The Spectacular History of the Jersey Shore

05/14/2026

1928 - OCEAN CITY'S NEW BOARDWALK AT 9TH STREET LOOKING NORTH (SHRIVERS ON THE LEFT) Ocean City, NJ History & Memories

05/14/2026

The Sting Ray Motel in Ocean City, NJ • 1965!

05/14/2026

05/14/2026

"Sindia – 1st Day After Wrecking"
www.uslifesavingstation30.com

05/10/2026

05/10/2026

NEW EVENT!
John Barrows presents:
The Enduring Myth of Blackbeard’s Raid on Middletown
at the Monmouth Boat Club
May 28th at 7 PM

Spend an evening with us at the historic Monmouth Boat Club for one of our most popular presenters! Monmouth County has been the scene of many enduring historical myths, some of the most fantastic stories ever published, yet many historians believe that such myths often have some kernel of truth behind them. So it is with the notorious pirate Blackbeard and his raid on Middletown, a local legend that endures to this day. John Barrows, editor of MonmouthTimeline.org and historian for the Monmouth Boat Club, will present his research findings into this myth: Could it possibly be true? And if it is a myth, where did it originate? And is there any truth behind it? The answers might surprise you.

There are TWO ways to attend this free presentation:
1. In person
2. Virtually via zoom

Please visit monmouthhistory.org/historically-speaking to choose your method of attendance. Seats are very limited for the in-person event, so register early!

04/25/2026

A very young and splendid Grace Kelly in a Summer dress on a hot sunny day at her family’s place in Ocean City, New Jersey.

04/25/2026

This week in American Revolution history at Sandy Hook…

British “water parties” often traveled to Sandy Hook by boat to fill their empty casks with water from a well near the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, but patriot forces were ready to intercept them.

- April 23, 1776: Patriot troops captured a 55-man watering party from the British warship H.M.S. ASIA anchored in Sandy Hook Bay.
- April 24, 1776: Another British watering party fled into the Sandy Hook Lighthouse and was captured by patriot troops.
- April 25, 1776: Sixteen seamen from either the British warships HMS ASIA or HMS PHOENIX landed at Sandy Hook to get water. While frolicking in the upper room of the lighthouse, a patriot New Jersey Militia party surprised them and took away the lower part of the wooden stairs, trapping the seamen and capturing them all. The militiamen even burned their boat and filled in the lighthouse well.

These two British warships were believed to still be anchored in the Sandy Hook Bay on June 21st, 1776, when Colonel Benjamin Tupper led 300 soldiers and two cannons to destroy the lighthouse tower. Tupper went on to say, “we bombarded the tower for over an hour, but could make no impression.”

The lighthouse survived this and other patriot raids throughout the revolution and remained standing to become the nation’s oldest operating lighthouse.



Photo Credit: Library of Congress

03/30/2026

Photo 20 of 175

This powerful image from 1944 captures a storm surge overtaking Cape May. This is a stark reminder of the coastline’s ever-changing nature. Long before modern protections and forecasting, storms like this reshaped not just the shoreline, but entire neighborhoods.

These storms are a piece of local history that speaks to both the beauty and the force of life by the sea. This photo reminds us of the resilience required to live along the coast and the respect the ocean has always demanded.



Photo Credit: Cape May MAC

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