Celebrating 60: Huber Woods Park

By the middle of the 18th century, settlers had established farms on the north bank of the Navesink River. Typically houses were built along the river and the upland was farmed. Some built docks for bringing supplies in and shipping produce out to New York. A farm owner named Brown built a dock in front of his farm, and the adjacent road became known as Brown's Dock Road. Members of the Brown family farmed the land for more than 150 years when descendants sold 30 acres in 1915 to Joseph Huber.

Joseph Huber had arrived in New York in 1883 to sell dry color ink pigments his family manufactured in Munich, Germany. He established the J.M. Huber Corporation in New York in 1887 to manufacture and sell pigments, and soon after married Ann Gundlach, the daughter of German immigrants. Arriving by steamboat from Manhattan, Joseph and Anna rented Brown's peach farm on the Navesink in 1904 as a summer residence for their young family, even bringing along his delivery wagon horses so they could graze the pastures.

It was in 1915 that the Hubers bought the Brown farm through the J.M. Huber Corporation and built an Alpine-style house on the river. They acquired additional land up Brown's Dock Road, and their oldest son Hans and his wife Catherine Goss Huber built a larger Alpine-style house on the hill in 1927. They spent their summers there with their six children, farming the land with hay and corn for the horses, cows, chickens and pigs, and producing milk, butter and eggs for themselves and neighbors.

Huber's son and daughter-in-law, Hans and Catherine Huber, wanted to see 119 acres of woodland on the north end of their farm preserved in perpetuity as a nature sanctuary, and when donated to the county in 1974, they specified that roads, playgrounds, recreational facilities, and powered recreational vehicles should be excluded from the property. It was also requested that Brown's Dock Road be maintained as a dirt road and not widened. That same year, the Park System expanded the new park with the acquisition of 29 adjacent acres, and a year later an additional three acres were donated by Steven and Bonnie Wood. With the assistance of the N.J. Conservation Foundation and a Green Acres matching grant, another 52 acres were added across from the park in 1979.

It was in 1985 that the Huber family donated the core of their farm estate on Brown's Dock Road which consisted of 48 acres of land that included the Hans and Catherine Huber House, a barn and stable complex, and agricultural fields and woods. Members of the Huber family had first considered the development of the land, but decided they'd rather see the farm preserved for light agricultural use and nature study.

The Huber Farm stables were put to good use when the Special People United to Ride (SPUR) program moved there in 1987 from Thompson Park. The Huber House was turned into an Environmental Center with hands-on exhibits, and an accessible Discovery Path trail meandering through the adjacent woods. Park System carpenters erected an Activity Building made of logs in 1994 for educational programs and meetings, and a garage was converted into the Reptile House as a home for the Park System's reptile collection. Park System Naturalists have been conducting several programs over the years at Huber Woods, including the ever popular Creatures of the Night in October and the Native American Longhouse program utilized by school and private groups.

In 2006, the 99-acre Timolat Farm was added with the help of the Monmouth Conservation Foundation. James G. Timolat, who was originally from Staten Island and was President of the Oakland Chemical Company, had purchased the property in 1909 and developed it into a country estate named "Riverside." This large acquisition consisted of the farm portion of the estate which included a farmhouse, barns, and manmade ponds surrounded by meadow and forest.

Today, Huber Woods Park has grown to 381 acres of preserved open space. The older woods on the ridges resemble those of Hartshorne Woods Park, with mixed oak and chestnut. Tulip poplar forests have grown up on long-abandoned pastures, while eastern red cedar woodlands are found on more recently abandoned fields. Norway spruce groves planted by the Huber and Timolat families thrive near the Environmental Center and further west on the former Timolat Farm. The park is a great place for birders who may find pileated woodpeckers and scarlet tanagers in the wooded areas, Carolina chickadees and American goldfinch at the feeders near the Environmental Center, and Wilson's snipe and hooded mergansers in the ponds on the former Timolat Farm property. There are a total of 8.5 miles of the trails, from easy loops to challenging runs, there are a variety to choose from whether you're a walker, hiker, runner, bicyclist, or equestrian. And the Environmental Center is a perfect attraction for those interested in learning about Native Americans and local wildlife. (Please Note: Due to the current coronavirus pandemic, as of the publishing of this blog, parks are open to visitors, but buildings are currently closed.)

