Take a look back to another era in the Toms River area's past, one century ago this week!

Let your mind wander as you consider life around August 26th, 1921, courtesy the New Jersey Courier weekly newspaper and Ocean County Library archives, and peppered with items of maritime interest (around a 15 minute read).

(often written by NJ Courier editor, William H. Fischer, as he sat at his desk above Main Street near Washington Street; it was much like a collection of online social media updates seen today)​

Fine weather.
Chautauqua week.
Five days left in August.
Late garden truck is fine.
Like September this week.
Labor day a week from Monday.
Folks all looking forward to fall.
Picnic season will soon be over.
New moon next Thursday, Sept. 1.
One more week left of 1921 season.
Cranberry picking begins next week.
Some jam on Main street on busy days.
In ten days more the cityward rush begins.
Jersey watermelons in market—oo-oo-oo-a-a-ah!
Don't hurry home. Glad to have you stay with us.
Some of the wildflowers that were touched by the late frost, or hurt by the dry weather of June, are now blooming again. I picked two magnolias on Saturday last, and saw several more. The orange butterfly weed is as plentiful as it usually is in July, though it flowered in June, a month ahead of its usual time. Another crop of “black-eyed Susans” are blooming in the fields. Wild carrot is more plentiful than ever.
Huddy Parkl never looked finer than this year with its brave array of bright flowers.
Toms River hotels seem to have had a very busy summer, if you judge by the auto parties that stop at their doors.
Boys and men have been catching a fine lot of pike from the flats on the south side of the river, back of the sandpile.
A number of new houses are going up in various parts of town.
These mornings feel like cranberry time, eh?
The new Traco building is being finished up.
Vanderveer Post, American Legion, held a chicken supper on Tuesday evening, serving meals to about three hundred. The chickens, potatoes, corn on cob, and other eatables were cooked in three field ranges, brought down from Lakehurst proving ground, the Marion Inn loaning the chef to do the cooking. The men in the Legion were busy in preparing and serving the supper, and the ladies of the Auxiliary served as waiters. There was a good deal of food left over to be auctioned off. About $250 was cleared [about $3,813 in 2021 dollars]. It is planned to have a supper every summer and next year it will be more widely advertised and preparations to feed more people will be made.

HUGE DIRIGIBLE NEVER GOT TO LAKEHURST HANGAR AFTER ALL
ZR-2 WRECKED IN TRYOUT; 17 AMERICANS AMONG KILLED
ZR-2, the big British-built airship, bought by the U.S. Navy Department, and for which the big hangar at the Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, had been prepared, was wrecked over the city of Hull, England, while on a trial trip, Wednesday, August 24. Most of her crew, the American crew of seventeen [included], and a few who had been allowed to sail in her on her trial trip, were killed.
The big air craft had been from time to time scheduled to sail to Lakehurst from Howden, England, where she was built, since early in the spring, but each time some reason was given for the delay...
Among the men reported lost is Lieut. Charles G. Little of Nerburyport, Mass., who married the daughter of Senator Bright of Cape May county. Mrs. Little had rented the Wilkinson bungalow on Horner street, Toms River, and was expected here next Monday to move in, and await the coming of her husband overseas in the airship...

ZR-1 WILL BE BUILT AT LAKEHURST AIR STATION
That the big dirigible balloon, ZR-1, is to be put together at the Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, was the announcement made on Monday by Commander R.D. Weyerbacher, executive officers of the air station, and connected with the Bureau of Construction of the Navy Department. Commander Weyerbacher is the naval officer who has had charge of building the huge hangar at Lakehurst. He is at present living at Toms River.
That he will have a personnel of about fifty skilled men, perhaps thirty of whom will be family men and need small houses, and that he would like to locate them at Toms River, if homes can be obtained for them, is the next interesting item in Commander Weyerbacher's statement. Seeing that such houses cannot be found at present in Toms River village, the Commander has put the proposition up to the business men of the town, whether or not they would think it worth while building these houses in order to secure this addition to the town's population. The job will last eighteen months at least, he says, and the probabilities are that there will be enough work continuously for a long time to come to keep a good number of men at the Air station, who would probably want to live at Toms River.
Toms River as a place of residence, says the commander, would be just the kind of town to appeal to these men. Lakewood rents they could not afford and Lakehurst is filled up already, and has no houses for them. Toms River he says would be just the place they would like, and he would gamble that nearly every man of them would have a boat of some kind, to go fishing and gunning, if they could be located here...

