Arcadia Bestsellers

Few would imagine that the land currently occupied by the Nature Conservancy's Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge, or "the Meadows," was once the picturesque Jersey Shore town of South Cape May.

By the early twentieth century, a striking hotel and homes designed by renowned Victorian-era architects dotted the landscape. Residents and visitors alike spotted rumrunners racing across the beachfront during Prohibition and endured World War II with German submarines lurking just offshore. But by 1954, barely a trace of the town remained except for about twenty of the original houses, which were moved a mile away. Join one of the town's last residents, Joseph Burcher, as he chronicles life in South Cape May before the angry Atlantic swallowed this serene town.

Join author Joseph Buga on an exploration of this working-class and indefatigable city. Passaic has a history that stretches the imagination. Back when the place was called Acquackanonk, it played a crucial role in the American Revolution. Later, its hospitable attitude toward immigrants established Passaic as a beacon of both stability and innovation. By the late 1800s, the city was becoming a national leader in all things textile and rubber—Edison used Passaic wire to electrify Lower Manhattan. Allen B. Dumont established WABD in Passaic, the fourth national TV network alongside ABC, CBS and NBC. The Passaic High School “Wonder Team” boasted the longest high school winning streak in any sport, and a Passaic athlete became the “world’s fastest man.” Passaic pop legends the Shirelles and Joey Dee and the Starlighters made it big and influenced an upstart British group, the Beatles.

Brick City Past Revealed/

Newark's history is as diverse and powerful as the community that continues to call New Jersey's largest city home. The colonial settlement at Four Corners—the Broad and Market intersection—grew into one of the most heavily traveled thoroughfares in the nation. In the nineteenth century, innovations such as the public use of the electric light bulb in Military Park and the discovery of how to make patent leather established Newark as a flourishing industrial hub. Dramatic events including the battle between Nazi sympathizers and city residents in the 1930s, hearings held by the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950s and the event that triggered the infamous 1967 riots, defined a raucous twentieth century in Newark. Today, urban farming can be found in the Ironbound, NBA star Shaquille O’Neal has helped fund the city's first high-rise tower in fifty years and revitalization efforts continue. Author Helen Lippman presents hidden history of Newark, New Jersey.

Well-known for its hunting, fishing, and seafaring capabilities, the town of Barnegat, New Jersey, was also once a thriving center of industry and modern technology.

Steam locomotives once raged through the pines, and over 4000 boats were built at the Perrine Boat Works. A downtown business district thrived, and cottage industries—such as glass blowing and silkworm cultivation—also left their marks. The history of the Barnegat area, vividly chronicled in this marvelous photographic history by Kevin Hughes, is a truly varied and fascinating one.

This fascinating new addition to the Images of America series offers a glimpse into the unique history of Ocean City, New Jersey.

Ocean City is among the nation's most popular vacation destinations. Founded in 1879, it has evolved from a Christian-oriented summer resort to a year-round community that mirrors the many facets of America's diversity.

The area's wide, sandy beaches and lively boardwalk continue to attract thousands of visitors each year. Ocean City, New Jersey Volume II uncovers many more vintage photographs of the town's seaside attractions and features rare scenes of the community, its politics, the impact of World War II, and the unusual events that have become the hallmark of parades and celebrations held here. From Martin Z. Mollusk to the Miss Miscellaneous Contest, Ocean City has had a long and animated history of offbeat traditions.

Join authors Frank Esposito and his son Robert on an insightful journey back in time to discover the people and places of Ocean City's early days. With a variety of images from the collection of the late Al Senior, this volume provides residents and visitors of all ages with a captivating account of a unique seaside community and its colorful past.

Monmouth County’s past encompasses more than just sandy beaches and rural farm life.

George Washington fought at the Battle of Monmouth as the region played a pivotal role in the birth of the republic. Henry Hudson anchored off Monmouth’s shores in 1609 and was the first European to meet with the Lenape Native Americans there. A gun barrel of the USS New Jersey, the most decorated battleship in American history, was painstakingly transported to Battery Lewis, a fortification built along the county’s highlands to protect New York Harbor during World War II. Bruce Springsteen elevated Asbury Park and the Stone Pony into a national music destination, and he remains the unofficial poet laureate of the Jersey Shore. Authors Rick Geffken and Muriel J. Smith highlight compelling stories of the seaside county’s four-hundred-year history.

