The Pre-Colonial Era
This area of New Jersey was originally occupied by the Lenni-Lenape tribe (also known as the Delaware to Europeans) a part of the Algonquin nation. The Lenni-Lenape traveled with the seasons, making full use of the area resources. During the spring they planted gardens around their permanent settlements. In the summer, they went “down the shore” to catch oysters and clams and stay cool. In the fall, they would move back to their village and harvest their crops. In the winter, they hunted deer and other animals.
Some of the other tribes scorned them for their peaceful ways. The Iroquois called them "The Old Women." They frequently were the intermediaries in resolving problems within the nation.
The central area of New Jersey was occupied by the Unami (“the people down the river”) sub-tribe.
Wanamassa
Wanamassa is the area of the Township of Ocean in the south-east corner of the Township, along the area of Deal Lake. It is made up of land originally sold to Gavin Drummond by the local chiefs of the Lenni-Lenape tribe. According to local legend, Chiefs Wanamassa, Wallammassekaman and Waywinotunce sold the land for practically nothing because Drummond was married to the Lenape princess, Nissima (daughter of Wanamassa). The three chiefs signing the deed which indicated that Drummond purchased the land for one gun, five coats, one kettle, and two pounds of gun powder.
As the City of Asbury Park began developing, the opposite shore of Deal Lake was being developed as larger homes and estates, with easy access to Asbury Park. Eventually, as bridges over Deal Lake were erected, Wanamassa became a “bedroom” community of Asbury Park, with many people working in Asbury Park, or taking the train from Asbury Park, north to work in places such as Newark or New York.
Oakhurst
Oakhurst is the area of the Township of Ocean in the north-east corner of the Township, bordering Deal, Elberon (a section of the City of Long Branch) and West Long Branch. It was originally formed as the “business district” of the area, around the Brinley Grist Mill, that once sat on Whalepond Brook, on the border that today is between the Township of Ocean and West Long Branch.
During the late 1800's, mansion houses were built in the areas that today border Deal and Elberon, to enjoy this fine seaside area of the Jersey Shore. Many of these fine older homes still exist.
Wayside
Wayside is the area of the Township of Ocean in the western portion of the Township. Cold Indian Springs, located in the sand hills of Wayside, was the encampment of the Lenni-Lenape tribe when they came to the Shore in the summer.
From the colonial era onward, Wayside was a farming community, and was also the location of a stage coach stop for travelers riding between the ports in the northern part of the County (Oceanport today) and the port at Manasquan, as well as the iron foundry at Allaire.
Wayside remained a rural farming community until the 1960's when development began turning the many farms into apartment and residential communities, found there today.
Deal Test Site
An area of the town, once part of the Woolley farm, was purchased by Western Electric (later Bell Laboratories, and then Lucent Technologies) as a research and development site. Later the property was sold to the United States Army, for use in developing communications technology.
Township of Ocean Historical Museum
Preserving the Past, for the Future
Find Us On
Copyright 2012 (C) Township of Ocean Historical Museum
Township of Ocean Historical Museum
703 Deal Road
P.O. Box 516
Oakhurst, NJ 07755-0516
(732) 531-2136
E-mail Us at OceanMuseum@verizon.net
Currently In The Our Town Gallery
The Our Town Gallery traces the history of the Township from the campsites of the Lenape, through its colonization by Scottish and English settlers, to the glory days when it encompassed much of eastern Monmouth County.
A Tribute to Norma Eberhardt Dauphin
A new mini-exhibit in the Museum's Our Town Gallery honors Oakhurst native, model, actress and Museum Honorary Trustee Norma Eberhardt Dauphin, who died September 16, 2011 of a stroke. The multi-media exhibit includes a video montage of Norma's movie and television roles and a slide show of stills.
The artifacts and photographs tell the story of a fascinating life. Her childhood doll, with one blue eye and one brown eye - like its owner - is just the start. A sampling of ads and magazine covers show her as a successful model in the late 1940's and early 1950's. Her wedding album captures the excitement of her 1955 marriage to French actor Claude Dauphin right here in Oakhurst. Her passport and a french language tutorial, inscribed to her from Claude, represents her time in Paris. Movie posters and television scripts highlight the Hollywood years.
The final memory is of the June 2011 Monster Bash, where Norma was honored for her starring role in the cut-favorite Return of Dracula. A photo shows a beaming Norma, just months before she died, delighting in a whole new generation of fans.
Whether Norma's exploits are part of your memories or you are meeting her here for the first time, discover - like those new found fans - the delights of a life fully lived!
This Exhibit will be showing until July, 2012.
[An 8x10 glossy or movie flyer is a "thank you" for a new or renewed membership (upon request). (This can be retroactive for anyone who already paid. You just need to come into the Museum to pick the item up.)]
The Permanent Exhibits in the
Our Town Gallery
