USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > History of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Pt. 2 > Part 65
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As our plans became known, however, others wished to unite with us, and we were earnestly desired so to extend our enterprise as to include all who songht similar relief from the heavy cares of professional or business life. Yielding to this request, a meeting was held on the 22d day of December, 1869, in thic Trinity Methodist Episco- pal Church, Trenton, N. J., of which the lamented Lawrence was then pastor, and an association, consisting of thirteen ministers and thirteen laymen, was formed, and a charter soon after ob- tained from the New Jersey Legislature, under the following title : "The Ocean Grove Camp- Meeting Association of the Methodist Episcopal Church." The following paragraphs precede the charter :
" Recognizing the beauty of the Scripture declaration ' The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof,' and being especially impressed with the propriety of having a portion of the land skirting the sea consecrate 1 to sacred uses, we whose names are hereunto annexed, with a single cye to the divine glory, and in humble dependence upon our Heavenly Father's aid, do hereby solemnly covenant together to use cer-
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tain land which has been providentially com- mitted to our trust, for these high and holy purposes. And we further declare it to be our design to keep these lands a perpetual oblation upon Christ's altar, enjoining the same duty upon those who may succeed us. To this end we mutually pledge our Christian honor."
The by-laws deelare the objects of the asso- ciation to be as follows : "To provide for the holding of camp-meetings of an elevated character, especially for the promotion of Chris- tian holiness ; and to afford to those who would spend a few days or weeks at the sea-shore an opportunity to do so at moderate eost, free from the temptations to dissipation usually found at fashionable watering-places."
Any surplus funds remaining to the eorpora- tion after defraying the necessary expenses for improvements or otherwise are to be devoted to such benevolent objects as may be determined by the association at its regular meetings.
1
The names of the twenty-six original mem- bers of the association, each of whom paid twenty-five dollars to constitute a fund with which to eommenee our work, are found in the charter in the following order: Ellwood H. Stokes, Ruliff V. Lawrence, George Hughes, William B. Osborn, David H. Brown, John S. Inskip, William H. Boole, Benjamin M. Adams, Alfred Cookman, Adam Wallace, John H. Stoekton, Aaron E. Ballard, William Frank- lin, Robert J. Andrews, Joseph H. Thornley, George W. Evans, Christopher Sickler, George Franklin, Samuel T. Williams, William Mana- han, John Martin, George W. Cheeseman, James Black, Oliver L. Gardiner, Gardiner Howland and William F. Jordan. From the original twenty-six, a board of officers was eleeted, with the Rev. E. H. Stokes as president. He immediately felt, in assuming the duties of the office, that a great work had been under- taken, and said that inasmuehl as all the mem- bers of the association had their eallings, which absorbed their time, it was a necessity, in view of the magnitude of the enterprise, that the superintendence of the work upon the grounds should be the undivided business of some one person. So all felt. It was then proposed to seeure from the New Jersey Conference the ser-
vices of Rev. W. B. Osborn as superintendent, which being done, the work commenced.
The ineipient movements were to clear a part of the Grove from underbrush, stake out the lots, and secure, as soon as possible, a hundred subseribers for lots at fifty dollars each. This was soon done, and on the 1st day of June, 1870, the subseribers eame to claim their prop- erty. It was mutually decided that the choice should be sold at auction. The first choice brought eighty-six dollars, and was paid by James A. Bradley, Esq., now of Asbury Park, for the lake lot (still vaeant) lying between W. L'. Breek's and the cottage of Rev. B. M. Adams. The premiums for lots on the ocean- front ran down as low as one dollar, and lots bought there for fifty-one dollars have since, in some instances, been sold as high as fifteen hundred dollars. The aggregate of premiums on that day amounted to fifteen hundred dollars, which was thought to be a great sueeess.
The price of lots then advaneed to seventy- five dollars, then to one hundred and twenty- five dollars, and finally to two hundred and fifty dollars. After this other purchases were made by the association ; but the whole land question in connection with Ocean Grove has a history, which, if ever written in full, will be found to possess an interest amounting to more than romanee, because thrilled with faets that pushed ns out often to the erumbling verge of despair, and unless relief had come from God, must sooner or later have involved some of us, though innocent and pure in these transactions as the first-born son of light, in irretrievable disaster, if not utter ruin. But to the trusting heart there never yet was a Red Sea of diffi- eulty that some Moses was not found ready and able to smite and divide the waters. So here. After eighteen months of weary watching, working, waiting and praying, till hope began to grow sick with the long delay, it was found that our title to a part of our lands, for which we had paid five hundred dollars, and on the strength of which we had surveyed our prop- erty, sold lots, and on which cottages had been built, was worthless! but could (as a special favor to us !) be made perfect by the payment of seventeen thousand dollars more. The
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
whole Ocean Grove property, consisting of about two hundred and sixty-six acres, was acquired by the purchase of ten different tracts, for which ten deeds had to be given. To vali- date these deeds required ninety-two signatures, but in the transfer (several different partics being interested in the ' same tract) some of the names had to be obtained as many as four times, and each time with increased difficulty. The actual number of different owners was forty- four. The following are the names of the parties from whom the grounds were bought :
· Britton White.