For more information about Huber Woods Park, including a brochure with trail map, visit us online.

Historic details for this post were collected from The Monmouth County Park System: The First Fifty Years.

From the Garden of Longstreet Farm: Radishes

A hardy root vegetable, radishes are one of the easiest vegetables to grow. Originating in China, the radish spread to Middle Asia and soon after to the Mediterranean. Ancient Egyptian writing showed radishes being cultivated before the construction of the pyramids; and ancient Greeks valued the radish so highly that they offered up gold radishes to the god Apollo.

In Germany, giant radishes were described in the 13th century, a German botanist reporting on radishes that weighed 100 pounds in 1544. But by 1586, smaller radishes had become common throughout Europe and Great Britain. It became one of the first vegetables introduced into the New World, and by 1848 there were eight different varieties in the Americas.

Spring radishes are frost hardy and can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked. They are fast germinating and fast growing, ready to harvest in approximately 30 days. An old farmer's trick is to plant radishes near slower germinating vegetables. The radishes will keep the row marked, and when harvested, loosen the soil for their companion vegetables.

At Historic Longstreet Farm, radishes are planted in early spring and are one of the earlier vegetables to be harvested. According to Science in the Kitchen, published in 1893, "A dish of crisp, coral radishes adds beauty to the appearance of the tables, but they are not possessed of a high nutritive value, being very similar to the turnip in composition, and unless very young, tender, and when eaten thoroughly masticated, are quite difficult of digestion." Today, however, we know the radish to be high in vitamin C, folic acid, and potassium, and are good for the immune system as well as to control blood pressure.

Check out these traditional recipes and techniques for radishes from cookbooks published in the late 19th century:

For Red Radishes.
Cut off the roots, and also the outside leaves, leaving on two or three of the prettiest, smallest, and greenest. Lay the radishes in cold water, taking them out half an hour later, and wash carefully, so that no earth adheres to them. Imitation tulips can be cut from radishes using the longer ones for this purpose. Have a small, sharp knife, divide the red peel from the radish into five or six thin pieces, beginning to cut from the bottom, and slipping the knife behind the skin as far as the stem; shape each piece on the tip into a point, at the stalk of the radish; then lay them on a side dish with a few pieces of ice and serve fresh butter at the same time.
From "The Epicurean: A Complete Treatise of Analytical and Practical Studies on the Culinary Art" by Charles Ranhofer. Charles Ranhofer, New York, 1894.

Lettuce and Radish Salad.
Prepare and arrange lettuce. Place between leaves six radishes which have been washed, scraped, and cut in this slices. Garnish with round radishes cut to represent tulips. Serve with French Dressing.
From "Boston Cooking-School Cook Book" by Fannie Merritt Farmer. Little, Brown, and Company, Boston, 1896.


Please Note: At this time, Historic Longstreet Farm remains closed to visitors.


Sources:

• Harvesting History: Seeding the Future. https://harvesting-history.com/the-radish/.
• "Science in the Kitchen" by Mrs. E.E. Kellogg, A.M. Modern Medicine Publishing Co., Chicago, 1893.

Celebrating 60: Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook

In 1816, Dr. Samuel Latham Mitchill, a physician, scientist, educator and politician, measured the elevation of a point near the the New Jersey coast with a barometer. With an elevation of 266 feet, this point is recorded as the highest natural point along the North Atlantic Coast south of Maine, and was named Mount Mitchill.

The site has long been a popular viewing site with its gorgeous views of Raritan Bay, Staten Island, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Sandy Hook. In the 1940s there was an effort to make it a state park. For many years a refreshment stand and picnic area occupied one of the lots, but the area remained unkempt and barren. The sedimentary rock forming the Highlands is prone to slumping on steep slopes, where large blocks of capstone and sand periodically slide down the cliff face, and the lack of controls allowed for considerable erosion.

