Ocean County, New
Jersey Resource Page.
As a New Jersey Contractor, we have found that throughout
the years the following list of Ocean County Resources have come in
handy during may facets of our construction business. So if you are
looking at a project that includes
construction of a:
New Home, Detached Garage, Room Addition, Porch, Patio, Deck, Screen
Enclosure, Driveway, Sidewalk or maybe your looking at a Complete Renovation
or Restoration project these links could be an invaluable resource to your
construction project. Resource Lists provided here by New Jersey Contractor. |
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Ocean County, New Jersey
Main Links
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An Overview of Ocean County, New Jersey
Ocean County is located in the Atlantic
Coastal Plain in central New Jersey. The County is the second largest in the
State in terms of size and one of four New Jersey counties which border the
Atlantic Ocean. Toms River, in Dover Township, serves as the County Seat and is
centrally located within Ocean County. The County is in close proximity to
two of the Nation's largest metropolitan centers, New York City
approximately 60 miles to the north and Philadelphia roughly 50 miles to the
west. In addition, Atlantic City is located approximately 50 miles to the
south of the County Seat. These metropolitan areas are easily accessible to
Ocean County via several major highways, as shown on the Regional Location
Map.
Although Ocean County has been settled since colonial times, its presence as
a separate political entity is of relatively recent origin. The County was
created from lands divided from Monmouth County in 1850. For much of its
early history, the County was a rural, agricultural and fishing center.
During the latter part of the 1800's and through the 1900's, the resort
industry of the New Jersey Shore was developed, and the commercial
activities associated with seasonal resorts quickly became the County's
economic mainstay.
In the early 1950's, there began a nationwide trend towards suburbanization
as people moved outward from the older urban centers into previously
sparsely populated or rural areas. The opening of the Garden State Parkway
in 1954 permitted access to a large amount of undeveloped and inexpensive
land within commuting distance of the labor markets of New York and northern
New Jersey. The County also became a desired location for people who wanted
to retire away from the more industrial areas to the north. A primarily
rural County with a population of 37,675 in 1940, the County's population
increased to 433,200 persons by 1990. As evidenced by each of the decennial
Censuses during this fifty year period, Ocean County was the fastest growing
county in the State. Almost all of this growth was due to in- migration,
rather than the natural increase of the population.
Development in Ocean County has traditionally occurred along the coastal
beaches and in the corridor formed by the Garden State Parkway and US Route
9. Major interchanges along the Garden State Parkway have encouraged
development along east-west corridors, such as County Routes 526 and 528;
State Highway 37 and State Highway 72. Interstate 195 is a relatively new
highway which is playing an increasing role in the development of the
northern portion of the County. The Interstate provides direct access to the
major employment areas of Trenton, the State Capitol, to the west and
Monmouth County to the northeast.
With the growing year round population, Ocean County's economic base has
become increasingly diverse, with a variety of industries now supplementing
traditional tourist related businesses. The growth in employment
opportunities within Ocean County is now becoming as notable as the
population growth was in the recent past. Over the last ten years, Ocean
County has had one of the fastest increases in new jobs in the State. The
Health Care Industry has been by far the fastest growing employment sector
and is now the top employer in the County. Employment projections released
by the NJ Department of Labor show that Ocean County will continue to be at
the forefront of New Jersey employment growth well into the next decade.
Despite the large growth in population and employment, Ocean County
maintains a vast amount of protected open space which will ensure the
balanced land use of the area in the future. Much of the area west of the
Garden State Parkway contains large tracts of State Parks, Forests and
Wildlife Management Areas. In addition, approximately 20,000 acres east of
the Parkway are protected under the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife
Refuge. The Barnegat Bay and Little Egg Harbor, which stretch nearly the
entire north-south length of the County, were recently added to the US
National Estuary Program and will be the subject of continuing environmental
protection efforts. In the northwest portion of the County, active farmland
is being preserved through the County Farmland Preservation Program. To
date, over 1,580 acres of productive farmland have been preserved just
outside of New Egypt, in Plumsted Township. In addition, the Ocean County
Parks Department maintains an active capital program for parkland
acquisition and development to ensure that a variety of recreation
opportunities are in close proximity to residents throughout Ocean County.
As always, the coastal beaches of Ocean County are foremost among the
County's attractions and continue to draw thousands of seasonal visitors to
the area each year.
