Images of America

Old Bridge Township, located in Middlesex County, was originally part of South Amboy from the time of its first settlement in 1685 to its secession in 1869. It began its independence as Madison Township, a name it retained until the 1970s, when it was changed to Old Bridge. Its large size and geographic diversity have led to the formation of numerous villages, ranging from bayside fishing hamlets to interior farming communities. Some of these villages, including Laurence Harbor, Cliffwood Beach, and Browntown, are still widely known, but others exist only in the memories of the township's oldest residents. With hundreds of vintage photographs and postcards, Old Bridge illustrates the development of this township-from isolated farmlands dotted with villages to a modern suburbia of more than 50,000 people. It also traces the rise and fall of the vacation industry on the Raritan Bay and the discovery of Old Bridge by land developers after World War II.

In the 1870s, James A. Bradley and William Bradner came to today's Bradley Beach and began buying and developing the land, which consisted of miles of pine trees, sand dunes, and stunning beaches. By the early 1900s, Bradley Beach became a summer resort for people from North Jersey and New York City. The town was filled with beautiful oceanfront hotels that catered to summer visitors, who often came by rail. Holiday parades and spectacular fireworks were displayed to the delight of the seasonal visitors, encouraging them to come back year after year. With more than two hundred vintage photographs, Bradley Beach explores the history of this picturesque coastal community. The town soon became a popular destination, hosting many visitors, including actor Jack Nicholson, as well as authors Philip Roth and Bruce Edward Hall, who have both written about the experience of living in Bradley Beach. With views of beach calisthenics, the local train station, beachfront resorts, historic buildings, and the many summer festivities, Bradley Beach explores a town that holds on to its historic roots as it makes way for the growing numbers that come to enjoy its unique charm every year.

With more than two hundred vintage photographs, South Orange presents a distinctive view of a village that has evolved from a rural to a sophisticated landscape. Situated next to a two-thousand-five-hundred-acre forest preserve filled with wildlife, South Orange is just a half-hour drive from Manhattan. In the early 1800s, South Orange was popular for its reputation as a healthy, relaxing destination-an escape from the increasingly industrial big-city landscapes of the region. Today, this bedroom community presents a unique mix of cosmopolitan and suburban environments.

South Orange follows the village through growth and development, illustrating how it has maintained much of its original character. The many extant homes in a wide variety of late-architectural styles hint at the summer afternoon tea parties of the nineteenth century. The gas-service lamps lining the streets of South Orange were once fueled by whale oil. The home of the Orange Lawn Tennis Club and Seton Hall University, South Orange was also the dwelling place of W.F. Havemeyer, real-estate tycoon, and Louis Bamberger, founder of Bamberger's Department Store, now known as Macy's. Another South Orange notable was William Frederick Allen, editor of the Official Railway Guide, who helped to implement the use of standard time in the United States.