J.W. Ingersoll. The Margate Boardwalk would serve as a pedestrian and bicyle thor‐ oughfare from Atlantic City through Vent‐ nor and Margate from 1906‐1944. In fact, the Margate Boardwalk slightly predated the Margate City. The Boardwalk was built by P.E. Lane for the “Common Council of the City of South Atlantic City” in 1906. It was not until 1909 that the common council decided to rename this municipality to distin‐ guish it from Atlantic City. Original work contracts from 1910 indi‐ cate that the boardwalk was lighted in 1910 by Atlantic City Electric Light Co. Four years after the Margate Boardwalk was lighted, World War I began in Europe. In early January 1914, Absecon Island sustained a nor’easter that that caused the first significant damage to the Margate Boardwalk. The City Clerk wrote that there were “two or three breaks in the deck of the board‐ walk, [and] shifting of other portions of the boardwalk.” (Clerk, January 6, 1914, pg. 1) The Margate Boardwalk was re‐ paired by A. Frank Stiegler. Further reconstruction in 1915 was performed by During the 1920s piers were added to the Mar‐ gate Boardwalk. The walk, which connected through Ventnor’s Boardwalk to the famous Atlan‐ tic City Boardwalk, is shown in its’ final form at the right. The Board‐ walk received heavy bicycle traf‐ fic, and endured ice storms in 1934. Two Victorian beauties survey a more adven‐ turesome lady from their perch on the new Margate Boardwalk. 1906. Margate Boardwalk Construction 1906 Margate Board‐ walk Built 1909 South Atlantic City Named Margate 1910 Margate Board‐ walk Lighted 1914 Boardwalk Sus‐ tains Damage/ WWI Begins 1918 WWI Ends 1920s Continual Im‐ provements to Board‐ walk 1934 Historic Ice Storm 1939 WWII Starts 1944 The Great At‐ lantic Hurricane De‐ stroys most of the Boardwalk 1962 The Ash Wednesday Storm car‐ ried away what little Boardwalk remained. The Gl or y Yea r s o f the Ma r ga t e Boa rdwa l k M a r g a t e O n c e h a d a B o a r d w a l k : 1 9 0 6‐ 1 9 4 4 The Beac0n A Collaboration Between The Margate City Historical Society and The Margate Public Library April, 2010 Volume 10, Issue 2 Margate Boardwalk by Year
Jackson– along with at least 307 sailors and soldiers— to the wrath of the storm. (Schwartz, 2007, 180) The Great Atlantic Hurricane did enormous damage on land as well. On land, 46 people died in the storm. (Schwartz, 2007, 182) In, Atlantic City 121 people were injured. Mike Pred is a past President of the Board of the Margate Library. He was a freshman at Atlantic City High School when the Sep‐ tember storm struck. He recalls being sent home early from school on September 14.. “They sent us home from school at 11 o’clock. Our par‐ ents sent us all to the mov‐ ies— it only cost 10 cents.” Meanwhile, the storm moved up the coast swiftly, and the children had to fetched home. “By 4 P.M., the ba‐ rometer read 28.73 [… ]At the same time the Weather Bu‐ reau clocked 105 miles an hour [windspeed]”(Savadove & Buchholz, 1993, pg. 60) Mike waited out the hurri‐ cane in his family's second floor apartment. From the window, he watched the Atlantic City Boardwalk, rising and falling on the waves, and every so often, pieces of the walk would break off and hit the utility pole below— the utility pole shielded the building from worse damage. Damage all over Absecon Island was exten‐ sive. The Ocean met the bay in Longport. (Savadove & Buchholz, 1993, pg. 60) There was serious flooding. In Great Storms of the Jersey Shore, Lee Gordon remem‐ (Continued on page 3) Thanks to Mike Pred, past President of the Board of the Margate Library, for sharing his memories for this story. The Great Atlantic Hurricane demolished the Margate Boardwalk almost entirely. But, it did much worse damage than that. The storm reeled up the Eastern Seaboard from North Carolina to Maine on Sep‐ tember 14, 1944. The worst loss of life was not on land, but rather at sea. The Hurri‐ cane wrought devastation to the busy military Shipping activities in the Atlantic as the United States fought successfully to bring the Sec‐ ond World War to a close. The United States lost the USS Warrington, YMS‐409, the Bedloe, the Vinyard Sound Lightship, and the P a g e 2 T h e G r e a t A t l a n t i c H u r r i c a n e a n d t h e D e m i s e o f t h e M a r g a t e B o a r d w a l k On September 14, 1944, The Great Atlantic Hurricane reeled up the East Coast from North Carolina to Maine. There were tw0 Atlantic City deaths due to the storm. Caption describing picture or graphic. T h e B e a c 0 n Fred Hackney and two others in an Atlantic City Life Guard Boat at Coolidge Avenue and the Boardwalk, 1908. “Jim Eichwald and the boys on top of the ele‐ phant at Cedar Grove and the beach 1939.”
bers, “Lifeguard boats were riding up and down Pa‐ cific [Avenue].” (Savadove & Bucholz, 1993, pg. 65) When the waters receded the Boardwalk was de‐ stroyed. There was severe damage to property. Mike Pred remembers “for weeks after that hurricane, I spent all my time shoveling sand out of basements.” Most of the Margate Boardwalk was obliter‐ ated, and the citizens of Margate decided not to re‐ build it. “They didn’t want [the Boardwalk] rebuilt, because the boardwalk blocked the view” Pred stated… and, some sources say, because not everyone appreciated the bicycle traffic from Atlantic City. The Great Atlantic Hurricane returned the Margate beach to its pristine state, and Margations chose to leave it that way afterall. The Mar‐ gate City Historical Society proudly presents The Grand 41st Annual Antique and Collectibles Show. Saturday, August 28, 2010. tic Hurricane and remained standing until the Ash Wednesday storm of 1962, which consisted of a massive low pressure system that flooded the Middle At‐ lantic region during five con‐ secutive high tides. Savadove & Bucholz called it “a north‐ easter more ruinous than any hurricane that ever happened here.” (1993, page 103). Frank Tiemann, the President of the Margate City Historical Soci‐ ety remembers how a few yards of the Margate Boardwalk from Fredricksburg Ave. to Glad‐ stone survived the Great Atlan‐ T h e G r e a t A t l a n t i c H u r r i c a n e o f 1 9 4 4 ( c o n t . ) T h e A s h W e d n e s d a y N o r ’ e a s t e r o f 1 9 6 2 P a g e 3 V o l u m e 1 0 , I s s u e 2 Don’t forget to Renew your Historical Association Membership using the enclosed envelope! Have an idea for an histori‐ cal feature story in The Beacon? Send it to: MargateBeacon@gmail.com Men atop a the roof of the collapsed Boardwalk Pavilion in Margate after the 1962 Ash Wednesday Nor’easter. If you can help on that day, please contact Laraine Cheaf‐ sky at 609‐822‐9266. The Antique and Collectibles Show Features pieces and deal‐ ers from all over the tri‐state area. Make sure to mark your calendar early! The debris from the Margate Boardwalk after the Great Atlan‐ tic Hurricane, 1944.
