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.  

You may know him as a popular and knowledgeable guide to genealogists who are researching their ancestors, but Ocean County Historical Society knows Russell Dutcher as a well-educated speaker who recently earned his MA in history.  Russ’ specialization is the Colonial Era and the Revolutionary War, with emphases on cultural, religious, and racial aspects of the Dutch, French Huguenot, Native American, African American, and English participation in the French and Indian and Revolutionary Wars. Join friends and members of OCHS on October 10th at 2:00 PM for Russ’ Zoom presentation which focuses on Bergen, Essex, and Sussex counties in NJ, as well as Orange, Westchester, Ulster and Duchess counties in NY. To register, email us at oceancountyhistory.zoom@gmail.com stating:  name of program, your zip code, and your email address to send you instructions for accessing our program.

Meet a World War I Doughboy On Sunday November 14, 2021, at 2:00 PM Ocean County Historical Society, will host a Zoom presentation by Ocean County resident, Jeffrey Brown.  Jeff is a graduate of Lacey Twp. Schools, Ursinus College (BA in history) and Kean College (Master’s in Education).  He currently teaches history at Southern Regional HS and resides in Seaside Park with his wife, two children, and dog. For our program, Jeff will discuss the American doughboy of WWI—his training, rations, uniforms, equipment, and combat.  Jeff will wear the WWI uniform and display original artifacts from the Great War that you won’t want to miss. To register for this program, send your name, zip code, and email address to oceancountyhistory.zoom@gmail.com.  We will send you an email with the link to Zoom before the event so that you can join us.

OCHS’s Victorian Era Holiday Celebration On Saturday, November 27th the Ocean County Historical Society, 26 Hadley Ave., Toms River will be hosting a Victorian Era holiday celebration from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Bring your camera to have pictures taken with a Victorian style Santa. Take a tour of our holiday decorated Elizabeth Sculthorp Force Victorian Era house and museum and enjoy a large model train show. Admission is free, but donations are welcomed. Refreshments will be available. Please call 732-341-1880 for reservations.  

Celebrate the Holidays with our Holiday Tea at the Mathis House! Back by popular demand, our Holiday Tea will be offered to those wishing to visit the beautifully decorated Mathis House Tearoom at 600 Main Street in Toms River on December 6, 2021.  Guests may look forward to the ever-delicious scones, yummy tea sandwiches, and scrumptious mini-desserts that accompany generous pots of fine tea as they chat with friends in the historical elegance of this stately home.  As usual, a few lucky guests will win door prizes, one of which will be one night’s stay at 600 Main for each seating.  Seating is at 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM.  Cost:  $40 members; $45 non-members. Be sure to make your reservation starting October 25th by calling Pat at 732-814-2979.  Checks should be made out and mailed to Ocean County Historical Society, 26 Hadley Avenue, Toms River, NJ 08753 within one week of phone reservation, with Attention: Pat in the bottom left-hand corner of the envelope.  

The African American Experience in Atlantic City Meet Ralph E. Hunter Sr., founder of the African American Museums in Atlantic City and Newtonville, NJ, on January 16th. Ralph has witnessed the changing Atlantic City cultural scene and added his personal collection of memorabilia to a museum there that highlights more than 11,000 graphics, drawings, paintings, and household items on a rotating basis. With his historical narrative, Mr. Hunter embraces diversity through cultural education. Collaborating with area businesses, educators, collectors, and community residents, he is committed to sharing with students, families, and other community residents the rich and honest depiction of the African American experience in Atlantic City. This presentation will take place at the Ocean County Historical Society, 26 Hadley Avenue, Toms River 08753 at 2:00 PM on Sunday, January 16th. Seating is limited to forty and registrants must be vaccinated and wear a mask. The program will also be offered via Zoom. When you register, please be sure to indicate if you are registering for “In-Person” or “Zoom.”  To register, send your name, zip code, email address and “Atlantic City” to oceancountyhistory.zoom@gmail.com. *If you register for multiple persons, please be sure to include the full name, zip code, and [...]

Barnegat Land Pirates:  True or False?   Ocean County Historical Society will host John R. Barrows, Editor of Monmouth Timeline Inc., for his presentation via Zoom of The Land Pirates of Barnegat on Sunday, February 13 at 2:00PM. Was the 1834 newspaper story alleging that two-thirds of residents around Barnegat were criminals causing shipwrecks, murdering crews, and plundering cargo true? Learn the facts about the so-called pirates and four shipwrecks along Ocean County’s shores in the 19th century!! To register, email us at oceancountyhistory.zoom@gmail.com stating. Name & date of the program(s) for which you are registering. Your zip code (this is important information for our grant support applications) The e-mail address that we should use to send you instructions for accessing the program. We will send you the link to Zoom a few days before the event.