Thomas P. Farner

This is the sixth in a series. The 1969 murder of two college girls in the woods near milepost 31 on the Garden State Parkway grew cold. Rewards, artist renderings and tips from the public went nowhere, as the nation moved on. Man landed on the moon, the country’s bicentennial was celebrated, hostages were held in Iran, and gas prices […]

This is the final part in a series. The story that began Memorial Day weekend 1969 when two college girls, Elizabeth Perry and Susan Davis, were brutally murdered near milepost 31 on the Garden State Parkway has never been solved but has repeatedly been revived. In the late 1980s following the execution of notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, his psychologist […]

This is the second in a series. Most people think of July 4 as the date when the United States was born. If so, then it marks the end of a long and complicated pregnancy. By May 1776, what had started as a protest to British policies began to change. On May 15, John Hancock signed an order issued by […]

This is the eighth in a series. Some celebrate the Fourth of July, others Independence Day. Are they the same or distinct holidays? During the winter of 1776, as most people only thought of a future break with England, others saw it as only a beginning to something much larger. In March of that year, Abigail Adams wrote to her […]

Independence Day 1826 was set to be the biggest celebration in the nation’s history. In the 50 years since the Declaration of Independence, it had survived wars with England, France and the Barbary pirates. It had prospered and expanded, adding states and the entire Louisiana territory, making its boundaries the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The opening of the Erie Canal brought the wealth of the Midwest to the East Coast.

This is the fourth in a series. One of the reasons New Jersey’s war at the shore has been so underreported is that we want to make the Revolution a simple case of the good patriots vs. the evil British army. Unfortunately, when you look at the events, the issue is much more complicated by adding colonist against colonist. One […]

This is the sixth in a series. In August 1776, both sides were preparing for the climactic battle that would determine the fate of New York City. George Wa

Try to imagine Long Beach Island with no Barnegat Lighthouse. The billboard at Southern Regional High School would have only words, mailboxes on the Island

This is the second in a series. The story of why and how Barnegat Lighthouse is still standing in 2026 has had many twist and turns. In 1926, just as its supporters were celebrating their victory by having the federal government turn possession over to the state, new challenges emerged. Like all good shore stories, it starts with a nor’easter. […]

This is the third in a series. The story of why Long Beach Island can still call itself the home of Barnegat Lighthouse is one of twists and turns. In April 1926, the Newark Star Call explained. “The Henlopen lighthouse, long since abandoned by the government and undermined by the sea, last week toppled over into the water. The same […]