Student Guide to
Ocean County, New Jersey established in 1850 The image above is the official Ocean County Seal which is a stylized sloop representing the nautical heritage of the only county in the United States named Ocean County Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders John C. Bartlett, Jr. John P. Kelly James F. Lacey Gerry P. Little Joseph H. Vicari
Ocean County Ocean County, New Jersey is located in central New Jersey and borders the Atlantic Ocean.
Greetings From Interstate 195 te Rou en Sta te P ark wa y 98 37 e5 Jackson Township e 88 New Egypt Point Pleasant Beach 91 Point Pleasant 90 Route 9 Rout Gar d Lakewood 34 We believe Ocean County is someplace special and we hope when you have completed your project you will agree. Ocean County is home to one-third of the famed Jersey Shore and is the eastern gateway to the Pinelands. We are within a one and one half hour drive to the state capitol of Trenton, historic Philadelphia, and the bright lights of Broadway in New York City, making this an ideal place to live, work, and play. In the following pages you will learn about county government, demographics, history, and other interesting facts. We hope the information in this booklet will help you prepare an excellent report on Ocean County and that some day you will be able to visit us. Sincerely, Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders ut Ro 89 70 Route 88 Brick Township Lakehurst Ro Bay Head Mantoloking Normandy Beach Chadwick Beach Lavallette Ortley Beach ut e5 71 Manchester Plumsted Toms River Route 3 7 82 e 5 39 Rout South Toms River 81 Berkeley Island Heights 80 Beachwood Pine Beach Ocean Gate Seaside Heights 77 Seaside Park Bayville Lacey 74 69 Ro Lanoka Harbor 7 ute 2 Gard en State Route 9 P ar kw ay 67 Stafford Island Beach State Park Forked River Waretown Ocean Twp. Barnegat Light Barnegat Route 539 63 Harvey Cedars Manahawkin Surf City Eagleswood 58 9 Ship Bottom Ro ute Route 70 Parkertown Long Beach Island Tuckerton Long Beach Twp. Beach Haven Little Egg Harbor Mystic Island
What is a Freeholder? The Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders is the administrative and legislative head of the County Government.The Board is responsible for managing County property, finances and affairs. They prepare and adopt the County budget; authorize payment of bills, act on claims against the County, appoint County officials and members of boards, commissions, councils and authorities; and they supervise the administration of all County departments. There are five members of the Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders. They are elected atlarge, which means that any registered voter in Ocean County can vote for them. Freeholders are elected for a three-year term. The board is responsible Pictured above are (standing) Joseph H. Vicari, Gerry P. Little, John C. Bartlett, Jr., and (seated) James F. Lacey, John P. Kelly. for law enforcement, education, conducting elections, roads and social services. They are also granted limited powers pertaining to parks, libraries, planning, County College, health care and solid waste management. New Jersey is the only state where members of the county governing body are called Freeholders. In other states they might be called County Commissioners, County Supervisors, or County Judges. The term Freeholder was used in colonial times when only property owners, then known as freeholders, were eligible to vote or serve in government.
Constitutional Officers Each New Jersey county has three other elected officials mandated by the New Jersey Constitution. Known as Constitutional Officers, they are the Sheriff, County Clerk and Surrogate. William L. Polhemus Ocean County Sheriff Jeffrey W. Moran Ocean County Surrogate The Sheriff is elected to a three-year term. He is responsible for providing security for the courts, judges, and the public. He executes summons orders, subpoenas, and warrants. The Sheriff is responsible for the Office of Emergency Management, Communications Division, Enhanced 911, the Criminal Investigation Unit, Criminalistics (Forensics), and the Police Academy. The Sheriff also provides K-9 support for all 33 municipalities. The Surrogate is elected to a five-year term. He serves as Deputy Clerk of the Superior Court. He is responsible for probating wills (ensuring they are valid) and administering estates of persons who died intestate (without a will). He appoints guardians and administers monies belonging to minors. He processes complaints for persons being charged with mental incompetencies, and governs the process of adoption papers for the Court. Scott M. Colabella Ocean County Clerk The County Clerk is also elected to a five-year term. He is responsible for the supervision of the filing and recording of all documents affecting real estate ownership and transfers throughout the county. He assists residents in obtaining passports and is responsible for the administration of all elections held within the county.
