Ocean County , NJ History

Tuckerton Beacon, 18 Mar 1920: Mrs. A.E. Mathis is spending some time with relatives in Atlantic City. She was called there on account of the sudden death of her brother and has the sympathy of many friends. Rev. L.V. Brewin and family left for their new appointment at Imlaystown on Saturday morning. Mr. Brewin has served the M.E. Church very faithfully for four years and leaves with the best wishes of the whole community. Rev F.L. Jackson began his pastorate here last Sunday, preaching both morning and evening. We believe him to be a conscientious preacher and worker and extend our best wishes for a successful year. Mrs. Charles Pendleton and children, of Lakewood, are visiting the former's parents, Capt. and Mrs. Jos. Hickman. Miss Margaret LeMunyon, of Atlantic City, visited her brother during the week. Mr. Russell Loveland visited his family last week. Mrs. Rebecca Cramer has returned home after spending some time with friends in Manahawkin and Tuckerton. Arthur Lovelan

From the Tuckerton Beacon, 11 Dec 1975 Mrs. Olive Bozarth, 87, formerly of Maple st., New Gretna, died Dec 5 at Ocean Point Convalescent Center, Somers Point. She was born in New Gretna and lived there most of her life. Her husband, Delvin, died 14 years ago. Among here survivors are a daughter in law, Mrs. Dorothy Bozarth. Burial was from the Wood and Kedz Funeral Home, Tuckerton on Dec. 9 and interment was in Hillside Cemetery, New Gretna.

From the New Jersey Courier 21 Nov 1930: County detective Ellis Parker is making efforts to identify the remains of a man found in the woods in a swamp near New Gretna on Thursday. The discovery was made by two gunners, Raymond Jeffries and William Gill, of Pleasantville. The man had been dead a long time, ad only a skeleton remained. Death probably occurred before the forest fires last spring. The bones were charred by the forest fire and nearly all the clothing destroyed. Clues that might lead to an identification are meager: a pair of rubber boots, gold rimmed spectacles, tooth brush, safety razor, had and leather belt.

Early Bass River consisted mainly of large farms owned by the Mathis, Cranmer, and Allen families. There was no town as we know it today. The first area to be called Bass River was the present Pilgrim Lake Campground-Fir Bridge area. A sawmill and the old Bass River Hotel were built here before the Revolutionary War. The hotel housed a post office, tavern, and stagecoach stop on the much traveled stage road from Tuckerton to Philadelphia and was an important landmark in the area for many years. It closed in 1855 as a result of the town center shifting two miles down Allentown Road, now North Maple Avenue, to New Gretna. [above passage quoted with author Pete Stemmer's permission from the Bass River Gazette, October 1998}]

From the New Jersey Courier 21 Nov 1930: County detective Ellis Parker is making efforts to identify the remains of a man found in the woods in a swamp near New Gretna on Thursday. The discovery was made by two gunners, Raymond Jeffries and William Gill, of Pleasantville. The man had been dead a long time, ad only a skeleton remained. Death probably occurred before the forest fires last spring. The bones were charred by the forest fire and nearly all the clothing destroyed. Clues that might lead to an identification are meagre: a pair of rubber boots, gold rimmed spectacles, tooth brush, safety razor, had and leather belt.