Atlantic Heritage Spring 2015 - Atlantic County Historical Society
Transcription
Atlantic Heritage Spring 2015 - Atlantic County Historical Society
Volume 13,Issue 1 14 Newsletter of the Atlantic County Historical Society SPRING 2015 WHO’S THE BOSS? In 1937, Frank S. “Hap” Farley was elected to represent Atlantic County in the New Jersey Assembly, and in 1940 he was elected to the New Jersey Senate. In 1941, Enoch "Nucky" Johnson, the “boss” of the Atlantic City and Atlantic County Republican political machine, was convicted of income tax evasion and sent to prison. Farley succeeded Johnson as the leader of the organization. Farley rose through the leadership ranks of the State Senate to become Senate majority leader in January of 1944. By early 1945, he was Senate President and served the state of New Jersey for, what was then, a record 34 years. Among the projects that Farley is credited with accomplishing are the Atlantic City Race Course, the Garden State Parkway, the Atlantic City Expressway, the Atlantic City Marina (now Senator Frank S. Farley State Marina), Stockton State College (now Stockton University), and the construction of county community colleges. The New York Times described Farley as "probably the most powerful legislator in New Jersey history" further noting that he was "an artful negotiator whose backroom wheeling and dealing were legendary", and that he "was credited with pushing through more special legislation for his district, Atlantic City and Atlantic County, than any other legislator”. ACHS Trustee Frank J. Ferry was a law partner of Farley and has been collecting the Senator’s memorabilia from family, friends and associates since his death on September 24, 1977. Ferry has donated the collection to the Atlantic County Historical Society and this collection is being developed into a special exhibit. Among the items are two of Farley’s desks - one from his tenure in the Senate, given to him by his Senate colleagues, and one from his law firm, bearing the seal of the State of New Jersey (see photos at left). Ferry, who is writing a book about Farley’s life, has been culling through the records of Farley’s legislative activities and will be donating those as well, along with countless awards received by the Senator. For information about the planned exhibit or to donate Farley memorabilia, please contact Joan Frankel, Museum Curator, at ACHS:(609) 927-5218 or email: ACHSinfo@comcast.net. Donations would be most welcome! The Atlantic County Historical Society will be closed: Friday & Saturday, April 2nd & 3rd, and Saturday, May 23rd Atlantic Heritage 1 Events and Happenings Program Logistics RISLEY HOMESTEAD 8 Virginia Avenue (near 400 block of Shore Rd) Northfield, NJ Each Saturday 11:00am – 4:00pm Each Sunday 1:00pm – 4:00pm Free Admission –Donations Appreciated ATLANTIC COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 907 Shore Road, Somers Point, NJ Program Description The Risley Homestead is one of two 18th century houses in Atlantic County individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was home to many generations of Risley oystermen. The ACHS received the Homestead and its furnishings by bequest from Virginia Risley Stout in 1989. Open weekends from May through October. The Homestead is open for individual and small group guided tours. Closed on major holidays. MEET THE AUTHORS NIGHT Several local authors with books on a variety of subjects will speak about what inspired them to become writers and will present a brief overview of their book(s). Following the program, authors will have the opportunity to sign and sell their books. Monday, March 23rd, 7:00pm ATLANTIC COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 907 Shore Road, Somers Point, NJ WOMEN’S HISTORY PRESENTATION Learn more about women WWII veterans in this conversation with historian Patty Chappine, Adjunct Professor of History at Stockton and author of the upcoming book Women of New Jersey in World War Two. Wednesday, March 25th, 3:00pm ATLANTIC COUNTY UTILITIES AUTHORITY (ACUA) Delilah Rd., Egg Harbor Twp. Inside the Tent EARTH DAY @ ACUA The Atlantic County Historical Society will have a booth at the Earth Day EcoFair at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority’s annual event, which draws thousands of adults and children. Come out to see us and get acquainted with all that the ACHS has to offer. Sunday, April 25, 2010 10:00am – 4:00pm ATLANTIC COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 907 Shore Road, Somers Point, NJ Saturday, September 12th 7:00pm EVENING OF BLUE GRASS In conjunction with