The National Archives and Records Administration opened the 1940 U.S. Federal Census on April 2, 2012 —  collection now available to the public.

Ancestry received the census, and quickly began uploading census images to their site so the public can now browse them. All states should be viewable by this Friday afternoon.
Initially, the collection will remain a browse-only collection. This means one can scroll through the pages of the census districts much like someone looks at a microfilm or a book. At the same time, Ancestry will be working behind the scenes to create an index of the census that will eventually allow persons to search for their family members by name as they currently can with all other censuses on Ancestry.com.

 Note:  the 1940 U.S. Federal Census will be accessible  free of charge throughout 2012 on Ancestry.com.

Ancestry.com hosts the largest collection of family history records on the web.  Learn details about your family's lives and build a family tree online. There are YouTube clips to guide individuals on how to navigate the 1940 records.

ONE week and Counting...  to the release of the 1940 census images.  Information that was collected 72 years ago will be made digitally accessible to the general public.

It will tell us about individuals who were part of what has been called the greatest generation. People who:

• Survived the Great Depression
• Fought in the Second World War
• Innovated technology (TV, Microwave)
• Sacrificed in the name of freedom
• Practiced thrift and compassion
• Understood hard work and industry

Disadvantages in being in the chilly corner of northern NJ:
With tonite's temps hovering around 33 with a rain/ snow/sleet mix threatened til 10pm, when it's supposed to warm up, the historical society meeting scheduled for Thurs. Jan. 26th has been cancelled. 
M.A.R.C.H.  hopes to be able to meet in Feb. 

Consider joining M.A.R.C.H. as a member as part of a New Year's resolution! 

 Help the township's historical society protect and preserve the last vestiges of this valley's rich history.

      Two hundred thirty five years have passed since Gen. Horatio Gates arrived with four regiments from the Nothern Department into this corner of NJ. He led a column of six hundred men along Old Mine Road, who spent the night in the village of Montague on  Dec. 11th, 1776. They were attempting to unite with Gen. Washington for his famed crossing of the Delaware River into Trenton, but were delayed by a winter storm which detained them in the hamlet of Walpack [as recorded in the diary of Gates' Chaplain, David Avery].

Montague Post Office's 30th year!

Originally from 1815 through 1823, the Montague P.O. was known as "Brick House" - referencing the building, and also the village center in which it sat. Montague continued operating a class 4 post office until February 29, 1908. A class 4 designation reflected a rural locale, and designated how the postmaster was appointed and the amount of business being transacted. Change came in 1908-  when the Postmaster General felt that, as a result of rural free delivery and our small population, the town would be better serviced from Port Jervis, N.Y.

Thomas V. Cole had been the township's last and longest serving postmaster, holding the position for 34 years from 1874 until 1908. He was connected with the Martin Cole Store which opened in 1870, and ran it at that time. It is likely that was why the store is recalled as having been an adjunct location for postal matters after the official Montague P.O. was discontinued.


2011 marks 30 years since the existing location at the Clove Road Mini-Mall opened on Jan. 24, 1981 as Montague's contracted post office [CPO], with its local deliveries routed through Branchville, NJ. It was a change that took 20 years. The Port Jervis, NY address being used by township residents had caused greater issues with mail order sales and state income taxes, insurance policies, driver's license applications, etc. With the help of Rep. James Courter, the matter was resolved. Former R.D. addresses via Port Jervis, NY 12771 were then renamed as RFD routes of Montague, NJ 07827.

The CPO opened with 60 lock boxes  - all rented within a month. Helen (Zitone) Gassmann ran the office for three years as its first contracting officer. Postal lockboxes, once located by the old gatehouse for mail delivery to residents of the Current High Point Country Club, { then called Canyon Ridge} were moved into the CPO lobby in 1982. Renovations, to further expand the post office's space to its current size, occured in 1984.
The present Distribution Window Clerk, John Newcomer, has served full time since 1993.



Montague's population census totals:

1930 = 581;  1940 = 621;  1950 = 602;  1960 = 879;  1970 = 1,131; 
1980 = 2,066;    1990 = 2,832;    2000 = 3,412;    2010 = 3,837