Thomas Luker, Namesake of Tom's River, NJ

The village of Toms River was christened in 1712, when a road was laid from Metedeconk over a bridge crossing the Goose Creek River, which soon changed its name to match the village. The origin of the name and the year of the village's original settlement were unsolved mysteries for many years. Some said it was named for Captain William Toms, others credit Old Indian Tom. Most believed it was named for Thomas Luker, who came to the area around 1700 and married Princess Anne, daughter of the local Indian Chief. Only in 1992, with the dedication of a small footbridge in Huddy Park to his memory, was Thomas Luker officially recognized as the source of the “Tom” in Toms River. Over 40 of Luker’s direct descendants and their families attended the ceremony where Ocean County Historian Pauline Miller laid to rest the other stories. It was one of many events celebrating the 225th anniversary of Dover Township.

Ol' Tom wrote these words for the poem of life. The brothers three soared o'er the sea. on the back of a big blackbird. One wed Roose, they ate goose. The blackbird had no legs to run But across it's breast was carved A Falcon Tom Luker was recognized as Tom River [ an indian name to the Unami] They loved old Tom and gave me my home on the river bend. I like it here and here i'll stay until the very end. Puma means "White Friend" so the indian claim I've been called "Tom Puma" so many times I'm beginning to think it's my name Luker means river in indian tongue And along this river my new life begun. This little shire may never know fame But at this time, it bears my name. The bird blessed Dan & Hester Van with Becky at my door. With the help of our maker if all goes well, They will have many more. Dan tilled his land, reaped by hand And for his father the ferry ran. He went from farm to farm and tought The teaching that "our lord" hath wrought While Becky toddled from door to door Praising "our lord" forevermore.

Daniel also had two sons Thomas & Daniel Thomas married Grace McDaniel August 6, 1759 Daniel married Amy MCDonald December 6, 1760

Dan and Hester added to the poem

Tom & Dan will carry on, for they are hale & hardy My time i will give to half aid my party We will give thanks at every meal, when ever we are able. Thanks to Tom, from now on, we'll have Grace at our table

According to "Ocean County, Four Centuries in the Making," written by longtime Ocean county Historian Pauline S. Miller:

Thomas Luker came to the US from England in 1685 with two brothers, William and Mark, on board a ship named 'Falcon' and moved to the area now named after him, Tom's River, New Jersey.

Thomas Luker established a ferry service across what was then called Goose Creek at its narrowest point (where the Main Street bridge to Beachwood and points south is now located).

He married a Lenape Indian chieftain's daughter, and lived in a wigwam on a hill overlooking the river.

Local Indians and settlers began referring to the creek as Tom's River, a name first seen on a 1727 map of the region. The apostrophe appears on that map, but as the years passed, it gradually disappeared.

"The brothers three soared o'er the sea on the back of a big blackbird One wed Roose, they ate goose. The blackbird had no legs to run, but across it's breast was carved "A Falcon."

The earliest part of Luker's American history is not complete, and while there may be some question as to who Tom was referring to in this verse, himself and two brothers or the original three brothers who sailed the Falcon from England to Jamestown in 1609, but I think he was referring to himself. We do know that Tom is speaking of himself in the next verse.

"I came alone and made my home in the heart of the Indians' land. It was made of hides stretched on poles, and sewn by the Indians' hand.

In this verse, Thomas is referring to his wigwam home in Pre-Colonial New Jersey and the homeland of about eight thousand members of the 'Lenni Lenape' Indian Nation. This branch of the Lenape, as they were called by Europeans, were known among themselves as the Unami (U-nam-ee) Tribe.

The Unami Indians had adopted the turtle as their totem and were members of the Algonquin family who called themselves. "Leni Lenape" which means "original people". While they were hunters, they also raised many crops and preferred to live quiet, peaceful lives. The Delaware, as a whole, and the Unami in particular, were one of the most advanced and civilized tribes in America.

The "Lenape, also called the Delaware sometimes" lived in rectangular bark-covered homes and wrote their tribal chronicles by painting picture stories on wood to tell of their traditions and wanderings. They called these sacred recordings of life their "Walam Olum."

After the arrival of the settlers, only a few of the Lenape took on the ways of the white's and became Christians. For the most part, the Lenape preferred to live by themselves and so their wanderings increased. Their history is one of flight from the white man and the warlike Iroquois Indians. 'Some refused to leave however.'

As the Dutch settled in the northern part of New Jersey, and the Swedes in the south, and with the Dutch and Swedes fighting for the fur trade in the early sixteen hundred's, the Unami Tribe sought peace and isolation in the coastal woods of central New Jersey. Because of their increased wanderings many of the tribal families had substituted wigwams for their bark-covered lodges. Be it lodge or tent, Ann's people sought for peace as they raised their families along the banks of a river they called Goose Creek.

One would think it unlikely that an Idian tribe, one who preferred to live away from the white people, would adopt a white man as a brother and "pumha." (white friend). It also seems strange that the Indian's "river of life" was known to the Leni Lenape as the "Luker of Life." A coincidence indeed, that in the tongue of the"Lenape" Indian, the work "Luker" (spelled lucre) means "river."

Tom Luker was recognized as Tom River (an Indian name to the Unami) and he may have been led to Ann and her people by the hand of the Lord.

As we'll later discover, the Lenape took the same political stance as the Unami's friend and adopted son, Tom. Ann's family helped the British in the war against the French and Iroquois Indians and later on, helped the patriots against the British in the War of Independence.

It is believed that Tom was headed for the Shrewbury area in New Jersey and that he may have been in quest of a whaling license to pursue that trade off the New Jersey coast, when something quite unexpected happened. As he made his way to the shore along the banks of Goose Creek, he fell in love with the land of many trees, a place he described as being in the heart of the Indians' Land.

We don't know what Ann's Indian name was and we assumed that Tom may have given her the name of Ann after they met. Their marriage may have been the result of a beautiful courtship between the Man of the River and the Maid of the Forest, but I doubt it. Tom, who may have been forty to fifty years old, according to one record, became such a good friend to the Indians that Ann may have been offered in marriage by her father even though she was probably much younger.

Tom and Ann were married according to the rites of tribal law and as they shared their lives, Tom adopted most of the tribe's life style and lived as they did for the rest of his life.

Ann was the Anglicized name - she was an Native American princess of the Unami tribe, daughter of Chief Suncloud.

The Unami were a Clan of the Lenni Lenape