(Mari)Time Warp! 19th Century Ocean County Shore Memories

The following was penned by the unsigned town writer of Barnegat for the New Jersey Courier in Spring 1922.

During the busy season when we see the many railroad trains bearing thousands of pleasure-seekers from distant parts of the country to our beaches, the highways thronged with automobiles, all seeking rest or recreation at the many resorts scattered along the New Jersey coast, our thoughts revert to the time when this coast was but a barren waste of sand dunes, with occasionally a fisherman's shanty or some old settler who enjoyed the peace and quiet afforded by a home on the beach, where he could get the greater part of his living from the ocean and bay. In those days their wants were few, as they were not bothered by autos nor movies. On Manasquan Beach, about five miles above Cranberry Inlet was Chadwick's, commonly called Shadick's, an old-fashioned building, where many fishermen and gunners found every convenience suitable to their wants in that line. At the inlet was the old Ashley House, kept by John Brown, Charles Martin and Warner Kinsley. This also was a noted resort for lovers of aquatic sports. Here gathered people from New York, Philadelphia, and many other places to seek pleasure, come for a rest from the busy cities, and to gather around the old bar-room stove fed with wreck wood, and renew old acquaintances and swap stories of previous visits to these resorts.

At this time Dad Parker was the only person living there except the lighthouse keeper, and now not a vestige remains to mark the spots where the old Ashley House and Dad's house stood. The people are all gone and this generation know of these old places only as they hear the stories related by some of the older people.

The next place was what we today know as the “Club House,” opposite Barnegat. Years ago it was known as “Double Jimmie's,” James James being the man who kept this old resort for the same purpose as the other old boarding houses, as they were called at that day, hotels being hardly known along the shore.

When Long Branch was in its infancy it was known to seafaring men as “The Tavern House.” Capt. Charles Cox succeeded James, then Joseph K. Ridgway, George Vannote, after which for several years it stood alone and deserted until last year J.B. Kinsey bought and moved it to High Point. When these houses were flourishing beach parties were very fashionable during the summer months. There were not so many classes as there are today, and 25 or 30 young people would make up a party, go to Sammy Perrine's, at Harvey Cedars, take a fiddler along with them (they were not called musicians at that time), stay several days, have a good time, pay the bill and come home, and nothing thought of it.

That wouldn't do today. As we ride along the shore roads today we see numerous signs, telling us that certain hotels are noted for shore dinners, composed of roast beef, chicken and perhaps occasionally a fish. These old beach resorts didn't advertise such dinners but they delivered the goods; one thing, especially, you don't often see at our shore palace hotels, baked or boiled sheepshead. We will state for the benefit of the many readers, that sheepshead is a fish that inhabited our bay several years ago, but today is a thing unheard of. Old-fashioned dinners, table groaning with the best that could be had, cooked by old-fashioned people who knew just how to make everything appetizing. They didn't have one of Mrs. Rorer's cook books nor the pure food laws that govern them.

The sea nymph of that time did not appear with a one-piece bathing suit. They couldn't drive over in a car, take a dip and be home in a few minutes, neither could they slip across the bay in a power boat, very few yachts were in vogue, but a class of old-fashioned craft called “sail boats,” built on the skiff order.

Further down the bay was Sammy Perrine's, at Harvey Cedars; this was afterwards kept by Joel Horner, Warner Kinsey, Charles Martin, Charles Bennett, James Hazelton, Isaac Jennings and Dave White, after which it was rebuilt by Billy Thompson, known as “Duke of Gloucester,” but since being rebuilt proved a failure. Here in olden times was the headquarters for the beach parties as there was a large building just to the south of the old hotel, known as the dance house, with an elevated platform in the south end for the fiddler (now orchestra). The original hotel burned down several years ago, but was rebuilt and the present one is built around the newer one.

This was one of the best resorts for gunning parties along the shore. It was here the first life saving station was built, the crew being volunteers, under the captaincy of Sammy Perrine, there being no paid crews until about 1871.

The next place, further down, was the old “Mansion of Health,” a well-known resort for sportsmen and pleasure-seekers. The came from the cities and West Jersey towns in wagons to Manahawkin, some of them stopping at the “Old Ferry House.” The Old Mansion, as it was commonly called, stood at the south end of Great Swamp, now Surf City. At that time there was quite a big swamp there where ship timber was cut and there were also fields of grain. Today hardly a sign of the swamp remains except a few stumps along the sand hills that have made up the past half century. There were a few families living there years ago whose chief occupation was whaling. We have one of the old harpoons used at that time by Aaron Inman, one of the old residents of that time.

The Old Mansion was abandoned nearly fifty years ago and a few years afterward burned down. Further down, opposite West Creek, was another old-time resort, not so well known as some of the others, but more of a private party place. This was Pehala, an old-fashioned building, like many on the main years ago, with one part two-story and a kitchen and low bed room over that. This has been torn down since the railroad was put on the beach, and another larger and more up-to-date building erected near the old site.

Some years ago an old house stood near what is now known as Ship Bottom. This was owned by Wesley Truex, an old captain of that life saving station. Then down toward what is now Beach Haven was Tommy Jones'. Many years ago people from this side would take cattle over to the beach in the spring and let them run on the wild during the summer.

Beach Haven, one of our modern, up-to-date fashionable resorts, was started about 1874, and was reached by the steamer Barclay Haines, from Edge Cove, Tuckerton, where it connected with the trains. Bonds was another old-time place. Atlantic City, the last word in resorts, truly the world's greatest summer resort, the show place of America. This was started about 1853, on a barren beach, but today the roar of the sea is outdone by the roar of the busy throngs that inhabit the greatest thorofare in the world, “The Boardwalk.” What you can't see down to “Atlantic” you needn't go elsewhere to look for.

Years ago mariners seldom saw a light on the Jersey coast except the friendly lighthouse that guided them past the dangerous shoals, but now from Sandy Hook to Cape May there is hardly a dark spot, just one glitter of electric lights marking the entire coast line. We have mentioned a few of the old-time resorts, but no use saying anything about the present state of our coast as to its pleasure resorts. Jersey is noted for skeeters, justice, barren pine lands, bootleggers, etc., but when you mention summer resorts we've got 'em skinned a mile.