James A. Bradley. Helen M. Bradley.
Caroline White.
Theodore Fields.
James White.
Sarah Fields.
Sarah White.
James Fields.
William C. White.
Charlotte Hubbard. Susan Borden. Hannah A. White.
Andrewetta S. Brinley. Goyan Drummond.
Joseph White.
Divine Algor.
Sarah E. White.
John E. White.
William Thorne.
Youmans B. White.
Martha A. Thorne.
Henry White.
William Swanton.
Elizabeth White.
Ann Swanton. Russell White.
Charles Rogers. Mary E. Rogers. William Fields. John Sickles.
William W. Jeffrey. Jane Jeffrey.
Borden W. Sandford.
Deborah Sandford.
Henry Fields.
Benjamin White.
Ruth Ann Fields.
Jennie White.
Jacob Fields.
Frances Corlis.
Helen R. Russell.
Martha C. Corlis.
And when it is remembered that these were scat- tered through different States, some minors, others in peculiar mental conditions, and all to be consulted, and such arrangements made with them as the almost endless variety of circum- stances and views of the case demanded, the ad- justment of the questions at all seems to us nothing short of divine interposition. The chief human agent in unraveling these entangle- ments was D. H. Brown, E-q., treasurer of Ocean Grove Camp-Meeting Association, whose patience in the matter has only been equaled by the intense desire he lias felt to see all these questions brought to a satisfactory end.
The water question was in the beginning, one of great anxiety. There was plenty of water in the sea, in the lakes-all around-but · what should we do for water to drink ?
There were no springs, no living fresh-water streams. The prospects were discouraging. Sunset Lake seemed to be the most feasible source ; but that was too far off. Finally, at- tention was called to the tube-pump, and it was thought it might work here. It was tried, and up to this time, with the hundreds of pumps now upon this ground, has proved a tri- umphant success Better water, with a supply less likely to fail, hardly exists perhaps upon the continent.
After the 1st of June, 1870, lots were fairly in the market, and there were sold that year three hundred and seventy-three. During that year the first cottage was built-corner of As- bury Avenue and Kingsley Place-by H. Y. Lazear, then of Warwiek, N. Y., now of Chi- cago. In the winter, Messrs. Fuller and Hay- wood built, and in the spring of next year, Thornley, Stetson, Stokes, Mrs. Duffield and Mrs. Hulse. At the close of the year there were sixty in all.
The first camp-mecting held on these grounds commenced on Tuesday, July 26th, and closed on Friday night, August 5, 1870. It was well attended, the weather was delightful, the order perfect, and the influence, from its in- ception to the close, heavenly and divine. To accommodate this meeting, and that of 1871, tents of the Round Lake Camp-Meeting Asso- eiation, numbering nearly one hundred and fifty, were hired, at an expense of five hundred dollars, with the additional cost of transporta- tion from Round Lake and back, together with the wages, traveling expenses and the board of an overseer sent with them. After these meet- ings tents were purchased, and the association now owns a great number of them.
" It is important now," said President Stokes, " to eall even more special attention to the ob- ject of this organization-and it is a pleasure to me to say that it is pre-eminently religions. All the members of our association must be mem- bers of the Christian Church. An act that would expel them from the church expels them from our association. All our business meeting- commenec and end with religious services. . . . Our rules, which have been the subject of much comment, especially by those who never read
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Drummond White.
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them, we have published, and ask all to study. They are simply a mutual protection-not more for us than for you. If we sold our lots in fee- simple rather than by lease, you might have something offensive next to your cottage, which you have built for a pleasant summer retreat. If we allowed the transfer of a lot without our approval, you might soon be annoyed with most offensive neighbors. If we allowed the indis- criminate occupancy of cottages during the win- ter months by any who may chance to get the privilege, the danger from fire would be greatly inereased, and the little summer adornments of your property might soon be destroyed by chil- dren and others who have little or no interest in the place. As it is, we allow no one to stay during the winter unless they are known to be proper and responsible persons, and there are good reasons why they should remain. When this is clearly shown, there have never been refusals for any to remain.
