Forsgate Country Club - John Forster

John Forster

In 1896, John Forster, a penniless Scottish immigrant, founded the insurance company of Crum and Forster. As his wealth grew, so did his longing to build a self-sufficient community for his employees, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. In 1913, he eyed 50 acres (200,000 m2) of land in Monroe Township, west of the original 1831 Camden-Amboy railroad.

Here he decided to build a town, experiment with different types of agricultures and provide entertainment for his friends and relatives. While construction was in progress on the Farm, Forster and his wife and their daughter Edith would commute from Hackensack on weekends for site inspections. Since there were no facilities for meals or accommodations, the chauffer-driven Packard would head down the road to the Railroad House at Prospect Plains.

When the Farm was complete, Forster dubbed it Forsgate, honoring his wife’s family name of Gatenby. His horse-breeding, dairy farm, chicken farm, greenhouse and apple orchards started the tradition of fine quality food that continues at Forsgate more than 80 years later.