New Book Releases

Little Silver, a fascinating visual journey through New Jersey's past, will delight and educate both the avid historian and the casual observer.

Featuring many previously unpublished photographs, Little Silver Volume II explores the community's growth from the late-nineteenth century to the present. A companion to the first volume, this exciting collection of images harks back to the days when city dwellers traveled to Little Silver Point by steamboat to spend their summers.

Celebrate the 75th anniversary of the incorporation of the Borough of Little Silver with this unique glimpse of times gone by. Included in the book are images from the Julia Parker Collection, providing an in-depth look at the Parker homestead, which was willed to the Borough of Little Silver to be developed as a historic site. Also featured are the houses, schools, and recreational areas that contributed to the tranquility of this unique American community. Old timers will recall the stores and businesses that thrived in the middle of the century, and young readers will learn of the local heroes and world-famous people who lived in Little Silver. Parades, special events, and sporting activities are featured as well.

Little Silver Volume II highlights the people and places that left a lasting impression on the history of the town.

Only 18 miles south of behemoth New York City, Cranford is an adorable small city, nicknamed the Venice of New Jersey.

Residents of Cranford greeted the publication of a photographic history of their community with tremendous enthusiasm in 1995--for the first time, significant people and events in the township's past were celebrated in a vivid record available to all. The authors of that volume--Robert Fridlington and Lawrence Fuhro--have worked together again to produce an all-new second volume on Cranford that includes many recently discovered images. Cranford Volume II covers the history of the town from 1871 to 1960, and highlights its role as a riverside resort and suburb. Images of well-known Cranford residents, such as pure-food crusader Alice Lakey and beloved high school coach J. Seth Weekly are also featured, documenting the unique contributions of these citizens to their hometown.

Fascinating images from 1800 to 1980 document the evolution Neptune and Shark River Hills, from shore wilderness to modern communities.

Neptune and Shark River Hills are neighboring New Jersey towns that grew from two different but distinctly American traditions. Neptune is the child of traditional agrarian roots, developing from a patchwork of early 1800s farmsteads into an urbanized shore hub intersected by major highways. Shark River Hills lay undeveloped until the 1920s, and it was American entrepreneurism that sparked its development as a planned community. ""The Hills"" was a buyers' package pitched to the dream of owning a summer place at the Jersey shore. Images from 1800 to 1980 document the evolution of these coastal towns from shore wilderness to modern communities, just a toll's throw from New Jersey's Garden State Parkway. Farmsteads and country values characterized early Neptune. Captured here are images of the area's schoolhouses, fire companies, merchants, and townspeople. Resurrected are fondly remembered landmarks like Storyland Village and the Neptune Music Circus. Celebrated are Neptune natives such as actor Jack Nicholson, explorer Ike Schlossbach, football star Bob Davis, and rock 'n roller Southside Johnny. Scenes of Shark River Hills from the early 1900s offer a window into a simpler time in an idyllic place, when locals worked and played on""Shack River. "" Images of summer sojourners beckon from riverbank clambakes, dockside competitions, and country club socials. A year-round bedroom community today, few recall ""The Hills"" Poor Farm, its daredevil aviator, or the treasure rumored to be buried in ""Money Hill. ""

For more than one hundred years, Ocean Grove New Jersey has provided a retreat to those wishing to return to a life of religious renewal and recreation by the shore.

In 1869, a group of ministers and religious faithful established a permanent Methodist camp meeting community on the North Jersey shore. A state charter was issued one year later, and the community of Ocean Grove was born. Following the example set by other camp meetings, Ocean Grove became a center for religious revivals. The town continued to flourish as railroad and steamship lines transported passengers eager to escape the nearby crowded cities. For more than one hundred years, Ocean Grove has provided a retreat to those wishing to return to a life of religious renewal and recreation. Ocean Grove is a detailed look at the growth of this unique seaside community. Home to the largest aggregate of Victorian and early-twentieth-century structures in America, Ocean Grovecontinues to provide its visitors with a glimpse into the past. Ocean Grove has maintained its custom of holding summer camp meetings for over one hundred-thirty years. These annual revivals have attracted such notable speakers and guests as William Jennings Bryan, Booker T. Washington, and Presidents Grant and Roosevelt to the Great Auditorium. Since its conception, Ocean Grove has been home to an uncommon history, making Ocean Grove a treasure.

Much like the building material of the same name, the township of Brick has a sturdy and reliable history.

In 1850, when the New Jersey Legislature created Ocean County among a region of virgin woodland. The new township was named after its most prominent resident, Joseph W. Brick, the industrious and successful owner of Bergen Iron Works; as Brick's and other local industries expanded, more and more people began to call the town their home.Brick Townshiprecords these lives of these founders, as well as the events and places that helped them shape their community. By 1920, parts of the township had declared their independence, and the remaining parts of Brick began to evolve into a resort community. Brick continued to be an intimate but prosperous resort area into the 1950s, when the Garden State Parkway opened, and the subsequent residential and commercial development created dramatic growth in year-round residents.Brick Townshipcaptures scenes of life in Brick from 1850 to the 1950s and beyond--from the early European settlers to the suburbanites who now call Brick their home.

