Girls in their summer clothes. Ocean Grove 1923. Photographer unknown. Click to enlarge.
By Paul Goldfinger, MD. Editor @Blogfinger.net 2020 post. Ocean Grove, NJ, USA.
This photograph, taken in 1923, was during Prohibition, which ended in 1933. The HBO series called Boardwalk Empire was all about prohibition at the Jersey Shore, especially in Atlantic City, but some location shots were filmed in the Grove. The Albatross was used for some scenes. Do a Blogfinger search for “Albatross.”
Of course, OG was a dry town, but who knows how much illegal booze made its way here? But the link below shows why Atlantic City was more fun than Ocean Grove in 1923.
1923 was a pivotal year. It was only 3 years after the newly incorporated independent Borough of Ocean Grove was shut down by the State Supreme Court, unfortunately returning governance to the Camp Meeting Association and Neptune Township. This latter partnership has remained alive and continues to cause havoc for the people of Ocean Grove, even today, even after the CMA finally lost centralized governmental control in 1980.
1923 also saw a resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan at the Jersey Shore, especially in Long Branch and Asbury Park. But in May, 1924, the Grand Dragon spoke in the Great Auditorium. He emphasized religious themes, but also attacked Jews and Catholics for allegedly plotting against America.
He returned to the GA in 1924 to make the case against miscegenation. The KKK was thrown out of Long Branch as it was bad for business. Similarly, Asbury also repelled the Klan because those two towns had many minority groups including Italians, Jews, Greeks and blacks.
Another important event in 1923 Ocean Grove was a bill that made its way into the Legislature in Trenton to grant Ocean Grove a separate tax district with its own tax rates. But somehow, that bill “got lost” in the legislature.
During 1923, Ocean Grove was actively advertising for the tourist trade, and it was successful for years after, out to the 1960’s.
And 1923 was one of the last summers when John Phillip Sousa would perform in the Great Auditorium.
The 1970’s saw riots at the Shore, especially A. Park, which threw a monkey wrench into tourism. Over the ensuing years, the Shore began to deteriorate. It wasn’t until the late 1980’s, in a downtrodden Ocean Grove, that the comeback began.
June 2020 Editor’s note: So the CMA invited the Klan into the Great Auditorium; Should Stokes’ statue be pulled down?
Of course not; it represents the town’s history, but what if some rabble-rousers show up with ladders and ropes?
Who will defend Stokes? Will the Neptuner PD defend private property here? Will the residents of OG grab their pitchforks and jump right in?
Ocean Grove history –link below:
Ocean Grove history timeline by Blogfinger
KATHY BRIER FROM BOARDWALK EMPIRE:
Isak: The exclusion of certain religious groups in the Grove occurred in the 19th century and into the 20th, but it gradually was eliminated. The Methodists who founded this town wanted to be able to maintain their religious practices and so they wanted everyone to be Methodists who followed the Holiness Movement. But that concept went against the Constitution and eventually the courts ruled against it.
As far as other houses of worship in town, I don’t know of any such attempts, although you might consult the history of St. Paul’s Church.
If a group wanted to form an actual synagogue, for example, small in size by necessity, they might have one in a large enough OG house, but they would first have to consult Neptune zoning laws. That, not discrimination, would likely be the problem in 21st century OG.
But, we all know how insiders sometimes get to bend those zoning rules–just check out the history of Mary’s Place in its current location.
However if a small informal group of any religion wanted to get together for religious observances in today’s OG, they could do that without getting special permission. I doubt anyone would object.
OG has had an active Jewish Fellowship (Chavurah) in the Grove for over ten years, meeting in private homes in town.
–Paul Goldfinger at Blogfinger.net
Kevin: The mention of Stokes in our article had nothing to do with slavery. It was about the fact that the CMA,led by Stokes, would not allow blacks or other minorities to move into Ocean Grove.
This practice of discrimination is historic fact. There were some African-Americans who lived in Ocean Grove, but they provided workers for the hotels, boarding houses and restaurants, and they usually had accommodations in the basements. Some of them can be seen posing with owners and guests in photographs of such places. Nowhere in the history of OG which I have reviewed, is there any mention of slaves.
And if anyone were to think of tearing down the Stokes statue, it would be about the discrimination noted above and about the KKK in the Great Auditorium.
But as for our Blogfinger article, that is pure speculation and personally, I am opposed to taking down statues of historical importance in US history—-Paul Goldfinger @Blogfinger.net 6/25/20
Clearly, your public has no idea of who Stokes was. He was a birth-right Quaker. The Quakers in 1772, 12 years before the US became a free nation, passed a rule of discipline, “that a member of the society…should not forever afterwards hold human beings in bondage.” The Quakers were the first religious organization to fight slavery.
As a young adult, Stokes converted to Methodism. In 1774, 10 years before the US became a free nation, the Methodist church ordered its members to free their slaves, stating, “slavery is contrary to the will of God.”
Stokes grew up and followed the dictates of both of those religions and because of that, during his time as President of the OGCMA’s Holiness Movement, which promoted equality, many of the greatest African-American speakers, performers and politicians spoke in the Great Auditorium.
Because of this, the Auditorium is one of the most important historical sites in NJ dealing with African-American History.
So Stokes should be revered and anyone that even suggests the removal of his statue I would call a true racist.
Kevin Chambers
So, CMA, what’s wrong with being Jewish, Black or Catholic?
I’m Jewish and proud of it! I want to see a synagogue in the Grove.
It’s about time we start a discussion about providing a house of worship for other faiths in this town.
To: Not for Everybody
You are correct. The Methodist Camp Meeting Association had to “meet and discuss” approving our application or not. We are of the Jewish religion. True this was over 20 years ago, but still leaves a hypocritical bad taste in our mouth.
No, the statue of Stokes does not need to come down. But maybe some education is in order, like a plaque that explains how the Camp Meeting was exclusively for white Methodists, and that it was not possible to own a home here if you were black, Jewish, or Catholic.
Camp Meeting selects a new president this Saturday. Hopefully, he can provide moderate leadership in terms of total programming and stimulate a responsive community outreach to problems we all face– year-round or summer.
I am saddened but not surprised that the Grand Dragon of the KKK spoke not once but twice in Ocean Grove. The Klan was wildly popular during the 1920s, operating as a multi-level marketing organization. This means dues money flowed directly upward based upon memberships that were sold by newer members. They ran Indiana state government. It was really profitable, a business that thrived on hate.
Here in OG, undesirable non-white, non-Protestants were disrespectfully called “kikes, coons, and micks”. Times have changed, and OG is now more diverse.
But offensive speakers have not disappeared from the Great Auditorium on summer Sundays. The Chosen People Ministries has been represented more than once. Franklin Graham, an extreme fundamentalist who is NOT his father, was invited for a major event. And let’s not forget the charlatan that blamed gay America for 9/11.
Maybe the Camp Meeting leadership will reflect on its history and more recent priorities, and once again start inviting more progressive speakers to the Grove.
It takes a lot of fortitude to see where we were and where we are going. Like that great movie “Titanic,” vision is an imperfect thing, but worth musing.