This cache focuses on Ephraim P. Empson.
The proposed park before you is named after Ephraim P. Empson, and was proposed by the PYNE (Plumsted Youth for Nature and the Environment) club. Shout out to the following people (listed alphabetically) for all of their work with the club which incorporates both historical and environmental education into the trails: Mayor Ronald Dancer, Bevin Esposito, Dominic Esposito, Lauren Harper, Mitchell Mann, and Daniel Midgit,
Ephraim P. Empson, also known as Eph, was born on October 28, 1829. He was considered one of the wealthiest men in Ocean County. He held title to over 15,000 areas of farms and woodlands in Plumsted and other parts of Ocean County, and in the adjoining County of Monmouth. He was a member of the New Jersey Assembly and a Senator. He was also a Lay Judge of the Ocean County Courts from 1892 to 1896. He was a Freeholder of Jackson for thirty years. While Eph was born in Toms River and lived in Ohio in his early years, he called Colliers Mill his home for much of his life. He was extensively engaged in business of various kinds. He had a 40 room hotel, general store, post office, two distilleries, saw mills and grist mills, and a public and private horse race track. Ephraim also funded for a one room schoolhouse to be built along with a church. He also helped find and fund a new train operation to come through Plumsted when the Pennsylvania train decided to stop running the route through New Egypt. He employed many people in carrying out his various enterprises. Ephraim was a merchant, farmer, dealer in lumber, cranberry grower, statesman, postman, real estate agent, and much more. He held a vast number of titles including “Cranberry King”.