Currently, Rev. Stokes sits near the Great Auditorium. He gets to listen to the Doo Wops and on October 29, 2012, he nearly got wacked by Hurricane Sandy. PG photo

We invite all you historians, amateur or professional, to send us some OG historic anecdotes. Maybe your family has been in town for generations and perhaps you have something interesting tucked away among your souvenirs. Or perhaps the Historical Society will help us out as we endeavor to educate Grovers about their town’s history.

This item was published in the New York Times as part of their reporting called  “The Day in New Jersey” on July 6, 1875.

” The citizens of Ocean Grove, N.J. joined by many of Ashbury (sic) Park, celebrated the national birth-day at 8 o’clock, A.M. Dr. E.H. Stokes, President of the village association, was the local orator elected, and was followed by Col. T.B. Thorpe of New York. 

“After the addresses were ended, Gen. Grant, who rode up from Long Branch to attend the meeting, was formally presented to the audience. The day closed with boat races on the lake, and, a magnificent display of fire-works in the evening.”

BLOGFINGER COMMENTARY:

It’s interesting that they did not refer to the fact that Stokes was a minister in the Methodist Church. Nor did they refer to the governing body as the Camp Meeting Association.

The reference to Ashbury Park is probably a typo. AP was developed in 1871 as a resort by James Bradley, a brush manufacturer from New York. He placed a boardwalk along the ocean. Whose boardwalk came first–Ocean Grove’s or Asbury’s?

When Stokes died at the age of 84, in 1897, he received credit for the building of the Great Auditorium.  His obituary’s headline in the NYT referred to him as the “President of the OG Camp Meeting Association.”  In another article about Stokes they made reference to the Ocean Grove Association or The Association.

As for Grant, I guess they should have said that he rode “down” to Ocean Grove.  He did have a sister in town who lived by Wesley Lake.  He left his horse and carriage at the gates when he came to visit her and he walked the rest of the way. He was a huge celebrity in 1875.

Spectacular boating and fireworks displays at Wesley Lake were frequent in the early days of the Grove and attracted thousands of people.

—Paul Goldfinger