Monmouth’s “Wild West” Connection
Remembering “The Reservation” -
Visitors to Long Branch’s Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park will notice a house standing alone near the north end of the county park complex but it’s likely that few, if any, know the history behind it.
The “cottage,” as it was known when it was built, is more than 100 years old and is one of nine stately homes built in 1900 by Nate Salsbury, the principal owner and business manager for Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show (see photo below). Each house was given the name of an Indian tribe or chief—names like Cherokee, Shoshone, Iroquois, and Uncapapa. The name of the house still standing is Navahoe. The group of beachfront homes was known as “The Reservation.”
"The Res" - Salsbury's original 1900 plan sketching.
Marketing Man Extraordinaire
A shrewd businessman and a tireless promoter, Salsbury marketed the luxury homes as having “a commanding position” on the Long Branch oceanfront, as well as a “superb view” from their upper floors of the highlands of the Navesink and the Shrewsbury River, which he claimed could not be matched by any other section of the Jersey Shore. The cottages were just a five-minute walk from the East Long Branch railroad station, according to Salsbury’s prospectus, and only a “brisk” seven-minute walk from the North Long Branch station, where frequent trains carried passengers to New York City.
Each house came with gas and electric light fixtures, could be wired for telephone service if the resident asked for it, and was connected to city sewers—a big plus. In addition, each family had their own bath house and Salsbury emphasized the privacy of The Reservation’s 1,000-yard-long beach frontage, which was for the exclusive use of residents.
The houses were big even by today’s McMansion standards. In addition to a roomy living room, dining room, and a “reception room” or “sea room” on the first floor, each had five bedrooms for residents on the second floor, with another five rooms on the third floor for the servants. Every floor had a “water closet”—a bathroom, to us moderns. In the basement of each house were the kitchen and the servants’ dining room, as well as the laundry room. The basement kitchen was connected to a butler’s pantry on the first floor by means of a dumbwaiter, which the cook would use to deliver food to the first-floor dining room.
Originally, Salsbury leased the houses, promising renters that he would furnish the homes with “due regard for comfort and utility,” maintain the properties, and pay the water taxes. Stables were available for an additional rent, since not all residents required them. The Illinois-born Salsbury died in 1902 in Long Branch at age 57. His daughter, Rachael, sold the houses in 1919.
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In between goals is a thing called life that has to be lived and enjoyed.”
—Sid Caesar
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Built at the pinnacle of Long Branch’s Golden Era, when it was a favored destination for the rich and famous, The Reservation attracted many distinguished summer residents. In the early years, George B. McClellan, Jr., mayor of New York City and son of the famous Civil War general and onetime presidential candidate, rented a house there. In later years, GF Hoffman, founder of Hoffman Beverages of Newark, owned a house there, as did Clayton B. Jones, chairman of the Board of Managers of the New York Cotton Exchange.
Another well-known family that summered at The Reservation were the Forans. Known as “Colonel” from his service in World War I, Arthur Foran was the owner of the Foran Foundry and Manufacturing Company in Flemington, a firm that at one time made virtually every lamppost and manhole cover in New Jersey. He also served as mayor of Flemington and was elected to the NJ State Senate, where he served as Majority Leader and President.
Foran’s oldest son, John Nicholas, known as Nick, went to Hollywood, where he changed his name to Dick Foran and gained fame as one of the original “Singing Cowboys.” At one time, Dick was among the top 10 cowboy stars in the country, alongside names like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. Another son, Walter, followed in his father’s footsteps, serving in the NJ State Assembly and the State Senate from 1967 until his death in 1986.
Changing Times
Over the years, The Reservation’s large homes made it a family-oriented summer paradise. In the late 1920s, two brothers-in-law, both prominent physicians from Brooklyn, NY, bought houses at “The Res,” as it had become known. Both had large families—Dr. George Sheehan summered in the house named Okaliska with his wife and 14 children, while his brother-in-law, Dr. William Ennis, occupied Uncapapa with his seven children.
Navahoe - The last remaining Reservation cottage.
In 1939, the Hoffman house burned to the ground, which proved to be a somewhat fortunate accident. The rest of “The Res” homeowners formed a consortium to buy the empty lot, which was turned into a ballfield. Every Sunday, it was the scene of a softball game that pitted a team from The Reservation against a team from nearby Allenhurst Beach Club, with spectators enjoying “front-row” seats on the cottages’ spacious porches. Beach parties and cook-outs were also favorite summer activities.
By today’s benchmarks, the costs were absurd—Salsbury built the entire nine-house complex in 1900 for a total of $200,000, the lot that the Hoffman house stood on sold for $3,000 in 1939, and Dr. George Sheehan’s widow sold her house in 1953 for $10,000.
In time, the houses fell victim to neglect and eventually the area was taken over by the city of Long Branch, which razed them all except one. The land (also known as Gaskins Beach) lay idle for several years, as the city wrangled with Monmouth County over how it should be used. Lacking the funds to develop the property, the city signed over the title to the county but then objected to county plans for a beachfront park that included acquiring an additional 22 acres of land across Ocean Avenue for parking and ancillary services.
Eventually, differences were ironed out and the present day Seven Presidents Park was formally dedicated in May 1984. The park is named for the seven presidents who visited Long Branch—Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James J. Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, Benjamin Harrison, William McKinley, and Woodrow Wilson.
Mike Sheehan is a longtime Jersey Shore writer who spent many a glorious summer at “The Res.” He welcomes comments by e-mail.
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Did You Know …
> William Frederick Cody wore a number of hats in life—trapper, Pony Express rider, stagecoach driver, Civil War soldier, entertainer, and even hotel manager. A Medal of Honor winner, “Buffalo Bill” got his nickname as a once supplier of buffalo meat. Called the “20th century’s most recognizable celebrity” and immortalized in dime-novels, he was an early advocate of Native American rights. The Iowa-born Cody died in 1917 at age 70.
> Nate Salsbury earned his business seed money as a sharp poker-playing Union solider. During his service in the American Civil War, according to his New York Times obit, he won some $20,000 playing cards. Enlisting in the Army at age 16 and wounded in battle, the young Salsbury was known early on as a performer—often boosting the morale of his Yankee brethren with his singing and dancing.
"The Show" Men - Buffalo Bill Cody stands on the far right of a group of five men, including three Native Americans, George Hungry, Pretty Soldier and Joe Custer. Nate Salsbury, owner and manager of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, stands on the far left of the group wearing a derby hat. John Burke, press manager for the shows, stands slightly behind the group.
For More:
- Buffalo Bill Historical Center
- Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave
- American Experience: Buffalo Bill
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