February 1, 1951--George Parker Wins Poultry Trophy

Parker Poultry Farm

Practical poultryman, George R. Parker of Monmouth Junction, did not lay an egg on February 1, 1951.  Far from it.  His accomplishment was more of the "golden egg" variety during the 1951 Farmer's Week, held by the New Jersey State Poultry Association.  At the 60th annual meeting of the Association at the Hotel Hidebrecht in Trenton, New Jersey,  the winners in various categories of competition were announced . . . and you guessed it--our own George R. Parker received the coveted Poultry Green Pastures Trophy for best poultry range in the State of New Jersey during 1950.  Back in the day, there were fewer ways to bring glory to your community, but Mister Parker found a way to put Monmouth Junction "on the map."  Parker was no spring chicken when it came to receiving accolades for his accomplishments in the poultry business.  He has been called upon at various occasions to speak on panels at the Black Farmers' Annual Conference.  We felt all along that George R. Parker knew his chickens--but in 1951, he had a trophy to prove it.  When asked by a local reporter in New Brunswick, which came first "the chicken or the egg?"  Mister Parker replied "It all depends how wide the road is."

January 31, 1934--Monmouth Junction RR Engineer, Alonzo Wright's Funeral

Monmouth Junction Train Station

Veteran railroader and noted musician, Alonzo Francis Wright of Monmouth Junction, was laid to rest on January 31, 1934.  When Wright was a mere lad of twelve, his father, Joel Wright--an engineer on the old Camden and Amboy Railroad--taught him how to run the famous English engine, "John Bull."  He was present when the engine arrived at Bordentown, saw it being assembled at the wharf, and helped feed it wood to burn instead of coal.  In 1865, he moved with his family to Princeton where his father served as an engineer on the Princeton Junction branch.  Joel Wright served as a telegraph operator at Princeton Junction until 1876.  On January 29, 1877, Wright married Kate D. Groendyke.  Before he died, they had celebrated fifty-six years together.  His son, Alonzo, followed in his father's footsteps in working for the railroad.  He also was an ardent church-goer.  Wright served as a Sunday school teacher, was a member of the choir, and the church treasurer.  He was also a talented musician, who performed on the piano, violin, banjo, cornet, accordion, and mouth organ.  This humble, multi-talented man just happened to be descended from English nobility (so he claimed as often as given the opportunity)--his great-grandmother, Harriet Luttrell, was the daughter of the Earl of Carhampton, who once held a seat in Parliament in the British House of Lords.  This is but another example of the colorful characters who have been a part of South Brunswick Township history.  Legend has it that this Alonzo Francis Wright was never wrong (so he claimed as often as given the opportunity).

January 30, 1968--Timothy Ochs Ambushed in Vietnam

Timothy Ochs' 1965 Valhalla Yearbook picture

He was only twenty-one years old when he lost his life.  Specialist Fourth Class, Timothy C. Ochs, son of Mr. and Mrs. Carl F. Ochs of Georges Road, Dayton, was killed in an ambush while en route to a new assignment near Saigon on January 30, 1968.  This tragedy occurred just days after he had completed a thirty-six day leave to see his parents back home.  Ochs had served a year prior to the leave and had re-enlisted in the Army in December before coming home to visit.  He had volunteered for another six months of service to his country.  Timothy was a life-long resident of Dayton.  He graduated from South Brunswick High School in 1965.  He then matriculated at the Institute of Computer Programming in New Brunswick.  Then he entered the military.  After receiving his basic training at Fort Dix, Ochs was assigned to Vietnam as a computer data processing specialist.  After his final six-month tour, he was planning to return to a job waiting for him at McGraw-Hill in Hightstown, New Jersey.  Timothy Ochs, one of our hometown heroes, never got the chance.

January 29, 1862--Francis Tites of Little Rocky Hill Dies

 Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Union Church

Many of us South Brunswick Townshippers drive through Little Rocky Hill on Route 27 and know little or nothing about the community that has been there since colonial times.  At an earlier time, the road sat east of where it now passes through Little Rocky Hill.  Along the old route an integrated community sprang up and clustered around the Mount Zion A. M. E. Church which was founded in 1843 and still stands.  The original name of the church was "Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Union Church."  One of the unsung founders of this church was Francis Tites, who passed away on January 29, 1862.  He lived on Old Road, which is the same road the church is on.  The nearby cemetery was started at the same time the church was.  After Mr. Tites (aka: Titus) passed away, he was buried in this cemetery by the church he loved.  The guiding principle of the A. M. E. Church is that all men, regardless of race, are brothers in God's eyes.  The founder of the first A. M. E. Church in Philadelphia, Richard Allen, was a former slave who did not like being told where a person of color had to pray.  He felt the races did not have to be separated at a place of worship.  Founder's Day for the A. M. E. Church  in Philadelphia coincides with Allen's birthday on February 14, 1760.  His movement of protest against the established Methodist Episcopal Church, in 1787, evolved into the A. M. E. Church.  The Church and its doctrine of inclusion spread to other states.  These included Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware.  Francis Tites was one of the first in Little Rocky Hill to be inspired by Allen's message of brotherhood.  It took courage and conviction to express such a message in those days.  Tites made sure the Little Rocky Hill community stood as a beacon of what a free society could be.  A hundred years after Tites passed away, a new Mt. Zion A. M. E. Church was constructed north of the original structure on Old Road in Little Rocky Hill.  The reader is invited to find the Old Road the next time driving on Route 27 and take a step back in history

