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However, in 1907, Macfadden was arrested for distribution of what was in those times considered pornography and the camp dissolved. In 1905, Bernarr Macfadden, the proponent of physical culture, came to the part of Monroe near Helmetta and Spotswood, and attempted to set up a camp called "Physical Culture City", where he could teach his beliefs in relative peace. Railroads came into Monroe from just about the very beginning, starting with the Camden and Amboy Rail Road in the 1830s and 1840s. After parts of the township grew into the more densely packed neighborhoods of Helmetta, Jamesburg, and Spotswood in the late 19th century, they seceded. įor many decades, it was largely a farming community. Monroe Township was founded in 1838 and named in honor of US President James Monroe. The earliest settlers in what would become Monroe Township were the Lenape Native Americans.
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As of the 2020 United States Census, the township's population was 48,594, reflecting an increase of 9,462 (+24.2%) from the 39,132 counted in the 2010 Census. The township is also centrally located within the Raritan Valley region. It is part of the outer-ring suburbs of the New York metropolitan area. Monroe Township is a township in southern Middlesex County, in New Jersey, United States.
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