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Sand Pebble Motor Lodge 905 Ocean Avenue Point Pleasant Beach NJ 08742 For Reservations In NJ Call Toll Free (800) 675-7712 Tel (732) 899-7712 Fax (732) 899-7731

The History Of...
POINT PLEASANT BEACH

From the earliest times, Lenni-lenape Indians trekked from New Jersey's inland regions to enjoy the summer-warmed waters along the peaceful shores that would one day be known as Point Pleasant Beach. It was an annual event, where the braves enjoyed harvesting fish, and the squaws stayed in a wooded area nearby to socialize among themselves.

Early settlers of the area (which was originally a part of Brick Township) were primarily farmers. But, they continued he Indian's tradition, spending much time fishing and clamming to supplement their family's homegrown produce. Point Pleasant Beach's access to both salt and fresh water naturally brought the shipping and fishing industries to the community in the late-eighteenth century. Will's Hole, a deep channel in the Manasquan River, was a major port for loading local produce, fish, and livestock for transportation to New York. Still productive today, the area boasts a series of thriving marinas.

By the 1870's, Point Pleasant Beach was becoming an active resort community, and soon boasted the first seaside horse-drawn trolley. Operated every summer through 1890, the service ran from Resort House on Forman and Richmond Avenues to the beach, and then on to the riverfront.

The Resort House was the community's first luxury hotel. It boarded one hundred people, and offered vacationers more stylish quarters than the boarding houses and summer cottages available throughout the community. During its heyday, the likes of Grover Cleveland, Lillian Russell and Robert Louis Stevenson took up summer residence there.

Local legend claims that Stevenson's visit to Point Pleasant Beach inspired him to write his classic, "Treasure Island". The famous island is reportedly modeled after Osborne Island, a picturesque plot west of Route 35 in the Manasquan River.

By the early 1880's, the railroad had crossed the Manasquan River, bringing still more visitors to the area. In late 1885, twenty-nine-year-old Joseph W. Johnson found the perfect business investment in a five-year-old hardware store on Arnold Avenue. James Monroe Vannote, who gave up his long career as a sea navigator to open the store on Arnold Avenue and Cooks Lane, developed and founded Vannote Lumber that same year.

With the rapid growth of the community, 185 also brought the founding of Ocean Fire Company #1, the county's first fire company. The group's first official action was to purchase two dozen buckets from Johnson's Hardware Store.

By 1886, Point Pleasant Beach was large enough to separate from Brick Township and incorporate as a permanent town and the community's rapid growth continued.

The telephone came to town in 1895, when a single line was strung between Johnson's Hardware and O.B. Van Camp's Grocery Store. The communication network consisted of a wire laid over the trolley line and powered by a wet cell battery. A switchboard set up in Mrs. Johnson's kitchen directed the few calls. Two long distance lines were later strung west toward Brick Township. When first installed, the wires hung atop pine trees extended across the bottom of the Manasquan River encased in garden hose. Completion of the Garden State Parkway in 1952 brought a new population boom to Point Pleasant Beach, offering New York and North Jersey employees an opportunity to live in the community year round. According to U.S. Census figures, between 1960 and 1980 the population increased by 150 percent, as many new residents constructed their personal dream homes among the existing Cape Cod-style cottages. The community's current population is around 5,100.

Little else changed in Point Pleasant Beach during that time. The main street, Arnold Avenue, still offers a large selection of shops, stocking an assortment of novelties, clothing and crafts. Quality restaurants lead the way to a mile-long boardwalk dedicated to family entertainment. Flowering pear trees line the quiet streets of the town center, adding to the natural charm of the seaside community that has always boasted serene white sand beaches.

From the Manasquan Inlet, which remains an exceptional natural attraction, to the Manasquan River that leads to Barnegat Bay, the community offers something for everyone.