The story of Trenton begins in 1678, when 20 Quakers left Yorkshire, England to travel to America.

They wintered in the fort at Burlington, New Jersey, and, in the spring of 1679, set sail for the lands they had purchased at the head of the navigable waters of the De La Warr River. Approaching rocky outcroppings in a sharp bend of the river, they stopped and began to build the village that would become the capital city of New Jersey. Trenton traces the city from these beginnings to more recent times, and just about everything in between, concentrating on the era of photography: from 1850 to 1960. The authors have masterfully compiled this volume, which blends images of the places and people that make Trenton so unique, with the stories of the important, timely events that helped to shape the history of Trenton.

Author Brian Armstrong tells the shocking story of this “sundown town” and how it evolved into the diverse community that exists today.

On March 1, 1894, two African American men broke into a home in rural Franklin Park and murdered a white woman and her daughter before her husband fought and killed the attackers. The newspapers called it the “Franklin Park Tragedy,” and the story captivated public attention nationally and abroad. Another tragedy came afterward, with the racist forced expulsion of many local African American residents.

By the end of the 19th century, New Jersey coastline was dotted with thriving amusement parks but are just fond and fading memories today.

The Jersey Shore has always attracted people seeking relief from summer heat and humidity. Long before Europeans came here, the native Lenape clammed, fished, and played games on the beach and in the surf. These original people could scarcely have imagined that, by the end of the 19th century, the 120-mile-long coastline would be filled with amusement parks featuring gentle kiddie car rides, terrifying roller coasters, merry-go-rounds, and fast-food emporiums. James Bradley in Asbury Park and William Sandlass Jr. in Highland Beach created mass entertainment for hundreds of thousands of people. Their seaside recreation centers, along with those in Long Branch, Bradley Beach, Pleasure Bay, and others, endured for years. Sadly, they are now just distant and vanishing memories that are resurrected in this piece.

By the 1920s, a change came over the township. Its proximity to New York City made River Vale's land more valuable for recreation than for farming, and the township became known for its summer charms, golf courses, and ice arena. Visitors arriving in bus caravans traveled from urban areas to enjoy the pleasures of Herrmann's Grove, and fishermen flocked on opening day to angle for trout in the clear waters of the Hackensack River and the Pascack Brook. It was this very appeal that led to tremendous change as River Vale became one of North Jersey's attractive bedroom communities.

Discover the history of Barnegat Light and journey through time with Author and Curator for the Barnegat Light Historical Society & Museum, Reilly Platten Sharp.

At the mouth of Barnegat Inlet, Native Americans, whalers, pirates, fishermen, and revolutionaries once lazed, fished, fought, and died on Barnegat Light's sands before modern progress and big-city developers tried to build the next Atlantic City. Treacherous shoals just offshore claimed the lives of thousands of immigrants seeking new starts in America before the current lighthouse was designed in 1856 by the later victorious general of Gettysburg, George Meade. The Ashley House, one of the first shore resort hotels in the country, went up in 1821. In the 1880s, Benjamin Archer and William Bailey of Camden built bigger hotels, cottages, and roads in town, even bringing the railroad. Barnegat Light never became a bustling tourist town like her developers dreamed, but a close-knit community of fishermen, lifesavers and their families have endured for generations to call the still small town of Barnegat Light home.

Bursting with delightful colors and bright illustrations, Local Baby: Jersey Shore engages babies’ attention and encourages families to explore what makes their region so great.

Play at the boardwalk arcades, splash in the waves, and ride the rides at the historic amusement parks from Sandy Hook to Long Beach Island, Atlantic City to Cape May! Explore the Jersey Shore with this joyfully grabbable and wonderfully local board book that is sure to bring generations together.

A fascinating documentation of the history and present-day meaning of the New Jersey Pine Barrens and the importance of the wildlife they contain.

The phrase New Jersey Pine Barrens often conjures images of desolate forests and even the piercing red eyes of the Jersey Devil. While those just might be true, there are over one million acres in southern New Jersey filled with remarkable people, charming communities, natural wonders and man-made marvels. Conservationists from around the state strive to protect the region from overpopulation and preserve the pristine wilds. From sweetly scented pines, blueberry and cranberry farms and family businesses to the proud inhabitants who welcome thousands of visitors every year, discover what makes the Pine Barrens one of the most beautiful regions in the Northeast.