" The next rule that has called forth remark is that requiring our gates closed on the Sab- bath. On this we simply say we are a religious place and a religious people. To open our gates on the Sabbath would disturb the outside world, make a great deal of unnecessary travel, break up congregations in the country for miles around us, and so unsettle us inside that one of the primary objects of our association-viz .: quiet- ness and rest-would be defeated. I have just to say that with thoughtful people onr Sabbath regulations are one of our chief attractions, and there is no human probability that these rules will ever be revoked. All our other rules are so obviously simple and reasonable that they do not even need a passing remark from me."
On the 31st of July, 1875, at the sixth anni- versary of the first religious meeting held upon these grounds, there was erected, as commemo- rative of that event, in connection with the an- niversary exereises in Memorial Park, a " Mes morial Vase," at a cost of a little over one hun- dred dollars. The vase is of iron, and stands about eight feet high. It is designed, not siin- ply as commemorative of the first religious meet- ing held upon these grounds, but as the mem- bers of the association die, their names will be
inscribed upon the marble panels found upon the several sides.
The panel facing Main Avenue has inseribed upon it :
OCEAN GROVE CAMP-MEETING ASSOCIATION
OF THE
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. ORGANIZED DECEMBER 22, 1869. " HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD." ERECTED JULY 31, 1875.
On the panel faeing west is inscribed :
IN MEMORIAM : ALFRED COOKMAN, RULIFF V. LAWRENCE, GEORGE FRANKLIN.
Since 1875, when, at the anniversary meet- ing, President Stokes delivered the address em- bracing the history of the place down to that time, as above given, Ocean Grove has had a very great increase of population and import- ance, as will be seen by the account which fol- lows:
The religious services and ceremonies at Ocean Grove are held chiefly in the open air, in the great Auditorium, and in the Janes Memorial Tabernacle, there being but one regu- larly organized church, and one (prospective) church edifice in the place.
The Ocean Grove Auditorium, as it now stands, has a capacity (including platform and camp-chairs) for seating about five thousand people. Its present location was fixed in 1870 by Rev. W. B. Osborn and the Rev. E. H. Stokes. Then a covered platform was erected, with a cupola, which contained a small bell. Pine plank were used for seats. These served for four years. In 1874 one hundred and fifty park settees were purchased of the New Jersey Conference Camp-Meeting Association at Pit- man Grove, N. J. In 1875 a substantial frame, seventy-five by one hundred feet, was erected, and covered during the season with pinc-boughs. It served for two camp-meetings, and in 1876 was roofed over and so used until 1880, when it was enlarged to one hundred and thirty-six by one hundred and forty-six feet, with outer posts eigliteen feet high and centre posts twenty-four fect high. The building thus enlarged covers nearly half an aere of ground.
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
Association Hall was erected in 1871. It is of brick, sixty-five feet square, three stories in height, with a basement. The corner-stone was laid March 24th. The association occupied its business office early in July following, and on the 1st of August the building was dedicated. It is occupied by the business office of the as- sociation, the post-office, the executive commit- tee rooms, the Library Association and commit- tee rooms. A large hall is on the second floor, which is used for religious services. The tower of the building contains a four-faced clock and a bell weighing twelve hundred pounds.
The model of Jerusalem was donated to the association in 1880 by the Rev. W. W. Wythe, M.D. It is erected on the plat of ground north of Ocean Pathway, between Central and Pilgrim Pathways. It was inclosed every win- ter to protect it from storms, until 1884, when it was permanently inclosed.
The Bishop Janes Memorial Tabernacle is a frame building, sixty by eighty feet in size, having a capacity of seating one thousand per- sons. It was dedicated June 14, 1877.
ST. PAUL'S METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, at Ocean Grove, was organized in 1874, with the Rev. H. B. Beegle as pastor. His succes- sors have been L. La Rue, 1875 ; W. Abbott, 1876-77; W. Barnhart, 1878-79 ; E. H. Stokes, 1880-82; Dr. W. W. Wythe, 1883; J. D. Westcott, 1884.
