Ocean Grove. Silver gelatin darkroom print. By Paul Goldfinger © 2016. This is the Fitzgerald Fountain before it was refurbished in 2019. Click to enlarge.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger Re-post from 2016.
The Story of Ocean Grove, 1869-1919 by Morris S Daniels. Published in 1919 by the Methodist Book Concern in New York City:
“In a little old dingy tent, one of ten erected on the sand drifts of what was later to be known in Ocean Grove as Thompson Park but now called Founders’ Park, there occurred on the night of July 31, 1869 an event of immense significance.
“What happened was not unusual of itself, and the surroundings were not such as to impress one that history was making within the confines of the poor little tent, illumined, as it was, by a few tallow candles; but ‘Great oaks from little acorns grow.'”
Morris Daniels tells us that about 12 people gathered in the tent which belonged to Mrs. Joseph Thornley. They all had arrived the day before and pitched their tents there. There were no chairs, so they all sat on rough pine boards.
Daniels says, “The night was dark, save for the stars which twinkled brightly from overhead, while the few candles within cast a weird shadow upon the scene.
“Some had come directly from their own tents while others had preferred to wander over the yielding sands to the edge of the dune overlooking the sea to watch the moon rise from her briny bed.
“But shortly after nine o’clock all had gathered in the little dimly lighted tent for Ocean Grove’s first religious service—–a prayer meeting.”
WARREN VACHE´ “Stardust”. (He performed in the Great Auditorium.)
Stokes gave the founding event as being on Tuesday, 31 July 1869, but that date was actually a Saturday. He mentioned a prayer meeting was held that night instead of watching the moon rise from the beach around 9 PM. This would have been closer to 11:30 on the 31st, so Tuesday the 27th is the more likely date.