January 28, 1956--First 25 Occupancy Permits Issued for Kendall Park

by Ed Belding South Brunswick Historical Society

The latest "pioneer" settlers in South Brunswick Township "staked their claims" in the 1950's.  It all started when Herb Kendall, a builder with a dream and land developer of some renown, went before the South Brunswick Township Planning Board on February 10, 1955.  He was joined by his partner, David Savage.  Kendall proposed to build 500 homes, school buildings, and water and sewer systems.  He received approval for 500 homes, but his dream involved a thousand more homes.  His plan was to build 300 homes per year.  For the additional thousand, Kendall had to go to court.  He won and his dream became a reality.  By January 28, 1956, the first occupancy permits were issued.  By April of that year, 245 acres of woods and farmland had been purchased.  This area lay between New Road and Sand Hills Road.  The very first homes were built right off Route 27 where Stanworth and Blair Roads are located.  By March of 1957 more than one-hundred "pioneer" families had moved into their new homes.  Each of the new homes on spacious lots was available for $400 down.  Quite a deal in those halcyon days!  By 1960, the Kendall Park population had risen to ten-thousand.  The hearty "pioneers" of Kendall Park deserve as much credit as Herb Kendall is due.  Since those early days, Kendall Parkers have contributed much to the vitality and growth of South Brunswick Township.

January 27, 1777--Robert Nixon Elected Captain of Light Horse Troop

by Ed Belding South Brunswick Historical Society

Things were looking up for the American forces under General George Washington in January of 1777.  The patriot army had won the First Battle of Trenton, avoided defeat at the Second Battle of Trenton, and defeated British forces at the Battle of Princeton.  Things were also looking up for the New Jersey Militia in the South Brunswick area at this time.  Robert Nixon, who did not hail from South Brunswick, became one of our local heroes during 1777.  It all started for him when the local men in the Light-Horse Troop of Militia, Third Regiment, Middlesex County, elected Robert Nixon as their Captain.  He served with distinction in this capacity until advancing in rank later in the year.  While he was Captain, he led his men against loyalist foragers.  There may have been a number of British soldiers in this band of foragers, but that is not for certain.  Nixon and his men were successful in repelling this foe in what became known as the "Cranberry Skirmish," even though the action took place just south of Cross Roads (lka: Dayton) on March 12, 1777.  This confrontation and rout of enemy forces took place along Georges Road near where Route 130 is today.  The Light-Horse Troop then chased after the foragers in order to discourage them from returning to the area.  Captain Nixon lived in Hide's Town (aka: Hight's Town), which is known today as Hightstown.  He owned over two-hundred acres of land there.  He was a tanner by trade, but he may also have tried his hand at running a tavern.  Robert Nixon was a strong, gruff man, well-suited to lead lead local militia men.  He was as much respected by them as he was feared.  His story is told in Ed. Belding's THE CAPTAIN'S RULE, which is available at the Reference Desk of the South Brunswick Public Library.

January 26, 2013--Sanchitha Balasubramanian--First Prize at Carnegie Hall

by Ed Belding South Brunswick Historical Society

Bet you can't guess the longest name of all the musicians who hail from South Brunswick.  You would be correct if you said Sanchitha Balasubramanian of Monmouth Junction.  She answered the age-old question--"How Do You Get To Carnegie Hall?" . . . answer--"Practice, Practice, Practice . . . "  She performed there on January 26, 2013, and took first place in the music and voice competition for her age category.  At that time, Miss B. was a Sophomore at the Hun School.  She had started training on the piano just four years earlier, and training as a vocalist one year earlier.  In the Carnegie Hall competition, Sanchitha chose Chopin's Waltz Opus 64, No. 2 for piano, and Handel's Lascia Ch'io Pianga for an aria.  Miss Balasubramanian admits coming from musical family.  Her mother loves to sing and her father loves to listen.  Their gift of a toy xylophone when Sanchitha was little, started her on the pursuit of excellence in music.  She always sang.  She took up the violin in third grade.  By age thirteen she was in competition at Steinway Hall, Performance Hall, and Baruch Hall.  After her triumph at Carnegie Hall, Sanchitha performed at the Golden Key Music Festival in April of 2013.  She continues to play and contribute to South Brunswick's claim to be a place where musical talent can thrive.