Marlboro Township, New Jersey

Marlboro Township is a township located in Monmouth County in the State of New Jersey in the United States of America.

History

The Lenape were the first inhabitants of this area.

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The history of the township reaches back to 1685, when the land was first settled by farmers from Scotland, England and The Netherlands. The Township of Marlboro was established on February 17, 1848; before that it had been part of Freehold Township. The town is named for the prevalence of marl, which was first discovered in the area in 1768. (The town's name was originally Marlborough, and then at some point was shortened.) Marlboro's first industry was the export of marl to different areas around the country.

Related Topics:
Scotland - England - The Netherlands - Freehold Township - Marl

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Marlboro was the scene of a number of skirmishes during the American Revolutionary War, in particular following the Battle of Monmouth in 1778.

Related Topics:
American Revolutionary War - Battle of Monmouth

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Up through World War II Marlboro was rural and composed mostly of dairy, potato, tomato and other farms laced with small hamlets with modest inns or taverns; these included Morganville, Robertsville, Wickatunk, Bradevelt, Topanemus, and Pleasant Valley, with the center being Marlboro Village.

Related Topics:
World War II - Rural - Dairy - Potato - Tomato - Farms - Hamlets - Morganville

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The name Morganville still exists as a section of Marlboro with its own zip code, as does Wickatunk to a lesser extent; Topanemus and Pleasant Valley are names of significant roads within the township; and the remaining names are sometimes seen on maps or road signs.

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Following the war the state began to build and improve the roads infrastructure, and the township gained population. Even until the 1970s Marlboro remained largely rural in character, but then it became a growing exurban destination for people working in New York and in nearby large suburban corporations. During the 1980s and early 1990s most of the new housing developments featured relatively modest four- or five-bedroom houses, but then the trend turned toward "McMansions".

Related Topics:
Exurban - New York - Suburban - Housing development - McMansion

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Many of the newcomers to Marlboro from the 1980s on were migrating from Brooklyn and/or Staten Island.

Related Topics:
Brooklyn - Staten Island

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Marlboro lost eight of its residents as the result of the September 11 terrorist attacks; a memorial has been built.

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Marlboro no longer has any real town center and can be considered an example of suburban sprawl. The main commercial thoroughfares are United States Highway 9 and New Jersey State Highway 79. New Jersey State Highway 18 provides a fast conduit to the Jersey Shore.

Related Topics:
Town center - Suburban sprawl - United States Highway 9 - New Jersey State Highway 79 - New Jersey State Highway 18 - Jersey Shore

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