Ocean City's Early History and Founding

Ocean City's Early History

• Deep waters around Ocean City provided refuge for warships.
• Naval battles occurred off the coast; the HMS Delight, a British brig, was captured by Americans in 1779.
• Ocean City officially founded in 1879, but the Miller family settled there in the early 1850s.
• Parker Miller worked in marine insurance, protecting insurers' interests in wrecked vessels. He also farmed and raised cattle.
• Miller purchased land on Asbury Avenue (between 7th and 8th streets) in 1867.
• The Lake family played a pivotal role in Ocean City's founding as a Christian summer resort.

The Founding of Ocean City as a Resort

• In 1897, the Lake brothers and William Burrell, accompanied by clergymen, held a conference on Peck's Beach (the island's original name), seeking divine guidance.
• Simon Lake (father of the Lake brothers) mortgaged his farm for $10,000 to support the resort's creation.
• William Lake (cousin) surveyed the resort's streets.
• The island was officially named Ocean City.

The Sindia Wreck

• The Sindia, a four-masted bark, wrecked near 16th Street on December 15, 1902, during a gale.
• The ship's hull and cargo (estimated at 200,000−200,000-200,000−1,000,000) remain buried.
• The Sindia, owned by the Anglo-American Oil Company, sailed from Kobe, Japan, bound for New York City.

Ocean City's Geography and Early Environment

• Ocean City is a 7.5-mile-long, 1-mile-wide island.
• Great Egg Harbor Bay and Thoroughfare Sound border the west and northwest sides; Corson's Inlet borders the south, and the Atlantic Ocean borders the east.
• Early Ocean City was heavily wooded (Red Cedar, Holly, Willow, Magnolia, Sassafras, Persimmon, Pine, and Gum trees).
• Peck's Beach (the island's original name) had large grass areas in the 1700s, used for grazing cattle that were swum or waded across from the mainland.
• Cowpens Island (near the 9th Street Bridge) is named for the cattle that grazed there.

Whaling and Early Settlement

• Peck's Beach was a significant whaling site from the early 1700s to the Civil War.
• Whalers used the island to process whale carcasses for oil.
• Many early settlers were whalers; John Peck had a whaling operation on the beach.
• Whaling declined in the 1800s due to reduced whale populations.

Indigenous History and the Revolutionary War

• The land (now Cape May County) was originally acquired from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans through deceptive means.
• The Lenni Lenape lived off hunting, farming, and fishing.
• Great Egg Harbor Bay served as a safe haven for ships from both the British and Americans during the Revolutionary War.

Explore the fascinating early history of Ocean City, from its naval significance during the Revolutionary War to its establishment as a Christian summer resort in the late 19th century. Learn about key figures like the Miller and Lake families who played critical roles in its development. This quiz will take you through pivotal moments that shaped this coastal town.