The Lenape were among the first seasonal residents of the Jersey Shore.
Ocean County Early Days Most historians agree that the Lenape (Le na pe) Native Americans were among the first seasonal residents in the Ocean County area. Annually, they migrated from as far away as Delaware to enjoy the shore and its plentiful food supply. During the Dutch explorations of the New Jersey coast by Captain Cornelius Hendricks (1614-1616), the Barnegat Bay was discovered and charted. Captain Hendricks sailed through Barnegat Inlet into the bay on a small Dutch ship called the "Onrest" from which he charted the Toms River, the forks of Forked River, and the Great Bay. By the end of the 17th century, whalers were at work off the coast. This opened up the region for settlements. Soon saw mills sprang up along the streams and rivers leading into the bay. Ocean County endured 23 Loyalist and British attacks to its saltworks*, as well as other skirmishes during the American Revolutionary War. There were 77 naval battles off the coast. The largest British naval attack took place in Great Bay in 1778, together with a skirmish against Count Pulaski's troops east of Tuckerton. This culminated in an attack on Toms River and its blockhouse on March 24, 1782. The British torched the village, killed defending patriot militiamen, and captured others, including blockhouse commander Captain Joshua Huddy, whom they illegally hanged on April 12, 1782. The patriots then chose a young British soldier, who was already being held in prison, to execute in revenge. While this was happening in America, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay and John Adams were in Paris negotiating a treaty with British officials that would end the Revolutionary War. The talks were halted until the Patriots agreed to free the British soldier so he could return to England. This event has given Toms River a special place in the history of the United States and its birth. * Saltworks - a place where salt was extracted from sea water to be used in preserving food and to make gunpowder.
Joel Haywood The Founding Father of Ocean County
Ocean County History February 15, 1850, Ocean County was founded when Joel Haywood led a secession from Monmouth County. It was comprised of the municipalities of Brick, Dover (now known as Toms River), Jackson, Plumsted, Stafford, and Union (now known as Barnegat). Over time, parts of Burlington County were added, making Ocean County the second largest county in size in New Jersey. This vast geographic area was ultimately carved into the current 33 municipalities, Ocean County's population in 1850 was 10,043 residents. One hundred years later it had reached 56,622. Today, as a result of growth since the opening of the Garden State Parkway 576,567 people call Ocean County home, according to the 2010 U.S. census. Toms River was selected as the "seat" of the new county government, the place where the courts would be located and most county business would be done. Many historians believe that the colonial village of Toms River had its beginnings circa 1700 near Luker s Ferry. The ferry was run by Thomas Luker, the first permanent European settler on the river and the man for whom many believe the river and the township are named.
CHANGES As seafaring men sought peaceful pursuits after the Revolution, new industries were created in the Pine Barrens. Forges and furnaces were built to smelt the local bog ore into pig iron. They were operated by former seamen known as "pineys." They also cut thousands of acres of trees in the forests to produce charcoal. Commercial fishing and boat building along the coastal region were also primary industries of this young county. By the mid 1850s, cranberrying and farming had expanded in the rural regions of the county. Life Saving Station. As immigrant ships flocked to America during the 19th century, there was a heavy loss of life from shipwrecks along the coast. Dr. William Newell of Manahawkin, convinced Congress to appropriate funds for lifesaving stations along the coast.
These small lifesaving stations built in 1849, five miles apart along the barrier islands became the forerunner of today s U.S. Coast Guard Service. Today, Ocean County's extensive water resources of bay waters, rivers and streams, its boardwalks, parks and golf courses, create an atmosphere where recreation and tourism have flourished. Ocean County is also home to more than 143,000 senior citizens, 62 and older, who make up one-quarter of the county's population. This has created a strong health service economy. In 1954, the Garden State Parkway, a north-south toll road provided easy commuting access to the County s inexpensive housing, attracting many families from northern cities in record-breaking numbers. At one time, Ocean County was the fastest growing county in the nation. Today, the friendly, family-oriented atmosphere of this county, located between the Atlantic Ocean coastline and the Pinelands forest, continues to attract new residents and continues to be one of the fastest growing counties in the state.