The Ocean Grove Association, in October, 1874, donated the land on which the church was erected and one thousand dollars to the building fund. The corner-stone was laid Au- gust 1, 1875, by Bishop Scott. The church was completed and ready for use May 28, 1876, and was dedicated by the venerable Bishop Ed- mund S. Janes, August 1, 1876. The building cost about eight thousand dollars. It was used until sold to the school district of Asbury Park, in the spring of 1882. From that time ser- vices have been held in Association Hall. The society has purchased a large plat of ground on Embury and New York Avenues, facing on Embury Avenue. The corner-stone was laid December 2, 1884. Owing to the cold weather, the exercises were held in Association Hall. The
Rev. W. W. Moffat, presiding elder of this dis- trict ; the Rev. Dr. E. H. Stokes, president of the Ocean Grove Camp-Meeting Association; the Rev. Dr. Benjamin C. Lippincott, of Long Branch ; the Rev. Messrs. George W. Bancroft, Samuel Dillingham and Samuel Jaquet, of Ocean Grove; and the Rev. William Franklin, of Ocean Beach, took part in the services. The congregation marched to the new lot, where Presiding Elder Moffat laid the corner-stonc. The church will be a frame edifice, and cost about twenty thousand dollars.
In West Grove a chapel, thirty by fifty fcet, was erected in 1883 at a cost of seven hundred dollars, where religious services are held and a. large Sunday-school is taught. It is under the care of St. Paul's Church.
The following is a summary of the services held at Ocean Grove in the season of 1884, and is a fair showing of every year's services : There have been during the season : addresses, 574 ; memorial services, 7; original poems, 3; young people's meetings, 62; holiness meetings, 75; sermons, 59; Sabbath-school sessions, in- cluding three divisions-primary, intermediate and Bible elass, 10; surf meetings, 10; chil- dren's meetings, 9; Bible readings, 7; special experience meetings, 19; Women's Temperance Union, 13; love feasts, 3; service of song, 3; twilight meetings, 11; stereopticon exhibi- tions, 2; lectures, 11; National Temper- ance Convention meetings, 14; New York Conference Temperance meetings, 4 ; chaplain reunions, 9; family devotions, 27; Young Men's Christian Association meetings, 3; Eliz- abeth, N. J., young people's day, 1; National Convention Methodist Seminaries, 1 ; Method- ist Episcopal historical day, 3; fourth of July celebration, 1; Ocean Grove anniversary, 1; anniversary prayer-meeting, 1; Lord's Supper, 2; consecration meetings, 11; helping hand, 14; Mrs. Smith's, 8; mothers' meetings, 7; re- vival meetings, immediately following the camp- meetings, 5. Total number of meetings, 419 : add to these all the addresses, sermous, etc .. and there is a grand total of nine hundred and ninety-four as the result of the summer services.
The Ocean Grove Association entered into a
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contract with J. P. L. Tilton and Stiles to run a line of stages between Long Branch and Ocean Grove. This line was continued until August 28, 1875, when the first railroad-train arrived at Asbury Park, and the stage-line was thus rendered unnecessary.
The water supply for the association grounds, prior to 1883, was obtained largely from the well in the cellar of the association building. In December, 1882, it was decided to make the experiment of obtaining water by means of an artesian well. As this was the first artesian well sunk on the shore, its progress is here de- scribed, as given from the report of the president in 1883. In reference to the need of water for fire and sewerage purposes, he says :
"To meet these requirements, an Asbury Park and Ocean Grove Water Company was organized two or three years ago, consisting of the best business men of both places. Numerous meetings were held, plans discussed, explorations made, money expended, and the result was that, after various efforts and delays, the company dissolved.
"Some of us at Ocean Grove held tenaciously to the thought that the water supply was beneath our feet. In this faith, the matter was brought before our last annual meeting (1882), and the projeet of sinking a test-well was favorably received, and referred to the executive committee with power. At the next execu- tive committee meeting, held December 5, 1882, D. HI. Brown reported that Mr. H. C. Safford, of Brooklyn, N. Y., would sink a well six inches in diameter, sixty feet deep, just south of the ice-house, for $6.50 per foot. It was then decided to do the work at an ex- pense not exceeding three hundred dollars. Deeem- ber 21st, it was decided to bore one hundred feet, if necessary. The weather continuing unfavorable, the work was not eommeneed until February, 1883. At the executive committee meeting, March 7th, there being no signs of procuring water at the depth of one hundred feet, it was resolved to bore fifty feet deeper. At the meeting, April .11th,still boring through impervious blue clay, a letter was received from Pro- fessor Cook, State geologist, accompanied with geologi- cal charts, urging us to proceed, with assurances that we would find water at the depth of two hundred and fifty feet. The order wasgiven to bore two hundred feet. At the session of the semi-annual meeting, May S, 1883, the depth of two hundred feet had been reached, and the same seemingly unending, stiff, almost rock- like, impenetrable blue clay continuing, the board of administration awaited further orders. Already fifteen hundred dollars had been expended. To stop now, with the probability of being in the immediate viein- ." ity of water, would be not only an actual loss of that ! the efforts to pass the obstruetion were continued.
