Jasper Morgan, Brielle's first black entrepreneur, was one of the five children of Indiana and Robert Morgan. He was born in Rice, Virginia, on August 27, 1870. At the age of 23, Jasper left Rice and arrived in Manasquan, N.J. He was hired to work as a coachman for a Mr. Van Note who owned a funeral home. Jasper's next job was with the Hardy Poland Company, house movers.
On July 5, 1900, Jasper married Mattie Harvey in Plainfield, N.J. They were the parents of five children, Edward, William, Mable, Jasper, and Magnolia.
In 1905, Jasper started his own business hauling and clearing sand off Manasquan and Brielle beaches. He prospered and acquired three teams of horses. Jasper had worked on his father's farm, and in Manasquan, used his knowledge to run a very successful farm, planting vegetables and raising hogs. His wife Mattie canned some of the vegetables, and they sold the rest. At one time, he owned 50 hogs. As the farm grew larger, Jasper re- cruited members of his family and other young black men from the area. He hired men to seed lawns, and was in charge of picking up the garbage in Brielle with his teams of horses and young workmen. It is said that he employed more young black men than any other company at this time. Among his many contributions to the building of Brielle was the grading of the first streets in the area where he lived. These streets are now Woodland, Borrie, and Bradley Avenues.
Jasper Morgan was founder of what is now the Shiloh Baptist Church of Manasquan. The Church was established in 1905. At first, Jasper and Mattie held prayer meetings in their home. Through the efforts of Rev. and Mrs. P.T. Morris of the First Baptist Church of Belmar, a tent was loaned to the new church by the Sea Girt Army Camp. In 1909, the Shiloh Baptist Church was formally established with the late Rev. C.T. Walker as pastor. This church stands today as a monument to Jasper and Mattie Morgan.
Renaming to Morgan Parkway
