OCEAN COUNTY – Officials, minute men and red coats all gathered recently in front the County Courthouse where the Toms River Blockhouse fight led to the capture of Captain Joshua Huddy during the American Revolution in 1782.
Ocean County Commissioner Virginia Haines said the county “joins a national movement to commemorate this important milestone in our history as we approach many 250th anniversaries including the American Revolution and the birth of our nation in 2026.”
Haines serves as chairwoman to the Ocean County Department of Parks and Recreation. “Ocean County is so very proud of its heritage and history and while Ocean County may not have been an independent county 250 years ago, we still played a role in the Revolutionary War,” she added.
There were several speakers at the event including Lynda Nolan, Regent of Joshua Huddy National Society Daughters of the American Revolution and Charlie Morgan, President of the New Jersey Society of Sons of the American Revolution (NJSSAR) who spoke about the dedication the organizations have to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future through better education for children.
Ocean County Historian Timothy Hart and Ocean County Historical Society President Jeff Shanker both explained the historical significance that Ocean County had during the early years of America breaking away from Great Britain.
Members of the New Jersey Fifes and Drums provided period music dressed in costumes representing the time period. Students from Toms River High School South provided historical readings, and members of the First New Jersey Loyalists were in attendance.
“Ocean County (then part of Monmouth and Burlington counties) played a crucial role during the War,” Michael T. Mangum, director of the Ocean County Department of Parks and Recreation said.
He added, “in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War, the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the writing of the Constitution, we are joining the State and Federal governments in moving forward with events recognizing these milestones.”
In the next several years, Ocean County will be highlighting Revolutionary War events that took place in the County. That includes the Pulaski Massacre in Little Egg Harbor, where privateers helped turn the war in favor of the patriot cause.