Folktales, hidden treasures and witchcraft.

The towering skyline of New Brunswick stands in stark contrast with the swampy ceder forest it emerged from in the late 1600s. While the city grew over the original Lenape settlement of Ahanderamock, its history was passed on through whispers of tales both real and imagined. In the Buccleuch Mansion, a skeletal figure dressed as a British Grenadier is said to stagger the halls with a lantern, and at Rutgers University tales of secret societies swirl through campus. Long-lost pirate treasures, some rumored to be connected to mysterious clues etched in stone, remain undiscovered to this day.

Author Mark Neurohr-Pierpaoli uncovers the mysterious stories lurking below the surface of New Brunswick. 

Through grit and determination, the founding Black families of Sourland Mountain and surrounding Central New Jersey put down roots, built homes, established churches and navigated their lives in an unforgiving world.

Through extensive research and interviews authors Elaine Buck and Beverly Mills reveal stories of the families who shaped the region for generations.

The years that followed are beautifully detailed in Township of Hamilton. These rare vintage photographs make it possible to visit the township in its early days, to stroll into E.C. Bartha's store, or to get a haircut and even a cigar at Underhill's. The kilns at the brickyards are hot, and production at the many shipyards has picked up again in this exceptional history. The faces of our ancestors and early neighbors appear at places such as Gaskill Park, the Little Red School House, and at many other scenes throughout the Township of Hamilton.

Over 200 photographs document the history of the Spring Lake community.

Spring Lake, an oceanfront community bounded on the south by Wreck Pond and on the north by Lake Como, was named after a spring-fed body of water that spawned the town's settlement in the 1870s. The development of the area was accelerated by the advent of the railroad, which brought building activity to the locale. Eventually, Monmouth Avenue and the lakefront became very desirable locations for seasonal homes. Once promoted as New Jersey's garden spot, Spring Lake came to contain several private landscape showplaces, exquisite public grounds, and a legendary non-commercial boardwalk. This photographic record of Spring Lake's development illustrates the remarkable architectural tradition whose legacy remains evident in this elegant resort today. From Ballingarry and the Casino to the churches and the New Monmouth Hotel, Spring Lake's stunning built environment is vividly displayed in over two hundred photographs contained in this volume.

See the fascinating 100-year evolution of Seaside Parkfrom a seasonal summer resort to a year-round community.

Seaside Park, located on the Barnegat Barrier Islandin Ocean County, New Jersey, was incorporated in 1898.

Experience the rich history of Seaside Parkthrough the enchanting images within this important new pictorial history to take you back in time, to the Seaside Park of long ago. Many of Seaside Park'sover 200 images have never before been seen by the public. Stroll by the grand hotels representative of the late gilded age, once the main attraction for vacationers from Philadelphia and New York. Ride the long-forgotten Pennsylvania Railroad, which carried passengers and freight into Seaside Park from 1881 until the end of World War II.

Watch organizations central to the community, such as the Seaside Park Yacht Club, the Seaside Park Volunteer Fire Company, the First Aid Squad, and public school students and teachers, pose for the long exposures required by early cameras.

A collection of rare and vintage postcards explores the history of New Jersey's largest city.

New Year's Day 1900 heralded the beginning of Newark's Golden Age-the heyday of the city's diverse population, beautiful mansions, varied industries, and prosperous insurance, leather, and jewelry companies. Newark's crystal-clear water attracted some thirty-five breweries, including P. Ballantine & Sons and Hensler's. Frederick Law Olmsted developed Branch Brook Park, the first county park in the United States. Transportation for industrial and personal use was booming, with barges, ships, trains, and trolleys running continually. Called ""the City of Churches,"" Newark became known for the numerous houses of worship used by its residents. Educational institutions grew, paving the way for the many schools and colleges in existence today. Newark: The Golden Age explores New Jersey's largest city through rare vintage postcard views that will captivate residents and visitors alike.

Asbury Park acts as photographic documentation of this city's historic diversity.

