Lost Amusement Parks of the North Jersey Shore

by Rick Geffken, George Severini

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467125116
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	03/27/2017
Series:	Images of America Series
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	676,354
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Authors Rick Geffken and George Severini bring together rarely seen images from the Library of Congress, local historical societies, and private collections to document how the Jersey Shore became the most famous vacation and recreational destination in the coastal United States. The remarkable details in these pictures capture a simpler way of life in our country, when families took their children to boardwalks to savor candy apples, popcorn, hotdogs and hamburgers, and, of course, the rides.

Table of Contents

Foreword 6

Acknowledgments 7

Introduction 8

1 Gateways: Boynton Beach, Atlantic Highlands, Highlands 11

2 Classic Resorts: Highland Beach, Long Branch, Pleasure Bay 25

3 Twin Cities: Asbury Park and Ocean Grove 59

4 Boardwalk Fun: Bradley Beach, Belmar, Manasquan 91

5 Theme Parks: Storyland Village, Jersey Jungle, Cowboy City 115

Bibliography 126

About the Organizations 127

Editorial Reviews

"Old amusement parks — unlike old soldiers — do die. But they don't fade away." The Record

From the Publisher