Today in History, 1850: Ocean County is Founded, Toms River Named County Seat

There is a reason the Manasquan River is the border between Ocean and Monmouth counties.

Prior to 1850, most of  was actually part of Monmouth County. People south of the Manasquan were not pleased with the amount of time it took to receive funding for their roads, bridges, and other services; they also felt their northern counterparts were overall treated better and getting more for their tax dollars. The sensible solution was to form a new county with a more accessible government.

On February 15, 1850, Ocean County was formed from the southern part of Monmouth (It would also take a bit from Burlington in 1891 when Little Egg Harbor joined). Toms River became its county seat, beating Lakehurst by only one vote, and construction of its courthouse began the same year. Originally home to only six townships, Ocean County now has over thirty.