The Town of Marlboro

A few years ago, while searching for a house to retire in through the New Jersey Housing Department, I received a call one day informing me that there was a suitable house in Marlboro. Marlboro? It seemed to be somewhere in the central part of New Jersey. Looking at the map, it was a bit concerning that it was about an hour away from the Korea town, but the low crime rate, clean air, and proximity to the sea made it seem like an excellent residential environment.

 

Having lived in the northeastern part of New Jersey for a long time, I didn't know much about Marlboro, a small town in central New Jersey. I vaguely heard rumors about the Virgin Mary appearing in the neighborhood a long time ago (not recognized by the church), and I naively imagined that there would be tobacco farms and tobacco production factories in that town, simply because the name Marlboro reminded me of cigarettes.

 

Marlboro, which is located in the suburban area of central New Jersey, is a quiet town with plenty of greenery and not too far from the beach. The name Marlboro dates back to 1768 when Marl (marl, a type of clay) was discovered in large quantities in the eastern part of the town. Marl is a clay soil rich in limestone, known for its excellent water retention, drainage, and high acidity, making it suitable for growing grape varieties such as Pinot Noir.

 

Marl is mud created from the remains of fish, shellfish, and other sea creatures that existed during the prehistoric era when New Jersey was covered by the sea. Before chemical fertilizers were mass-produced in factories, this mud was used as fertilizer instead, and New Jersey, as well as New York, bought large quantities of this mud to spread on farmland. Thus, the name of the town was derived by combining the name of this mud, Marl, with the word "Boro" (or Borough) to become Marlboro.

 

But why did the Philip Morris Company use the name of the town where I live as the name of a cigarette? While there are several hypotheses, there is no connection between the name of our town and the name of the cigarette. However, it seems plausible that the name Marlboro was chosen to give a strong impression in terms of pronunciation, emphasizing masculinity to target male smokers.

 

In an old magazine advertisement, a man in cowboy attire is depicted smoking a cigarette, with a deck of cards placed underneath, and the company logo placed in the middle, below which is the famous phrase attributed to Julius Caesar, "VENI-VIDI-VICI" ("I came, I saw, I conquered"), indicating unwavering determination on the path of manhood. There is also an interpretation that the red color on top was derived from the word Marlboro, which originated from the language of a Native American tribe, meaning "land covered with red soil," but whether to believe it or not is another matter.

 

Today, Marlboro is about 40% green space, with the remaining land consisting of paved roads and residential areas, so you can't even see the unfamiliar marl. Of course, there were never any tobacco farms or factories to begin with, and there aren't any now either. If there's anyone coming to "see the horses," go somewhere else to find out.

 

(Dec. 12, 2023)