Somers Point’s Good Old Days, Saturday, September 12, 2015, The Clayton/Bennett Blue Grass music players will present Another Evening of Blue Grass. It will take place upstairs at the Atlantic County Historical Society as a fitting conclusion to your day of fun at Good Old Days. Be sure to get here early before their regular followers arrive and fill up the seats. This event will take place rain or shine. SAVE THESE DATES! Saturday, September 26th Phone: (609) 927-5218 ~ Email: ACHSinfo@comcast.net Ye Olde Flea Market @Greate Egg Harbor Township Historical Society Saturday, October 17 Atlantic County Historical Society Annual Luncheon @ Harbor Pines Golf Club. Thursday, October 22nd Visit our Facebook page - Newsletter available online @www.AtlanticCountyHistoricalSocietynj.org ACHS Hours: Wed – Sat: 10:00am to 3:30pm Parking & entrance in the rear of the building Newsletter Editor, Layout & Graphics : Ellen Hyatt Contributors to this Issue: Boscov’s “Friends Helping Friends” Day. Sid & Pat Parker, Freda Heintz, Diane Miller, Helen Walsh, Frank Ferry, Skip Bellino, & Charlene Canale In Memoriam Allan P. Eaves, Pleasantville, NJ Need to Contact Us? Richard F. Veit, Galloway, NJ The Atlantic County Historical Society received an operating grant from the Atlantic County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs. Atlantic Heritage 2 VOLUNTEER OF THE QUARTER We welcome young volunteers aged 16 or or older to the Atlantic County Historical Society. When they join us, we are somehow refreshed. When they leave us as their lives move forward, it is with the hope that we have helped promote within them a love of history which will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Matthew Canale, son of Heather and Timothy Canale of Egg Harbor Township, joined us in September of 2013 shortly after turning 16 to fulfill a requirement for the National Honor Society. His grandmother, Charlene Canale, who is the Society’s treasurer and program chairperson, was a big influence in his choice to volunteer with us. She had brought Matthew to visit our library and museum when he was young. One can’t miss how proud she is of her grandson’s involvement here. When asked what he has enjoyed most about his time at ACHS, he replied, “I like going through the old pictures. It’s not all the time you see old pictures of Atlantic City to see how much it has changed.” It is also rumored that he especially likes working with Sid Parker, our vice president. By volunteering on select Saturdays, Matthew was able to work around his studies at Egg Harbor Township High School where he plays baseball and is active in the school Media Club, Interact Club (for community service) and the Senior Ambassador Program which helps orient freshmen. As the baseball season gets underway, February 28th will be his last day with us. This will soon be followed by high school graduation and then he’s off to college. At the time of this interview, Matthew, who is now 17 ½, plans to attend either Rutgers University in New Brunswick or Montclair State University with a business-related major. “I’m going to miss working with everyone,” said Matthew. “Being a lot younger, it was nice to hear everyone’s experiences.” We wish him the best! This is one way to pay tribute to our many volunteers, for as a volunteer-run organization, we could not exist without their dedication and enthusiasm. If you think that you would like to join our volunteers, please contact us. The Atlantic County Historical Society is pleased to welcome our new members: William Rozell, Somers Point, NJ William M. & Rosemary Wallace, Ocean City, NJ Carl Baker, Naperville, IL Henry J. Hoffman, Silver City, NM AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU! Our thanks to the following friends and members for their generosity and continuing support: FRIEND: $1 - $49 Earl F. “Skip” Sutton, Sr., Ed & Charlene Canale, Marjory Standiford, John B. Roberts, Gary Giberson, Joan Berkey & Scott Smith, Tony Marino & Rosalia Valenti, James Foreman, Howard Gant, Thomas Kinsella, Lorraine Merryman, Marianne Caruso, John & Evelyn Rush, Phyllis Morris PATRON: $50 - $249 Edward T. Stephenson, Kenneth & Susan Goff, Elaine M. Pinfold, Anthony B. Musarro, Mary Ellen Turner, Ellen Hyatt, Donald Perry Diane Cordon, In Memory Of: Genevieve Sooy Jensen Sally Bridwell, In Memory Of: her grandparents, Dr. & Mrs. John Milton Sooy, SPONSOR: $250 - $1000 Farley Memorial Foundation Ronald C. Headley, In Memory of: Anthony Harris (“Harry”) Headley And…A special thank you to Susan Karibjanian, a new member from Greenville, DE, who purchased for the