Asbury Park, founded as a Christian resort community on the Jersey shore by developer James A. Bradley at the turn of the century, was carved from a small but impressive tract of undulating sand dunes and towering forests. This marvelous new photographic history chronicles the early development of Bradley's resort, and looks at some of the other influential civic and religious leaders who contributed to the city's heritage. Bradley's ability to market and promote Asbury Park in the early years was noteworthy; the first streets in town were named after prominent political and religious figures, and a good deal of signage advertised the city's Christian image to those passing through. To attract visitors, Bradley sponsored the East Coast's first baby parade and music on the boardwalk. Over the years, Asbury Park became home to a variety of different cultures and religious faiths, and this book--published in the centennial year of the city's incorporation--offers early evidence of the city's diversity.

As Cranford celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2021, Celebrating Cranford illustrates the town's story and highlights its citizens, some well known and some overlooked in the past

The story of suburban Cranford, New Jersey, began after the Civil War as wealthy New Yorkers came to the area for the fresh air and the beautiful Rahway River that winds through town. After its incorporation in 1871, the town grew as neighborhoods like Roosevelt Manor, Lincoln Park, and Sunny Acres were established by Albert Eastman, Alden Bigelow, Miln Dayton, J. Walter Thompson, Severin Droescher, and the Sears Roebuck Company. Public buildings like the Opera House Block and the Cranford Casino and grand private houses were designed by local architect Frank Lent. Celebrations on the Rahway River gave birth to the nickname the “Venice of New Jersey.” Meanwhile, the citizens of Cranford went about daily life, shopping downtown, going to school, attending services at houses of worship, and working at local businesses.

Maureen E. Strazdon has served as the chair of the Cranford Historic Preservation Advisory Board for 12 years. A 35-year resident of Cranford, she lives in a restored 1887 Victorian house. The photographs and documents in the book are from the extensive collections of the Cranford Historical Society, local organizations, and personal family archives.

The innovative Benjamin Franklin Bridge, originally named the Delaware River Bridge, was constructed to connect the cities of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey.

For a time after its opening on July 1, 1926, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world, with a main span of 1,750 feet. The Benjamin Franklin Bridge contains many rarely seen images of the bridge's planning and construction, the individuals who helped make the concept of the bridge a reality, and the workers who built it. The bridge has undergone many changes in the decades since its opening, and these vintage photographs trace its evolution, illustrating the bridge's endurance as a symbol of the Philadelphia-Camden metropolitan area.

“Any true Nets fan should have this book on their list.” - Ian Eagle

Relive the Ups and Downs of the Storied Saga of the Nomadic Nets

The Nets have led a wandering existence spanning over five decades. The team has been known as the New Jersey Americans, New York Nets, New Jersey Nets and now Brooklyn Nets, while constantly relocating throughout the New York metropolitan area. Though often plagued by instability and futility, the franchise has celebrated iconic moments in the course of ABA and NBA history. Julius Erving’s legendary play led the team to a pair of ABA titles in 1974 and 1976. The meteoric rise of European superstar Dražen Petrović followed by his tragic death in 1993 is etched into basketball fans’ hearts worldwide. Jason Kidd’s uncommon will steered New Jersey to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003. An enlightening phone call from NBA commissioner David Stern in 1997 paved the way for the team’s move to Brooklyn in 2012.

Author Rick Laughland charts the brutal lows and exuberant highs throughout the history of the Nets.

Moorestown depicts the history of this important agricultural and social hub.

Settled in 1682 by Quakers, Moorestown grew quickly into an important agricultural and social hub. Local farms and nurseries were considered the best in the state with their superior produce and specimen plants, and the coming of the railroad in the 1860s brought industrial leaders who helped the town to grow and prosper beyond its agrarian roots. It became the home of Eldridge R. Johnson, cofounder of the Victor Talking Machine Company, and Alice Paul, a women's suffrage champion. Moorestown provided easy access to New York City and surrounding urban centers, and it continued to be a mix of sought-after residential neighborhoods, working farms, and thriving businesses. Since 1904, the Moorestown Improvement Association has been instrumental in the town's growth, with contributions including funding the first artesian well, purchasing land for the first parks and athletic fields, and registering the town in the National Register of Historic Places.

Egg Harbor City celebrates the historic beginnings of this city through rare and vintage photographs.

