DIFFICULTY
UPDATED FOR SPRING/SUMMER DUE TO HIGH TRAFFIC & VISIBILITY!!!
USE EXTREME STEALTH DUE TO MUGGLES
The cache you
are looking for is a "Nano-Cache" and is cleverly hidden. While you
are searching for the cache please be sure to enjoy the views of
the Sandy Hook / Raritan Bay and the New York skyline. This is a
beautiful harbor and the downtown area of Atlantic Highlands is a
short walk away and a perfect place to browse the shops or grab
some coffee.
History Of
Atlantic Highlands
The Borough of
Atlantic Highlands, once known as Portland Pointe, was originally
part of Middletown Township. During the late 1800’s, the pleasant
climate together wit the rolling hills bordering on the Raritan Bay
appealed to a number of investors. In 1879, a surveyor was engaged
to lay our roads and lots for a permanent community.
The Atlantic
Highlands Association was formed by prominent members of the
Methodist Church. This organization developed the community of
Atlantic Highlands. Individuals and groups came from New York City
and the surrounding vicinity to camp along the water in tent
colonies. An outdoor amphitheater was created with a large seating
capacity and outstanding acoustics. An indoor auditorium was
built, which was utilized for entertaining visitors at the camp
meetings.
In 1887,
Atlantic Highlands was incorporated as a Borough, containing 1.2
square miles of prime real estate bordering on the Raritan Bay. The
major construction occurred from the 1880’s trough 1900. It
included hotels, cottages, rooming houses, and private homes. A
substantial pier was built extending well into the bay to
accommodate steamboats from New York City. The next twenty years
saw rapid development within the community A water and sewer system
was constructed, cottages were erected, and the road system was
completed. During this period of development a strong and effective
fire department was organized, which is today a well-respected
organization within the Borough.
A number of
churches saw their beginning in the 1880’s: the Central Baptist,
First Presbyterian, Saint Agnes Roman Catholic, First Methodist,
and Saint Paul’s Baptist Church.
Steamer
service was a major source of transportation during the formation
of the Borough, through the 1940’s. The Central Railroad of New
Jersey built a major pier at the end of First Avenue. Several
trains at a time could continue to the end of’ the pier to off load
steamboat passengers. From the teens through the forties, the
steamers “Sandy Hook” and the “Monmouth” navigated the waters
bringing businessmen and vacationers to Atlantic Highlands. In the
1890’s, rail service came to Atlantic Highlands. This opened up
Highlands and points south to vacationers. The 1920’s saw
twenty-six passenger trains daily passing through the
Borough.
Some of the
names that played a major part in the development of Atlantic
Highlands were: Thomas Henry Leonard (businessman developer, first
mayor), E.G. Martin (builder), Nimrod Woodward (master mason,
builder of the Stone Bridge), George F Laurie (businessman), and
Rev. James E. Lake (Pastor of Atlantic Highlands First Methodist
Church, promoter of Atlantic Highlands).
Many famous
people lived in Atlantic Highlands or were associated with the
Borough. Simon Lake, considered by some to be the father of the
submarine, tested his craft the ‘Argonaut Jr.” in Atlantic
Highlands. The New York Herald reported the testing in the January
8, 1895 issue. In the 1890’s, Charles Payne Sears, a prominent
watercolor artist, resided in the Borough. His works were exhibited
in the national portrait gallery in Washington D.C. Corwin Knapp
Linson, an artist and illustrator also resided in the borough from
the twenties through the fifties. The scene at the baptismal within
the Central Baptist Church is a Linson rendering. And, anyone who
bought the Sunday Daily News in the forties and fifties recalls a
full page of cartoons in the comic section created for many years
by resident artist, Reamer Keller.
The creation
of our municipal harbor took place from 1938 through 1940. This
harbor was built with municipal, state, and federal funds; the
Atlantic Highland’s Lions Club supplied the vision and
determination. Today, the municipal harbor is the largest on the
East Coast, home to 715 craft including high-speed ferry service to
New York City. In 1962, the existing Central Railroad of New Jersey
pier was destroyed by fire. In 1992 high-speed ferry service was
introduced into our Borough. Today, eleven runs a day leave
Atlantic Highlands for the “city.”
It is
interesting to note the names that appear in the directories of the
1890’s. These same names populate the Borough and run businesses m
the community today. The bungalows on the East Side of the Borough,
which in the twenties were summer bungalows, are now year- round
homes. The Victorian homes remain a reminder of our glorious past.
The waterfront is alive with activity as it was in the 1890’s,
welcoming the recreational boater.