Society a new toner cartridge for the microfilm printer. Now she can continue to research her greatgrandfather, James Cimino, former Atlantic County Sheriff, with the assurance that she can print out articles from our newspapers on microfilm and others can benefit from her generosity! Atlantic County Historical Society Governing Board President: Richard Squires Vice-President: Sid Parker, Jr. Recording Secy: Barbara Perry-Silva Treasurer: Charlene Canale Asst. Treasurer: Pat Parker Financial Secretary: Ellen Hyatt Librarian: Assistant Librarian: Diane Miller Curator: Joan Frankel Asst. Curator: Kevin Little Historian: Diane Bassetti Chaplain: Rev. Norman Goos Trustees: Diane Bassetti, Skip Bellino, Ben Brenner, Sheryl Collins, Frank Ferry, Richlyn Goddard, Freda Heintz, James Mason,V, Donald Perry, Ruth Taylor, & Helen Walsh. Atlantic Heritage 3 Library Accessions Diane Miller, Assistant Librarian Accession# 2014.101 2014.110 2014.111 2014.112 2014.113 2014.114 2014.115 2014.117 2014.118 2014.119 2014.134 2014.135 2014.136 2014.137 2014.138 2014.139 2014.140 2014.141 2014.142 2014.143 Source / Description Gift of Unknown Donor: Report - The Sindia. Gift of Deborah Mayor: 39 Photos - Hurricane of 1944, Atlantic City. Gift of Mary Beth Ortzman: Book - The West Jersey Pioneer of Bridgeton, NJ, Marriage and Death: Nov. 1852 - 1859. Gift of Dorothy Lodovico: Paper - Orphans Court Division of Lands of Nicholas Sooy 1821. Will - Nicholas Sooy, Burlington 1823. Inventory - Joseph Sooy 1813. Gift of Alvin Brown: Photo - Robert Cordery holding Charles 1911. Gift of Edward Stephenson: 2 V-Mail Letters addressed to Mary Stephenson. Gift of Richard Squires: Photo - Central Methodist Church. Newsletter - Atlantic County Recycles, ACUA 2014. Atlantic City Expressway Celebrating 50 Years 1964 - 2014 Magazine - Egg Harbor Township, 2014 Community Guide Calendar - Compliments of Firefighters Museum on Southern New Jersey 2014 Newspaper - Atlantic City Expressway Celebrating 50 Years 1964 - 2014 Gift of Diane Miller: Newspaper clipping - A Hunt for Old Jersey. Photos - Re: Simon Lake home and exhibits in Milford, CT, 5 pages. Gift of Frank Ferry: Map - Absecon Island 1926. Purchase: Book - Nova Caesarea. Gift of Linwood Historical Society: Photos - Ocean Highway 1922-23, four 8 x 10, in frame. Poster - Aero View of Atlantic City, 1909. Map - Parkway Survey Map. Map - Atlantic City, copyright 1900. Map - Atlantic City, 1877. Map - Atlantic City, 1904 A H Mueller. Photo - Diving Horse. Photo - Panoramic View of Atlantic City Skyline. Archival Storage Boxes. Gift of Charlotte Kemp: Four boxes and three bags of books, ledgers and files from Atlantic City and other fire departments and railroads. Book: Along Absecon Creek Gift of Mary Beth Ortzman: Book - Down Jersey: From Bayshore to Seashore. Gift of Robert D. Warrington: Photo - Connie Mac, umpire of softball game in Atlantic City. Gift of Edith Delcher: Four hats, ledger book from M. E. Blatts, various magazines. Gift of Linwood Historical Society: Photo - Board of Chosen Freeholders Atlantic City 1948. Photo - Atlantic City High School 55th Annual Commencement 1933. Deed - John Cambern to Wesley Ingersoll 1880. Deed - William Smith to Greensbury Cannon 1838. Deed - William B Smith to Henry Somers 1852. Book - Atlantic City Manual, Official Blue Book 1910. Book - County of Atlantic 1982 Manual. Directory - Atlantic County Services Directory 1982. Brochure - Emory Ty Helfrich Day 1949. Illustration - W. Somers Roundabout, Patented Jan. 3, 1893. 7 Microfilm Reels - Wreck of Sindia -see notes. Archive Set - US Patent Office, William Somers, Roundabout 1893, 6 pages Newspaper clippings - Sentinel Ledger 1988. Five paste board binders. Museum items: Prohibition Ticket for David Johnson and Official Ballot for County Assembly 1893. Black box with sticker: Jacob Shilling. Gift of Warren Gager: 3 Caulking tools used by William Cavileer of Port Republic. 