Egg Harbor City was founded as a refuge from the sweeping nativism of the Know-Nothings, a group that tried to limit immigration and naturalization into the United States. Egg Harbor City was a place where German Americans could maintain the traditions, language, and lifestyle of their fatherland. The city was designed in rectangular blocks with lots for building, gardening, or farming. Parks were built and a harbor was planned on the north side of the city with rail lines connecting it to the Camden and Atlantic Railroad. Following the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, Egg Harbor City's wines earned the community great respect, and it became known as the Wine City, drawing hundreds of visitors to its many wineries. Egg Harbor City celebrates the early years of the place once known as the most German city in the United States of America.

Italians first settled in the Newark area in the 1880s.Italian-Americans of Newark, Nutley, and Bellevilleshows these immigrant families from 1900 to the 1950s.

The street peddler, the barber, the baker, the undertaker, the macaroni maker, the concert musician, and more are portrayed here in the grace and dignity of their work.

Outings to the shore or Branch Brook Parkbalanced hard work and long hours. Family gatherings, weddings, first communions, and processions for the feasts of St. Gerard, St. Rocco, and St. Bartholomewwere all a part of the life of the family and the vibrant Italian neighborhoods.

More than 200 vintage photographs from family albums tell these stories.

On the Jersey Shore, the Revolutionary War was more than a contest between the Continental and British Armies. In this neglected region, locals divided into pro- and anti-independence camps that fought a tumultuous six-year war only intermittently tied to the larger conflict. This war brought unprecedented economic opportunity to the Jersey Shore’s formerly poor and secluded villages, as locals risked their savings on speculative salt-making ventures and risked their lives in privateer vessels. British ships bound for New York were hunted by smaller vessels lurking in shore inlets. Local leaders sought to find and punish stealthy “London Traders” smuggling provisions behind British lines, and militia battled so-called Pine Robber gangs that frequently bested them.

Richly documenting and vividly narrating these events and others, award-winning historian Michael Adelberg explores the shore’s roll in America’s war for independence. 

Ocean City: 1950–1980 illustrates the growth and change of this seashore community founded in 1879 by a group of Methodist ministers.

The venture was an immediate success, and the area quickly grew into a prosperous year-round community and a bustling summer resort. The Great Depression and World War II slowed this development, but by the beginning of the 1950s, the burgeoning economy and optimism in the country again encouraged people to enjoy family vacations. With the wide beaches, scenic boardwalk, three new major highways, and comfortable family atmosphere, Ocean City became a superb family destination.

The seaside resort of Cape May was named for Dutchman Cornelis Mey, who sailed past this part of southeastern New Jersey in 1616.

Originally known as Cape Island, the area was settled by a handful of English-speaking farmers and whalers in the 1690s. By 1776, it was advertised as a popular, healthy place for bathing in the ocean. The first boardinghouses were erected in the early 1800s, and by 1850, the town boasted nearly two dozen. Vacationers came from Philadelphia, Baltimore, and even the Deep South, many building summer cottages along the shore. The establishment of rail service in 1863 brought a new era of growth and even more hotels. Although a devastating fire in 1878 destroyed several of the oldest, they were soon replaced by new hotels and cottages boasting broad porches and eaves lavished with gingerbread trim. Today, most of Cape May City is a National Historic Landmark in recognition of its well-preserved collection of Victorian-era buildings. Cape May showcases the rich architectural and recreational heritage of this coastal New Jersey town.

High Point State Park and the Civilian Conservation Corps explores the history of the fascinating landmark, which was a gift of Colonel Anthony and Susie Kuser to the people of New Jersey in 1923. The famed landscape firm Olmsted Brothers of Brookline, Massachusetts, was retained to design the park's facilities. The job of carrying out many of the proposals in the plan fell to the Civilian Conservation Corps, a Depression-era federal agency that combined work relief efforts with conservation work. The laborers, known as the CCC boys, developed the layout of the park from 1933 to 1941. Much of their work remains and is still used by visitors today.

Images of America: Keansburg is an educational and entertaining volume that will delight residents, visitors, and lovers of history everywhere.

The name of Keansburg usually evokes pleasant memories of the town's forty years of glory as a waterfront resort. But the fact that Keansburg also has a rich heritage of fishing and farming, as well as a fascinating period of transition into a year-round residential community, is often forgotten.

In Keansburg, local author and historian Randall Gabrielan presents a fascinating view of the town's history from its former status as sections of Hazlet and Middletown Township, to its present-day community life. Keansburg has a special focus on the amusement and resort businesses that have brought the town so much fame.

