Hazlet History, Residents Honored During 175th Anniversary Year

HAZLET, NJ — The township will be marking its 175th anniversary of incorporation with special events all year.

And the first was the mayor's reading of a proclamation to mark the anniversary at a gathering on Hazlet's "birthday," Feb. 25, 1848.

The anniversary year will continue with special events planned for Fourth of July, Hazlet Day, a history discussion series at the James J. Cullen Center and a special display of historic artifacts at Town Hall, the township said.

At the anniversary gathering, lots of officials and residents and members of all aspects of the community that make the township work were in attendance.

That included former Township Administrator Robert "Bob" Weigand, the 93-year old grandson of Hazlet's postmaster and train station master, Peter Otto Weigand. The party was well-documented on the township's Facebook page, a nod to 2023-era communications.

Mayor Michael C. Sachs read the proclamation that also gave a recap of how Hazlet came to be:

On Feb. 25, 1848, the settlements of Hazlet, North Centerville, West Keansburg and other hamlets were set off from greater Middletown by the New Jersey State Legislature to create a new political entity called the "Township of Raritan."

At the time, Hazlet was rich in farmland and farmers transported their crops by horse and wagon to sell to the steamships at the Raritan Bay docks. After a New York & Long Branch Railroad stop was established in 1875, they shipped their fresh asparagus, peaches, peppers and canned tomatoes to the city.

Then in the 1930s, clay beds were mined for fire bricks by the National Fireproofing Company.

But one day underground springs filled the pits with fresh water, which became mixed with salt water, and created a rare natural refuge for migrating birds, fish and wildlife by Route 36, now called Natco Lake.

In the 1960s, the town grew into a suburban community of over 20,000 residents, lured by the promise of suburban life, neighborhood schools, a municipal pool complex, bustling shopping centers and easy proximity to the metropolitan area and Jersey Shore.

And in 1967, the citizens of Raritan Township voted to rename their home Hazlet Township, after the longtime name of their train stop on Holmdel Road, in order to distinguish their Monmouth County town from other municipalities with the same name.

The mayor's proclamation included an essential part of Hazlet's history - its residents.

"Whereas our township has been strengthened by many great families who contributed to our community, from the volunteer firemen, First Aid and Police who formed companies in the first half of the 1900s, and by those who fought to preserve our nation in the Civil War, the World Wars and some who gave their own lives,

"Now, Therefore, I, Michael C. Sachs, Mayor of Hazlet Township, do hereby proclaim the year 2023 as the 175th anniversary of Hazlet Township. Let us all take a moment to reflect on the history of our township, celebrate its growth, and recommit ourselves to building a strong, vibrant, and sustainable community for the next 175 years."