New Jersey

Jackson Township was named after the legendary ""Old Hickory,"" Pres. Andrew Jackson.

For many years, the township was largely recognized by its small villages. Each of these villages had similar features--a church, general store, tavern, mill, and iconic one-room schoolhouse--which nurtured the small community and formed the foundation of modern Jackson. Mills, small farms, and horse breeding in the 19th century transitioned to cranberry bogs and chicken farms in the first half of the 20th century. As transportation became more advanced after World War II, people began to travel outside of town for work, and the once-thriving villages of industry disappeared. Today, Jackson Township, covering 100.4 square miles, is the largest municipality in Ocean County and the third largest in the state of New Jersey.

Paterson, New Jersey: A place of comings and goings for generations.

Images of America: Patersonexplores the city's past with vintage photographs and interesting history and folklore. Some notables associated with the Silk City include Larry Doby, who broke the color barrier in the American League, shuttle astronaut Kathryn Sullivan and actress Sue Ann Langdon. An industrial giant envisioned by Alexander Hamilton, Paterson gave birth to the famed Colt revolver, the modern-day submarine, the locomotives that linked America's coasts, and the engine that powered Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis.

Also included are historic buildings such as the Fabian, the theater that Lou Costello frequented for premieres and Paterson's Danforth Library, which was designed by architect Henry Bacon, who was the creator of the Lincoln Memorial.

Journey through South Jersey towns and villages along the Cooper River, and their unique role in the long and rich history of the area.

The Cooper River is a meandering tributary of the Delaware River in Camden County with a rich cultural heritage. Along the Cooper River, English Quakers found safe haven from religious persecution in Colonial times, and General Washington's soldiers fought for control of Cooper's Ferry during the American Revolution. The river was ideal for industry in Camden, where many immigrants worked in the factories along its banks. From 1925 to 1928, landscape architect Charles Leavitt Jr. designed the plans for the 550-acre Cooper River Park. From 1935 to 1939, Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration carried out the plans to create open, gently sloping landscapes and wooded areas for recreation by dredging meadows and tidal wetlands. Along the Cooper River: Camden to Haddonfield focuses on the communities of Camden, Pennsauken, Cherry Hill, Collingswood, Haddon Township, and Haddonfield and how each of them has played a unique role in the long and rich history of the river and its evolution into a nationally significant recreational area.

Images of America: Jews of Paterson is more than just nostalgia--it is the remarkable story of how the city's Jewish population built a community and made it into a special place.

When Jews immigrated to Paterson in the early 20th century, they came as skilled weavers from the Russian Polish textile centers of Lodz and Bialystok. They brought strong notions of social justice and living righteously; ideas that came alive during the 1913 Industrial Workers of the World silk strike. They raised families, became Americans, and reluctantly moved when the economic base collapsed. Despite this, Paterson Jews defend the aging, gritty city as a wonderful place, and they never left it spiritually or emotionally. Former and current residents recall the Hamilton Avenue bagel bakery, Purity Cooperative rye bread, candy stores, delicatessens, the YMHA, bar mitzvah coaches, rabbis, the baby doctor, pediatricians, schoolteachers, and even the synagogue shammes. They remember and honor the past as a bridge between the present and the future.

Atlantic City Revisited documents the fascinating history of this famous New Jersey city.

In 1854, a group of engineers and railroad businessmen drew a straight line from Philadelphia to the New Jersey coast, built a railroad along the line, and created Atlantic City. From the 1850s to the 1950s, the city attracted the creme of American society and the working class alike and gave birth to the beauty pageant, rolling chair, boardwalk, saltwater taffy, jitney, and the successful Monopoly board game. But the onset of air travel in the 1950s and the aging grand hotels brought Atlantic City to its knees. The opening of Resorts International in 1978 and the prosperous gaming business that followed in its wake helped the city rise from its own ashes, and a year-round tourism industry exploded. Garish and opulent casino hotels replaced many of the boardwalk dowagers, and new palaces transformed the once desolate marina section into a vibrant destination.

Author John E. O'Rourke recounts the crime that rocked a sleepy community and brought the nation's eyes to North Jersey.

On a spring morning in Morristown in 1992, authorities discovered a car idling in a driveway with the door open and the driver missing. After they learned the driver was Sidney Reso, the president of Exxon International, the FBI joined the investigation. Over the next two months, law enforcement received cryptic communications that led to a cat-and-mouse chase for those responsible. Retired cop Arthur Seale and his wife, Irene, demanded one of the largest ransoms in U.S. history, and authorities struggled to solve the case.

Ocean City: 1950-1980 illustrates the growth and change of this seashore community founded in 1879 by a group of Methodist ministers.

The venture was an immediate success, and the area quickly grew into a prosperous year-round community and a bustling summer resort. The Great Depression and World War II slowed this development, but by the beginning of the 1950s, the burgeoning economy and optimism in the country again encouraged people to enjoy family vacations. With the wide beaches, scenic boardwalk, three new major highways, and comfortable family atmosphere, Ocean City became a superb family destination.

Elizabeth, the first state capital of New Jersey and the birthplace of Princeton University, was founded in 1665.

Not named for the powerful English queen of the same name, as most would assume, but rather for the wife of Sir George Carteret, one of the two original proprietors of the colony, Elizabeth was an illustrious city that was extremely influential during the Revolutionary and Colonial periods, and home to numerous distinguished political and military figures. Over time, Elizabeth developed into an important industrial and economic center, welcoming the Singer Sewing Machine Company in 1873 and becoming a recognized leader in automobile manufacturing long before Detroit. As the years went on, the culturally diverse city came to serve as a crossroads for many commuting to jobs in Newark and New York City. Authors Jean-Rae Turner and Richard Koles have assembled a remarkable collection of vintage photographs of Elizabeth, documenting its history from 1665 to 1965.

Join local historians William and Amanda Schleicher on a visual tour of Bedminster's heritage as they celebrate the town's history.

Settled in the first half of the 1700s, the fertile fields of Bedminster Township attracted Dutch, German, and Scottish farmers. During the American Revolution,the town served as a safe haven for the American army. For over a century, following the war, Bedminster returned to its previous way of life as a sleepy little farming community. In 1890, the area became home to Charles Pfizer's exclusive Essex Hunt Club. The lush green hills and dales of Bedminster were perfect for hunting foxes, and the level meadows were well suited for polo. Millionaires from New York sought to establish greatestates in Bedminster's picturesque countryside.

Author John Howard-Fusco traces the roots of Cape May's delectable dishes and recipes from long ago to the modern day.

Cape May is America's first seaside resort, and with that comes a mouthwatering food history. The New York Times even proclaimed the city ""Restaurant Capital of New Jersey."" The first settlers, the Kechemeche of the Lenape tribe, feasted on the fish and wild game in the area. The whaling industry briefly brought attention to the island, but Ellis Hughes's 1801 advertisement offering seashore entertainment with ""fish, oysters, crabs, and good liquors"" gave birth to a beachside haven. From the mint juleps to the Sunny Hall Café and the Chalfonte, culinary creativity thrives on the shore. Modern chefs like Lucas Manteca at the Red Store and Brooke Dodds's Empanada Mamas help keep the unique flair alive.