A Look Back At Double Trouble State Park's Rich History

TOMS RIVER, NJ - The Ocean County Historical Society is offering "Double Trouble Village: A Window Into the Pine Barrens Industries," a look back at the historic park in Bayville on Feb. 25.

The State Park Service's historic resource interpretive specialist will present a slideshow and discuss the park's colorful history at 2 p.m. at the Historical Society at 26 Hadley Avenue in Toms River.

The Delaware Indians were the first to call Double Trouble home. Edward Crabbe, who came to Double Trouble from Brooklyn in 1903, liked what he saw.

The tract was already a working sawmill and lumber operation. Crabbe bought roughly a thousand acres of swamp land, reservoirs, tea-colored streams and wetlands in 1904, primarily for lumbering. The sawmill came with the sale. Crabbe began cutting down the prized Atlantic white cedars in the swamps to sell to shipbuilders.

But as the marshes were gradually cleared of cedar, Crabbe decided to focus on cranberries. The family farmed the acreage for decades and Double Trouble became one of the largest cranberry operations in the state by the early 20th century.

Members and friends can experience what life was like back then. The century-old buildings in the park are now part of the Double Trouble State Park's Historic District.

Professional Development Certificates will be available for New Jersey school teachers who attend the program. Refreshments will be served. To reserve your seat, call the historical society at 732-341-1880. There is no admission fee, but donations are welcome.

Photo: Double Trouble's last cranberry harvest, by Patricia A. Miller