Local history is a wonderful hobby. Are you a history buff? If so, you might enjoy a new service from Margate Public Library called Research Pro. You can find the link to Research Pro in the services section on the left hand side of the Margate Library Cata‐ log Webpage. Research Pro is a re‐ markably powerful tool called a federated search. It allows you to search once and find results in the Library catalog, in ebooks, in databases and on the world wide web with just one click. That means you find a wealth of historical information with ease. In fact, much of the his‐ torical information used to write this issue of The Beacon can be accessed through Research Pro. Are you curious? You can ask the Reference Librarian at the Mar‐ gate Library to tell you more about Research Pro, or give you a demonstration! W H E R E K N O W L E D G E T A K E S F L I G H T. 8100 Atlantic Avenue Margate, NJ 08402 Phone: (609) 822‐4700 MargateLibrary.Org Did you notice the new look for the Beacon? The Margate Library is pleased to enter a partnership with the Margate City Historical Society. We look forward to working together to publish The Beacon— this is our first joint issue. If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for future publications, please do not hesitate to contact us. The Margate City Public Library is dedicated to serving our community by providing cutting edge library services. We offer a current collection of information resources including books, DVDs, sound recordings, and more. We also provide access to computers, the internet, and an excellent selection of online databases for homework and research. B e a M a r g a t e H i s t o r i a n ! U s e R e s e a r c h P r o . WWW.MARGATELIBRARY.ORG Margate City Historical Society Museum 7 South Washington Avenue, Margate City P.O. Box 3001 Margate City, New Jersey 08402 Open: Saturday 10am to Noon Or By Appointment with President Frank Tiemann (609) 822‐5658 Museum (609) 823‐6546 A New Look for The Beacon Beacon Bibliography: Savadove, L. & Bucholz, M. (1993). Great Storms of the Jersey Shore. Harvey Cedars, New Jersey: Down the Shore Publishing and The SandPaper, Inc. Schwartz, R. (2007). Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States: a suprising history from Jamestown to the present. Springfield, Vir ginia: Blue Diamond Books. Many primary sources from the Margate City Historical Society. The Margate Boardwalk after a 1934 Ice Storm
The fishing pier and the Margate Boardwalk in 1939. T h e P i c t u r e P a g e P a g e 5 The Margate Boardwalk in 1915 . You can see the early electric light fixture, as well as the famous elephant. Children Exer‐ cising on the beach by the Margate Board‐ walk, July 11, 1936 T h e B e a c 0 n
Place this membership renewal form in the envelope provided and mail to: Margate City Historical Society P.O. Box 3001 Margate City, N.J. 08402 The Beacon and Historical Society Membership Form Join the Margate City Historical Society and receive The Beacon Quarterly Individual Society Membership Dual Society Membership Total: Time 1 year 1 year $12.00 Price $18.00 Name Address Phone Cash Method of Payment Check Signature Address Label Here Margate City Historical Society P.O. Box 3001 Margate City, N.J. 08402 Family Society Membership 1 year $24.00 Support Local History and Historical Artifacts by joining the Margate City Historical Soci‐ ety today! Already a member? Pass this Membership Form along to a friend.
the city that would become Margate. Frank Tiemann writes that “The Camden and At‐ lantic Land Company bought [what is now] Ventnor and the upper half of Margate from Mark Reed for the sum of $1,680.00 in 1853.” (Frank Tiemann) In 1861, the Railroad was “authorized to build to the lower end of the Absecon Island. [modern Mar‐ gate]” (Hamilton & Francis, 1951, pg. 4) (Continued on page 2) Railroad companies en‐ gineered the blossoming of Ab‐ secon Island. Before the railroad only a few settlers eked out a living from the sandy soil, and then with the advent of rail‐ roads, everything changed. Cars were not mass produced in America until around 1900; trains arrived on Absecon Island in 1854, offering a dependable, economical modality for land travel that put the New Jersey shore within reach of what is now considered nearby Philadelphia. The railroad companies were the first developers of the island. Be‐ yond laying the track and build‐ ing the engines, the Camden & Atlantic Railroad provided the vast capital that was needed to The Railroads Shape the Development of Absecon Island Tr o l l e y Tr a c k s i n Ma r g a t e H o w t h e R a i l r o a d s c a m e t o M a r g a t e The Beac0n A Collaboration Between The Margate City Historical Society and The Margate Public Library July 2010 Volume 10, Issue 3 The Railroad Years develop the Island, and the advertising to popularize it as a destination. For a hundred years, railroads dominated Absecon Island, and they made it what it is today. Dr. Jonathan Pitney, who first recommended Absecon Island as a health resort, was so sure of himself that he took it upon himself to estab‐ lish The Camden and Atlantic Railroad Com‐ pany on June 4, 1852. The Camden & Atlantic (Continued on page 6) Pennsylvania Railroad’s steam engine model HC1 traveled from Philadelphia to Atlantic City. This photo dated June 22, 1919. Photo: Pennsylvania RR Technical and Historical Society. 1854 July 4. Cam‐ den & Atlantic RR opened public service from Camden to At‐ lantic City. 1876 Philadelphia & Atlantic City RR opens service from Camden to Atlantic City. 1879 West Jersey & Atlantic RR (organized by the PA RR built a line off of the Cape May line). 1881 South Atlantic City Branch of the Camden & Atlantic RR Built to modern‐day Margate. 1884 Track ex‐ tended to Longport. 1888 Rapid Transit “steam motors” replace RR mules in AC. 1889 Electric Street cars to Atlantic Ave in AC. The same railroad companies that defined and developed Atlan‐ tic City were also foundational to
