Farmers' and Merchants' Bank of New Jersey Uncut Sheet of 18 Notes -5/10/25/50 Cents - Obsolete Paper Money Sheet

Uncut Sheet of 5/10/25/50 Cents for a total of 18 notes. Key Port & Middletown Point Steamboat Co. Middletown Point, New Jersey. Measures 17 1/4" x 13 1/2".

The Keyport & Middletown Point Steamboat Company, established in 1852 through the merger of existing steamboat lines serving Keyport and Matawan (then known as Middletown Point), New Jersey, played a pivotal role in the region’s economy. It provided a reliable link for passenger and freight transport to New York City. The company’s primary vessel, the side-paddlewheel steamboat Keyport, commenced service in 1853 and famously delivered mail daily from the city. Built at the Benjamin C. Terry shipyard, the 184-foot Keyport operated on this route until 1862 when it was sold for service in the Civil War.

Throughout its operation, the company encountered competition and the logistical challenges inherent in 19th-century maritime travel, including severe storms and shifting financial landscapes. In response, in 1862, the company introduced the Matteawan, a larger wooden-hulled vessel that continued the daily round-trip service to New York for nearly two decades. In 1880, the company’s influence shifted when it was succeeded by the Keyport Steamboat Company, organized under the supervision of future New Jersey Speaker of the House Alfred B. Stoney. This evolution marked the continued significance of the Keyport waterfront as a major shipping hub until the early 20th century.