Jarvis Pharo, who built his house in Little Egg Harbor, in 1702, invented the garvey, a flat bottomed open fishing boat adapted for the shallow water of the Barnegat Bay. It was used in the shellfish industry. Hazelton Seaman of West Creek invented the gunning sneakbox, in 1836, a spoon-shaped hull and traditional sprit-sail, made for a single hunter. In the early 20th century Gun Clubs were formed in several parts of the bay, and the Barnegat Bay sneakbox became known as the ideal gunner s boat. J.H. Happy Perrine, of Barnegat, altered the sneakbox into a light and fast class of racing sailboat. The Raritan and Delaware Railroad, which cut across Ocean County from the Raritan Bay to Lakewood, then through Lakehurst to its southern destination on the Delaware Bay, connected Ocean County to rail traffic in 1862. Before the steam rail came to Ocean County, a mule powered railroad had been built in 1841. It had wooden rails laid over the sandy soil. Mule teams pulled the train from Lakehurst to Beachwood where they dumped charcoal for schooners to load and transport to the eastern market.
Ocean County Timeline 1850 - Ocean County was established by seceding from Monmouth County. Population was 10,032. 1851 - The Ocean County Courthouse and jail were built. 1857 - The current and third Barnegat Lighthouse was built at the northern end of Long Beach Island. At 172 feet, it is the tallest lighthouse in New Jersey and the second oldest lighthouse in the country. 1914 - Two bridges were built across the Barnegat Bay: One connecting Toms River to Seaside Heights, and the other connecting Manahawkin to Long Beach Island. 1918 - First Boardwalk built in Seaside Heights. 1921 - Lakehurst Naval Air Station was built on the former Camp Kendrick grounds. 1925 - Ocean County Library is established in Toms River. 1927 - Tucker s Island Lighthouse fell into the ocean Oct. 12. The Island was gone completely by 1940. It reappeared in 1995 and is now gone again. 1937 - The Hindenburg disaster at Lakehurst ended international flights by rigid airships. 1941 - Oil magnate John D. Rockefeller s heirs gave his Lakewood estate to the county to become the first county park. 1954 - Garden State Parkway opened sparking major population growth.
1955 - The Branch system of the Ocean County Library is established with the opening of the Long Beach Island Branch. 1968 - The Miller Airpark opened for commercial and small aircraft. 1973 - Establishment of Coastal Zone Management Plan, forerunner of CAFRA, which has had a significant impact regulating development patterns in Ocean County. 1976 - Ocean County Library Master Plan is adopted and fully implemented in 1984 through the partnership in progress program which ultimately establishes the 21 branch library system. 1980 - New Jersey Pinelands Comprehensive Master Plan adopted which significantly impacts development of the County west of the Garden State Parkway. 1991 - First farm (139 acres) was preserved through the Ocean County Farmland Preservation Program. 1997 - The Natural Lands Trust Fund was established by overwhelming voter support. In its first year, the fund was used to purchase more than 550 acres of land and continues to fund the preservation of additional land each year, now totaling more than 13,000 acres. 2003 - The Barnegat Branch Railtrail which will ultimately encompass 15 miles from Barnegat to Toms River is established. 2009 - Jakes Branch County Park is opened. The Park designated the Gateway to the Pinelands.
Economy Tourism is a major industry in Ocean County. With total tourism expenditures exceeding $3 billion a year, Ocean County ranks 3rd in total travel expenditures of the 21 counties in New Jersey. Six Flags Great Adventure Theme Park, Wild Animal Safari and Hurricane Harbor Water Park employ more than 4,300 workers making it one of the top employers in Ocean County. There are 4 major tourism areas: Point Pleasant Beach (in the north), Seaside Heights (in the center), Long Beach Island (in the south), and the Mainland. Due to the large Senior Citizen population, the health care industry has been the fastest growing employment sector and is now the top employer in the county. There are four hospitals and numerous nursing homes and adult care facilities, as well as at home care programs throughout the county. The continuing research and development performed at the joint base Maguire- Dix-Lakehurst provides various high-tech career opportunities. Agriculture continues to be a part of Ocean County s economy with nearly 12,000 acres in farmland producing vegetable crops, hay and livestock.