Founded in the eighteenth century, Millville began as a South Jersey hub of commercial and industrial activity.

The hum of machinery in the mills, glasshouses, and foundries meant prosperity for the young town, which would eventually become the second-largest producer of glass in the country. Through the years, Millville residents maintained a proud tradition of hard work and family involvement, and they sought to preserve their community's rural charm. In leafing through the pages of this volume, old-timers will fondly reminisce about the heyday of the town when grand Victorians, an opera house, and a popular amusement park existed. Newcomers will marvel at the way things used to be, noting also certain unmistakable similarities. While the landscape has changed, the small-town traditional values and community pride remain.

In rare photographs, the book reveals the history of the people and places in the communities of Franklin, Hamburg, Ogdensburg, and Hardyston.

Franklin, Hamburg, Ogdensburg, and Hardyston chronicles the settlement and life of the Wallkill Valley area of northern New Jersey. Beginning entirely as Hardyston Township, the area developed into four communities, each with distinctive qualities. Franklin is the ""Fluorescent Mineral Capital of the World,"" as declared by the U.S. Congress, and with its zinc mines, is known as the ""Model Mining Town of America."" Hamburg from early times was a crossroads and business district. Ogdensburg possessed several mines and Thomas Edison interests. Hardyston, with its lakes for summer visitors and still-thriving farmland, retains the beauty of its natural surroundings.

Once part of Newark, Nutley has grown from a weekend getaway for tired New Yorkers and a permanent home for artists and writers into a charming small city.

Though only three square miles in area, Nutley boasts over 125 acres of park land, as well as the beautiful Third River which runs through the town. In Nutley, town historian and author John Demmer presents a fascinating look at the changes the town as undergone, as well as the life of its residents through the years. Demmer also illustrates Nutley's earliest commercial industry, the brownstone quarry, as well as the textile and banker's safety paper industry.

Chatham and the Passaic River have been inextricably linked for nearly 275 years, since the town's founding under the informal name of Day's Bridge.

The name of Day's Bridge honored John Day, builder of the first span across the river, which forms the eastern edge of the town but the true nature of the town's residents is reflected in the area's permanent name, selected by villagers in 1773. Chatham is named for Great Britain's William Pitt, the Earl of Chatham, who was a champion of American liberties during that revolutionary era. The Passaic, fondly referred to by locals as ""The Fishawack,"" inspired the gradual flourishing of early mills and factories. Small shops, hotels, and especially the railroad brought nineteenth-century prosperity to Chatham's Main Street, and extended the influence of residents who commute to Newark and New York City. John T. Cunningham, New Jersey's preeminent historian, chronicles this growth and the relationship between populace and river through wonderful photographs and intriguing historic details.

Formerly known as Black River, the village of Chester lies in the hills of Morris County, New Jersey.

Located on the site of former Native American trails, Chester was incorporated as a township in 1799. Join local historian and photographer Joan S. Case for this unique and informative look at the history of Chester--with images donated by the local historical society as well as many Chester families, this pictorial history covers the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s. During this period, Chester was home to one of the busiest mining districts in New Jersey, and was also an important agricultural area; local distilleries turned thousands of bushels of Chester apples into the famous "Jersey Lightning. '? Five sites in Chester, including Zephaniah Drake's Brick Hotel, have been accepted into both the State and National Registers of Historic Places.

Hoboken's history as a link to Manhattan and a town rich in Italian-American and immigrant culture, industry, and families is revealed here in pictures and anecdotes.

Incorporated as a city in 1855, Hoboken's history as a ferry terminus dates back to the eighteenth century, with the first horse-powered ferries to lower Manhattan. The city's history is entwined with that of Col. John Stevens and his family. He was the inventor of the t-rail and a pioneer in steam-generated power and navigation. Prior to the city's growth as a transportation hub, it was a scenic locale favored by city dwellers who could arrive by ferry and enjoy a riverside promenade, partake of water drawn from a natural spring, and watch a cricket or baseball game. Hoboken eventually grew to become a bustling city, with an active waterfront as well as a home and place of work for tens of thousands of immigrants and families. In Hoboken, the pattern of early development is described, giving the reader a sense of the city in the mid-nineteenth century. Landmarks of the terminal area, downtown (Washington Street), and ferry terminals are highlighted in this photographic tour of the city. Chapters are devoted to the great rail, ferry, and trolley terminal at Hudson Place, the commercial center, the waterfront before and after industrialization (including boat and yacht clubs), and the memory of some of Hoboken's residents.