Upper Township (after being known as the Upper Precinct of Cape May County since 1723) was founded in 1798 by John Townsend, but actually, the area was first inhabited by the Lenni Lenape Indians, who lived there and hunted in the rivers and woods for food for hundreds of years. The area grew as people from New York, northern New Jersey, and other outlying areas came to the region for its rich land and natural resources. Whaling, shipbuilding, and farming became the principal jobs. They brought their cultures and religions ...
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Upper Township (after being known as the Upper Precinct of Cape May County since 1723) was founded in 1798 by John Townsend, but actually, the area was first inhabited by the Lenni Lenape Indians, who lived there and hunted in the rivers and woods for food for hundreds of years. The area grew as people from New York, northern New Jersey, and other outlying areas came to the region for its rich land and natural resources. Whaling, shipbuilding, and farming became the principal jobs. They brought their cultures and religions with them (Quakers, Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians), and gradually, an area of just a few villages developed into a larger township with 10 different villages. The 2010 census listed the population at 12,373 over an area of nearly 69 square miles. Residents and visitors can avail themselves of a variety of historic sites such as the Tuckahoe Train Station (1894), the Gandy Farmhouse (1815), and the restored Friendship School (1830s). In addition, there are many activities available both on land and on the Tuckahoe River, as well as the pristine beaches of Strathmere.
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Cape May County is the southernmost county of the State of New Jersey largely located on the Cape May Peninsula. The county is known for its beautiful beaches, including Ocean City in the north and Cape May in the south which attract many tourists during the summer months. Apart from the influx of tourists, the county is sparsely populated.
Cape May County has a long history going back to the original Indian occupants and the Colonial era. The county has been divided over the years into a number of political subdivisions, including the subject of this book, the Upper Township located roughly in the northern part of the county. Ocean City is not included in the Upper Township but is instead a political entity of its own. This recent book, "Upper Township and its Ten Villages" (2020) offers a detailed pictorial history of the Upper Township which had a population in 2010 of about 12,300 people over an area of about 69 square miles. Robert Holden wrote the book with the assistance of the Historical Preservation Society of Upper Township. Holden in fact participates actively in the Historical Preservation Society as its historian.
This book is valuable both because of its own intrinsic interest and because it is the only history of the Upper Township that appears to be currently in print. (The book includes a bibliography of other studies of the area.) It is also highly and commendably detailed but confusing at times to follow in its short compass.
The book opens with a two page history of Upper Township beginning with the Indians and through the various political subdivisions of Cape May County. The body of the book consists of ten chapters, one for each of the ten villages in the current Upper Township. Each chapter begins with a two page history followed by images and photographs with Holden's annotations and commentary.
The ten villages of Upper Township covered in the book are Beesley's Point, Marmora, Palermo, Seaville, Greenfield, Petersburg, Tuckahoe, Marshallville, Steelmantown, and Strathmere. There are commonalities among the villages but each has a story and history of its own. The pages devoted to each village vary. Greenfield has only two pages of images while Tuckahoe receives 26 pages of photographs.
The village of Strathmere is located on an island and is a beach resort for tourists. The remaining nine villages are on the mainland. They were predominantly farming communities but several villages had well-developed industries in their past. The book shows images from the past of each community showing places that are no more. It also shows how some old historical places remain, sometimes with different uses. There are photos of homes, storefronts, industries, farms and people. Each village had its own churches and schools. Transportation receives a great deal of emphasis with old railroad lines and train stations, bridges, boats, and highways. Many photos are of long term present or former community residents, meticulously identified.
I was moved to learn about these little villages, places where I have never been and knew nothing about. The book probably is intended for readers who are familiar with and who love the area, But unfamiliar readers such as myself may learn something of the communities and of the many different places in our country.
The introductory and textual materials present a great deal of history in a brief space and tend to be choppy. In addition, the book could have used more detailed maps showing the location of each village and of the Upper Township in the context of Cape May County. I found myself lost several times and had to consult outside sources for a better understanding of what I was reading and seeing. Still, I was grateful for the opportunity to get to know the Upper Township particularly for the well-presented photographs of each village.
This book is part of the Images of America Series of photographic histories which "celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country." I have enjoyed many books in this series, both of places I know and of places such as the Upper Township which are entirely new to me. Our country has many wonderful and unique places to go with its diverse people and histories. It is wonderful to get to know the particulars of the United States. I was glad to learn of the cohesiveness of the little villages forming the Upper Township of Cape May County, New Jersey.