Geography Ocean County has 33 Municipalities. Most of which border the Atlantic Ocean or the Barnegat Bay. NUMBER KEY 1-Municipalities on Long Beach Island; 2-Municipalities on the Seaside Peninsula; 3-Mainland municipalities which have some property on the Seaside Peninsula Barnegat Barnegat Light - 1 Bay Head - 2 Beach Haven - 1 Beachwood Berkeley (Bayville) - 3 Brick - 3 Eagleswood Harvey Cedars -1 Island Heights Jackson Lacey (Forked River, Lanoka Harbor & Bamber Lake) Lakehurst Lakewood Lavallette - 1 Little Egg Harbor Long Beach (Brant Beach, North Beach, Loveladies) - 1 Manchester (Whiting) Mantoloking - 2 Ocean (Waretown) Ocean Gate Pine Beach Plumsted Point Pleasant Point Pleasant Beach - 2 Seaside Heights - 2 Seaside Park - 2 Ship Bottom - 1 South Toms River Stafford (Manahawkin) Surf City - 1 Toms River - 3 Tuckerton
GEOGRAPHY Ocean County is the second largest county in New Jersey and is 40% the size of Rhode Island. It is made up of 638 square miles, mostly in the Pine Barrens and barrier beaches along the 44 mile coastline of the Atlantic Ocean. Every piece of land in New Jersey is part of a legally incorporated municipality. While there are other types of municipal government in New Jersey, in Ocean County there are 14 townships and 19 boroughs. There are 12 municipalities that fully border the Atlantic Ocean: Point Pleasant Beach, Bay Head, Mantoloking, Lavallette, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, on the Seaside peninsula and Barnegat Light, Harvey Cedars, Surf City, Ship Bottom, Long Beach Township and Beach Haven on Long Beach Island. Three municipalities are located on the mainland, but have some property on the barrier beaches: Brick Township, Toms River Township and Berkeley Township. Ocean County is the northern/eastern gateway to the famed Pinelands. The world renown Pygmy Pines which only grow to about 5 feet high, are found along Route 539 and Route 72 in Stafford. The first Barnegat Lighthouse was built in 1834. The present lighthouse was built in 1857 and operated until 1927. Millionaire George J. Gould built a Georgian mansion in Lakewood in 1898, which is now Georgian Court University.
OCEAN COUNTY NEW JERSEY 58 67 83 81 80 74 63 63A 90 88 69 91 82A 77 89 98 Interstate 195 U.S. Route 9 Garden State Parkway Exits 58-98 State Highway 37 State Highway 72 622 miles of county roads New Jersey Transit Railroad Northeast Coastline Airports - Robert J. Miller Airpark Lakewood Airport 271 Marinas MiLES to MAjor CitiES New York City, NY 60 miles to the north Philadelphia, Pa. 50 miles to the west Atlantic City 50 miles to the south Trenton (State Capitol) 40 miles to the west
Education Ocean County has three colleges, the largest regional school district in the state and a county Vocational-Technical School System. VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL ocean County Vocational technical Schools provide nearly 40 career and technical programs. There are five centers offering classes for high school students, post-secondary students, and specialized programs through the Adult Education Division. The Marine Academy of Technology & Environmental Science (MATES) is a comprehensive high school program focused on marine and environmental sciences. COLLEGES ocean County College is located on 275 acres in Toms River and offers degree, certificate, credit and non-credit courses as well as a variety of other training options. Day, evening, weekend, Internet and distancelearning courses are offered at the Toms River campus, with an off-campus site located in Manahawkin. Ocean County College and Kean University have entered into a partnership, where a four-year Kean University degree can be earned while attending all classes on the OCC campus in Toms River. Georgian Court University, located in Lakewood is on the 156-acre estate that was owned by railroad baron George Jay Gould. The site is a National Historic Landmark. Open to all faiths, the university provides liberal arts education in the Roman Catholic tradition. The university is organized in three schools: Arts & Sciences, Business and Education. Beth Medrash Govoha - more than 3,000 students, make Beth Medrash Govoha the world s largest Judaic college in the world. Academic offerings cover a broad spectrum within the Talmud tradition, with affiliations with educational and communal institutions world-wide.