and Atlantic Railroad to extend tracks to (now Margate) later in 1881. (Frank Tiemann) The Camden & Atlantic Rail‐ road came under the con‐ trol of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1883. They built farther, to Longport in 1884. South Atlantic City and Longport were first served weekly on Sundays by full‐sized steam engines. So‐called “rapid transit” followed in 1888. (Hamilton & Fran‐ cis, 1951, pg. 4‐5) These Baldwin locomotives were also steam engines which operated from Tennessee Avenue in Atlantic City to Longport. They stopped only at specified stations. (In Atlantic City, local tran ‐sit was still accomplished by street cars on tracks pulled by mules or horses! This persisted until May 10, 1889.) (Hamilton & Francis, 1951, pg. 5) The iconic cars of the Margate rails were undoubtedly the “Open Cars” that debuted in 1890. In 1893, the South Atlantic City branch was converted from steam to electric service. (Hamilton & Francis, 1951, pg. 5) The year 1896 saw the be‐ ginning of corporate con‐ solidations on the South Jersey rail infrastructure. The Camden & Atlantic, The West Jersey Railroad, and The West Jersey & Atlantic came together to form the West Jersey and Seashore lines. In 1907 service from Atlantic City was extended across the Meadows, via Somer’s Point and across great Egg (Continued on page 5) However, Camden and Atlantic did not take imme‐ diate advantage of this au‐ thorization. At the time, there were few residents on the southern end of the Is‐ land, and hence, little rea‐ son to extend rail service beyond Atlantic City. Perhaps the most important early resident of Margate was Lucy the Ele‐ phant. Lucy the Elephant, as a good Margate history buff will know, was the brainchild of a Philadelphia developer named James V. Lafferty. Lafferty con‐ structed the “Elephant Ho‐ tel,” as it was then known, in 1881 in an attempt to increase the desirability and property values south of Atlantic City. His suc‐ cess prompted The Camden (Continued from page 1) P a g e 2 T r o l l e y T r a c k s i n M a r g a t e T h e B e a c 0 n A map of the Shore Fast Line as it Ran at the peak of service during the 1920s and 1930s. 1926 Boardwalk & Vir‐ ginia Avenue to Margate service ended. 1933 South Jersey & AC RR (owned by Reading RR) and West Jersey Seashore RR (PRR owned) consolidi‐ ated into PRR Seashore Lines. 1936 Last summer of daily service of the open car on Atlantic Ave in Margate and Longport. 1944 Great Atlantic Hur‐ ricane Disrupts services on rail lines. 1945 Atlantic City Trans‐ portation Company takes over trolleys. 1955 End of Trolley Ser‐ vice in Margate.
Walking slowing, or rather hob‐ bling (my paralysis, though partial seems permanent), the hundred rods to the little platform and shanty bearing the big name of “Pennsylvania Junction,” were not without enjoyment to me, in this pleasant mixture of cold and sun‐ beams… From the car‐windows a view of the country, in its winter garb. These farms are mostly devoted to market truck, and are generally well cultivated. Passing the little station of Glenwood and Collingswood— then stopping at old, beautiful, rich and quite populous Haddonfield, with its fine tree‐lined main street (Revolutionary, military reminis‐ cences too—a tradition that the Continental Congress itself held a session here)... Five miles from Kirkwood we strike the thrifty town of Berlin (old name Long‐a‐Coming, which they had much better kept). We reach Atco, three miles further on—quite a brisk settlement in the brush, with a newspaper, some stores, and a little branch railroad to Williamstown. At the eighteen mile post the grade of the railroad reaches its highest point, being one hundred and eighty feet above the sea. Here is what is called by the engineer, “the divide,” the water on the west flow‐ ing to the Delaware, and on the East to the Ocean. The soil has now become sandy and thin, and continues so for the ensu‐ ing forty miles; flat, thin, bare gray‐ white, yet not without agreeable features—pines, cedars, scrub oaks plenty—patches of clear fields, but much larger patches of pines and sand… …The whole route (at any rate from Haddonfield to the Seashore) has been literally made and opened up to growth by the Camden and At‐ lantic Railroad. That has furnished spine to a section previously with‐ out any… We come to Egg Harbor City, set‐ tled about twenty five years ago by the Germans, and now with quite a reputation for grape culture and wine‐making—scattered houses off Wal t Whi tman Rides the Rai l s to the Sea P a g e 3 V o l u m e 1 0 , I s s u e 3 Right: Portrait of the poet Walt Whit‐ man by the painter Thomas Eakins from 1887, after the stroke that left Whitman partially paralyzed. Whit‐ man is said to have approved of the portrait, thinking it quite realistic. in the distances, and a little branch railroad to May’s Landing; then Pomona, and then another lively town, Absecon, and old and quite good‐sized settlement, 52 miles from Philadelphia… Passing right through five or six miles (I could have journeyed with delight for a hundred of these ordor‐ ous sea prairies we come to the end—the Camden and Atlantic de‐ pot, within good gun‐shot of the beach. I no sooner land from the cars than I meet impromptu with young Mr. English (of the just men‐ tioned Review newspaper), who treats me with all brotherly and gen‐ (Continued on page 4) Facts are the backbone of our historical record, but the flesh of history is in primary sources. Writings from the past (rather than about the past) enrich our human connection to our predecessors. The great American writer and humanist Walt Whit‐ man made his home in South Jersey. He wrote a lyrical first‐hand account of his experience riding the new rails from his home in Camden to Absecon Island in 1879. The entire piece can be found on pages 145‐151 in the excellent collection Shore Chronicles: diaries and traveler’s tales from the Jersey Shore 1764‐1955, edited by Margaret Thomas Buchholz, avail‐ able at the Margate Public Library. Below is an excerpted portion. Whitman had suffered a stroke at the time of his trip.
