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By Alfred T. Stokley:  Incorporated in 1875, Berkeley Township was settled along the Barnegat Bay shoreline, dotted with homesteads and fishermen's shanties.  The Central Railroad first brought summer tourists to the area for recreation in the late 19th century, and in the years to follow, many new attractions were established, including B.W. Sangor's lavish Royal Pines Hotel.  Edward Crabbe established the village of Double Trouble in 1903 for lumber and cranberry production, and Sutton's Pavilion became Bayville's first fishing camp in 1905.  Also in this era, George C. Crossly mined clay for terra-cotta products, using a narrow-gauge spur of the Pennsylvania Railroad.  In 1928, Rudy Korman opened his restaurant and picnic grove, soon known as Korman's Corner.  By the 1930s, Clover Cream Top Dairy was the largest in Bayville.  In 1932, Dino the Dinosaur was built for a Sinclair Service Station and became a landmark.  Historic Route 9 was used heavily through the middle of the 20th century, featuring roadside stands and tourist cabins.  Berkeley Township showcases these landmarks and the rich recreational and commercial history of this Ocean County community.  

By Captain Stephen J. Nagiewicz:  An estimated three thousand shipwrecks lie off the coast of New Jersey - but these icy waters hold more mysteries than sunken hulls.  Ancient arrowheads found on the shoreline of Sandy Hook reveal Native American settlement before the land was flooded by melting glaciers.  In 1854, 240 passengers of the New Era clipper ship met their fate off Deal Beach.  Nobody knows what happened to two hydrogen bombs the United States Air Force lost near Atlantic City in 1957.  Lessons from such tragic wrecks and dangerous missteps urged the development of safer ships and the U.S. Coast Guard.  Captain Stephen D. Nagiewicz uncovers curious tales of storms, heroism and oddities from New Jersey's maritime past.  

By The New Jersey Turnpike Authority:  The Garden State Parkway has transformed the lives of New Jersey residents since opening in 1954. Spanning 173 miles from Cape May to the New York State line, it has fostered tourism to the Jersey Shore and given commuters an easier way to get to work.  Gov. Alfred E. Driscoll had envisioned the impact a new highway could have on the state, and a large team of planners, engineers, and contractors made it happen.  In 1952, the legislature created the New Jersey Highway Authority to ensure the funding and completion of the $330-million parkway and to self-sufficiently operate the roadway through toll revenue.  Garden State Parkway shows how this iconic roadway gained its place in history and continues to combine safe transportation in a parklike setting with the scenic beauty of New Jersey.  

By Victoria O’Donnell & Christopher Ippolito:  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.  

By Margaret Thomas Buchholz:  During World War I, before women had the right to vote in America, a young Josephine Lehman Thomas answered the patriotic call from Washington, D.C. and became one of the pioneering ''government girls”. leaving her home in Michigan for adventure in the nation's capital.  Through explored diaries and letters, her daughter, Margaret Thomas Buchholz, gives us an amazing chronicle of a trailblazing woman.  Josephine worked for legendary journalist Lowell Thomas and traveled the world until the Great Depression dropped her and her new family, struggling to get by, on an island off the coast of New Jersey.  This fascinating personal history reveals the optimism of the early 20th Century, the emerging professional woman, the thrill of travel and a sense of success, followed by the crash of the economy, losing everything, and ultimately happiness in a simple life by the sea.