​PIPING BREEZE MADE SAILS REEF IN SATURDAY'S RACE
“A wet sheet and a flowing sea, and wind that follows fast, my boys,” was the song for last Saturday's races at the Mantoloking course. It was the first of the Barnegat Bay Yacht Racing Association races this summer when there was more than a capful of wind, and when every boat in the races had to some time or other reef her canvas. A number of craft were compelled to withdraw from the various races because of too much wind, or too much duck, and the Zulietta, one of the crack catboats of the Island Heights fleet, carried away her mast at the deck, and it went by the board with all her canvas.
There were four races sailed: in the morning a sloop race, won by Wanda of Seaside Park, and a girls' sneakbox race, won by Vanitie, Miss Ill, of Island Heights; in the afternoon, a catboat race, won by Scat II of Island Heights and a men's sneakbox race, won by Mull of Island Heights.
The races Saturday were over the Mantoloking course, starting and finishing at the Mantoloking Yacht Club dock. The wind was a strong souther, meaning a beat down the bay and a run home. On this run home some of the crews shook out their reefs and gave their crafts all they could stagger under.

Scat II Cleaned Up Catboats
Scat II, Edwin J. Schoettle's new cabin cat, built by Eli Townsend at the Seaside Park yards of Wm. D. Stanger, repeated her Sewell cup feat, and won in the catboat race by a good margin.
Scat II, Schoettle, IHYC – 2:28:58
Virginia, Warrington, IHYC – 2:29:28
Mouser, Atkins, SPYC – 2:31:09
Dorothy, Larkin, SPYC – 2:33:55
Falcon, Storer, BHYC – 2:38:54
Romp, Wheelock, SPYC – 2:48:23
It was in this race that Zulietta was dismasted; she was owned and sailed by Charles Haddon Jr. of Island Heights. Yola, Thomas, entered but did not start.

Mull Again Heads Box Fleet
Mull, sailed by Capt. Ill of Island Heights, again distanced the rest of the catboat fleet in the men's sneakbox race, something that has become almost a habit with that boat and that captain this summer. Ripple, however, was but three seconds behind on corrected time.
Mull, Ill, IHYC – 2:32:10
Ripple, Hance, BHYC – 2:32:13
Arran, Dale, BHYC – 2:32:54
Resolute, Brooks, UHYC – 2:40:54
Frog, Colie, MYC – 2:41:04
Vanitie, Scott, IHYC – 2:46:22
Allure, Kean, LYC – 2:47:18
In the gale of the wind three of the sneakbox fleet fouled a buoy, Mower, Windlass and Townsend; Wishbone and MeToo, did not finish the race.

Wanda Surprised Sloop Racers
The sloop Wanda of Seaside Park surprised the captains of the racing sloops by carrying off the honors in the morning sloop race.
Wanda, VanRoden, SPYC – 2:04:53
Viking, Schofield, IHYC – 2:13:11
Lotus, Truitt, IHYC – 2:13:20
Restless, Osborn, MYC – 2:13:26
Sonoma, Elverson, SPYC – 2:23:38
It will be noted that the second, third and fourth boat all three finished inside of fifteen seconds, making for them, a close race.

Vanitie Won Girls' Race
The girls' race in the morning was won by Vanitie of Island Heights, sailed by Miss Ill.
Vanitie, Miss Ill, IHYC – 1:31:37
Frog, Miss Hall, MYC – 1:26:03
Resolute, IHYC – 1:34:38

Mull Clinched Championship
By winning in last Saturday's race Mull of Island Heights cinched her championship in the men's sneakbox races for the summer. She has three firsts and two seconds in her score, and her total number of points is 260. The next high craft is Resolute of Island Heights with 91 points.
In the girls' races the championship lies between Vanitie, Miss Ill, of Island Heights, and Frog, Miss Hall of Mantoloking.

