Submarine:
We felt the need to add a Submarine on the Borough Seal when you research the History of the development of Submarines. A man by the name of Simon Lake raised through the Toms River School System in the 1800s used the Toms River to test his submarine theories. The tests conducted in the Toms River ultimately led Mr. Lake to build the first successful American submarine, the Argonaut Junior. The Argonaut Jr was first launched in 1894 in the Sandy Hook Bay.
Trains:
The Central Railroad - In 1865-1866 tracks were laid from Manchester to Toms River on Main Shore Road (what is now Flint Road in South Toms River). The Toms River Railroad played a significant role in the development of Ocean County, New Jersey. Initially, it served as a commercial route, hauling goods to and from the county seat of Toms River. The first passenger train pulled into the station on July 3, 1866. In 1879 The Raritan and Delaware Bay Railroad Company leased the line to Jay Gould, who renamed it the Central Railroad of New Jersey. Passenger service was discontinued in 1952 but freight continued to be delivered until the 1980's. The station burned on March 17, 1976 and what remained was razed in???? .
The Pennsylvania Railroad - The Pennsylvania-Long Branch Railroad, out of Camden, was built in 1883. Aimed at the seashore trade north of Island Beach, this line cut across the state from Medford, through Pemberton, and south to Toms River.
The Toms River station of the Pennsylvania Railroad was located at the end of South Main Street (in South Toms River) at the intersection of Mill Street. In 1881, the railroad was called the Philadelphia and Long Branch Railroad.
The train ran from Philadelphia through South Toms River and below via a bridge to Seaside Park and then up along the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. When the bridge burned in 1946, passengers disembarked at South Toms River and were transported to Seaside Park via bus.
The Toms River Railroad, established in 1866, played a significant role in the development of Ocean County, New Jersey. Initially, it served as a commercial route, hauling goods to and from the county seat of Toms River. The line was later extended by the Toms River & Waretown Railroad in 1872, reaching Waretown. The Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) acquired the line in 1881 and later transferred it to the Toms River & Barnegat Railroad (TR&B). The TR&B extended the line to Barnegat about 1893, and CNJ continued to operate it as its Barnegat Branch. Passenger service ended in the 1950s, and freight service continued until the 1970s, with the line being abandoned by Conrail in 1981. Much of the former rail line is now part of the Barnegat Branch Trail, with sections overgrown from Lakehurst to Toms River
Birdville (the Building):
This Unique building was built by Borough Resident Albert F. Greim. The Monument constructed for the "back-to-nature" movement, still remains at the intersection of Center Street and Mill Street. The Concrete Complex was built to include a small Episcopal chapel and a workshop for the manufacture of Cedar Birdhouses. The complex in its entirety was meant to serve as a Bird Sanctuary thus earning the nickname of Birdville. Though the building did not attract many Birds as intended, it did attract people and it became the location for the first Borough Council Meetings of South Toms River.
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