The "New Jersey Offers A Wealth Of History" Story

It was an ordinary day.  We have been traveling to the Jersey Shore since our children were small back in the mid-1970s.  Traveled to Sea Isle City for a few years and then decided to head to Ocean City, since the kids preferred the boardwalk experience.  Since they are grown with children of their own, we have spent time in Stone Harbor and Cape May.  All the towns have a different feel to them and all are enjoyable places to rent a house for a week or two during the summer or early fall. I recently read an article in "Travel Trivia" about New Jersey that told me a bit more about the state other than visits to the shore during the summer.  Thought I would share some of the really neat features about New Jersey so you too can appreciate the state that became the 3rd State of the Union on December 18th, 1787.

New Jersey was the 3rd State in The Union on December 18, 1787,

 The state has a rich history in the field of sports.  The first organized baseball game in the United States was played at Elysian Field in Hoboken, New Jersey on June 19, 1846.  Alexander Cartwright organized the first game and developed the basic rules for baseball in 1945 and founded the Knickerbocker Baseball Club of New York.  

The first organized baseball game was played in New Jersey.

The players traveled to Hoboken to practice for their first official game in October between the Knicker- bockers and the New York Nine.  The NY Nine crushed the Knicker- bockers 23-1 in four innings.  The first professional basketball game was also played in New Jersey on November 7, 1896 at the  Trenton Masonic Temple  between a team from Brooklyn YMCA and a team from Trenton YMCA .  The league paid each player $15 except the star player, Fred Cooper, who received $16.  Six teams formed the National Basketball League (NBL) two years later.  Today it is known as the NBA.  The first college football game took place at New Jersey College on November 6, 1869 between New Jersey College (later known as Princeton University) and Rutgers.  There were about 100 spectators at the game which was won by Rutgers by the score of 6-4.  The rules were far different  than what we know as college football today.  This game served as the genesis for the NCAA and NFL.  Another neat feature about New Jersey is that they have almost 800,000 acres of farmland.  Perhaps that's why they are known as "The Garden State."  

New Jersey if rich in farmland.

They have the most productive agricultural land in the United States based on having the highest dollar value per acre.  As we travel to the beach every year we pass farm after farm that is filled with different fruits and vegetables.  The State ranks as a top 10 producer in items such as cranberries, blueberries, peaches, peppers, spinach, cucumbers, squash and tomatoes.  

The state has more horses per square mile than any other state.

New Jersey also has more horses per square mile than any other state in the union.  The state offers tax breaks and subsidies to farmers who breed horses and offered prize money for horse races.  On our trips to the shore we pass the Cow Town Rodeo which has fields of horses that can be seen from the road.  Napoleon Bonaparte's brother lived near Bordertown, New Jersey.  Joseph Boneparte purchased Point Breeze and refurbished the home on the 1,800 acre property.  He lived in New Jersey until 1839 when he returned to Europe where he died five years later.  The official colors of the NJ flag are called buff and dark blue.   The colors were chosen when New Jersey adopted its flag in 1896.  The state chose those colors since George Washington had chosen the same colors for his regiments during the Revolutionary War.  

New Jersey is known as the "Crossroads of the American Revolution.

New Jersey is known as the "Crossroads of the American Revolution."  Major war battles occurred in New Jersey and George Washington spent more time in the state than any other location.  Washington's famous crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas night of 1776 played a big part in colonists escaping British Rule.  Today you too can cross the Delaware and walk through the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton and visit the nearby Trenton Battle Monument.  And, finally, when you are ready to leave New Jersey and need to refill your gas tank, remember that New Jersey is one of two states in the country that will not allow you to pump your own gas.  The state, along with Oregon, prefer to put others to work pumping gas for you.  It does offer jobs to many people who reside in those two states.  New Jersey is a beautiful state and we love their beaches.  And, it's only about three hours from our home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  But...this year our family decided to cancel our yearly trip to the Jersey Shore to avoid gettin ill.  Maybe next year, if all is well once again along the Jersey Shore.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.