Thanks to funding by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, we invite you to welcome author & Professor Emeritus of History at Union College, Dr. Laurence Hogan. Dr. Hogan will introduce us to a veteran Negro Leaguer, as well as to Kevin Kane, author of "KC at the Bat."  Selections from the documentary, "Before You Can Say Jackie Robinson," will be shown. You will learn about the rich relationships in "Blackball" during the segregation era in the US & NJ. Admission is free. Refreshments will be served.

The Ocean County Historical Society invites you to enjoy exciting tales of New Jersey shipwrecks that now rest in the "Graveyard of the Atlantic," presented by acclaimed author and Harvey Cedars resident, Margaret Buchholz. A writer of essays, stories, and books, owner of and writer for a Jersey Shore newspaper (The Beachcomber), and world traveler, Ms. Buchholz will also explore the history of the Lifesaving Service and the development of the U.S. Coast Guard through illustrations, photographs, and readings. Admission is free; donations are accepted. Refreshments will be served. Please call 732-341-1880 for reservations.

Take your mom or your best friend to tea! Ocean County Historical Society is hosting its Spring Victorian Tea at The Mathis House, 600 Main Street, Toms River. Enjoy a scone with clotted cream, dainty tea sandwiches, tempting desserts and fine teas as you celebrate the beauty of spring in this lovely historic home. Perhaps you'll win a door prize! Choose the 12:00 or 3:00 PM seating and call Pat Moore at 732-814-2979 for your reservation starting April 6th. Your check is $30.00 for members or $35.00 for non-members and is made out & mailed to OCHS at 26 Hadley Ave., Toms River, NJ 08753 with TEA/PAT marked in the lower left-hand corner of the envelope. Checks must be received within five (5) days of the phone reservation to confirm your seat. There are no refunds.

Attorney William Huneke will return to Ocean County Historical Society's program schedule for a fascinating Zoom presentation. Bill has enjoyed an almost lifelong hobby of collecting political campaign memorabilia, which now number over 5,000 pieces! You will enjoy learning about the history of campaign items - badges, banners, ribbons, metal tokens, and celluloid covered pinback buttons - and what they tell us about elections. Some focus on the issues, some purely on personalities. Selling a candidate is in many ways just like selling cereal or other consumer products. Bill's collection contains something from every major candidate from 1840 on & is non-partisan/bi-partisan, all in good fun. Bring your interest, your questions, and if you have any items at home you'd like to share or ask questions about, they are welcome, too! To register for this program, send your request to oceancounty.history@verizon.net. Include your e-mail address, the name & date of the program, and your zip code. We will send you instructions for accessing the program a few days before the event.

Celebrate yet one more important role women have played in our national & state history when you tune in to OCHS's Zoom presentation. Mary Rasa, historian, former National Park interpreter, & former museum curator at Sandy Hook, will present her discoveries as she researched records & artifacts & did oral history interviews. You will learn about the U.S. Lighthouse Service from colonial days until when the Coast Guard took over in 1939, lighthouse technology & administrative history, & the second national paid position given to women in the U.S. beside that of clerk: lighthouse keeper. You will enjoy meeting several of the 140 courageous & hard-working official women keepers who enabled seafarers to navigate the U.S. shorelines more safely. To register for this free program, email your name, date of December 6, 2020, your zip code, & your email address to oceancounty.history@verizon.net. We will send you the link to Zoom a few days before the event.

Join Dr. Jeff Schenker & his historian friend & fellow traveler, George O'Donnell, as our guides via Zoom to many of the fascinating Presidential sites they've visited in the U.S. These super-knowledgeable history lovers will share the must-see itineraries of their many year quest to learn more about the backgrounds of every U.S. President. You will enjoy the East Wing of the White House as well as a private guided tour of the White House West Wing, & chuckle at the humorous anecdotes of some of the surprises they encountered in their travels elsewhere. Jeff & George's travel odyssey will encourage you to read your brochures & pack your bags. You'll want to be prepared to visit prime historical sites in the U.S. the minute that the dreaded coronavirus is finally defeated. Just email your name, the date of January 31, 2021, your zip code, and your email address to oceancounty.history@verizon.net. You will be contacted a few days before the Zoom presentation with the link to join us as we travel vicariously.

