Ocean'ili~ri tage
703 Deal Road. Ocean, NJ
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Vol. 27 • No 2 • May, 2011
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The Township of Ocean Historical Museum
TAKANASSEE EXHIBIT OPENS
Those who come to rekindle fond memories of the Takanassee Beacb Club will not be disappointed in the new exhibit opening in the West Gallery June 4 & 5. They will lind beach club photos and artifacts galore. But they will discover as well another life a this small strip of Long Branch oceanfront. Shipwrecks, Life-Saving, and the Story a Takanassee features beach club memorabil ia. But it also tells a fascinating tale of the treacherous nature of early sea travel, J' s role 10 the country's response, and the hero ism of Life Saving Station #5.
Life-Saving Service. Its first station was uilt at andy Hook. at long after, another as set up at Takanassee beach. is lirst Takanassee station was a simple shed, equipped with apparatus provided by the U.S. government. For decades, it-and all stations in tbe Service--were manned by volunteers. much like today's lire companies. By the 1870s. pressure mounted for a professional Life-Saving Service-wltb versight, paId and trained crews, and well maintamed equipment. As pan of this overBoat House Sketch
The three distinctive buildings that still stand at Takanassee beach were part of the U.. Life-S"ing ervice, created in 1848 10 response to the alarm 109 10 e of life and properly from slup wrecked offour nation's shores-most notably along ew Jersey's coast. NJ was the manner's nightmare-arguably the deadliest coast in the world. It is said that if all the hIps wrecked along ilS expanse were laid end to end, the string of sunken hulls would stretch from Sandy Hook to Cape May. A deadly combination of shallow and shifting shoals, trong m-shore currents, heavy hip traffic. 'orth Atlantic storms, and primitive navigational and wcather forecasting tools together made the Jersey COasl the "gra\Oyard of the Atlantic." o surprise, then. that the appeal for help came from a J Congressman-William ewell (later governor). At his urging, the fcderal government appropriated funds to establish the U. .
haul, a new station was built at Takanassee in 1879
and later two other structures, circa 1903. In 1915, the LifeSaving Service merged with the Revenue Marine Bureau to fonn the U.S. Coast Guard, and Guardsmen continued for decades to operate out of Takanassee. Visitors to the exhibit will learn of the heroic deed of these early life-savers. Take the tale of Annie and Charles Green, for instance. Charles, whose family had owned Takanassee beach and surrounds going back centuries, was one of the lirst of the Takanassee "keepers." The bravery of his crew-and his wife-in rescumg the crew of the Adonis. run aground in a vialent stann in 1859, earned the Service's coveted Gold ~edal (the lirst and last ever gIven to a keeper's wife). The exhibit tells the story of Takanassee in this broader context. On di play are relics retrieved from local wrecks, the New Era (1854), the Adonis (1859), the Rusland (1877). and the Pliny (1882). It is a fascinating legacy. Come see for yourself.
"PROHIBITION ON THE NORTH JERSEY SHORE, GANGSTERS ON VACATION"
_ _ _ _ _ _ Tuesday, June 14, 7:15 pm at the Old
Oakhurst School, 163 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst. Prohibition is perhaps the most unique law enacted by the Unitcd States. There are few times in American history when the nation has experienced such a dramatic shift in
character. After 13 years, Prohibition was repealed in 1933. but the nation and the Nonh Jersey Shore were no longer the same. Based on hIS book, "Prohibition on the North Jersey Shore: Gangsters on Vaca
tlOn", corne hear author, Manhew R. Linderoth, discuss the orth Jersey Shore's experience dunng th,s tumultuous lime. Manhew Linderoth is a reSIdent of the orth Jerscy Shore. He studies 2 I-century U. S. social history. He bolds a bachelor's in history from Rutgers University and a master's in U. S. his tory from Monmouth University. The book will be available for sale at 19.99 each. Open to the public free of charge (donations are welcome). Please bnng non-perishable food for the MonmouthJOeean County Food Bank. Refreshments will be served.