July 2010 Volume 10, Issue 3 tlemanly kindness, posts me up about things, puts me on the best roads, and starts me right. A flat, still sandy, still meadow region (some old hummocks with their hard sedge, in tufts, still remaining) an island, but good hard roads and plenty of them, really pleasant streets, very little show of trees, shrubbery, etc., but in lieu of them a superb range of ocean beach— miles and miles of it, for driving walking, bathing—a real Sea Beach City indeed, with salt waves and sandy shores ad libitum. I have a fine and bracing drive along the smooth sand (the carriage wheels hardly made a dent in it). The bright sun, the sparkling waves, the foam, the view—Brigantine Beach, a sail here and there in the distance—the vital, vast, monotonous sea—all the fascination of simple, uninterrupted space, shore, salt atmosphere, sky (people who go there often and get used to it get infatuated and won’t go anywhere else), were the items of my drive. Then, after nearly two hours of this shore, we trotted rapidly around (Continued from page 3) and through the city itself—capital good roads everywhere, hard, smooth, well‐kept, a pleasure to drive on them. Atlantic avenue, the princi‐ pal street; Pacific Avenue, with its rows of choice private cottages, and many, many others. (I had the good fortune to be driven around by Wil‐ liam Biddle, a young married man—a hackman by occupation‐‐ an excellent companion and cicerone—(owner of his own good team and carriage). Then after dinner (as there were nearly two hours to spare) I walked off in another direction (hardly met or saw a person), and taking possession of what appeared to have been the reception room of an old bath‐house range, had a broad expanse of view all to myself—quaint, refreshing, un‐ impeded—the dry area of sedge and Indian grass immediately before and round me—space, space, with a sort of grimness about it—simple, unorna‐ mented space. In front, as far as I could see, and right and left, plenty of beach, only broken by a few un‐ painted houses, in piles, here and there—distant vessels, and the far‐off, just visible trailing smoke of an in‐ ward bound steamer. More plainly, ship, brigs, schooners, in sign in the distance. How silently, spiritually like phantoms (even in the midst of the bright sunshine and the objective world around me), they glide away off there—most of them with every sail set to the firm and steady wind. How the main attraction and fascina‐ tion are in sea and shore! How the soul dwells on their simplicity, eter‐ nity, grimness, absence of art! Although it is not generally thought of, except in connection with hot weather, I am not sure but Atlantic City would suit me just as well, per‐ haps best, for winter quarters. As to bad weather, it is no worse than any‐ where else; and when fine, the pleas‐ ures and characteristic attractions are inimitable… The entire piece can be found on pages 145‐151 in the excellent collection Shore Chronicles: diaries and traveler’s tales from the Jersey Shore 1764‐ 1955, edited by Margaret Thomas Buchholz, available at the Margate Pub‐ lic Library. A Pennsylvania Railroad E6 steam engine. This model of engine served on the tracks between Camden and Atlan‐ tic City during the 1920s. (Many years after Whitman’s ride down the same tracks.)
The Margate City Public Library is pleased to present an all‐ new margatelibrary.org. We hope you will find the new site attractive and usable. On the frontpage, we feature informa‐ tion to enrich our life as a community. We offer quick links to cutting edge electronic media such as ebooks, audiobooks, and online language learning software. The search box in the up‐ per right corner allows the user to search in the library catalog, in about thirty online databases, and on the internet with a single click! The white links along the top of the page are the main category pages for the site. There are new pages for kids and teens. Recent issues of The Beacon are now available through the Community History page of the Margate City Public Library website. You can print them, or read online! B r a n d N e w m a r g a t e l i b r a r y . o r g ! The all new Margate Library website at www.margatelibrary.org! I Remember Margate… This quarter featuring Mrs. Kathryn DiGia‐ cinto and Mrs. Renée Fiore with memories of the Margate Trolleys. We met Mrs. DiGiacinto and Mrs. Fiore for lunch at Mrs. DiGiacinto’s home in Margate. Kay DiGiacinto and Renée Fiore have been friends for 60 years, but even before that Mrs. DiGia‐ cinto knew Mrs. Fiore’s father, Mr. Stanley Bowling, because starting around 1928, Bowling began working on the trolleys as a motorman. The motor‐ man drove the trolley, while a conductor took fares and tickets. Bowling worked on the trolleys until the Atlantic City Transportation Company sold the right‐ of‐way down Atlantic Avenue to buy buses in 1955. Mrs. DiGiacinto came to Absecon Is‐ land sometime after the death of her mother in 1928 when she was 7. She took the trolley through three stages of her life. Starting in fourth grade, she took the trolley every day from Ventnor to visit her aunt who lived in Atlantic City by the inlet. Her aunt’s hospitality earned her home the name of “Dew Drop Inn,” though it was a private home, not an inn at all. Mrs. DiGiacinto first knew Mr. Bowl‐ ing as a child when she rode the trolley to her aunt’s house. Later, Mrs. DiGiacinto rode the trolley to High School each day for 7 cents each way. In the 1930s, they remember, the jitney cost 10 cents. After high school, Mrs. DiGiacinto went to work for the Radio Station then located in Con‐ vention Hall on the Boardwalk. She took the trolley then, too. Both ladies remember that the trolley ran from quite early in the morning until quite late, 1 or perhaps 2 in the morning. The friends have fond memories of the renowned “open” or “summer” cars, which ran in fair weather from 1890 through July 4, 1939. When the trolleys lines were taken out in 1955, Mr. Bowling was still a motorman. Bowling, whose family (like most Absecon Island families at the time) had not owned a car, then got a driver’s license and began driv‐ ing buses. “They never should have taken out the trolleys,” Mrs. DiGiacinto added. Harbor Bay to Ocean City on the Shore Fast Line. (Hamilton & Francis, 1951, pg. 7‐8) Some Margatians may