The Intertribal Council of AT&T Employees (ICAE), a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit, placed historical markers along several of the Monmouth County portions of the Lenape Great Navesink to Minisink Trail honoring the Lenape tribe of Native Americans who used the trail for seasonal migration, travel, and trade. The trail served as a foundation for some of the earliest roads in the state. The signs, placed last week, are near the entrance to the AT&T Middletown facility on Holland Road, Kings Highway both in Middletown and Crawfords Corner Road at Holmdel Park.
The 75-mile Lenape Great Navesink to Minisink Trail was the longest Lenape Trail in the state and is recorded as having groups as large as 700 people traveling together in transit. It connected the Lenape communities living along the Navesink River area of Sandy Hook to the Lenape Minsi or People of the Stone Country Council Fire, at Minisink Island in today’s Delaware Water Gap. An Eastern Region Trading Hub existed at Minisink Island which further connected to the Mohawk Trail in New York State as well as other trade routes leading into Pennsylvania, the Great Lakes Region, and Canada.
The 1747 James Alexander Map delineates the “Navesink to Minisink Indian Path” and was used at that time to help identify land purchase boundaries and settle land dispute lawsuits. As late as 1820, a group of Minsi Lenape were noted to perform a “War Dance” in appreciation of the hospitality of a homeowner and his neighbors who allowed the traveling band to sleep in their barn for overnight lodging.
AT&T provided the funding for one marker, and the ICAE raised the funds for the additional markers. Significant support and partnership for this project came from Middletown Township and Mayor Tony Perry, the Monmouth County Park System, the Middletown Township Historical Society, the Middletown Landmarks Commission, the Sandhill Lenape Community of Neptune, and the federally recognized Delaware Tribe of Indians as well as AT&T.
“The Township Committee and I are honored to play a part in formally recognizing the original settlers of Middletown,” said Mayor Perry. “It is important we pay tribute to those responsible for giving us the wonderful place we are fortunate enough to call home.”
The Monmouth County portion of the path was researched by Paul Boyd as part of his Ph.D. thesis submission to Rutgers University..
ICAE is an AT&T Employee Resource Group dedicated to supporting Native American communities and their advancement in the fields of math and science. They provide annual scholarships to deserving Native American college students and help to place them at internships within AT&T. Financial donations to ICAE can be made at https://
The Monmouth County Pop Band “The Unemployed Teachers” have also adopted the Minisink Trail Marker as a band project. Donors of $50 or more will receive their unreleased song “Footsteps” written to help popularize knowledge of the Minisink Trail. The group can be reached at mgottwerth@yahoo.com.
