History of Long Beach Island, NEw Jersey – LBI museums

About Long Beach Island

Barnegat Light was the site of a massacre of Patriots during the War of Independence. The plaque pictured at right reads “MASSACRE AT LONG BEACH” October 25 1782 a British vessel ran aground near Barnegat City and was captured by patriot militiamen under Capt. Andrew Steelman. That night, while sleeping on the beach, Steelman and his men were massacred by Tory raiders led by John Bacon” The plaque is located at the beginning of the path leading to the Lighthouse.

The Texas Tower

When I was a kid there was a lot of talk about the Texas Tower, an offshore tower that had collapsed during a storm with a significant loss of life. There are some details available at the NJ Scuba Diver Site

Rum running

There were a number of stories about rum running. The supply ships would anchor just off the three mile limit. Smaller, much faster, vessels would meet them and then try to run the Coast Guard blockade.

There were rumors that the old Acme Hotel, which is now the Ketch, was once a speakeasy. That rumor was often heard about almost of the old hotels.

The Trains

In it’s early days, Long Beach Island was serviced by trains. The tracks pretty much ran along the lines of the Boulevard. According to a noted island historian, John Bailey Lloyd, the odd ‘bulges’ you see in the boulevard where the road widens to almost 8 lanes are artifacts from the railroad. They were where the sidings were located so that north and southbound trains could pass each other.

 If you visit Morrison’s restaurant, check out the photograph hanging near the rest rooms. If you look closely at the older photo, you can see the “T” where the trains could reverse direction for the trip back home.

The Storm of 1962

 In March of 1962 there was a severe Nor’easter. The island was battered for several days. There was a tremendous amount of destruction and some loss of life. Years later places like the old Silver Sands Marina were still filled with boats that were sunk in the storm. A US Navy destroyer, the Monsenn, was being towed. She broke loose and washed up on the beach at Holgate.

Hurricanes

 The island has been hit with a number of Hurricanes over the years. Changes in building and preservation of the dunes has helped reduce some of the damage. However a direct hit would have some serious consequences.

The Lucy Evelyn

At one time, the masts of the schooner Lucy Evelyn were one of the dominant features of the skyline. The Lucy Evelyn was a three masted schooner that was purchased to be used as a gift shop. Unfortunately she burned during a winter storm as was a total loss. There are some surviving pieces left at the Schooner’s Wharf in Beach Haven.

Tucker’s Island

 At one time there was a small island just south of  LBI know as Tucker’s Island. It boasted a hotel and lighthouse along with a number of residences. Erosion took it’s toll and eventually everything, including the lighthouse, was washed into the sea. If you visit the Tuckerton Seaport, you can see a faithful reproduction of the Lighthouse.

The Fish Factory

At one time, the fish factory just south of the island on the edge of Great Bay was quite active. Among other things they processed Bunker. The smell was overpowering at times. However, the waters around the factory were usually a good spot for fishing, especially weakfish and kingfish. Today the facility is in ruins

Little Egg Coast Guard Station #119

Tuckerton.

Across the bay from Holgate, is the small town of Tuckerton. If you enter the creek by boat, you can go almost up to route 9. At one time, Tuckerton  was one of the largest ports of entry in the United States. Today, it is home to the Tuckerton Seaport Museum

The old Lifesaving Stations

There are still a number of the old lifesaving stations on the island. If you go to Holgate, you can find one on the Bayside. These stations housed members of the lifesaving service. When a ship was wrecked, they would wheel their lifeboats and Lyle guns to the beach to attempt a rescue. See our page with some of the stations that still exist

Pirates and wreckers.

There are a number of tales of a procedure known as ‘wrecking’. It entailed things such as hanging a lantern on a donkey and walking the animal along the beach. A careless ship captain, following the coast would assume that it was a ship sailing closer to land. If the captain came close enough to shore, his ship would founder, often with a loss of all hands. The wreckers would wait for the cargo to float into shore.

The Transatlantic Cable

One of the early transatlantic cables was run from Beach Haven to England. This was in the days well before satellites. The cables were crucial to transatlantic communications. There were signs just off the beach Haven Bathing beach declaring a no anchoring zone

Whaling

At one time, residents of the island supplemented their income by whaling. They would build small watchtowers, little more than a piling with a crow’s nest. When they sighted a whale, they would gather the residents and launch their surf boats.

The 1940’s

After the initial spurt of growth in the late 1800’s in Beach Haven, the post war years of the late 1940’s and prosperity of the 1950’s created a huge amount of growth. Even so, the island was desolate compared with today. The homes were much smaller and there were still a fair number of vacant lots.

1940’s in North Beach Haven, NJ

About Long Beach Island

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