still remember service from the Inlet to Longport, this began in 1908. (Hamilton & Francis, 1951, pg. 9) During WWI the old Tennessee Ave. to Longport service was discontin‐ ued, and in 1921 the line from Board‐ walk‐Virginia Avenue to then Savan‐ nah (now Clermont) was cut back to the Portland avenue loop in Ventnor. It was extended again to Cedar Grove (Margate) in 1923 and then discontin‐ ued altogether in 1926. (Hamilton & Francis, 1951, pg. 10) This left only the line most familiar in the Marga‐ tian popular memory: the Atlantic Avenue line. The Great Depression brought further consolidation of many seashore transit services under the auspices of the Pennsylvania‐ Reading Seashore Lines. The beloved “Open Cars” that had been in service since 1890, served only weekends in the summer of 1937, only 2 days in 1938, and only on the July 4th in 1939. They were scrapped in 1939. (Hamilton & Francis, 1951, pg. 13) A new Brilliner car was purchased in (Continued from page 2) Kathryn DiGiacinto & Renée Fiore, Margate 1938, and a fleet of 24 came on in 1940. The Great Atlantic Hurricane disrupted trolley service to Margate in 1944. The Atlantic City Transportation company took over the line in 1945. The trolleys lasted until 1955 when the Brilliner cars were scrapped and the right‐of‐ways were sold to the cities to raise money for a fleet of buses. T r o l l e y T r a c k s i n M a r g a t e
Beacon Bibliography: Buchholz, M.T. (1999). Shore Chronicles: diaries and travelers’ tales tales from the New Jersey shore 1764 ‐1955. Harvey Cedars, NJ: Down the Shore Publishing Corp. Hamilton, W.P. & Francis, E.T. (1951). The Atlantic City Trolley Lines. The Marker, vol. 10 (no. 1), pg. 1‐16. Mauger, E. A. (2008). Atlantic City: Then and Now. San Diego, CA: Thunder Bay Press. Smith, S. T. (1963). A History of Ventnor City, New Jersey. ʺPennsylvania Railroad.ʺ (1999). Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC/ Treese, L. (2006). Railroads of New Jersey: fragments of the past in the Garden State landscape. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. All issues of The Beacon are developed based on the collections of the Margate City Historical Society. Railroad funded The United States Hotel and was instrumental in the establishment of the Absecon Light‐ house. (Treese, 2006, pg. 173) It was Richard Boyse Osborne (spelling dis‐ puted) of the board of the Camden & Atlantic Railroad who named Atlan‐ tic City and even chose the Oceans and States street names. (Mauger, 2008, pg. 5) The map of Absecon Island was drawn by the Camden and Atlantic Railroad, which then built the resort to the specifications of their map. The first step in making the resort a reality to was to buy the land at the terminus of the railroad, which the railroad directors did. They made their purchases through the Camden and Atlantic Land Com‐ pany, which they founded in 1853. They promoted and sold building lots. (Treese, 2006, pg. 173) This was the mood of development that the Camden and Atlantic had facilitated (Continued from page 1) when “the first rail passengers arrived on Absecon Island July 4, 1854.” (Hamilton & Francis, 1951, pg. 2) The Camden and Atlantic Railroad was the first train line to run on Absecon Island, but competition came clickety‐clacking in. After granting the Camden & Atlantic a considerable head start, The Philadel‐ phia and Atlantic City Railway laid their track from Philadelphia to At‐ lantic City in just 90 days, opening on July 7, 1877. (Hamilton & Francis, 1951, pg. 4) The fierce competition prompted a price cutting war, and the younger company went bankrupt. It was bought by the Philadelphia and Reading Railway (of Monopoly fame). After the end of the American Civil War, the Pennsylvania Railroad was the largest corporation in the world. The venerable Pennsylvania Railroad entered the fray with a track to Atlan‐ tic City in 1879. Consolidations began as the Pennsylvania Railroad took control of the Camden and Atlantic Railroad in 1883. (Hamilton & Francis, 1951, pg. 4) Massive consolidation began in 1896. The Camden & Atlantic, West Jersey Railroad, and the West Jersey & Altantic Railroad consolidated to become the West Jersey and Seashore Lines, which were controlled by the powerful Pennsylvania Rail‐ road. Mauger writes, “Many communities can credit the rail‐ roads with their development, but no major city owes as much to them as Atlantic City. […] by 1925, ninety‐nine trains per day were arriving in Atlantic City.” (Hamilton & Francis, 1951, pg. 2) Steam locomotives even chugged down the trolley tracks into Margate on occasion into the 1940s, as many Margatians re‐ member.
Right: Woman disembarks a trolley bound for the Doug‐ lass Ave. Loop in the 1940s. T h e P i c t u r e P a g e P a g e 7 Left: Station at Douglass Avenue Loop in 1946. Below: The much vaunted “open car” which ran in fair weather between 1890‐ 1939 T h e B e a c 0 n W H E R E K N O W L E D G E T A K E S F L I G H T. 8100 Atlantic Avenue Margate, NJ 08402 Phone: (609) 822‐4700 MargateLibrary.Org Margate City Historical Society Museum 7 South Washington Avenue, Margate City P.O. Box 3001 Margate City, New Jersey 08402 Open: Sat. 10am to Noon Or By Appointment with Pres. Frank Tiemann (609)822‐5658 Museum (609) 823‐6546 Lucy E. Saxon, Editor, Margate City Public Library Frank Tiemann, President, Margate City Historical Society Jim Cahill, Director, Margate City Public Library
Mail this membership form to: Margate City Historical Society P.O. Box 3001 Margate City, N.J. 08402 $18.00 Name Address Phone Total: Cash Method of Payment Check Signature Address Label Here Margate City Historical Society P.O. Box 3001 Margate City, N.J. 08402 The Beacon and Historical Society Membership Form Join the Margate City Historical Society and receive The Beacon Quarterly Individual Society Membership Dual Society Membership Time 1 year 1 year $12.00 Price Family Society Membership 1 year $24.00 The Margate City Historical Society proudly presents: The Grand 41st Annual Antique and Collectibles Show. Saturday, August 28, 2010. 9:00am until 3:30pm Jerome Avenue Ballfield If you can help on that day, please contact Laraine Cheafsky at 609‐822‐9266. The Antique and Collectibles Show features pieces and dealers from all over the tri‐state area. Make sure to mark your calendar early!
