By

Marjorie Edelson and Kay Zimmerer

In 1849, the Township of Ocean—then composed geographically of land along the Atlantic from Sandy Hook to Shark River and west to Neptune and Tinton Falls—was officially separated from Shrewsbury Township. Consisting of scattered farms and small villages surrounding occasional inns, mills, and general stores, the newly formed jurisdiction contained what would later become the dynamic shore communities of Long Branch, Asbury Park, Neptune, Deal, Allenhurst, Interlaken, and Loch Arbour. The lands now known as the Township of Ocean were originally developed from wooded countryside in the 1600s into farmlands, but the area has since become home to summer cottages, mansions, and suburban neighborhoods in modern times. As the township prepares to celebrate its 150th anniversary in 1999, it boasts a diverse and vibrant assortment of gracious residential communities and thriving commercial sections. This marvelous new photographic history was compiled to honor the hard-working and dedicated citizens who have lived and labored together over the years in the Township of Ocean.