Hello,
I'm new to the site, hope I've entered this correctly.
About 1959 after investigating the old building that turned out to be the Cedar Bridge Tavern, my girlfriend and I told our friend, the present owner, Rudy about the property and what we saw. (What is the tavern’s bar-room had a large hole in the floor with debris from the basement piled high and wide. In the front corner of that room near the window stood the old bar as it was in the 1938 photos. Children’s school papers and trash was scattered about everywhere. The back stair case from what is today the kitchen was open to the upper rooms. There was no porch on the front of the building. It and the existing “car port” on back were added later.)
Rudy, purchased the property soon after and began restorations. He cleaned out the room behind the bar-room putting in a wood stove staying there while working on the place. Weekends during the ensuing winters and summers our families spent many hours there helping where we could. Rudy, spent many long hours cleaning up the mess in the bar-room, cutting trees to replace flooring, siding etc. Evens Cranmer/Cramer (which ever is correct) from Barnegat helped with much of the work.
Sometime later my girlfriend and I found and gave to Rudy a book (if memory serves me correctly the title is “Time and Tides”) written by children of Barnegat Township School in 1940 or there about. From it we learned more about the building and that it was the Cedar Bridge Tavern. As time went by replacements and additions were put in place bringing the tavern into modern times and a warm home where many, many wonderful gatherings occurred.
A couple of years ago while looking for ancestors of Myrtle (Wiseman) Falkinburg of New Gretna, NJ I posted a query on RootsWeb. Carolyn, in Florida answered, from her information I learned that John Wildermuth who once owned the tavern at Cedar Bridge was her and Myrtle’s ancestor. From Carolyn’s information, that of a Tuckerton researcher, myself and bits and pieces from here and there, we have come-up with the following and more:
John W. "Black Jack" Wildermuth, (Abt.1799-1856) +Elizabeth Wiseman (Abt.1805-1887)
.. 2 James Wildermuth (1824/1828 - ?) +Agnus or Mary ___?
.. 2 Ann Wildermuth, (1830-1835) .
.. 2 Sarah Ann Wildermuth (1834 -1835)
.. 2 Harriet Wildermuth (1836-1912) +John B. Courtney (1828-1911)
.. 2 Chatharina a/k/a Catherine Wildermuth 1838-1894+John Bowers/Bauer/Bower (Abt. 1831-1912) (John, ran the bogs at Sims Place and Howardville for over 50 Yrs. for Miller Howard.)
.. 2 Mary Wildermuth (Abt. 1843-1850 +Joseph Edward Sprague (1840-1912
.. 2 William ( said to be a/k/a John Wm., Jr.) Wildermuth (Abt. 1848 - Aft. 16 Jun 1850)
.. 2 John Wildermuth (d: Bef. 16 Jun 1850) + a lady from New Egypt, NJ. (I can’t help but wonder if Wm. & John above are one in the same.)
The other day from the property search posted on the Internet, at the aforementioned site, I learned on 25 March 1836 the Cedar Bridge Tavern was acquired by John Wildermuth, deeded 8 April 1836, the property went to Miller Howard at Sheriff Sale 17 March 1856. Wildermuth died the following Oct.