Learn History Of The Raritan Bayshore In July 25 Lecture

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — The Middletown Historical Society will hold a free history talk all about the Raritan Bayshore at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 25.

The Middletown Township Historical Society hosts John Allan Savolaine and Matthew H. Ward, who will present on their book, "The Raritan Bayshore." This free event will take place in-person at the Middletown Township Public Library and be streamed in real time online. Please attend in-person, or register to view online at MiddletownNJHistory.org.

This region has played a significant role throughout history dating back to its earliest indigenous inhabitants, and later European arrivals. Raritan Bayshore residents have been leaders in a number of fields including politics, technology, architecture, the arts and sports. Home to multiple National Historic landmarks, the region has long been a summer tourism hotspot because of its abundance of beaches, vacation homes, amusements and resorts.

Savolaine is a Monmouth County historian and author of the 2016 biography "Stanley Fisher: Shark Attack Hero of a Bygone Age," about the famous 1916 Matawan shark attack. He is the recipient of the Monmouth County 2019 Jane C. Clayton award for outstanding contributions to county history. He received a B.A. from Gettysburg College and an M.A. from Georgetown University, and served as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve during the Vietnam era. He is a retired teacher and was a division headmaster for two prominent private schools in New Jersey.

Ward is a historian and journalist who is the author of numerous published articles. He holds degrees from Arizona State University, Rutgers University-Camden and the University of Pennsylvania. He has served for over 15 years as an officer and civilian in the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserve, and runs a boxing website called The Weigh-In. He is the co-author of the Arcadia Publishing books Boxing in Atlantic City (2022) with John DiSanto.