[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 34 (Thursday, March 23, 2000)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E407-E408] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOROUGH OF HIGHLANDS, NJ ______ HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR. of new jersey in the house of representatives Thursday, March 23, 2000 Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to my constituents in the Borough of Highlands, NJ, as this community celebrates its 100th anniversary. To commemorate this great occasion, a centennial dinner was held yesterday evening at Bahr's restaurant, since 1917 an institution in this community located on beautiful Sandy Hook Bay. Mr. Speaker, we stand at the threshold of a new century. At the last turn of the century, Highlands became a borough, having separated from Middleton Township. But, the history of the area goes back a great deal further. The first Europeans to see Highlands were Giovanni Verrazano and his crew aboard the Dauphine. The first map of the Highlands area was made by the Spaniard Diego Ribero, who called the area now known to us as [[Page E408]] Sandy Hook as Cabo De Arenas (cape of sands) and the Navesink/ Shrewsbury River as Rio de Santiago. It was on September 2, 1609, that Henry Hudson first saw the Highlands area. The name of this explorer continues to be a household name in the Borough as the regional high school serving the young people of the area is Henry Hudson Regional High School. Throughout the Colonial and Revolutionary eras, many of the illustrious names still recalled throughout Monmouth County, New Jersey and the nation were associated with Highlands. Richard Hartshorne, for whom Hartshorne Woods County Park is named, settled in Highlands in 1678. In 1778, the British General Clinton retreated through Highlands after his defeat in the Battle of Monmouth, a major turning point in America's War for Independence. In 1782, Captain Joshua Huddy was hanged at Water Witch. Phillip Freneau, known as the ``poet of the Revolution,'' wrote a poem called ``Navesink'' focused on the Highlands hills. James Fennimore Cooper served in the Navy doing shore patrol of the Raritan Bay area during the years 1805-11, and in 1830 this great American writer would produce The Water Witch, whose setting is the Highlands hills. (Water Witch Avenue is to this day one of the borough's thoroughfares.) In 1872, the noted engraver Granville Perkins came to Highlands to sketch several scenes for the first edition of Picturesque America. In 1876, William Cullen Bryant published the Centennial Edition of Picturesque America in which Highlands was featured in the picture and text as the leading site. In 1875, Walt Whitman visited Highlands and wrote two poems, ``Fancies at Navesink.'' In 1889, Harper's magazine writer F.E. Fryatt visited Highlands and wrote extensively of its beauty, sites and quaint way of life. That same year, the noted writer Gustav Kobbe visited Highlands and described town life, writing the first description of the clamming industry. Perhaps the best known landmark of Highlands is the Twin Lights, which holds a commanding position overlooking Sandy Hook Bay and the gateway from the New Jersey/New York Harbor area to the Atlantic Ocean. The first single beacon lighthouse was built in 1765. It was in 1828 that the first Twin Lights were built. In 1841, the south tower of the Twin Lights received a Fresnel lens. In 1862, the present Twin Lights were constructed, and in 1889 the south tower was fitted with an electric arc light to produce 25,000 candle power output. In 1924, an incandescent lamp replaced the arc light, to produce 9,000,000 candle power output. The Twin Lights were deactivated and shut off in 1952, and in 1965 it was made a National Historic Site. Highlands has been throughout its history a major transportation hub. In 1832, the steamboat Saratoga was the first to serve Highlands from New York City, ushering in the steamboat age which ran for 100 years. In 1865, the Long Branch and Sea Shore Railroad began its run between Long Branch and Spermaceti Cove steamboat dock, bringing New York City vacationers to the Jersey Shore. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, rail and trolley service helped bring people to Highlands and on to other transportation infrastructure. In 1872, the first Highlands-Sea Bright bridge was opened (although it was struck by a sloop and wrecked three years later.) The current drawbridge along Route 36, built in 1932 and called the Million Dollar Bridge, has proven much more durable in our present-day transportation age. Today, Highlands is still well known for its fishing industry and marinas. In 1947, the Highlands boat basin was renovated. Although the age of steam ships has passed into memory, Highlands today is the site of ferry service that continues to provide round trip transportation to New York for commuters and day-trippers. Through the years, members of diverse religious denominations found a home in Highlands, as members of various denominations established meeting places, often in people's homes. Today, the Borough is the home to a number of houses of worship with deep roots in the community. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the community developed a strong system of schools and other public services as the quality of life and sense of community continued to improve. Residential communities took shape and a strong commercial life was established. Highlands Borough was established in name in 1900. Twelve years later, the Water Witch section officially became part of the Borough. Also in 1912, the waterfront area bounded by Bay Avenue, Shrewsbury Avenue and Miller Street was filled in and streets were laid out for houses to be built. Throughout the 20th century, Highlands developed its fame and renown as home of some of the Jersey Shore's best seafood restaurants, as well as charming bed-and-breakfast establishments. At the time of Highlands' founding in 1900, the United States Census listed a population of 848 persons. By the time of the 2000 Census is completed, it will indicate that the community has grown by a factor of six. The people of Highlands have played an important role in the history of our country, state and nation, involved at every stage of our history from the earliest days. In the last 100 years, The Borough has survived and rebounded from natural disasters, such as nor'easters and hurricanes, as well as fires and other disasters. It even enjoyed a brief period of notorious fame during Prohibition as a center for illicit trade on water and land for illegal whiskey. On this great occasion, I want to express my best wishes to Mayor Richard W. O'Neil, Council Members John Bentham, Dolores Monohan Howard, Sherry Ruby and Robert M. Rauen, and all of the dedicated men and women who make the Borough services work day-in and day-out. Mr. Speaker, it is a great privilege and an honor for me to pay tribute to the Borough of Highlands, a beautiful community with an unsurpassed location, a place with a proud history, a bright future and many, many great people. ____________________