One can imagine Freneau leaving his home somewhere near what is now Poet Drive and Route 79, heading northward to what was called the Minnisink Trail, the historic route of Indians from the Interior of New

Jersey to the shore, crossing waterways at their lowest point. Later this

trail becomes known as the road to the Mill and is now named for the last two proprietors - Jacob Wilson and Henry Henninger.

We know, however, that this was originally the William Robinson Mill Tract from a deed Freneau issued in 1832.

For those of you who don't already know - the most commonly accepted route of the Minisink Trail originates at or near Sandy Hook, passes Clay Pit Creek in Middletown, becomes the Main St. of Middletown Village, follows Holland (and So. Holland) Rd. where it curved northward onto Crawfords Corner Rd., made a left (for a hiccup) onto Holmdel Rd., bore west along Van Brakel to Rt. 34.

It then followed a winding road network (including Mill Rd.) to Freneau (at Poets Inn) before continuing west on Wilson Ave (or possibly Minisink Ave). Although some accounts have the trail continuing west along Ticetown Rd. before curving northwest across the Runyon Watershed to the crossing of the Raritan at Sayreville, the rendition I accept is suggested by a 1600's map re-created by the WPA Writers Project back in the 1930's.

It shows the Minisink Trail bearing northwest (away from Ticetown Rd) onto Greenwood-Morganville Rd.. across Rt. 516 onto Amboy Rd., west on Rt. 34 (and the Lenape Village of Cheesequake - also known as Jacksonville) past Rt. 9 onto Cheesequake Rd. where it eventually made its way to the crossing of the Rairtan at Sayreville.

From there, it wound north and west through parts of Edison and Westfield & thru Springfield and Milburn, where one branch led along Rt. 124 to Morristown and the other bore further northward along modern day Rt. 10 thru Denville. Branches continued northward both to the west and east of Lake Hopatcong and eventually reached Minisink Island at the northwest corner of the state just south of Pt. Jervis.

An extension of the trail continued westward across the Poconos to the vicinity  of Wilkes Barre where it connected with trails up and down the Susquehanna River leading to all points of the compass.

Jeff Golin

Note - Other branches of this trail were also referred to as "Minisink" - including "a western branch" heading north toward Netcong vic. of Rt. 22 w/o Somerville and branches leading to the main part of the trail from Newark, Montclair etc.

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