Absecon Island
Encyclopedia
Absecon Island is a barrier island
located on the Jersey Shore
of the Atlantic Ocean
in Atlantic County
, New Jersey
, USA
. On the island (from north to south) are the resort communities of Atlantic City
, Ventnor
, Margate
, and Longport
. The island ends at Absecon Inlet
to the north and Great Egg Harbor Inlet to the south.
who earned their living clamming and oyster
ing. Land there was bought not for farming but for control of the waterways. The name Absecon came from the word "Absegami" or little water, named by the Native Americans
living along Absecon Creek.
In 1695, Thomas Budd purchased 10,000 acres (40 km²) of land in what later became Atlantic County. He paid 4 cents an acre ($9.88/km²) for land on which Atlantic City now stands. It was called Further Island (further from Absecon) and later called Absecon Beach and finally became Atlantic City.
Jeremiah Leeds was the first permanent settler on Absecon Island in 1785. He came from Leeds Point to Absecon Island when it was a complete wilderness. He built a cabin of cedar logs and cleared a field where the Atlantic City Expressway
now ends in Atlantic City. The block called Columbus Plaza was part of the Leeds farm. Most of the homes in Atlantic City until 1854 were built by descendants of Jeremiah Leeds. Jeremiah's son Chalkey S. Leeds became the first mayor of Atlantic City in 1854 and his youngest son, Robert, became the first postmaster of Atlantic City.
In 1819, Dr. Jonathan Pitney went to Absecon to set up his medical practice. His visits to Absecon Island convinced him that the island had the climate ideal for a health resort. He was instrumental in convincing the municipal authorities that a railroad to the beach would be beneficial. He has been called the "Father of Atlantic City".
The first beachwalk or "boardwalk
" in Atlantic City was completed in 1870 by Simon Luchs Wescoat. Because of its success as a resort, a second railroad was built in 1877. Fifty-four miles of track was laid in record time - 98 days.
s, hurricanes and other coastal storms. The United States Army Corps of Engineers
is undertaking a project to construct an approximate $63 million beach and dune system along the 8.1 mile oceanfront of Absecon Island.
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
located on the Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
of the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
in Atlantic County
Atlantic County, New Jersey
-National protected areas:* Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge * Great Egg Harbor Scenic and Recreational River -Demographics:...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. On the island (from north to south) are the resort communities of Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
, Ventnor
Ventnor City, New Jersey
Ventnor City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey on the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 10,650....
, Margate
Margate City, New Jersey
Margate City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 6,354.Margate City was originally incorporated as the borough of South Atlantic City by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on September 7, 1885, from portions of Egg Harbor...
, and Longport
Longport, New Jersey
Longport is a borough in Atlantic County, New Jersey on the Atlantic Ocean shore of Absecon Island. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 895....
. The island ends at Absecon Inlet
Absecon Inlet
Absecon Inlet is a narrow strait on the southeastern coast of New Jersey in the United States.Absecon Inlet leads from the Atlantic Ocean through barrier islands in Atlantic County, New Jersey. Its southern shore is the north end of Absecon Island, on which lies Atlantic City, New Jersey...
to the north and Great Egg Harbor Inlet to the south.
History
Absecon's earliest European settlers were EnglishEnglish people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
who earned their living clamming and oyster
Oyster
The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
ing. Land there was bought not for farming but for control of the waterways. The name Absecon came from the word "Absegami" or little water, named by the Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
living along Absecon Creek.
In 1695, Thomas Budd purchased 10,000 acres (40 km²) of land in what later became Atlantic County. He paid 4 cents an acre ($9.88/km²) for land on which Atlantic City now stands. It was called Further Island (further from Absecon) and later called Absecon Beach and finally became Atlantic City.
Jeremiah Leeds was the first permanent settler on Absecon Island in 1785. He came from Leeds Point to Absecon Island when it was a complete wilderness. He built a cabin of cedar logs and cleared a field where the Atlantic City Expressway
Atlantic City Expressway
The Atlantic City Expressway is a , controlled-access toll road in New Jersey, managed and operated by the South Jersey Transportation Authority...
now ends in Atlantic City. The block called Columbus Plaza was part of the Leeds farm. Most of the homes in Atlantic City until 1854 were built by descendants of Jeremiah Leeds. Jeremiah's son Chalkey S. Leeds became the first mayor of Atlantic City in 1854 and his youngest son, Robert, became the first postmaster of Atlantic City.
In 1819, Dr. Jonathan Pitney went to Absecon to set up his medical practice. His visits to Absecon Island convinced him that the island had the climate ideal for a health resort. He was instrumental in convincing the municipal authorities that a railroad to the beach would be beneficial. He has been called the "Father of Atlantic City".
The first beachwalk or "boardwalk
Boardwalk
A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
" in Atlantic City was completed in 1870 by Simon Luchs Wescoat. Because of its success as a resort, a second railroad was built in 1877. Fifty-four miles of track was laid in record time - 98 days.
Beach reclamation
As a barrier island, the beaches of Absecon Island are continuously affected by erosion, particularly in the event of nor'easterNor'easter
A nor'easter is a type of macro-scale storm along the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada, so named because the storm travels to the northeast from the south and the winds come from the northeast, especially in the coastal areas of the Northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada...
s, hurricanes and other coastal storms. The United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
is undertaking a project to construct an approximate $63 million beach and dune system along the 8.1 mile oceanfront of Absecon Island.