Join OCHS as we follow our virtual lecturer & guide, Sean McHugh, into the Pine Barrens to visit Cedar Bridge Tavern in Barnegat, NJ. A Senior Archaeologist at a cultural resource consulting firm, adjunct professor at Monmouth University, and co-director of the Archaeological Field School of Monmouth University, Mr. McHugh has over 17 years of experience in archaeology & historic preservation. The c. 1816 Cedar Bridge Tavern was bought by the Ocean County Parks Department in 2007. The Ocean County Cultural & Heritage Commission describes it as, "a historic treasure that offers a unique window into the European experience in the N.J. Pinelands." Mr. McHugh conducted numerous archaeological investigations there in advance of the county's improvement project. Sign up for this Zoom presentation by emailing your name, zip code, email address, and Cedar Bridge Tavern program to oceancounty.history@verizon.net. We will send you the link to Zoom a few days before the event.

The Faire will be held in the Toms River South Cafetorium, located off of Hooper Avenue in Toms River. There will be over 50 tables of antiques, crafts & collectibles, plus local history books, local historical societies' exhibits, local artist exhibits, children's entertainment, music, baked goods and a snack bar with hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn, bagels, soft drinks, etc.  There will be a classic car display presented by NJ Shore Regional National Chrysler Products Club and a model railroad display by the Ocean County Model Railroad Club. Also, we will have the kickoff of our large annual "50-50 raffle" & free tours of the Ocean County Historical Society's Elizabeth Sculthorp Force House. New additions include Allaire Village costumed tradesman display, 1880's baseball costumed exhibit, World War I re-enactors, Civil War re-enactors including musket firing, suffragist exhibit with free commemorative giveaways, and renown Jersey Shore artist Cathleen Engelsen. Free balloon animals from Freckles the clown on Saturday from 9am-12pm and Sunday from 10am-1pm. Admission is $2.00 each day for people 18 and over.  Masks will be required. Masks will be required. For general public or vendor information, please call Jeff at 609-339-9134.

The Faire will be held in the Toms River South Cafetorium, located off of Hooper Avenue in Toms River. There will be over 50 tables of antiques, crafts & collectibles, plus local history books, local historical societies' exhibits, local artist exhibits, children's entertainment, music, baked goods and a snack bar with hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn, bagels, soft drinks, etc.  There will be a classic car display presented by NJ Shore Regional National Chrysler Products Club and a model railroad display by the Ocean County Model Railroad Club. Also, we will have the kickoff of our large annual "50-50 raffle" & free tours of the Ocean County Historical Society's Elizabeth Sculthorp Force House. New additions include Allaire Village costumed tradesman display, 1880's baseball costumed exhibit, World War I re-enactors, Civil War re-enactors including musket firing, suffragist exhibit with free commemorative giveaways, and renown Jersey Shore artist Cathleen Engelsen. Free balloon animals from Freckles the clown on Saturday from 9am-12pm and Sunday from 10am-1pm. Admission is $2.00 each day for people 18 and over.  Masks will be required. Masks will be required. For general public or vendor information, please call Jeff at 609-339-9134.

Join Monmouth University Specialist Professor of Public History & former US Army Fort Monmouth Command Historian, Melissa Ziobro, for a Zoom presentation on how the US Army Signal Corps employed women as telephone switchboard operators during WWI.  The "Hello Girls" worked long hours to ensure battlefield communications.  After the war, they fought for veteran status and are being considered for a Congressional Gold Medal today.  Register by emailing your name, zip code, and email address to oceancountyhistory.zoom@gmail.com.

Celebrate summer at the Shore with Ocean County Historical Society!  Our goal is to tell the stories of Ocean County and we are visiting some of the plant and animal residents that you will encounter along the Jersey coastline. On July 11, 2021, at 2:00 PM, please join Denise Willis, a naturalist for 13 years at Cattus Island County Park in Toms River.  She will present Bees and Butterflies on Barnegat Bay.  A former nursey schoolteacher, Girl Scout leader, and camp counselor, Ms. Willis is charmed by all the flora and fauna that thrive in this environment.  Learn about butterfly gardens and beekeeping right here in Ocean County! To register for this program, email oceancountyhistory.zoom@gmail.com stating: Your name & date of program, your zip code, and your email address so we may send the link for Zoom to access the program a few days before the event.    

Celebrate summer at the Shore with Ocean County Historical Society!  Our goal is to tell the stories of Ocean County and we are visiting some of the plant and animal residents that you will encounter along the Jersey coastline. On August 22, 2021, at 2:00 PM, please join Chris Crosby, a PhD student in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources at Rutgers University. The focus will be on coyotes that arrived in NJ about 80 years ago and can now be found in almost every town across the state.  In the past 2 years, coyotes have immigrated to Barnegat Light, reproduced, and are dispersing across Long Beach Island.  Learn some history of eastern coyotes, their ecology and behavior, and important guidance for avoiding negative human-coyote interactions. To register for this program, email oceancountyhistory.zoom@gmail.com stating: Your name & date of program, your zip code, and your email address so we may send the link for Zoom to access the program a few days before the event.  

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.