Fun Facts, Firsts & Famous People Fun Facts Our tourism slogan is: Ocean County, Where the OCEAN is just the Half of it! Ocean County s flag features the Barnegat Lighthouse on a field of light blue. Ocean County s seal is a sloop, a type of sailboat, surrounded by the words, Ocean County, New Jersey. The Lakewood BlueClaws, the A-affiliate team of the Philadelphia Phillies was established in 2001. Toms River Regional School System is the state s largest suburban school district. Six Flags Great Adventure Theme Park, Wild Safari Animal Park and Hurricane Harbor Water Park is the largest regional theme park in the U.S. Ocean County has the largest surf museum on the East Coast.
Ocean County boasts the largest primitive Midden (shell mound) on the East Coast (outside of Maine) - a huge pile of shells in Tuckerton. The New Jersey state fruit is the High-Bush Blueberry. The Legislation designating the blueberry as the state fruit was introduced and successfully passed through the efforts of Fourth Grade students at Veterans Memorial Elementary School in Ocean County s Brick Township. Firsts In 1945 the world s first supersonic anti-aircraft guided missile was launched from Island Beach State Park. The first FHA Mortgage in the United States was issued for a house on Pelican Island, Dover Township (now Toms River Township) in 1936. New Jersey s first adult community, Leisure Village in Lakewood was established in 1963. New Jersey s first nuclear power plant was built in Lacey Township 1969. The first cranberry sauce was created by Elizabeth Lee of Plumsted, launching the start of Ocean Spray. Ocean County College was the first community college in New Jersey.
Famous People Al Leiter, New Yorks Met pitcher, was born in Toms River and graduated from Central Regional High School. Actress, Kirsten Dunst, was born in Point Pleasant. Doc Cramer, Professional Baseball player was born in Manahawkin. Jim Dowd, Professional Hockey Player was born in Brick. Lakewood s Little League baseball team were world champions in 1975. In 1998, the Toms River East American Little League All-Star baseball team became world champions. General Norton A. Schwartz, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Airforce, is from Toms River. The Chief of Staff is the highest ranking officer in the Air Force.
Test When did the New Jersey State Legislature create Ocean County by subdividing Monmouth County? a). January 15, 1850 b). February 15, 1850 c). February 15, 1860 Who was the founding father of Ocean County? a). Joseph Brick b). Lord John Berkeley c). Joel Haywood What was the population of Ocean County in 1850? a). 1,043 b). 10,043 c). 100,043 What is a freeholder? a). A person who will keep something safe for you at no cost. b). A mayor of a town. c). An elected county official. Elizabeth Lee of Plumsted became famous for her jams and jellies made from what fruit? a). Cranberries b). Blueberries c). Raspberries
What happened at the Toms River Block house on March 24, 1782? a). It was the site of the capture of the infamous renegade Pine Robber John Bacon. b). Patriot Joshua Huddy was apprehended by British Loyalists. c). The British were raiding the salt-works. Who was the founder of the United States Life Saving Service, now known as the United States Coast Guard? a). William Newell b). Hugh McLellan c). Joseph Francis
LIGHTHOUSES OF OCEAN COUNTY, NJ Lighthouse Coloring Page Toms River BARNEGAT LiGHTHOUSE TUCKER S island LiGHTHOUSE OCEAN COUNTY BOARD of CHOSEN FREEHOLDERS JOHN C. BARTLETT, JR. JOHN P. KELLY JAmES F. LACEY GERRY P. LiTTLE JOSEPH H. ViCARi for things to see and do in Ocean County Visit www.co.ocean.nj.us/tourism or Call 1 800--365-6933
1. Color Watershed Willy s fins. 2. Cut them out. 3. Staple, tape or paste them to a paper plate. 4. Add a big smile. Dear Friend of the Environment, Watershed Willy is the spokes fish for the Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program. When it rains, things on the ground, such as litter, motor oil, fertilizer and even pet waste, float into the nearest storm sewers. In Ocean County that all flows into Willy s home in the Barnegat Bay. You can help keep Willy s home clean by not being a litterbug. If you will help, draw a big smile on his face because you have made him very happy. Sincerely, Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari P.S. To learn more about keeping Watershed Willy s home clean, call the Barnegat Bay Estuary Program at 732-255-0472 or visit www.bbep.org