cord in the Atlantic County Junior Football Association. Their home base was the Jerome Avenue Field. At its height, the League had sixteen teams that competed annually for the Atlantic County Championship, known as the Sand Bowl. The Eastern Division was comprised of the Absecon Blue Dev‐ (Continued on page 2) The Atlantic County Junior Football League was formed in 1957. It had an Eastern Division and a Western Division. The Margate Junior Football Associa‐ tion was established in 1959 and the first Mar‐ gate Colts varsity and junior varsity teams played fifty years ago this autumn in Septem‐ ber of 1960. Margate played for the Eastern Division. According to Coach McElroy, the founder of the Margate Junior Football associa‐ tion was the first Head Coach, Mr. George King. The Margate Colts were a powerhouse with the most winning re‐ The Atlantic County Junior Football League and the Margate Colts 1957 Founding o f Atlantic County Junior Football Association. 1960 Establishment of Margate Football Association & Colts. 1963 Margate’s Cathy Cox crowned Sand Bowl Queen. 1964 First League Championship for the Margate Colts. 1966 Undefeated League Champions. 1967 Undefeated League Champions. 1971 League Champi‐ ons. 1973 League Cham‐ pions. 1974 League Cham‐ pions, Sportsmanship Award Winners. 1975 League Cham‐ pions. 1978 Last League Championship. 1981 Last Margate Colts Team. A u t u m n G l o r y : T h e H i s t o r y o f t h e M a r g a t e C o l t s The Beac0n A Collaboration Between The Margate City Historical Society and The Margate Public Library October, 2010 Volume 10, Issue 3 Colts Timeline Margate Colts narrowly defeat Brigantine on Nov. 3, 1961 Thanks to excellent coaching, both on and off the field, the Margate Junior Football association turned out some very fine players and very fine citizens. On the field, Coach McElroy emphasized drills such as diving for the ball. Off the field, Coach McElroy, a life long physics teacher, em‐ phasized the completion of homework before practice. The teams’ hard work paid off with 8 League Championships. Margate had the highest proportion of wins of any team in the league. Over 21 years of play, from 1960 through 1981, the Colts won 74.9% of their games. Greg Buttle, a star on the Gr ea t Game s and Gr ea t Name s i n Ma r ga t e Foo t ba l l Colts, went on to be an All American at Penn State and played professional ball for the New York Jets for 9 years. Vaughn Reale was a Colts star and went on to Serve as Mayor of Margate. City Clerk, Tom Hiltner was a Quarterback in his youth. Commissioner Dan Campbell and Fire Chief Tony (Continued on page 3)
P a g e 2 distinction at the time. The Colts would play each team in the Eastern Division during the regular season. As Margate was usually the Eastern Division Champion, they would usually go on to play the Western Divi‐ sion Champion (often Hammon‐ ton). The Atlantic County Junior Football Association also supported a strong cheerleading program. There was a varsity squad and a junior varsity squad. Each squad usually had about a dozen young ladies who cheered for the green and white. From each squad of girls, a winner was selected who went on to com‐ pete at the half‐time show of the all‐star game for the title of “Sand Bowl Queen.” Successful Margate Cheerleaders included Sand Bowl Queen, Cathy Cox, first runner up Kathy Salerno, and second runner up Susan McCabe. Cheerleading records are less complete than football records, so apologies to other ladies who deserve mention. The League also sup‐ ported an All Star program where the best players from each team in the league were selected to compete each year in the All Star game. Initially, this contest was held against the Suburban Philadelphia Little Quakers. However, the “Little Quakers” turned out to be pretty big. They were about two years big‐ ger and older than the Atlantic County Junior Football All‐Stars. After a few years, the Atlantic County Junior Football Associa‐ tion elected to play an intra‐ league All‐Star game. Each team (Continued on page 3) ils, Atlantic City Hurricanes, Brigantine Rams, Margate Colts, Pleasantville MityMites, Pleas‐ antville Tornados, Venice Park Marlins, Somers Point Chiefs, and Ventnor Pirates. The West‐ ern Division was comprised of the Egg Harbor Crusaders, Gallo‐ way Mustangs, Hammonton Hawks, Linwood Panthers, Mays Landing Lakers, Northfield Car‐ dinals, Egg Harbor Twp. Orioles, and the Buena Braves. League rules specified maximum ages and weights for the players (13 years and 115 pounds respec‐ tively), and a maximum of four, two‐hour practices per week. Teams could have 36 varsity players and 36 junior varsity players. Margate games were generally held on Friday nights. In Margate, games were under lights, which was something of a The Atlantic County Junior Football League and the Margate Colts, cont. “… the Little Quakers turned out to be pretty big. They were about two years bigger and older than the Atlantic County All‐ Stars.” T h e B e a c 0 n Coach McElroy remembers the 1971 Colts as a particularly strong and disciplined team.