Point Pleasant and Point Pleasant Beach have always been two of New Jersey's most dynamic coastal communities. Visit the history and photographs of their pasts.

Since the development of photography in the mid-nineteenth century, the camera has been used as a tool of both discovery and preservation. Photographs bring alive our image of the past, and can open a floodgate of memories and nostalgia or inspire curiosity and a sense of history. The scenic beauty and simple charm of the area remains undisturbed today, and it is easy to see why it has been a popular tourist destination for more than two centuries. The last one hundred years have also seen the formation and development of several important industries in the region, including shipbuilding and commercial fishing. This combination of business and recreation, of modern industry and Old World charm, is why Point Pleasant and Point Pleasant Beach remain two of the most vivacious and magnetic communities on the coast of New Jersey.

Princeton is only the fourth American college to celebrate a 275th anniversary.

Founded in 1746 as the College of New Jersey, it has long Presbyterian roots. The scene of notable events in the American Revolution, it was a classical college for another century. Then, at its 1896 sesquicentennial, it became Princeton University and in succeeding decades developed into a world-leading research university. Long an institution of males of European descent, its gender and ethnic makeup has changed dramatically in the last half-century. Today’s Princeton combines a robust collegiate culture with a research profile near the top of international league tables—truly a rare combination.

Author W. Bruce Leslie is a New Jersey native and a 1966 alumnus of Princeton University. As the grandson of a Scottish immigrant, studying at an institution with deep Scottish roots was a natural path. The author fell in love with liberal education thanks to Princeton’s wonderful faculty and fellow students. Inspired by them, he taught history for a half-century at the State University of New York at Brockport, seeking to bestow a similar affection for learning, especially about the past, on his students. Returning to his roots in retirement, he is rediscovering the richness of this cultural and intellectual community.

Montclair, New Jersey, like most American towns, has grown dramatically over the course of the last one hundred years.

Much of the early 1900s landscape has been disguised, and the town has come to reflect the popular styles and fashions of changing eras. Streets have been paved, the facades of commercial buildings have been updated, and homes have been altered to reflect contemporary tastes and accommodate modern conveniences. This volume of approximately two hundred postcards from the author's collection, most never before published in book form, captures Montclair as it was in the early twentieth century. The reader will see familiar landmarks such as the Montclair Art Museum, the Marlboro Inn, and the Bellevue Theater as they originally appeared, and discover the vanished predecessors of the Japanese-style mansion on Upper Mountain Avenue and the Rockcliffe Apartments off Crestmont Road.

Once part of Newark, Nutley has grown from a weekend getaway for tired New Yorkers and a permanent home for artists and writers into a charming small city.

Though only three square miles in area, Nutley boasts over 125 acres of park land, as well as the beautiful Third River which runs through the town. In Nutley, town historian and author John Demmer presents a fascinating look at the changes the town as undergone, as well as the life of its residents through the years. Demmer also illustrates Nutley’s earliest commercial industry, the brownstone quarry, as well as the textile and banker’s safety paper industry.

Take a fascinating journey through the history of Sea Isle City, New Jersey with more than 200 vintage photographs and anecdotes from the locals who experienced it.

The founder of Sea Isle City, Charles K. Landis, was a man of action. He had a dream of what the ideal seashore resort should be. In the 1870s, his dream began to take shape.

It has been said, Each age is a dream that is dying or a dream that is coming to life. This is the fascinating story of how Sea Isle City, located along the New Jersey coast in Cape May County, evolved. Sea Isle City  is a pictorial tour of the founding and early history of this resort by the sea. Almost overnight the island town became accessible by railroad and by turnpike. Hotels and cottages appeared throughout the island. The Braca, Busch, Cronecker, Dever, Kehner, Pfieffer, and Rey families played a vital role in the growth of the town. Another family, the Hafferts, formed the Garden State Publishing Company, which contributed significantly to employment and economic stability. Commercial fishing became an important industry in the development of the town with the coming of the Hatmen  at the beginning of the twentieth century. The influential people who shaped the community and countless other families, schoolchildren, and local legends are finally brought together in Sea Isle City.

Author Michael F. Stafford, president of the Sea Isle City Historical Society, has lived his life in and around Sea Isle City. He is active in community affairs throughout Cape May County and has contributed numerous articles to South Jersey magazines.