In the early 1970s, a developer's proposal to building two high-rise towers on the site prompted many calls for the preservation of the land. Monmouth County attempted to purchase the property, but the developer's plans raised the cost, so a compromise enabled the developer to build one 15-story tower and allowed the county to preserve eight acres of land.

Mount Mitchill Scenic Overlook was created in 1973 with parking and viewing areas, drainage, and oak and cedar plantings to help control erosion along the steep slopes. The site was upgraded in 1995 with redesigned parking, viewing areas, interpretive panels, and landscaping. In 1980, flagpoles and a plaque were installed to pay homage to the eight soldiers who died during the U.S. Embassy hostage crisis in Iran.

After the horrific 9/11 tragedy, the Monmouth County 9/11 Memorial Committee chose Mount Mitchill as the location for a memorial tribute to the victims and heroes of the attacks on the World Trade Center. The Committee and the Friends of the Parks raised several hundred thousand dollars for the memorial, and Freehold sculptor Franco Minervini carved an eagle for it with a nine-foot wingspan ascending into flight while clutching a fragment of a steel beam from the World Trade Center. The granite base of the sculpture lists the names, ages and towns of the 147 Monmouth County natives and residents who lost their lives in the attacks, and the walkway to the memorial chronicles the timeline of the tragic event.

Mount Mitchill remains a site of beauty and reflection. Visitors are often found visiting the memorial, partaking in the majestic views, or spending time with their children at the playground.

For information about the site, visit our website.

From the Garden of Historic Longstreet Farm: Asparagus

Did you know? Asparagus seeds are planted three years before the delicious spears can be harvested! 

It is known that asparagus was native to the Eastern Mediterranean and parts of Asia and grew in popularity in France and England in the 16th century. According to Science in the Kitchen, published in 1893, “The plant was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who not only used it as a table delicacy but considered it very useful in the treatment of internal diseases. Roman cooks provided themselves with a supply of the vegetable for winter use by cutting fine heads and drying them. When wanted, they were put into hot water and gently cooked.” The vegetable was later brought to North America by early colonists in the 1700s.

Asparagus happens to be the only perennial vegetable and is harvested each spring at Historic Longstreet Farm. Once established from either seeds or root cuttings, an asparagus bed should remain productive for approximately 15-20 years. The garden at the farm offers a glimpse of the variety of vegetables and fruits that would have been harvested and utilized for household meals during the late Victorian period.

Here are a few recipes that may have been used in local homes in the 1890s:

Asparagus Salad.

Boil the asparagus in salted water, being very careful not to break the caps; drain, and pour over it when a cold mayonnaise dressing, with some chopped parsley. Serve each person with three or four stems on a plate, with a little mayonnaise dressing. Do not use a fork; take the stems in the fingers and dip in the dressing.

From “Aunt Babette’s Cook Book” by Aunt Babette. The Bloch Publishing and Printing Co., Cincinnati and Chicago, 1889.

Asparagus with Eggs.

Boil a bunch of asparagus twenty minutes; cut off the tender tops and lay them in a deep pie plate, buttering, salting and peppering well. Beat up four eggs, the yolks and whites separately, to a stiff froth; add two tablespoonfuls of milk or cream, a tablespoonful of warm butter, pepper and salt to taste. Pour evenly over the asparagus mixture. Bake eight minutes or until the eggs are set. Very good.
From “White House Cook Book: A Selection of Choice Recipes Original and Selected, during a period of forty years” by Mrs. F.L. Gillette. R. S.. Peale & Company, Chicago, 1887.

Asparagus Soup.

Wash two bunches of fresh asparagus carefully, and cut into small pieces. Put to cook in a quart of boiling water, and simmer gently till perfectly tender, when there should remain about a pint of the liquor. Turn into a colander, and rub all through except the hard portion. To a pint of asparagus mixture add salt and one cup of thin cream and a pint of milk; boil up for a few minutes, and serve.

From “Science in the Kitchen” by Mrs. E.E. Kellogg, A.M. Modern Medicine Publishing Co., Chicago, 1893.

Please Note: Due to the current pandemic, Historic Longstreet Farm is closed at this time. However, our interpretive staff continues to work daily to keep up with the daily farm chores and maintain this beautiful historic site.