Through the years, there have This highway was also referred been many changes in our seashore to as "Sterner's Folly" because area. I thought it would be in- the area was laid out as a dual teresting to write about some of road extending from Route #35 to them and use this column as a Route #34, and in the future it melting pot of information from was to continue westward to link readers. Perhaps you might even up with Highway #38 in the western have some pictures you would enjoy part of the state. Unfortunately sharing with us. this never happened. The highway remained a single road, with east and west traffic using only one THE OLD RACE TRACK IN WALL side of the proposed dual roadway. Some old maps of the area actually Having been a resident of Wall show the proposed connection of Township for many years, I decided these two Highway #38s. Were you to write my first article about around when this road was built? this area. I think the old race The little used road also had track on the south side of highway another synonym - the "Army Mile". #34 would be a place to start. I recall, as do many others seeing the Army Signal corps soldiers Do you remember the speedway working along the unimproved half there? It was between Highway 34 of Route #38, stringing telephone and Allenwood Road. There was a or telegraph wires between poles. deep oval in the woods where the This was just one of the places in cars raced and the spectators Wall Township where they trained stood or sat on stumps to watch. during the war. Another area, Remember the horrendous noise made taken over by the Army, was on the by the speeding cars? It could be west side of School House Road, heard as far east as West Belmar. opposite the Oak Tree Tavern. Did you stand, as we did, holding the smaller children so they could see better? Were you HEROY'S POND driving one of the cars? If you were, tell us about it. My sons informed me that they I have included a photograph, and their friends use to play in a taken at one of these races. Dick culvert that ran under Highway 38. Napoliton was kind enough to lend They said they could stand up in it it to me for the column. and walk through to Heroy's Pond. Are there any other pictures or This pipe was installed to allow information pertaining to these the overflow of water from a brook, race cars we could use? located west of Route #35, to drain northward into the pond. Heroy's Pond, another area the OLD ROUTE #38 boys played, was located near the northwest corner of Routes #35 and Highway #38, which has been re- #38 in back of the hill. An old numbered to #138, was at one time farm house originally stood on this called Sterner's Highway - a name hill where Route #35 meets Belmar some old timers still use when re- Boulevard. ferring to the roadway. It was Back of the pond on the Heroy named for a local businessman Property, is a place my boys called Donald Sterner. He was a senator "The Potato House": I understand it and an eminent lumber dealer in was built of old bricks into the Belmar. I believe it was through side of the hill, overlooking the his initiative the road was built. pond, and resembled a cave.There is ten years between the ages of my sons; both played there and both called it "The Potato House". Why did they call it this? Neither son knew the origin of the name. I have seen a post card with a picture of Shark River, and in the background is the farm house on the hill. Does anyone have this card so we could reproduce it here