sent a certain quota of players and the All‐Star team was coached by the coach of the reigning Atlantic County Champions‐ hence many years it was coached by Coach McElroy. The community of Margate was exceptionally supportive of the young Gridders, as the Press often called them. Numerous business owners contributed advertisements to Mr. Bryer’s program. The winning coach would call the score into the Atlantic City Press, which ran extensive regular reports on the games, cheer‐ leaders, and championships. Mr. McElroy estimates that several hundred people used to turn out for Friday night games, and the Sand Bowl at Convention Hall once at‐ tracted about 2000. Colts games were the place to be on Friday nights. (Continued from page 2) C o l t s F o u n d i n g , c o n t . P a g e 3 V o l u m e 1 0 , I s s u e 3 Don’t forget to renew your Historical Association membership! Right: Joe Salerno, Eileen Carrazzoni, Kathy Devine, and George King present as Kathy Salerno (center) was crowned Queen of the 1962 Colts Great Names and Great Games, continued Coach McElroy today. Tabasso also had memorable careers on the Colts. The Margate Colts also benefited from the trans‐generational enthusiasm of the Corcoran and Salerno families. The coaching staff was always among the strongest in the league. The head coach for the first several years of the program was George A. King, with a staff of 6 also including John Jeffries, George Thomas, Tom Burns, Ed Holt, Andrew McElroy. King and McElroy shared a successful coaching partnership. Afterwards McElroy went on to serve for many years as head coach himself. Mr. Neil F. Bryers, proprieter of Gables (now Tomatoes), was a loyal supporter of the team who organized advertising for the pro‐ gram and donated funds for uniforms and gear, which the team was then able to provide to the players. Strong players, strong coaching, and strong community support all contributed to the winning record of the Margate Colts. The Margate Colts played numerous memorable games. Indeed, according to Coach McElroy, the Colts never lost a championship game. A few games stood out in the Coaches memory. In 1964, Margate won its first League Championship against Western Division Cham‐ pions Hammonton. The game starred Kevin (Continued from page 1) Corcoran. It was a very unusual game because it was scoreless through the last quarter. At that time, the fledgling league had not written a tie‐ breaking procedure. The officials decided to break the tie based on scores or first downs in one overtime period. The overtime period yielded no score, but the Colts made two first downs. Thus, The Colts were declared the League Champions for 1964 in a scoreless game. The Colts were extremely strong in 1967 and in 1971. Coach McElroy remembers players being so well practiced in 1971 that they managed their own rotations in and out of play. The Margate Colts were very strong for two decades. Their dominance came to an end in the late 1970s. This may have been spurred by the 1978 legalization of gambling in Atlantic City, after which housing prices skyrocketed and many families with kids moved to the mainland. The Colts had their only losing year in 1981. When tryouts were held for the 1982 team, only 8 kids came—not enough for a team—and the program had to be ended. These days, Margate kids can try out for their onetime rivals, the Ventnor Pirates, coached by a fellow called McElroy, the son of the original Coach McElroy. Many thanks to Coach McElroy for granting the Beacon an interview.
W H E R E K N O W L E D G E T A K E S F L I G H T. 8100 Atlantic Avenue Margate, NJ 08402 Phone: (609) 822‐4700 MargateLibrary.Org An archive of the Beacon is now available through the Community History page of the Margate City Public Library website. Issues can be printed, or simply browse them online. Lucy E. Saxon, Editor, Margate City Public Library Frank Tiemann, President, Margate City Historical Society Jim Cahill, Director, Margate City Public Library The Margate Library and School District have launched an in‐ novative partnership, One Card, One Community. Together, we are offer‐ ing our students and library members increased access to materials and elec‐ tronic databases. Our library catalogs have merged; materials from all librar‐ ies are available upon request to all patrons. The One Card program pro‐ vides Margate students (and parents) with benefits like Live Homework Help through the library's website, www.margatelibrary.org. Students can connect online with teachers who can help with difficulties in most ele‐ mentary or high school subjects! O n e C a r d O n e C o m m u n i t y WWW.MARGATELIBRARY.ORG Margate City Historical Society Museum 7 South Washington Avenue, Margate City P.O. Box 3001 Margate City, New Jersey 08402 Open: Saturday 10am to Noon Or By Appointment with President Frank Tiemann (609) 822‐5658 Museum (609) 823‐6546 MargateLibrary.Org Includes Beacon Electronic Archive Beacon B ib l i ography : The primary sources and photographs that were referenced in research for this issue are in the Volume Margate Colts Pictures at the Margate City Historical Society. The volume was compiled by Frank Tiemann. The Beacon thanks Mr. Andrew McElroy, longtime coach of the Colts for grant‐ ing an extensive interview to The Beacon for this issue. Victorious Margate Colts, 1974
T h e P i c t u r e P a g e P a g e 5 1975 Varsity Margate Colts 1960 Varsity Margate Colts T h e B e a c 0 n JV Coaches: Charles Rankin, Allen Breitinger, Robert Patterson, Frank Wynn, (Not pictured: Albert Shehadi). Varsity coaches: William Hiltner, John Jeffries, Thomas Walsh, George King, Rodney Williams, John Curran, George Thomas, Edward Holt.
Place this membership renewal form in the envelope provided and mail to: Margate City Historical Society P.O. Box 3001 Margate City, N.J. 08402 The Beacon and Historical Society Membership Form Join the Margate City Historical Society and receive The Beacon Quarterly Individual Society Membership Dual Society Membership Total: Time 1 year 1 year $12.00 Price $18.00 Name Address Phone Cash Method of Payment Check Signature Address Label Here Margate City Historical Society P.O. Box 3001 Margate City, N.J. 08402 Family Society Membership 1 year $24.00 Support Local History and Historical Artifacts by joining the Margate City Historical Soci‐ ety today! Already a member? Pass this Membership Form along to a friend.
