Howell Township History
Official Site
Howell was formed from territory taken from Shrewsbury Township under an act of Assembly passed February 23, 1801, and included in addition to its present area all of what is now Wall Township, Lakewood Township, Brick Township, and all the boroughs along the Atlantic Ocean from Barnegat Inlet of the Shark River Inlet at Belmar. The following is the original act passed by the twenty first General Assembly of the State of New Jersey.
AN ACT to divide the township of Shrewsbury in the County of Monmouth.
Passed February 23, 1801
Sec. 1. BE IT ENACTED by the council and general assembly of this state, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That all that part of the township of Shrewsbury, in the county of Monmouth, lying within the following boundaries, to wit: Beginning at the main sea or ocean, in the middle of Shark River Inlet, and from thence running up the main stream thereof along its several windings to a pace called and known by the name of the Horse-Pound; and from thence from a certain pine tree, standing by the edge of the brook in the Horse-Pound, lettered I.P. said to be the beginning corner of a tract of land surveyed and returned for Joseph Potter, deceased, on a straight line to the head spring of the Mingumehone-Branch, at the foot of Manhomony-Hill, near the widow Harvey’s house; and from thence, on a straight line, to the most southerly corner of a tract of land belonging to the Reverend Samuel Pyle, called the Mill-Tract; from thence along said Pyle’s southerly boundary lines, till it meets the easterly bound lines of the township of Freehold; and from thence along said line, southerly, until it meets the northerly bound line of the township of Dover; and from thence, eastwardly, along the line of said township, until it comes to the main ocean; and from thence along the same, northerly, to the place of beginning, shall be, and the same is hereby set off from the township of Shrewsbury, and the same is hereby established a separate township, to be called by the name of the Township of Howell.
Sec. 2. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the inhabitants of the said township of Howell shall be, and they are hereby vested with and entitled unto all the powers, privileges and authorities, and shall be, and are hereby made subject to the like regulations and government which the inhabitants of the aforesaid township of Shrewsbury are subject and entitled to; and that the inhabitants of the Township of Howell shall be, and they are hereby incorporated, styled and known by the name of THE INHABITANTS OF THE TOWNSHIP OF HOWELL IN THE COUNTY OF MONMOUTH, and they are entitled to all the privileges, authorities and advantages that the other townships in the said county are entitled unto, by virtue of an act, entitled, (Rev. 276) “An act incorporating the inhabitants of townships, designating their powers, and regulating their meetings.” Passed the twenty-first day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-eight.
Sec. 3. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the inhabitants of the said township of Howell shall meet at the house of William Corlis now dwells at Squancum, in the said township, on the day appointed by law for the first annual meeting after the passing of this act, and proceed in all respects agreeable to the laws of this state for the regulation of town officers.
Sec. 4. AND BE IT ENACTED, That the chosen freeholders of each township, namely, Shrewsbury and Howell, with the assistance of one justice of peace out of each township, shall meet in two weeks after the next annual town-meeting, at the house of Robert Laird, at Eaton-Town in the township of Shrewsbury, at two o’clock in the afternoon, and then there proceed to make allotment, between the said townships, of such poor persons as shall be chargeable, in proportion to the taxable property contained within their respective limits-Provided. That if either of the chosen freeholders, as aforesaid, shall neglect or refuse to meet as aforesaid, it shall and may be lawful for such freeholders and justice of the peace as do meet, to proceed to such distribution of the poor, and such other business as is necessary to be settled between the two townships.