2 Shucking implements used by William Cavileer of Port Republic. Plate - St. Paul's Methodist Church. Books: Sketches of Old Port Republic.; The Mullica. Gift of Wayne Meeks: 15 Photos - Atlantic City Electric. Gift of Susan Genova: Book - Ocean Lifeguard by Bob McNesby. Gift of Ocean City Historical Museum: Oil painting - Lyman M. Law. Wallet - Ezra Lake. 11 Diaries - John Lake. Books: The True Americans Text Book; Guide to the Passaic Falls, Patterson, NJ.; Golden Hymns.; New Testament.; Autograph Book 1884. Box of Letters and clippings, ephemera. Letters to Ezra Lake. Scrapbook - 12 x 14" blue. Photo Album 11.5 x 15" black. Photo Album 11.5 x 15" white. Photos and Tin Types. Wooden box. Award Metals: Local Union No. 842; Local Union No. 213.; American Red Cross Service. Atlantic Heritage 4 150th Anniversary of The Civil War By Skip Bellino UPDATE ON THE WAR: JANUARY 1865 – MARCH 1865 On January 5, 1865, contrary to all actions so far by President Lincoln, he issues a pass of safe conduct through the Union lines to James W. Singleton, an official, unofficial emissary of the Confederate government. The purpose of this pass is to allow Singleton to conduct the start of peace negotiations between the two governments. President Lincoln is convinced that peace cannot be negotiated under the conditions previously set forth by the Union. However, the issuance of the pass does indicate Lincoln’s “nod” at the effort. Later this month, Francis Blair, a prominent politician, meets with Jefferson Davis in Richmond for another round of peace negotiations that are not sanctioned by President Lincoln. However, on this occasion, Blair suggests to Davis that the North and South put aside their differences long enough to join together to force the French out of Mexico. The impetus here is the desire to enforce the Monroe Doctrine. Not surprisingly, neither Lincoln nor Davis approve of this action. Davis does however, promise to send a representative to Washington in February to attend the now famous “Peace Conference” that would be held on the 3rd. After protracted discussions, Jefferson Davis convinces Robert E. Lee to become the General in Chief of all the Confederate forces. I think even at this time, Lee sees the futility of continuing the War and sees himself being set up to be responsible should the end be in fact near. General William T. Sherman continues his march up the eastern seaboard through the Carolinas with the ultimate plan to meet up with the forces of General Ulysses S. Grant. While his present goal is to attack Goldsboro, he feints toward Charleston to confuse the Confederate troops under the command of General Joseph Johnston. On January 31, 1865 the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution passes in the House of Representatives by a vote of 119 to 56. The amendment must still be ratified by the states and requires a ¾ majority to become the law of the land. Illinois leads the ratification process by becoming the first state to ratify the amendment on February 1st As promised, President Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton meet with Confederate emissaries Alexander Stephens, the Vice President of the Confederate States of America; Robert Hunter, President pro tem of the Confederate Senate; and John Campbell, Assistant Secretary of War, on board the River Queen anchored off Hampton Roads. After many hours of discussion, the two sides still find themselves miles apart on what they would insist upon as terms for ending the War. In the meantime, the siege of Petersburg continues with the Army of the Potomac under the command of General Grant stalled with no real progress taking place. Sherman on the other hand is going through the Carolinas like a warm knife through butter. On February 15th, Sherman’s troops cross the Congaree River and turn both wings of his army toward Columbia. On February 17th, Sherman’s army takes control of Columbia. By mid-afternoon the next day, the city had been abandoned by Southern troops and reduced to a smoking ruin by the marauding Sherman army. Sherman has been reported to have said, “This is where this war started, and this is where this war will end.” Early March finds General Philip Sheridan continuing his campaign eastward with the ultimate goal of meeting up with Grant at Petersburg. On March 25th, General John B. Gordon CSA, attacks Fort Stedman and completely takes Grant’s army by surprise. The Confederates easily overrun the Union troops and capture the Fort. It is not without cost however, with the Union losses at 1200 killed, missing or wounded and the Confederate losses at over 4000 killed, missing or wounded. The Federals however, reorganize and counter-attack and drive the Southern forces back to where they started. While later, Grant denies that his army was surprised by the attack, it seem the evidence says different. General Sheridan has now arrived in Virginia and has rendezvoused with General Grant and the move of both armies to the Appomattox area has begun, setting things up for the final major battle of the American Civil War. In the next installment, we will cover the official surrender by Lee to Grant, and Johnston to Sherman. Also we will have the assassination of the President at Ford’s Theater on April 14, 1865. Atlantic