With the turning of each page, you will journey back into an earlier time.

Have you ever wondered what Verona was like a century ago? Do you enjoy looking through boxes of memorabilia? If you answered yes to these questions, then you will be fascinated with Old Verona. This remarkable new photographic history focuses on the early years of the community and provides vivid images of a time long forgotten. Focusing on the early settlement of Verona and including information on the borough's schools, churches, industry, transportation, and historic homes, the photographs in this book primarily span the period from the 1870s to the 1920s. Old Verona contains little-known information about the borough, including captions relating to Verona Lake's genesis from a mill pond to a recreational hot spot and the railroad tunnel that was abandoned in the 1870s. With the turning of each page, you will journey back into an earlier time.

A Tale of Two Foes

After the Battle of Monmouth Court House, in June 1778, the Revolutionary War in Monmouth County devolved into skirmishes between local militias and British Loyalists. Chief among these warring factions were revered rebel hero Captain Joshua Huddy and his fierce rival, a runaway enslaved Black man called Colonel Tye, who fought for the British. Attempting to bring the captured Huddy to prison, Tye was killed in battle, and when Loyalists murdered Huddy without benefit of trial two years later, the resulting international outrage jeopardized Benjamin Franklin’s Paris peace treaty negotiations. Only when Marie Antoinette pleaded with George Washington to stop the retaliatory hanging of a young British lieutenant did the peace talks resume.

Author Rick Geffken reveals the stories of these two obscure enemies who died and rose to fame for their beliefs in independence.

The revolutionary Battle of Monmouth signaled the end of major combat in the North. Centuries later, reminders of the conflict remain. The Covenhoven House, the Village Inn, Marlpit Hall, the Craig House and the homes of Thomas Seabrook and the murdered Joseph Murray stand open to the public today. Visitors can also behold safehouses for the wounded—such as Old Tennent Church, St. Peter’s and Old First Church—and tread along the same ground as George Washington, General Sir Henry Clinton, Alexander Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette. Devoting attention to these sites and to the Battle Monument in Freehold, the Revolution’s most prominent and enduring symbol, historian Randall Gabrielan leads a tour through Monmouth County’s revolutionary heritage.

Liberty State Park (LSP) has undergone massive changes over the past 200 years. Originally a tranquil salt marsh and cove, it was transformed into the greatest concentration of rail facilities in the Northeast. Subsequently abandoned, it was then developed through efforts of community advocates into New Jersey’s premier urban state park. Located on the Upper New York Bay, Liberty State Park maintains a historic and ecological aesthetic. One of the few remaining viable ecosystems along the Hudson River, Liberty State Park provides options for recreational pursuits and opportunities to learn about nature. The park offers waterfront access, acres of open fields, miles of pathways, growing lists of flora and fauna, two restaurants, a marina, the Nature Center, and the Liberty Science Center. It is the only location in New Jersey with ferry service to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

A lifelong Jersey City resident, Gail Zavian is a writer, illustrator, and photographer. A loyal park patron, former Friends of Liberty State Park board member, and staunch environmentalist, Zavian has and continues to photograph every aspect of the park. She selected images from her professional archive, dedicated environmentalists, and Liberty State Park’s historical collections to document the history, challenges, and commitment behind LSP’s creation. Zavian’s hope is that this volume encourages others to protect and preserve the legacy that is Liberty State Park.

In the early twentieth century, an interconnected web of men and women, led by Dr. V.E. Vivian, fought for a better future in Whitesbog Village, a forgotten town in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens. And they won.

Before their heroic efforts, air, land and sea were riddled with pollution, with few protections. Hope for a better tomorrow seemed unlikely. When they were done, the 1.1 million acres of the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve became the largest protected and preserved open space on the East Coast.

With the help of numerous color images dedicated to Dr. Vivian, author William J. Lewis chronicles and celebrates the educators and historians who started New Jersey’s conservation movement and successfully crusaded for a better, cleaner world.

An interesting pictorial history of Franklin Township and its beginnings.