THE NEW BEACON Margate Library&Historical Society Alliance Spring, 2016 Vol. 1, Edition 1 NEW ALLIANCE UPHOLDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY TRADITION The Margate Library & Historical Society Alliance, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, was officially launched in March, 2013. The new Alliance remains committed to the preservation of the history and artifacts of Margate City, the hallmarks of the Margate Historical Society. A new Board of Trustees, with some familiar faces, has taken on the responsibility for fulfilling the mission of the Alliance. The idea for this alliance is not a new one. An affiliation between the Historical Society and the Library had been proposed in the 2005 “Report of the Citizen’s Long-Term Planning Committee of Margate City.” Cooperation between the two bodies grew in 20102011 when Library staff became instrumental in producing several editions of The Beacon. Circumstances arose in 2012 that formalized this alliance in order to preserve and continue the work of the Historical Society. The City of Margate reclaimed the building that housed the Historical Society’s Museum. The City had plans for that land, so the museum’s amazing collection of Margate artifacts and documents was packed up and moved into a climate controlled storage facility. Between then and now, Library Director Jim Cahill along with library staff and Historical Society members Frank Tiemann and Laraine Cheafsky have been working to make this transition seamless. Technology upgrades are being implemented. Artifacts in the collection are being cataloged using PastPerfect Museum Software. The software handles collection and membership information and will provide many useful links between items, donors, members and historical information. A website is in development that will encourage a closer connection between visitors, the museum’s collection and our city. Once operational, the website will provide everyone with a chance to stroll down Margate’s Memory Lane from wherever they are. There is more to be done to make this transition complete. Rest assured that everyone is working to achieve a standard that will allow this institution to thrive! We appreciate your patience and your support. A NEW VISION: MLHSA THE MARGATE LIBRARY AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY ALLIANCE The AmazonSmile Program will donate 0.5% of your eligible Amazon.com purchases to the Margate Library & Historical Society Alliance. It’s easy and there is NO cost to you! Help finance our transition into a new museum, a new era! Visit the Margate Library website for more information: www.margatelibrary.org NEW MUSEUM IN PROGRESS! After much concern over finding a new spot for the Historical Society’s Museum, a superstorm presented a super site: Margate’s historic City Hall building. Sandy forced the City offices out of the historic building and into the Union Avenue School. Initially a temporary solution, now it is permanent. The City has begun renovating City Hall and has assigned space on the ground floor to the Museum and the Municipal Court. The Museum will have a space on the Ventnor Avenue side of the building formerly occupied by administrative offices. Municipal Court will regain its position on the beach side of the building along with space for meeting rooms. The Fire Dept. stays where it is, upstairs and down. The renovation of this iconic building is in progress; the museum hopes to reopen in Summer, 2016! We will keep you informed! Margate Library & Historical Society Alliance 8100 Atlantic Avenue Margate, NJ 08402 Email: margatehistory@outlook.com PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE PLACE STAMP HERE Margate Commemorative Blankets Are AVAILABLE! $45 ea. Comfy & cozy, 100% cotton and made in the USA, these colorful throw blankets remind us of Margate’s history. Available for purchase in the Margate Library, or call 609-822-4700 for assistance.
It is with great sadness that we record the passing of two people whose vision and support were instrumental in establishing and expanding the Margate Historical Society. Each is remembered with fondness and gratitude for their interest in and knowledge of Margate, as well as their commitment to preserving its past. Dorean Patterson died at the age of 93 in Aug, 2015. A former officer of the Historical Society along with her husband Pat, she helped to assemble collections of artifacts that illustrate the life of Margate City and its citizens from its earliest days. Dorean’s life was marked by her participation in a variety of local organizations. She was active, interested and willing to work. We cannot measure the impact she had on our institution. Dorean’s family was very kind to direct contributions in her memory to the Historical Society, and for this we thank them most sincerely. Allen “Boo” Pergament was 83 at the time of his death in Nov, 2015. Boo was an enthusiastic lover of local history. He was renowned as a collector of artifacts that could illustrate the past in its colorful glory as well as its day-to-day lifestyles. Boo may have been more famous as an Atlantic City Historian but he was a devoted volunteer for the Margate Historical Society for many years. Over time, Boo wrote scores of articles for the newsletter. He was always being asked to identify people and places in old photos and he relished the challenge. We will miss our friends. We are all better off for having known them. The Margate community is better off for their having worked to preserve the history of Margate City. Photos downloaded from Press of Atlantic City Photo (L) View from Museum entry toward Ventnor Ave. Photo (R) Future meeting / research room Photos by Charles Featherer, Margate Library Class of 1939 Graduation Photo Coming Soon! Renovations are taking place inside Margate’s City Hall. Photos taken in Feb, 2016. There is a lot of work to be done by builders as well as library staff but we are excited about the prospect of opening a new museum in the historic building. The gigantic photo of the Class of 1939 attracted a lot of attention while it was hanging in the Margate Library. Several former pupils of the Granville Avenue School dropped by to help identify friends and classmates. John Huber III was escorted into the library by Frank Tiemann. Mr. Huber gets credit for identifying more students than anyone else. Phyllis Elmer and Marge Brown, sisters, identified a few students for us and strolled down Memory Lane. They recalled how students walked or got bussed home for lunch every day, rain or shine. Some students rode bikes if they had them. The women remembered that school friendships were often “clubby or clique-y.” They thought this was because kids were friendliest with other kids from their own neighborhoods. Kids weren’t as mobile as they are today. If you didn’t have a bike, it wasn’t easy to visit friends in other neighborhoods, plus, in those days, families were lucky to have one car, never mind two. “Upper Ender / Lower Ender” was how John Huber explained the situation in The Beacon in 2009. Cedar Grove Avenue was the imaginary boundary between Upper and Lower Margate and strong bonds formed between kids in their respective “End.” Some kids got to enjoy after school activities. Elementary school athletics, on fields hand-raked by students, were loosely organized boys-only activities. Girls had to wait until high school for their only organized athletic opportunity, cheerleading. The former students shared recollections of the many corner grocery stores in which kids could buy sweets during those walks to and from school, if one had the pennies. One of the last such premises stood at the corner of Winchester and Granville Avenues. Although it was operating as a luncheonette in the recent past, it was that sort of a Mom ‘n’ Pop grocery store in the 30’s and 40’s. Within the last year, that luncheonette was demolished and a big, new duplex condo now stands in its place. When it came to schoolteachers, the ladies agreed that many Margate teachers were outstanding and all tended to be strict. One math teacher was remembered as a first rate instructor but fierce disciplinarian who, for decades, used a dunce stool at the front of her classroom to punish students. Graduates of the Margate school moved on to local high schools and some went to college. College goers were a little less likely to return to Margate after graduation. They either found jobs or learned to feel at home in various and sundry places beyond these shores. Almost all of the boys in the Class of ‘39 went into military service during WWII while many young women took jobs in defense-related industries or volunteered in service-related organizations. Everyone who sees the class photo remarks on the lavish spread of floral arrangements. Phyllis and Marge mentioned that it was a longstanding local tradition for a student’s family to present their graduate with a basket of flowers. We hope to identify as many students in the photo as possible. If you can be of assistance, or if you just want to view a heartwarming piece of local history, plan to stop in for a visit when the Museum reopens! Phyllis Elmer and Marge Brown, sisters and former Margate students. Photo by Gwen Meade, Margate Library Remembering Our Friends… Dorean Patterson and Boo Pergament John Huber III with Library Director Jim Cahill and MLHSA President Frank Tiemann Photo by Charles Featherer, Margate Library
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