T.R. LOST TO CUBAN STARS AND SHUT OUT NEW EGYPT
Thursday of last sweek, August 18, Toms River lost its second game of the season, its record to date being 14 won and two lost. The winners were the Cuban Stars, the score being 6-1. It was a tight-played game, but the visitors had just a little the better of it. A high wind made two home runs for them out of two flies that might under ordinary circumstances, have been fielded. The record crowd of the summer, a full thousand people, watched the game. This team will return for another bout.

New Egypt Lost Series
Tuesday, August 23, Toms River took the second game of the series of three from New Egypt, that team being the only other nine, beside the Cubans, to win from Toms River this season. This time New Egypt was shut out, 7-0.

Cuban Stars Come Back
The Cuban Stars will play here again next Thursday, September 1, a return engagement. It will be a battle for blood.

CRANBERRY PROSPECTS WAX AS HARVEST DRAWS NEAR
Prospects for the cranberry yield in New Jersey seem to increase as the harvest draws near, while the prospects on Cape Cod and in Wisconsin diminish. It now looks as if New Jersey will have almost as large a yield as Massachusetts. Three weeks ago prominent growers in this section basing their estimate on what had happened in their own neighborhoods, figured a crop slightly under last year, today it is thought the Jersey crop as a whole will be an increase over last year's. More accurate reports will be received tomorrow at the meeting of the American Cranberry Growers' Association, to be held at Edward Crabbe's boathouse on the riverfront, Toms River...

FARMERS WILL HAVE PICNIC AT BEACHWOOD AUGUST 31
The farmers of Ocean county are planning their fifth annual picnic to be given at Beachwood on Wednesday of next week, August 31, all day. The morning, as in previous years, will be given over to bathing and fun, with sports and games for the younger folks. In the afternoon, following a visit to the lunch baskets, wil be the speaking. Among those who are expected to speak are J.F. Langner of California, the lawyer who has been in New Jersey this spring and summer, organizing the producers on the farms into selling organizations, who will talk on co-operative selling; H.E. Taylor, president of the State Federation of County Boards of Agriculture, who will talk on organized farm effort on other lines; L.A. Clinton, director of extension work at the State College, New Brunswick, and E.H. Waite, County Agent, who will tell of the work in experimental farming done in this county.
The boys and girls clubs wil be well represented. The wireless club expects to have a receiving and sending station, and the members of the clubs who have staid home from the picnic for that purpose will receive messages from the Beachwood station, so that picnic visitors can send wireless messages home.
There will be exhibits for farm and garden products, with first and second prizes of $3.00 and $1.00 in each class; also a prize of $2.00 for the best fruit and vegetable canning exhibit. The girls canning clubs will have exhibits and there will be a showing of work done by the boys and girls in gardening and other forms of productive work.

TWO BOOTLEGGERS CAUGHT
Tuesday night two men were brought from Lakehurst on a bootlegging charge: Sam Jigger, in whose possession it was alleged two gallons of rum were found, and John Bolton. Judge Jeffrey remanded them to jail Wednesday, reserving decision.

GOOD SAMARITAN IN HARD LUCK
Archie Estell of Lakewood lost a Ford sedan last Friday night, through striking a match to see to drain gas from his tank, to loan it to a neighbor who was stuck along the road with no gas.

BORING FOR OIL AT DOVER
William Austin and his uncle, Nathan Austin, are boring a trial well to see if oil is to be found in the Jersey Pines, at their Dover property in Berkeley township. The boring has been going on for some time, but it has been kept quiet.

