A blog about living in Aberdeen, New Jersey.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

History: Restaurant Operators in Keyport in 1910 Census

In my quest for further information about Ye Cottage Inn's early days, I searched the 1910 Federal Census for restaurant operators enumerated in Keyport and found three: Henry Denison, Yancey Anderson and Thomas B Rowser.

1) Henry Denison operated a successful restaurant on First Street, according to the History of Monmouth County, New Jersey (1664 - 1920), Vol 3, pg 346. Since his restaurant was not on Front Street, I've ruled him out as an early operator of Ye Cottage Inn.

2) Yancey Anderson operated a restauran, perhaps in Matawan, until 1892, when he relocated to West Front Street at Main Street in Keyport. According to the History of Monmouth County, pg 646, Anderson sold his restaurant in 1913 to Burtis A Aumack, who operated it and a hotel until 1918, when Aumack sold them both to become involved in the successful West Furniture Co business. (See my Burtinia Place article elsewhere in this blog for further details about Burtis Aumack.) Anderson's restaurant would have been closer to where Keyport Pizza is situated today, so I'm ruling it out, too.

3) I found little about Thomas B Rowser's restaurant, but since it wasn't operating in 1892 and wasn't on First Street, it seems to be the only viable candidate to be the earliest iteration of Ye Cottage Inn -- that is if the restaurant began operations in 1906 as it said on its signs. Thoughts?

Here is what I've collected on Anderson and Rowser:

Yancey Anderson


The 2 Jul 1892 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 2 col 5) included this advertisement announcing that Yancey Anderson's restaurant would be relocating to Front Street opposite Main Street in Keyport. (The same ad appeared in many of the 1892 editions.)

NOTICE!

Yancey Anderson

- HAS -

Removed his Restaurant

to the floor under E H Conover's gents' fur-
nishing store and K Van Brakle's ladies'
and gents' shoe store, where you will

Find Him Catering to the Public.

---------

Yancey Anderson

is the Only Caterer that caters for Weddings, Par-
ties and Private Dinners. He is the only one that
makes it a specialty.
He will continue keeping his fine flavors of

ICE CREAM,

and also everything else in his line of business, first
class and strictly pure.

                                            Thanking You for past patronage
                                                  Remain Yours Very Respectfully

                                                     YANCEY ANDERSON

                                        Front Street, opposite Main, Keyport, NJ

The 5 Sep 1900 edition of The Red Bank Register (pg 4 col 5) contained an advertisement for Keyport's Restaurant, operated by Yancey Anderson. "When you are in Keyport, go to Yancey Anderson's restaurant for your needs. Caterer for weddings and parties."

The 17 Feb 1938 edition of The Red Bank Register (pg 7 col 5) carried this summary of a news item from 25 years earlier (1913) in its Items of Yesteryears from Register Files series. "Yancey Anderson, who had been in the restaurant business at Keyport for 30 years and who also had a restaurant at Sea Bright, sold his business at Keyport to Burtis A Aumack, one of his former employees."

Census research showed Yancey as a 27 year old waiter in Cooperstown, Otsego Co, NY in 1880.

Yancey was a 46 year old restaurant keeper in Raritan, Monmouth Co, NJ in the 1900 census. He was born in Oct 1853 in South Carolina ; his parents were both born in South Carolina as well. His 44 year old wife Sarah J Anderson, was born in May 1856 in New Jersey; her father was born in NJ and her mother in New York. Sarah was employed at her husband's restaurant. They had daughters Stella (born Jul 1873 in NJ) and Leslie (born Oct 1874 NJ) living at home.

The 1910 census showed Yancey living in Key Port as the proprietor of a restaurant. He was 59 years old and born in SC, as were his parents. His wife Sarah J was 58 years old, born in NJ to parents born in NJ and NY. She had given birth to two children, both of whom were still alive. Their single daughter Stella, age 36, remained at home. They lived on Broad Street in Keyport.

Yancey is buried at Holmdel Cemetery. His stone reads that he was born in 1852 and died in 1920.

The 1880 census reported Yancey as black; the 1900 census reported Yancey, his wife and children as black; in 1910 he and his wife and child were listed as mulatto. The graduation from Keyport High School in the 1890s of Yancey's two colored daughters was mentioned in the 15 Jun 1911 edition of The Matawan Journal.

Thomas B Rowser

The graduation of Thomas B Rowser's colored son Kenny from Keyport HS was also highlighted in this article. Thomas was a Keyport restaurant owner at the time as well.

Thomas (52 VA VA VA) and his wife Maggie (51 VA VA VA) lived on Fulton Street in Keyport in the 1910 Federal Census. Thomas' occupation was listed simply as "restaurant".  They had a son Charles K (17 NJ). Their daughter Leodicia Dandridge (29 VA) lived in the household with her husband John M Dandridge (31 VA) and their three children. John was a laborer on a tender. A third child of Thomas and Maggie had died.

Thomas (Mar 1856 VA) was a cooper living on Waverly Street in Raritan with his wife Maggie and two children in the 1900 census.  Brothers William and John Dandridge of Virginia, who both worked at a brickyard, were boarders in the household.

Thomas was a worker in a cotton mill in Falmouth, Stafford Co, VA in the 1870 census.

Thomas was buried at the African-American Midway Green cemetery off Lloyd Road in Aberdeen. His stone says he was born in Mar 1854 and died in Nov 1915.

John Matthew Dandridge died at his Fulton Street home on 23 Feb 1950, age 70, predeceased by his wife, Leo Dicia (Rowser) Dandridge (sic). His obituary appeared in The Matawan Journal's 2 Mar 1950 edition.

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