Heritage 5 CELEBRATING WOMEN VETERANS DURING NATIONAL WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH March is National Women’s History Month, an opportunity to acknowledge and thank women who have made personal and professional sacrifices to serve our country during time of war. For most Americans the history of women in the military consists of stories about Molly Pitcher or female spies of the Civil War. But the stories and the contributions of women are much more extensive than that. Thanks to the Library of Congress Veterans History project many of the real life stories of women are now being collected and preserved. As more and more women respond to the call of duty in our present day military, those stories will only grow. While we honor and thank all those who have served, we would like to shine the spotlight on several of the World War II women veterans whom we have interviewed. Helen Neidinger of Ocean City, NJ was born in Elsworth, Pa in 1919 and, like many women of her day, chose nursing as her career. She joined the Army as an Army Nurse in 1942 serving aboard the USHS Charles A. Stafford. Her service included assignments in North Africa and the Pacific Islands including the Philippines. She met and married a soldier convalescing on the hospital ship. Upon her discharge in 1945 she had attained the rank of First Lieutenant. Her interview includes many photos and informational documents of her time of service. Selma Boudov was a 1939 graduate of Pleasantville High School (Selma Cowan) who joined the Women’s Army Corps without her parent’s approval in 1943. Commenting on her basic training Selma reflected “the discipline was great for me for the whole of my life. I attribute my longevity to the fact that I had a good army training and discipline.” Selma’s assignments covered many areas of administration and eventually returned her to her civilian career of broadcasting and all aspects of public relations where she excelled. Because of medical issues within her family she left the military in late 1945. She had attained the rank of Sergeant. Betty Steelman joined the WAVES in May 1944 and served until July 1946. After Basic Training in New York, Betty’s assignment was to the Personnel Department of the Navy located in Arlington Va. She replaced a serviceman assigned to active duty. Across the river from Washington DC, Betty was in the thick of wartime activities and close enough to visit the wounded servicemen at Bethesda Veterans Hospital and to be reminded of the cost of war. She has memories of the death and funeral of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Ada Marie McClinton, a native of Atlantic City, enlisted in the WAC’s after two years in college at Hampton Institute in Virginia. She served stateside at Laurenburg/Maxton AFB in North Carolina as Barracks Chief and Secretary to the Master Sergeant. This base was the training site for soldiers preparing to be shipped overseas. She was discharged with the rank of Corporal in late 1945. In her interview Ada reflected on how the military had widened her horizons and given her self-discipline and a strong work ethic. She was involved in political and community activities all her life. Frances Wyand, a native of West Virginia joined the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve in 1943 one of the “Blue Streak Platoon.” Her training was at Fort LeJeune, North Carolina where she was later assigned to “Free a Marine to Fight”. Frances spent her service years at Fort LeJeune as a Field Cook. She met and married fellow Marine William Wyand, an Atlantic City native, and upon the end of the war they returned to AC where they raised a family of nine children and Frances continued her career in Home Economics. Very proud of her service, Frances remained active in the Marine League until her death. We honor and thank these outstanding women and all their colleagues and fellow servicewomen. If you would like to learn more of the women who served in World War II join us on March 25 th for a conversation with historian Pat Chappine, author of the forthcoming book Women of New Jersey in World War II. The program will be held in the Atlantic County Historical Society library from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM. L: Elizabeth M. Steelman, US Navy (Waves). R: Frances Wyand, US Marine Corps. Atlantic Heritage 6 Library & Museum Spotlights Carol Raph, Librarian, Asst. Librarian, Diane Miller, Joan Frankel, Museum Curator A Mysterious Donation In the pursuit of tracking down a person’s ancestry, we often feel like detectives. Often, one clue