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A History of Ocean County, New Jersey
In the mid-1800s, Joel Haywood, a Methodist minister and former state
assemblyman from West Creek in what is now Eagleswood, believed that the
citizens in the southern part of Monmouth County — now Ocean County — were
being treated unfairly by the county Board of Freeholders.
Dominated by Democrats, the board seemed to favor the more affluent northern
part of the county. As a member of the Whig Party (soon to be succeeded by
today’s Republican Party), Haywood and Whig freeholders from lower Monmouth
County wanted more funds for public works and other expenses of their towns.
So in 1849, Haywood wrote a letter asking the state Legislature to make the
lower part of Monmouth a separate county. Based on his letter, the Assembly
passed legislation to create a county extending from the Manasquan Inlet to
the southern tip of Long Beach Island.
Introduced in the Senate by William G. Hooper, a friend of Haywood’s and a
fellow Whig, the bill passed by one vote. On Feb. 15, 1850, the governor
signed the charter creating Ocean County, New Jersey’s 20th county.
Toms River, the largest village in the area, was chosen to be the county
seat. Haywood had been elected to the Assembly in 1842, and in 1850, he was
elected again to the lower house to represent the new county.
In 1853, Haywood ran for governor and lost by a narrow margin. A founder of
the Ocean County Republican Party, he was a delegate to the Republicans’
first national convention in 1856.
Haywood was born on Dec. 9, 1798, in West Creek.
Trained by his father to be a blacksmith, he preferred to read. Tall and
lanky, he was an eloquent speaker.
Haywood married Lydia Pharo in 1821 and they had eight children. After her
death in 1842, he married her niece, Mary Ann Pharo, with whom he had four
daughters.
As a young man, Haywood volunteered to rescue shipwreck victims and to
conduct funerals for and bury those who did not survive. Appalled by the
loss of life, he joined with William Newell, a member of Congress, to secure
support for legislation to establish the Life Saving Service, which later
became the Coast Guard.
He helped to build the West Creek Methodist Church, was a trustee of the
church, and served as its pastor for 40 years.
Haywood died on May 29, 1865, and is buried in West Creek Cemetery.
By MARY ALLSOPP
Mary Allsopp is a retired Brick school teacher and a volunteer at the Ocean
County Historical Society.
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Ocean
County Municipal Web Sites
Barnegat Light
Barnegat Township
Bay Head
Beach Haven
Beachwood Borough
Berkeley Township
Brick Township
Dover Township - (Toms River)
Harvey Cedars
Island Heights
Jackson Township
Lacey Township
Lakehurst - (Borough of)
Lakewood Township
Lavallette
Little Egg Harbor Township
Long Beach Township
Manchester Township
Mantoloking - (Borough of)
Ocean Gate - (Unofficial)
Ocean Township
- (Waretown)
Plumsted Township
Point Pleasant Beach
Point Pleasant Borough
Seaside Heights
Seaside Park Borough
Ship Bottom
Stafford Township - (Manahawkin)
Tuckerton
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The Ocean County
Directory includes listings for all departments of Ocean County
Government.
Main Page
About The County
Calendar Of Events
Complex Map
County Connection
Departments
Directions
Freeholders
Municipalities
Phone Numbers
Records & Forms
Schools |
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Business...
Bids & Contracts,
Regional Planning,
Tourism Links
Community...
Adoption,
Cities In The County,
Friends Of The Navy Lakehurst
County Employment...
County Employment,
Jobs,
Workforce Investment Board
Human/Social Services...
Human Services,
Missing Children,
Public Health,
Senior Services,
Ocean County Medical Reserve Corps: Volunteers Needed!
Newspapers...
Asbury Park Press,
Ocean County Observer,
Times Beacon
Justice/Law/Public Safety...
Corrections,
NJ State Police,
Prosecutor,
Sheriff
Real Estate/Land Use/Planning...
MLS Listings/Search,
NJHUD.com,
Regional Planning,
Real Estate
Visiting/Things To Do...
Arts & Culture,
Ocean County Historical Museums,
NJ Tourism, Pine
Barrens,
Recreation,
Shore Guide,
Ocean County Tourism Links
Utilities/Transportation...
Airports,
Bicycling,
Buses,
Ferry,
Garbage,
Roads,
Ocean Ride Transit,
Trains,
Utilities,
Water |
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Thank you from New Jersey Contractor. |
