From the New Jersey Courier, 3 Jun 1866: Barnegat is a pretty neat and thrifty village, handsomely laid out, streets running very regularly and nice pretty white cottages. Barnegat is somewhat noted as the residence of web footed individuals, who delight in following the water, and who possess a very creditable amount of public spirit. There is a Quaker Meetinghouse, also a Methodist one, in which nightly meetings are now held. There are two fine stores, kept by Gulick and Robbins and Bodine and Predmore. Gulick is one of your wide awake men, and always on the alert so much so, that the Freeholders made him County Collector. The business of the place is principally called on by these two stores, three hotels, billiard saloon, millinery shop, and a fancy goods and confectionery store and a post office. Blacksmiths and wheelwrights abound as well as a barber, and Sam the Sadler.