leads to another clue leads to another…….A recent donation in the form of a tombstone set this whole process in motion. On this rather small stone is inscribed the words “J. Somers, Died Nov 28 1896.” That’s it. Deepening the mystery is the route it took before coming to us. We were contacted by Vince Jones, Director of the Atlantic County Department of Public Safety, Office of Emergency Management. The department had a grave headstone in their possession. Believing that it might be from one of the local Somers family, he asked if they could turn it over to us. In an email, he said its circuitous route began when the Hamilton Township Police had turned it over to the County Medical Examiner’s office where it remained for possibly 10 years or more. He added that the police had found it along with other missing and/or stolen items that were in the possession of some juveniles. It was thought that the juveniles might have acquired it along with other items during a scavenger hunt from the Somers family plot on Route 559. We accepted the donation and began the process of trying to give J. Somers an identity. Without knowing the deceased’s first name or whether we were looking for a male or female, we hoped that the date of death might link him or her to a family in our genealogy and cemetery files. Even with a team of our most able researchers working on this, however, our records have not yet relinquished a clue. Not willing to accept defeat, we turned to FamilySearch.org, where we found a record which opened the door in its “New Jersey Death and Burials, 1720-1988” collection. It was for a Jacob Somers, male, who died 26 Nov 1896 in Egg Harbor Twp., Atlantic County, NJ, at age 85. He was born in the US in 1811, and was recorded as white and single. With this date of death only two days before the date on the tombstone, had we found our J. Somers? U.S. Census records for 1850, 1860 and 1870 have recorded a Jacob Somers who lived in Atlantic County with two different families (the Browns and the Jeffreys). In all three censuses, though his estimated birth year ranges from 1820 to 1828, he worked as a laborer, did not appear to be married, could not read and write, and was described as “deaf and dumb.” These latter characteristics would have limited Jacob’s ability to communicate, leaving others to guess about the details of his life. Professional researcher, Ann Boldt, found a death record at the Trenton, NJ, State Archives which closely matches the information cited on familysearch.org. Her findings are: Found a death report for Jacob Somers, d. 26 November 1896; age unknown (about 80 yrs.)occupation, None; Single; birthplace and last place of residence, Egg Harbor Twp.; place of death, Atlantic Co. Almshouse, Egg Harbor Twp.; father, unknown, b. unknown; mother, unknown, b. unknown; cause of death, Suppression of [remaining 5 words not legible], General Asthenia; burial, Alms House Cemetery, Egg Harbor Twp., Atlantic Co., NJ. Source: 1896-97 Atlantic County Death Certificate, Drawer 755, Place 1, Certificate S17, Microfilm 160 (Trenton, NJ: State Archives) [Asthenia is defined as a loss of energy and strength.] Though our findings don’t place our J. Somers within a family, it looks like we found our man. If anyone else has information which would add another piece to this puzzle, you are welcome to send it to achsinfo@comcast.net. Howard Gant, a life member of ACHS, has a request: “In the course of my genealogy research I have joined the "Guild of One-Name Studies" in England. One of my family names is Leeds (Thomas and Daniel) and I have been in touch with Everett Leeds, of Surrey, England. who is handling the English Leeds research. They are doing a Leeds family DNA research project and asked if I knew any male Leeds who would participate in this project. They are trying to establish the relationship between the Leeds in England and the Leeds in America. I am asking for any male Leeds to contact Everett by e-mail to find out about this project. everett@leeds-family.co.uk ” Atlantic Heritage 7 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 164 Pleasantville, NJ 08232 907 Shore Road Post Office Box 301 Somers Point, New Jersey 08244-0301 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED ANNUAL YEARBOOKS ARE OUT! Our Mission: To collect and preserve historical materials exemplifying the events, places, and lifestyles of the people of Atlantic County and southern New Jersey. To encourage the study of history and genealogy. To provide historical and genealogical information to our membership and the general public. Atlantic Heritage 8