Toms River

The first settlers of the area included many that were exiled from nearby colonies on basis on religion. Toms River was founded in 1767, then known as Dover Township. The involvement of Toms River in the Revolutionary War has often been overlooked. The town had America's sole garrison, making it one of the key targets for the British Loyalists, who attacked the settlement at least thrice. The first attempt was unsuccessful, but the second and especially the third attacks breached the town's defenses. Captain Joshua Huddy, one of the defenders, was captured by a group of Loyalists while defending the Toms River Blockhouse and hanged without trial. The town was subsequently razed by arson, with the exception of two houses. Despite this, the founders sought to rise back up from the rubble. New industries, such as the iron and then the charcoal industries, had come and gone. The first Mormon Branch in the state was established here in 1838. The 1850s saw an abrupt rise of cranberry farming in the vicinity. It was also when Dover Township, encompassing much more that it occupies today, became the county seat of the newly formed Ocean County. A new railroad through Toms River fueled further growth, although the population didn't rise above 10,000 for the first half of the 20th century....