P.R.R. MAY DROP PINE BEACH DEPOT OR HEIGHTS BRIDGE
The summer resort of Pine Beach, on the south side of the river, is up in arms over the announcement that the Pennsylvania railroad company expects to close down the railroad station there this winter. An appeal has been made to the Public Utility Board, and those interested will send a delegation to Trenton when the matter comes up, probably early in September. Judge Maja Leon Berry, representing Mr. Woods and the Kelly estate, and Harold L. Brinley, representing the Township of Berkeley, are fighting the case before the Utility Board. A meeting of summer and winter residents was held last night at the yacht club to protest against closing the station, and to form plans to carry on the fight.
There are people who think they see something farther than the closing of Pine Beach station in the mind of railroad officials. These folks shrewdly guess that what the railroad wants to get out of is the running of trains across the river to Island Heights. It is figured out that at the hearing, attorneys for Pine Beach will show that Pine Beach itself pays its way, and the loss on the Pine Beach-Island Heights spur is due entirely to the cost of upkeep of the bridge across the river, and the spur train that is kept there throughout the summer to take people to and from Island Heights. With this testimony before the Utility Commission, and put there by someone other than the railroad, it is suggested that the railroad officials might say that if allowed to abandon the bridge, they would keep up a station on the river bank or on the main line at Pine Beach. Also that the railroad would be in the position of not being the originators of the possible abandonment of the Island Heights spur and bridge.
It is further said that the railroad would be so well pleased to get out of the job of maintaining the Island Heights drawbridge and running trains over it, that they would take up their tracks and give the bridge to the county, were the county willing to turn it into an automobile and wagon bridge. According to the story, the railroad officials figure that Island Heights people could reach the main track at Pine Beach by automobile as easily as they do now by train. This all makes an interesting story, and the next moves will be watched with interest, to see if there is anything in it, or if it is all a dream.

INLET WAS ONCE WHERE NEW INLET BROKE THROUGH
Oldtimers along the lowerbays say that where the newest inlet now is, just below Beach Haven, is just about where the inlet stood in 1840. Robert F. Rutter of West Creek recalls that his father pointed out to him on one occasion a locality on the beach, and said that in his young manhood he had sailed in and out the inlet at that point. Mr. Rutter says the point his father located at that time is almost the location of the new inlet into Little Egg Harbor. The last time there was an inlet into Little Egg Harbor before was about 1880, closing about that year. This inlet was two miles south of the present inlet. About the time it closed New Inlet had opened into Great Bay.

FISH AND GAME
Last week was the best of the summer for fishing in Barnegat Bay. All the party boats were busy and all the parties caught fish, was the general report from Seaside Park, Bayville, Forked River, Waretown and Barnegat. The bay was full of weakfish and at times they seemed to swarm to the surface, and would bite at anything. Some fishermen left off bait and fished with small bluefish “squids,” which at times were snapped at as eagerly by the weakfish as shedder crab or shrimp. There were many fishermen down from the cities last week. Newark, which has always contributed a large share of the fishermen in these waters, has been represented more largely than ever before this year...

LAVALLETTE
Charles Hankins, the boat builder, is very busy building new boats and repairing others. He has a good location for this kind of work.
Wm. H. Nugent has had a good season renting out boats. This is a good place which has been needed for a long time. Visitors can be accomodated with boats to go crabbing and fishing.
The yacht club held an election on Saturday night for one year.
We would advise those who have cars not to let them stand on the streets at night, as several have lost their spare tires before morning.
It seems there are some of the young folks who take delight in doing some mischief to the lights on the boardwalk after the lights are put out for the night. Any information will be gladly received by the mayor or other officials of the borough.

BARNEGAT
One day last week Mrs. Mark Carr of New York who summers at Forked River came down in her car and took Capt. Wright Predmore and wife and Mrs. Helen Bunnell on a sight-seeing trip to Long Branch, Atlantic Highlands and other points of interest up the Jersey coast. Mrs. Carr was formerly Miss Kate Worden, whose mother was on board the sloop Adelaide that capsized off Barnegat inlet, Sept. 1846. The sloop drifted ashore bottom up and some men hearing a thumping cut a hole through and rescued her. The entire crew were drowned, but she being in the cabin survived by the air caught between the water and the bottom of the boat.