amount, but a diseouragement to all future efforts. It was therefore resolved to go fifty feet furtlier, and still on, at the discretion of the executive committee. When the committee met, on the 16th of June, the deptli of two hundred and seventy-five feet had been reached, and still stiff, blue clay. The prospeets were not encouraging, but there was a deep and abiding conviction that we were on the line of water. The board was therefore authorized to go twenty-five feet deeper,-fifty feet, if found necessary,- indeed, to go on until water should be found. At two hundred and eighty-five feet a thin stratum of sand and shells was reached and a slight flow of water. It was like an oasis in the desert to the swollen feet and blistered lips of weary travelers. All hearts were jubilant, and faith increased a hundred-fold. The boring re- commenced, and after passing about seven feet through the sand, without inerease of water, the same kind of stiff, blue clay was again reached, which continued with but slight variations, involving toil, extending to weeks, and even montbs, expensive and testing faith and patience, to the last extreme. Many said, 'You will never find water.' And so we sometimes almost felt ourselves ; but never quite losing eourage, kept on, until at last we adopted, as a kind of watch- word, ' Water or China.' Finally, through the oak land soils, through the pine land soils, through the upper marl bed, through the red sand bed, through the lower marl bed, at a depth of four hundred feet, laminated sands, according to the geological survey of Professor Cook, were reached, and we were in the water region. We thanked God and took courage ; but our troubles were not at an end. The flow of wa- ter was small, and the difficulties in the way of de- veloping the well were many. A four-inch iron pipe, four hundred feet long, was sunk to the bottom of the bore, and held there with eement. An inch and a half iron pipe, four hundred feet long, was placed in- side the four-inch pipe for the purpose of foreing water down by means of a steam-engine, to wash out the sand and form a eavity at the bottom. The experi- ment was not at first sueeessful. The small pipe met an obstruction, and would not go to the bottom, the machinery broke, the men became discouraged, almost demoralized. D. H. Brown, the treasurer, was inees- sant in his efforts to devise, eneourage and help in the manipulations in all possible ways. Mr. Safford brought all his large experienee to bear to insure sueeess. Nothing was left undone. A week passed without much progress. Messrs. Brown and Safford were in constant consultation. All were intensely interested. To fail now would be not only failure to us, but a blight to all the efforts to secure water along the New Jersey coast. We were laboring for others as well as ourselves. Friday, August 10th, arrived. A last effort was to be made to sink the small pipe to the bottom. Mr. Brown and Mr. Safford tried all the morning, with but partial sueeess ; in the afternoon
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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
.
At three o'clock something gave way four hundred feet below, and in three minutes the small iron pipe sunk twenty fect through the sand, below the bottom of the bore. 'What does that mean?' was asked. 'It means we have reached the sand bed,' said Mr. Safford. Immediately, the steamer threw down a stream of water from Fletcher Lake, with great force, and a wash of sand and water came up, a cart-load or two, in fifteen or twenty minutes. In halfan hour the engine stopped, but the sand and water continued to flow of their own pressure. 'What does that mean ?' was excitedly asked. 'It means,' said Mr. Safford, ' that we have struck water.' The interest grew and intensified. We watched and wondered-wondered and watched-and as the water and sand continued to roll out, rising four hundred and twenty feet to the surface, of their own force, grew almost delirious with joy. Hope had so long been deferred, and the heart had so often been almost siek, that the realization of our long-cherished desire seemed more like a dream than real. Our first promptings were to sing the Dox- ology. Then we took a bucket and measured the flow. Again and again we measured, so as to be sure there was no mistake. Then we found a barrel of forty- three gallons, which was filled in just one minute. It was now six o'clock P.M., and the water had been flowing three full hours without abatement. We left it for the night. The news spread with great rapidity. Next morning the water was still flowing, and there were crowds to witness the scene and offer their con- gratulations. Another measurement was had, and the flow was increased to a barrel in fifty seconds. Multitudes in coaches and on foot flocked to the scene all through the day, for days together, and the joy was general. 'By actual test, it was found that the water would rise in pipes twenty-eight feet above the surface of the ground. At eighteen feet nine inches above ground, the flow was one barrel of forty-three gallons in two minutes and thirty-five seconds, and at sixteen feet three inches, in one minute and forty seconds. After a week or so, upon consultation, it was decided to lead the water of the well through iron pipes, one thousand feet across the turnpike, just north of the head of Fletcher Lake, inside of Ocean Grove proper, and form a fountain, so that all passers along the high- way could see it, until such time as we shall deter- mine how best to utilize the flow. This was done, and on Sunday morning, August 25th, the first waters of the fountain flashed in the sun."
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