[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 42 (Thursday, March 5, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E193-E194]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CELEBRATING THE 175TH ANNIVERSARY OF WALL TOWNSHIP

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 5, 2026

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, on March 10, 2026, the citizens 
of Wall, New Jersey will officially recognize the 175th anniversary of 
the founding of their Township, a historic and vibrant municipality 
located in the 4th Congressional District of New Jersey.
  From its critical contributions in support of the American patriots 
during the Revolutionary War, to the important technological 
innovations discovered there during the 20th century, to the expansive 
selection of primary and specialty medical care providers offered there

[[Page E194]]

today, Wall Township has given its residents much to be proud of and 
celebrate.
  Officially incorporated in March of 1851, Wall Township was named in 
honor of Garret D. Wall, a notable New Jersey lawyer, judge, and U.S. 
Senator during the mid-19th century. Senator Wall was also a veteran of 
the War of 1812, who was stationed at Sandy Hook, and a Quartermaster 
general for the State of New Jersey. And Senator Wall was the only man 
appointed to Governor who declined to serve. Naming Wall Township in 
his honor speaks to Senator Wall's humility, patriotism, integrity, and 
once-in-a-lifetime service.
  But Wall Township's rich and expansive history can be traced back to 
before its incorporation--as far back to pre-Revolutionary War times. 
In 1693, East and West New Jersey Governor Andrew Hamilton established 
Monmouth County, New Jersey, which, at the time, only consisted of 
three townships: Freehold, Middletown, and Shrewsbury.
  Modern-day Wall Township existed within Shrewsbury's historic 
borders. And during this time, Wall Township established itself as a 
critical, resourceful, and productive part of Monmouth County and New 
Jersey as a whole.
  In 1776, when the Continental Congress issued urgent calls to the 
colonies to boost salt production, the colonists of early Wall Township 
answered. They established numerous emergency saltworks, which were 
critical for preserving fish, meat, and hides, in addition to making 
gunpowder--vital to the success of our nascent army.
  Among these emergency saltworks was the infamous Union Saltworks on 
the Manasquan River, which was repeatedly destroyed by the British and 
reconstructed by the Americans--showing that the residents of Wall were 
then, as they are now, the ``salt of the Earth.'' In fact, the repeated 
rebuilding of Union Saltworks is a testament to the enduring grit that 
still defines Wall residents to this day. Nearly two centuries later, 
Wall Township again became a hotspot for making significant 
contributions to U.S. military operations and national security.
  In the early 20th century, Wall Township became the birthplace of the 
Marconi Belmar Wireless Station, a massive trans-Atlantic radio 
transmission complex built by inventor Guglielmo Marconi. Prior to the 
United States' entry into World War II, the U.S. Army acquired the 
Marconi Station in 1941 and established Camp Evans, a military 
communications center and cutting-edge radar research facility.
  At Camp Evans, military researchers and scientists developed novel 
broadcasting and defense technologies, many of which are still used 
today. Namely, Camp Evans boasted the radar technology that was able to 
detect the Japanese planes within an hour of their bombing of Pearl 
Harbor. This technology was also used to aid U.S. air power, playing a 
vital role in securing Allied success during World War II.
  Camp Evans is also the home of Project Radar Diana--an unofficial 
U.S. Army project named after the Roman moon goddess Diana and 
conducted during the mid-1940s--that contributed to momentous 
breakthroughs in space exploration. Project Radar Diana laid the 
foundation for future U.S. space exploration and helped make our first 
voyage into space possible.
  Wall Township's innovative spirit lives on through its nearly 27,000 
residents, as the home of a diverse small business and growing eco-
tourism sector, numerous parks and open spaces, and highly rated 
schools. Among the scientists, astronauts, entrepreneurs, musicians, 
political leaders, and decorated war heroes who have all called Wall 
Township home are the supportive parents, good neighbors, hard workers, 
and caring citizens that make up this amazing community.
  I am honored to congratulate the entire municipality and join in 
celebrating this amazing milestone. It has been a momentous past 175 
years, and I can only imagine the great heights to which Wall Township 
will soar over the next 175 years.

                          ____________________