OCEAN GATE
Labor day will wind up the season here, and it has been about our biggest summer. New houses are going up in all parts of the borough. The new road from Pine Beach into Ocean Gate has made a new method of reaching here by autoes, and is in high favor with our drivers of cars. It also opens up the Mill Creek settlement and the Riverbank settlements west of us on the riverfront. We only hope it will be carried on into Beachwood.
Plans for Labor day include sports and games on water and land by the Yacht Club, and a tag day for the Fire Company.
About every house in Ocean Gate is occupied, and there are camping parties living in tents.
The borough pier and the newly graveled borough streets are a great improvement, as the summer people have been quick to learn.
Tuesday evening of this week the fire company had their sail down the bay. Both boats of the Lambert line, the Doriana and Ariella, were used, and also Commodore Lubker's yacht, Ruth L. II. Even then there was hardly room for all who wanted to go. Ocean Gate is willing to stay by its Fire Company every time.

BEACH HAVEN
This is the week of the big August rush to Beach Haven and the other fine resorts on Long Beach. All this week incoming trains have brought new throngs of vacation seekers and motor travel has been the heaviest of the summer. All the hotels and boarding houses have been filled throughout the week and there is every prospect for a continuance of the rush until well into September...

BEACHWOOD
Some Beachwood people have been having a little quiet laugh at the expense of the Courier. A few weeks ago William Mill Butler brought a camera man and a moving picture machine here to take some pictures of the bathing beach and other Beachwood scenes. Shortly after a story was in circulation that the Pathe people had bought property on the river front for a studio. No one can tell just where the Pathe story came from. But it was printed in the Courier. Mr. Butler's friends are wondering if his motion picture activity was responsible for the story.
There was great excitement in Beachwood Sunday morning when the new fire apparatus was called out to afford an opportunity for the taking of moving pictures with the outfit owned by Mr. Butler. A crowd of enthusiastic Beachwoodites manned the ropes and hurried the engine around borough hall to the clubhouse, and an imaginary fire was put out on the roof of the latter. Ladders were put up and the fire-fighters, both men and women, went up on the roof, making a most realistic picture. William Ashton Stephan had charge of the moving picture machine. The above and many other scenes will be thrown on the screen at the yacht club house as many times as possible during the present season for the benefit of the fire prevention, Polyhue and pines preservation funds.

SEASIDE PARK
The fire truck ordered by the Fire Co. to be delivered last week, failed to put in an appearance on schedule, but upon inquiry find the truck is at Philadelphia awaiting part of its equipment which had been overlooked at the factory. On the guarantee of delivery this week the firemen are arranging a dance and fair to be held at the Manhasset hotel on Friday and Saturday evenings of this week and a good sum of money will be realized through the venture.
H.M. Gould, the popular manager of the Manhassett hotel, was given a pleasant surprise on his birthday by the guests at the hotel. Tables were set in the ballroom and when everything was in readiness Mr. Gould was called in. Presents were showered on him and after dancing and a general entertainment was enjoyed.
The last end of the season, as Labor day draws near, gets more and more interesting. More people, more doing, and more proposed. Labor day will be a big day.

SEASIDE HEIGHTS
The annual baby parade held on Tuesday afternoon last, proceeds of which were for the benefit of the Union chapel, was the largest held here; there were many entries with very original and pretty ideas carried out. The parade which started on Sheridan avenue, came up the boardwalk to the carousel, headed by the girls from the Wanamaker camp at Island Heights, followed by Mayor Freeman and other borough officials.
A masque ball and dance was held last Thursday evening in Holland hall, proceeds for the benefit of the arch to be erected at the bay bridge on Hamilton ave. A large crowd gathered and several prizes were given.
The yacht club held their fair and supper in the carousel last Friday and Saturday evenings. A neat sum was made to help defray the expenses of the new dance hall. Several pretty articles were chanced off. The plush pillow and table runner were won by Mrs. C. wolff.

WEST CREEK
E.F. Potter and family have moved in their new home on S. Main st., a modern uptodate bungalow and adding much to the attractiveness of that portion of our town.
Harry Holloway and wife are spending two months in Toms River attending the harvesting of the cranberry crop on their bogs in that vicinity.
C.D. Kelly with friends enjoyed a day's outing on the bay and returned by moonlight on Friday last; and a moonlight party on Saturday evening composed of eligibles also took advantage of these beautiful nights on the water, where their minds, fancy free, could dwell only on the poetic and romantic. The result remains to be seen.

