Ocean County History Day The Ocean County Historical Society and Ocean County Cultural and Heritage are pleased to announce that we will be jointly sponsoring the first annual “Ocean County History Day.”  This celebration of the rich history of our county will take place on Sunday, September 12th from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM.  It will be held on the grounds of the Ocean County Historical Society, located at 26 Hadley Ave., Toms River.   There will be fun for the entire family.  The day will include displays by the various historical societies and museums of Ocean County, tours of our Victorian era home and museum, golden oldies performed by the band Jersey Gold, military reenactors, an opportunity to meet Joshua Huddy, a large model train exhibit, a snack stand and more.  Check the Ocean County Historical Society website for more details.  

Join Ocean County Historical Society in welcoming Rick Geffken, a former Adjunct Professor at Ocean County College with a BS in Economics and an MA in Social Sciences, who is currently heading up a project called the New Jersey Slave Records Index under the auspices of Monmouth University. Mark September 19th at 2:00 PM on your calendar and make your Zoom reservation today because you’ll want to hear this popular speaker, writer, and historian reveal stories from New Jersey’s dark history of slavery. Dutch and English settlers brought the first enslaved people to New Jersey in the 17th century. By the time of the Revolutionary War, slavery was an established practice on labor-intensive farms throughout what became known as the Garden State.  On a positive note, Mr. Geffken also traces how emancipated slaves became prominent citizens in Lincroft, as did their next four generations. To register for this program, send your name, zip code, and email address to oceancountyhistory.zoom@gmail.com and you will be contacted with the link to the Zoom program.