Franklin Township is a picturesque, rural oasis with rich soils and sparkling streams in the heart of Hunterdon County. Settled in the early 1700s by Quakers, it was touched by the Revolutionary War. Although the township was never occupied by British troops, New Jersey deputy quartermaster general Moore Furman's gristmill supplied flour for George Washington's troops. Its beginnings as a farming and milling community remain at the heart of Franklin. Agriculture continues to hold cultural, historic, and scenic importance, and Hiram Deats, who manufactured a cast-iron plow patented by his father, John, in 1828, is still honored. Charming villages and hamlets boast 99 historic stone structures and 183 frame homes built before 1900. This idyllic area stands as proof that nature and bucolic farmland still hold sway in one of the nation's most densely populated states.

From rural outpost to a vital, colorful landing spot, discover the fascinating story of Weekhawken and the people who made it what it is today.

Although less than one square mile in area, Weehawken's rich history extends more than 400 years to when Dutch explorers first dropped anchor in Weehawken Cove. The town commands a unique location overlooking the Hudson River, with sweeping views of New York City. Its story begins with Weehawken's early bucolic estates, the idyllic attractions of the magnificent Palisades, and its notorious hidden dueling grounds, where Alexander Hamilton met his end at the hands of Aaron Burr in 1804. By the mid-19th century, a shift toward urban industrial development changed the landscape, as evidenced by the iconic 1883 Weehawken water tower and the sprawling, long-gone 1890s Eldorado Amusement Park that brought throngs of visitors via the largest passenger elevator in the world at that time. The construction of the Lincoln Tunnel as well as the developments of the town's neighborhoods, commerce, and government all helped to shape Weehawken's past and future.

Red Bank is a riverfront town that used its location on the water to grow rapidly between the 1830s and 1850s.

The arrival of the railroad in the 1860s accelerated the development of this already-thriving community, and today, the waterfront and business district continue to prosper, as Red Bank itself remains a proud and tight-knit community. Including many rare and previously unpublished photographs, with samples of the work done by early Red Bank photographers Charles Foxwell and Andrew Coleman, this fascinating visual history is a tribute to the people who built Red Bank into the diverse and dynamic community that it is today, and to the photographers who captured moments in time so that we might better understand our past.

A visual history of the Mendhams in New Jersey from the Revolutionary War to its transformation into a community for New York commuters.

The Mendhams is a region of New Jersey once home to the Rock-a-bye-Baby Railroad, early industries, and the mansions of millionaires. This visual history follows the region from the Revolutionary War to the Industrial Revolution, and from the Gilded Age to its transformation into a community for New York commuters. The photographs from years gone by, dating as far back as the Revolutionary War and the Industrial Revolution, allow both young and old to meander down the dirt road of Main Street, past the nation's oldest post office and over the bridges crossing streams that powered the early mills.

Featured in The Mendhamsare views of elaborate historic homes and businesses, including the mill where Jersey Lightning—New Jersey's first applejack—was produced. Also captured in over 200 images are moments in the lives of the people who made this community—not just early town officials, religious leaders, and gilded age millionaires but also store owners, housewives, and children.

The rich heritage of descendants of English, Dutch, and German settlers in the Hunterdon County population centers of Clinton, Flemington, and Lambertville is presented here.

Life among the rolling hills of northwest New Jersey and in the three small towns that became centers of that area's population has been faithfully recorded by residents since the Civil War, capturing the rural character of their landscape.

Seton Hall Basketball: The story of how a sport grew in popularity and led to major success for this New Jersey institution.

Seton Hall Pirates: A Basketball History explores the emerging popularity of hoop action within the context of school history and development of the game at large. The hard-court history found at Seton Hall University as the program nears its 100th year of competition is a story highlighted by a host of top-notch players, brilliant coaches and memorable victories. Seton Hall Pirates: A Basketball History reflects on a sport that celebrates athletic prowess, school spirit, and spectator appreciation as it relates to the dramatic and colorful drama that is Pirate basketball.

Basketball began at Seton Hall in 1903, and success with the round ball soon followed for the white and blue. From Alumni Hall to the Meadowlands Arena, the tradition is alive in the memory of winning seasons under Frank Hill along with immortal squads including the Wonder Five of John Honey Russell in 1941, the National Invitation Tournament champions of 1953 and the 1989 Final Four contingent led by P.J. Carlesimo, which came within one game of winning a national title. The talents of such legendary figures as Bob Davies, Walter Dukes, Richie Regan, Nick Werkman, Terry Dehere, and several other performers and personalities who represented Old Setonia through the ages are also captured within this volume.