).
The Great Depression hit town hard, but residents made the best out of the situation. New Deal projects supported local residents including the construction of the bleachers at Gulick Field (Detwiler Stadium), the old post office on Washington Street (Ocean Inc.), and the Wright Bridge over a Toms River branch by Lakehurst Road. When World War II started many local young men went to Europe including some 800+ Toms River High School students and graduates. The Yacht Club at the end of Robbins Parkway became the location for a volunteer Coast Guard Flotilla. Men visited from the bases in Lakehurst. Scrap metal collection drives were held in town. One man, Leonard Lomell was a 2nd Lieutenant in the 2nd Army Rangers division and led men during D-Day to take out German artillery pointed at landing craft on the beach.
After the Allied victory in Europe, the United States changed drastically. A migration of residents from North Jersey began moving down to spacious and quiet TR. Neighborhoods branched out from Downtown and developments such as Hickory Manor (Behind St. Joseph’s) and Melody Park (By Cedar Grove Road and Bay Avenue) were built. The concept was to build a whole neighborhood instead of the traditional one house at a time. Dozens of homes would pop up at once. New materials and processes such as plywood and poured concrete foundations, made construction cheaper and faster. Prices were also affordable and subsidized by friendly government loans and G.I. benefits for white men. In 1953 Toms River’s parkway exits were opened to travelers, Route 37 turned into a commercial corridor with places like the Toms River Shopping Center (Started in 1955) and a new supermarket (Opened in 1953) popping up. Restaurants like Ye Olde Cedar Inn and Zapert’s led towards the newly constructed Thomas A. Mathis Bridge (Opened in 1950), which replaced a wooden span. Fast food also became popular for the first time. Carvel’s Ice Cream opened in 1955 on Route 37 East, McDonald’s opened across the street in 1968, Burger King in 1970. Route 37 in the late 1960s was expanded from a two-lane highway to six. Toms River Regional Schools was formed from the local districts in 1964 by referendum. Following the war the schools grew tremendously. Toms River High School was built in 1951, North Dover Elementary (1954), East Dover (1956), Washington Street (1962), Hooper Avenue (1965), and Walnut Street (1965). Student enrollment skyrocketed as young families fleshed out the new communities being built by developers.
War came again and this time the country was not fully united behind the cause. Most adults in Toms River were behind the effort and many of their sons went off to Vietnam. A number of boys did not come back and support for the conflict in Vietnam waned with the rest of the country. The world was changing again. Economic hardships and disenchanted young people led to changing priorities. Business attention was leaving Downtown and growing on Rt. 37, Rt. 9, Hooper Avenue, and Fischer Boulevard. The Ocean County Mall was opened in 1976, other strip malls opened on Fischer, 37, and Hooper. Township officials added onto Town Hall in 1979 and welcomed the Ocean County Library System’s Headquarters on Washington Street in 1982. Officials also envisioned Downtown as an office and professional destination instead of a cultural and retail hotspot. This led to less stores and restaurants and more law offices and insurance agencies. Business owners such as Simon Schwartz who ran Charney’s of Toms River renovated their 17 Washington Street location in 1974. Charney’s sold office furniture, stationary, and electronic equipment. The First National Bank bricked over their Main Street front in 1970. Ocean County bought out several old homes and demolished them in 1974 for a new Administration Building. Small apartment buildings were added on Main and Washington in the 60s and 70s. Water Street also saw an “urban renewal” project in the late 60s that demolished several century-old store fronts across from Huddy Park. The road was also widened to help traffic flow, making the area less friendly to pedestrians, this continued west with industrial buildings and parking lots heading towards the Parkway. Some of Downtown’s older homes burned or were torn down for fresher styles and designs. This continued into the 80s and 90s. Indian Head Plaza, as an example of a new retail destination, in Pleasant Plains was built in 1989 and featured a Home Depot, stores, and restaurants.
The new millennium has seen yet more shifts in how Toms River is. The Downtown Toms River Business Improvement District was created in 2002 and began to look at ways to bring back economic activities and cultural events to the old village. Many long-time residents have left for South Jersey or the American Southeast in search of lower costs of living. New residents from North Jersey and New York have arrived including African Americans, Latinx, Asian Americans, and Orthodox Jews. A new construction boom started in the late 90s with concepts such as condominiums, townhouses, and other types of multi-family housing. Much of this building has been concentrated in Central and North Dover along Old Freehold Road, Route 9, New Hampshire Avenue, and Whitesville Road. Starting with developments like Laurel Chase/Commons (Built through the 90s), Bea Ley Commons/Villages, The Fairways at Bea Ley, Weatherly Park, etc. In the early 2000s more strip malls popped up too as retail/department store demand increased. This led to a Target, Lowe’s, Michaels, Designer Shoe Warehouse, Rite Aid, Walgreens, CVS, etc. Institutions such as Charney’s, The First National Bank, Harris Clothing, Purpuri Shoes, Bob Kislin’s, etc. closed in the last 30 years.
In the 2010s and 2020s Toms River saw more changes in preferences and culture. Demographic changes have led to political upheaval, many voters motivated by religious and development issues. National political debates have trickled down to council and school board meetings. Downtown Redevelopment has become a major focus of officials with plans being introduced and projects starting. Stakeholders want a mixed-use development focus implemented in the core and waterfront areas. A 285 apartment complex with some 16,000 sqft of commercial space was approved in 2021 for a West Water Street lot and will break ground in the summer of 2022. In 2019, Battle River Brewing, a microbrewery, opened on Main Street with hops crafted on site. Garden State Distillery started sales in the Spring of 2020 on Washington Street. In 2015, Shops@53 Main, an Improvement District Co-Op started offering small businesses an affordable rental opportunity. A hot real estate market has also led to new residents buying homes in town and renovating them for their young families. The future of Toms River is predicated and dependent on the future of its citizens and their sense of community. Long Live Toms River!
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