Laurence Harbor resident Michael Launey has authored a Web site that seeks the truth about state historical mysteries and legends.
OLD BRIDGE — Strewn alongside Jake Brown Road off Route 9 in Old Bridge is a row of abandoned houses, some of which have collapsed upon themselves. Ask local teenagers what happened to the residents of these houses, and some of them may relay sordid tales of mass murder, insanity and the supernatural.
But Michael J. Launey, author of a Web site called New Jersey History’s Mysteries (www.njhm.com), offers a story that proves sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
"We hate to destroy a real good sounding legend, but the abandoned houses on Jake Brown Road are actually remainders of a Nike Missile Base that was located there," Launey said.
Launey explained that Nike missiles were America’s last line of defense against Russia and other Communist nations during the Cold War.
"There were numerous bases spread out throughout the country, and many were located in New Jersey to protect the New York City metropolitan area," he said. "They were first armed with conventional warheads and were later upgraded to nuclear warheads. The base was deserted in the early 1970s, and was deeded by the federal government to the township of Old Bridge. The site is today used by the Board of Education for offices, storage and vehicle maintenance."
Jake Brown Road is just one of many historical subjects discussed on Launey’s Web site.
"Our ‘mysteries’ are the little-known people, places and events in New Jersey history," Launey said. "We want people to discover the rich history, often unknown or forgotten, that surrounds them."
Launey — who on weekdays is a project manager for the Essex County Improvement Authority — started his Web site about three years ago. A history buff, the Laurence Harbor resident has a private library of more than 200 books on New Jersey history. A member of both the Madison Township Historical Society in Old Bridge and the Sayreville Historical Society, he also frequents the Newark Public Library, the N.J. Historical Society and local historical sites. He recently authored a pictorial history book on Old Bridge as part of the Images of America series from Arcadia Publishing.
Most of Launey’s story leads come from his own reading and research, as well as from fans of the Web site. In fact, he receives approximately 100 inquiries per month concerning New Jersey history.
So, which tale is Launey’s favorite so far?
"My favorite is probably the Captain Kidd story," he said. "It has everything, including pirates, treasure, murder, etc. It was also the most fun to research."
Launey first read about the famed pirate in a 1932 history book about Monmouth County. The pirate supposedly moored on the Raritan Bay before his capture and subsequent trial. Legend held that Kidd buried his treasure on Money Island, which was located just off the coast of Cliffwood Beach at the mouth of Whale’s Creek. The island disappeared in the 1900s, eroded by treasure hunting excavations and shifting sands. One member of Kidd’s pirate crew, William Leeds, later settled in Monmouth County and is buried at the Christ Church churchyard in Shrewsbury.
Another local story — that of the Old Spye Inn — was suggested by a reader who was born in Sayreville and had visited the site in his youth. The inn stood on the bank of the Cheesequake Creek in Sayreville from 1703 until it burned down in 1976. The building was the subject of a book by noted parapsychologist Stanley L. Wojcik, who recounted stories of ghosts, suicides and spirits within.
With the arrival of summer, another story of interest is that of the Matawan Man-Eater. Launey first researched the topic in response to an inquiry from Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times. The story recalls the summer of 1916, when there was a series of shark attacks in the Matawan Creek. Launey said that two books have recently been released on the subject, and that a documentary about the shark attacks is scheduled to be shown on MSNBC in August.
Upcoming stories on the Web site include the T.A. Gillespie Shell Loading Plant, which exploded in Sayreville in 1918, and the vanished vacation industry of the northern Raritan Bay.
New Jersey History’s Mysteries is always looking for new story ideas and welcomes suggestions from its readers. Those interested can e-mail Launey at MJL@njhm.com.