Image courtesy of Ted Bell’s book “Images of America–Ocean Grove.” This 1878 view is of the OG side of Wesley Lake. Two ferry boats carried people to and fro.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger Re-post now from April, 2013.
We have reported on a recent north-south clash where the Asbury Park Council would not initially support the Ocean Grove bid for a FEMA appeal to help pay for the Grove’s oceanfront renewal following the Sandy destruction . Later the Council changed its mind, but some lingering bitterness exists on both sides of the Casino, especially after a councilman called Ocean Grovers “riff raff.”
However, this clash has provided a small opportunity to consider the relationship between the two towns and it provoked some debate by Blogfinger commenters. The basics are that the two towns are geographically neighbors, but are not “sister cities” in the true sense of the word. Instead, the two towns are as opposite as you can get. Maybe “complimentary” would be a good adjective, but there is much at stake in this relationship, which we will cover later.
Ocean Grove, founded in 1869 by Methodist ministers from the Holiness movement, developed as a summer religious community. Asbury Park, founded in 1871, by James A Bradley, named their town after a Methodist bishop, but went on to become a very secular place with a gay community going back to 1950 and a popular summer boardwalk and music scene going back to the turn of the 20th century.
In 1888, James Bradley, recognizing the growing population in AP, entered into an agreement with the OG Camp Meeting Association to provide a way for large numbers of summer visitors to cross Wesley Lake and get to the campgrounds. Up to that point, there were ferries and boats which would carry people back and forth for one cent per ride.
The two towns agreed that two iron bridges would be constructed. One at the foot of New Jersey Avenue and the other at the foot of Pilgrim Pathway. Little toll houses at the OG side would collect the one cent toll, and a policeman would be stationed there. AP borrowed $10,000 from the CMA to help build the bridges, and the two communities shared the income. Interestingly, both sides agreed to post signs that said, “This bridge is private property and is not dedicated to the public.” The reason for that proviso is unclear. Maybe it is to justify the toll.
Two iron bridges were built in 1888. This is the view from the AP side. Click left for larger view. Courtesy Ted Bell.
In 1899, a group of Ocean Grove residents and business owners petitioned the CMA to construct a “drive bridge” across Wesley Lake and Fletcher Lake as a way to help the commercial interests in town drive their wagons back and forth. The goal was to have these bridges near the ocean. In retrospect, the CMA saved the day when they would not allow those bridges to be built—for religious reasons.
In 1932, the iron foot bridges were replaced by the two concrete structures that we see today. The bridges across Wesely Lake have provided a way to get across the water from one town to the other and have benefitted both sides for nearly 125 years. Asbury Park has especially enjoyed these bridges because their boardwalk scene has been hugely popular for years. In the late 1800’s, about 600,000 people visited AP each summer. Of course it went into decline for many years and is now making an impressive comeback.
About 15 years ago, a decision was made to lock those bridges on the OG side at midnight each evening as a crime-fighting measure. That is done at midnight by the Neptune Twp. Police Department. It was a big success in that regard, but some controversy has now surfaced regarding the continued locking practices. In Part II we will talk amongst ourselves about this issue. Stay tuned.
March, 2013. view of Wesley Lake from the OG side. By Moe Demby, Blogfinger.net. Click for larger view
SOUNDTRACK “THE BRIDGES OF MONMOUTH COUNTY.” Oh, sorry, The Bridges of Madison County. It’s Johnny Hartman whose voice is deeper than the water in Wesley Lake.
Clint Eastwood did a fabulous job with the jazz soundtrack for that movie which starred Clint and Meryl.
By the way, Clint and Meryl will be at the Blogfinger Film Festival, so get your tickets. Here is Johnny with “It Was Almost Like a Song.” (Is this about Springsteen?)
CREDITS:
WAYNE T. BELL (“TED”) gave us permission to publish the two top images from his book , one of the Images of America series, Ocean Grove. This is a wonderful history of the Grove which everyone who lives here should own. It is full of terrific photographs, magazine images, postcards, and documents. Ted’s book is still in print and can be purchased on line or at the Historical Society of Ocean Grove for $19.99. Ted also wrote a similar book with vintage postcards of the Grove—also available at the HSOG.
GIBBONS : History of Ocean Grove 1869-1939
MICHAEL GOLDFINGER, photographer: Lives in Tampa, but he used to live in the Grove and he visits here often. (He looks in on his parents in case he has to drive us to the home.) Michael is a former staff photographer at the Asbury Park Press. We have occasionally published his photos on BF (the family business.)
Prior to the erection of the iron bridges, the ferrymen would build temporary wooden “winter bridges” for the off season. These would have interfered with boating in the summer.
The iron bridges were made only 7 feet wide. The bridges were to be used solely by foot traffic and all carts, wheel barrows, wheeled vehicles, merchandise, and animals were strictly prohibited. Only “easily carried” hand luggage was allowed.
On 8 July 1910, a span in the middle of the lake fell due to its being overloaded by spectators leaving a fireworks show. Five people were injured, though none fell into the water. The bridge was back in commission by the following afternoon.
An earlier incident had taken place that year:
“A well-known, gentleman was passing over one of the footbridges to Asbury Park. A violent sneeze loosened his false teeth, which fell to the bridge. A little dog, whose mistress was also crossing the bridge seized the teeth and ran up Emory Street, pursued by the clergyman and the woman. After an exhausting chase they captured the canine and recovered the teeth. The latter were not injured.”
The completion of the second concrete bridge at Pilgrim Pathway was delayed when Asbury Park ran out of money in early 1932. This, of course, was in the dark days of the Great Depression. The OGCMA loaned funds sufficient for the bridge to be finished. It was opened on 20 May 1930 with delegations from both communities marching from their respective ends to the middle where Miss Grace King, the City Clerk of Asbury Park, cut the ribbon. The cost of both cement bridges was estimated to be $32,000 at that time.
Thanks George: Given the way the bridges were financed, we might have expected joint ownership. But fast forward to 1995, when the decision was made to put up gates and close the bridges from midnight to 5 am on the OG side, there was no indication that Asbury Park had any say in the matter. —Paul
Historical item submitted by George Beecroft: “The following will link to NY Tribune April 30 1901 issue which says ‘The Asbury Park Council requested the OGCMA to abolish the toll charged to people crossing the bridge. Resolution proposed by James A Bradley who at the time owned the bridges jointly with OGCMA.,”
“Couldn’t find any further reference to tolls or joint ownership of the bridges.”
Thank you for the good word. The NTPD is supposed to be doing it. We will address your question in Part II of our “Bridging the Gap..” article. Stay tuned. Paul
Love this blog–thanks for all your work and posts…interestingly enough, my husband and I often go out in AP during the summers and cut across the bridge closest to NJ Ave to and from our nights on the town….I have yet to see it locked after 12 AM since approximately 2005. Who checks to ensure it is being done–and does it really need to be done at this point?
Can’t believe they called Ocean Grovers “riff raffs”, they should think twice about who has more riff raffs.
The history of the bridges is very interesting…. great research finger.