10 Rare Photos From New Jersey That Will Take You Straight To The Past
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Kristen
Author
New Jersey has been through a lot in 2020 but we’ve been through a lot before and we always get back on our feet. As Robert Frost said, the best way out is always through. From dealing with submarine attacks during WWII to rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy, we’re survivors. We’ve also had some pretty great times in the Garden State. Let’s take a photo journey through time!
In 2010, Asbury Park hosted the world's largest zombie walk. There was also a blizzard in March, and Johnson & Johnson faced a backlash following a major recall of Tylenol, Motrin, and St. Joseph's aspirin.
We survived Y2K! Unfortunately, a much bigger problem was on its way. This was the last full year we were able to enjoy views of the Twin Towers. The photo here was taken on July 4, 2000. The New Jersey Devils won the Stanley Cup in 2000 and a 2008 opening date for Xanadu (now American Dream) was announced.
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The Karagheusian Rug Mill was featured in Bruce Springsteen's 1984 hit - My Hometown. The mill, located in Freehold, sat abandoned for years until it was converted into an affordable apartment complex in 2001. This is the building in 1990. Also in 1990, the Freehold Raceway Mall opened.
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Easterseals Camp Merry Heart in Hackettstown offers opportunities for recreation and social interaction to people of all ages with all disabilities. This is a snap of the camp in 1980. Also in 1980, the economy boomed but the number of young children living in poverty rose. Ronald Reagan won the presidency with 51.97% of New Jerseyans voting for him.
Wallpack Center was abandoned in 1974 when residents were forced out of their home so that a dam could be built. The dam was never built but the town was never the same. Here it is in 1970. Also in 1970, there were race riots in Asbury Park and the first black mayor of Newark (Kenneth A. Gibson) was elected. He was the first African American to win a mayoral election in a major Northeast city.
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Pictured is Route 18 in New Brunswick. Signed east-west in 1960, the road is now signed north-south. Also in 1960, John F. Kennedy was elected as the first Roman Catholic president of the United States. He won in New Jersey but only by .8 percent. This was the first election where all 50 states participated.
Harry M. Smith Chevrolet in Paterson was giving away this snazzy car in 1950. The dealership would later become a roller skating rink and the Paterson Recreation Center. The same year, Dr. John Northrup Shive of the Bell Telephone Laboratories invented the phototransistor. What is a phototransistor? An electronic switching and current amplification component which requires light to operate.
The first ever Tour of Somerville was held in 1940. The winners are pictured here. The Tour of Somerville is one of the country's most prestigious bicycle races and takes place over the course of 3 days. Bringing cyclists from across the world, it is held annually around Memorial Day. The same year, rock star Ricky Nelson and actor Joey Dee were both born in New Jersey.
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Pictured is Edgewater in 1930. Ninety years later, it's changed quite a bit. 1930 was also a big year for baseball. Russell Aubrey "Lena" Blackburne discovered ebb-tide mud from a tributary of the Delaware River near Palmyra that could coat the surface of baseballs to improve grip without damaging the ball's surface. This Garden State mud is still used to coat every MLB baseball.
100 years ago, Atlantic City was home to magnificent hotels like the Traymore (pictured), Malborough Blenheim, and Chalfonte-Haddon Hall. By the early 1980s, most had been demolished to make way for casino hotels and parking decks. Also in 1920, Atlantic City's Steel Pier opened and construction began on the Holland Tunnel.
Do you have a favorite decade? Share your photos and memories of New Jersey throughout the years in the comments. If you enjoy vintage photos, check out this list of New Jersey photos from the 1960s.
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