JOHN A. DORSETT
BOAT BUILDER
and
SAIL MAKER
Builder of Launches, Sail Boats, Row Boats and Sneak Boxes.
Sails, Boat Awnings and Launch Covers made to order.
Sail repairing done on short notice.
WEST POINT PLEASANT, N.J.

BEACHWOOD REAL ESTATE
A few choice building sites and new bungalows at reduced prices, if taken at once.
A.D. Nickerson, Beachwood, N.J.

EVERY WOMAN
in building a new home wants to have her own individual ideas incorporated in the house.
Consult
CLARENCE W. SMITH
Architect
Phone 524-J
Lakewood, N.J.

TO CLOSE AN ESTATE—A BARGAIN
AT LAVALLETTE, N.J.
21 desirable Building Plots, 50x100 each
ON OCEAN FRONT
On Shore line of Penn R.R.
For particulars, address
Chris. Schierloh, 779 9th Ave., N.Y. City

YACHTS FOR SALE
Ten launches and two sailboats (one with power) for sale. James Chamberlain, Toms River, N.J.
For Sale: Crosby cat-boat 20 ft. new sail in excellent condition. Also a 24 ft. raised deck cruiser. M.A. Pyott, Camp Walk, Island Heights, N.J.
For Sale: Boat, cruiser, 27 ft. long, electric lights. 52 hp. Engine, everything new. Joshua Shreve, Barnegat, N.J.
For Sale: Tuckerton garvey, 27 ft., 7 1-2 hp. Mianus engine. Boat now in use, excellent condition, tax paid. W. W. Payne, 126 Washington st, Town.

Held this year at Downtown Toms River's Huddy Park on Saturday, July 31st, the Toms River Seaport Society Summer Festival brought together vintage boats, classic cars, food vendors, nautical artisans and those plundering, piratical misfits - the Valhalla Pirates - for a celebration of the maritime port of Toms River and its past.

The Toms River Seaport Society thanks our gracious participants, volunteers, donors and guests for making 2021 a smashing success, including the Valhalla Pirates (valhallapirates.com), always ready and available to make your party, parade, festivals and more a great time; de Rouville's Boat Shop (derouvillesboatshop.com) for all your boat restoration, repair and storage needs; Toms River Artist Community (trac732.com) promoting local artists and fostering the improvement and further creation of their work; the Ocean County Parks System (ocparks.co.ocean.nj.us) and Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission (co.ocean.nj.us/OC/ch) for their continued support and promotion of Toms River Seaport Society community goals.

The festival would not have been possible without our community sponsors, the Rotary Club of Toms River (tomsriverrotary.com), and OceanFirst Bank (oceanfirst.com).

The Seaport Society further thanks ReClam the Bay (reclamthebay.org), who grow and maintain millions of baby clams and oysters in the Barnegat Bay Watershed and provide regional education initiatives; Scale Ship Modelers of North America (ssmana.org), who encourage all types of model boating in electric, sail, and steam power as well as the building of plastic and wooden static models; the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 16-05 (a0531605.uscgaux.info), an all volunteer arm of the United States Coast Guard serving the boating public on the Jersey Shore; the Vintage Automobile Museum of New Jersey (vintageautomuseum.org), who educates and entertains families and individuals about preserving, sharing and taking pride in our shared automotive heritage; our food vendors Latin Bites (latinbitesnj.com) and Kona Ice (kona-ice.com) and our myriad boat owners and merchandise vendors.

Special thanks also to our 2021 Business Sponsors:

SILVER LEVEL
DILLON’S CREEK MARINA
243 Lake Avenue - Island Heights, N.J.
DillonsCreekMarina.net
(732) 270-8541 / [email protected]

BRONZE LEVEL
CRANBERRY COVE MARINA
80 Driftwood Drive - Brick, N.J.
(732) 920-7938

SPECIAL THANKS
OCEAN GATE YACHT BASIN
65 Bayview Avenue - Bayville, N.J.
OceanGateYachtBasin.com
(732) 269-2565

CENTRAL PRINTING
1501 Route 37 East
Toms River, N.J. 08753
CentralPrinting.net
(732) 929-0011

We look forward to seeing you again in 2022!