James S. Yard, the editor of the Freehold Democrat, died on Sunday. He was the oldest newspaper man in Monmouth county, and was one of the oldest in the state. He was 74 years old and had been in active business life since he was fourteen years of age.

His first work in the printing business was in the office of the True American at Trenton. He started several papers in various towns, and in 1854 he bought the Freehold Democrat, which he continued to publish up to the time of his death. He had been in failing health for a long time, and his paper for several years had been practically in charge of his son Joseph and his daughter Adaline.

Mr. Yard was a Democrat and he had held many positions of profit and honor. He had been postmaster of Hightstown while he lived there, and later was postmaster of Freehold. He had held various township offices and for a number of years was mayor of Freehold. For ten years he was a state commissioner of railroad taxation. He was commissioned as a major during the civil war, and for many years he was deputy quartermaster-general of New Jersey.

It s not expected that his death will make any change in the policy of his paper, but that his son and daughter will continue it on the same lines as heretofore. In addition to the two children mentioned Mr. Yard leaves a widow and two married daughters.

Source: Red Bank Register, Wednesday, May 2, 1900

Some additional excellent resources for your research are:

• New Jersey Census, 1772-1890 - Ancestry.com

• Calendar of New Jersey Wills, 1670-1760 - Ancestry.com

• Interment.net - NJ ~ New Jersey Cemetery Transcriptions on the net.

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