A Look Into The Past: A Snapshot Of Lacey Living In The 1800s

LACEY, NJ — Today, Lacey Township is quite the bustling area, with several big box stores, growing developments and more. For those new to the area, it's hard to imagine that this was ever anything else. But nearly two centuries ago, it was vastly different.

While Lacey Township became Lacey Township in 1871, it existed before that in the form of Union Township (which at one time or another, contained Toms River, Stafford, Barnegat and Waretown, too). But who was here then? What was it like? Let's take a trip back in time to discover what Lacey was like in the mid-to-late-1800s.

Life In The Pines

You may recognize these names: Forked River, Lanoka Harbor and Bamber. These were in existence even nearly 200 years ago, though not necessarily by the names we know today. Lanoka had been known as Cedar Creek among several other names throughout the years, and there was also a section called Good Luck, where Universalism was born.

If you lived in one of these villages, you may have been a shipbuilder, a woodcutter or perhaps you carried charcoal and bog iron from Ferrago Forge. This was the furnace operated by Revolutionary War General John Lacey (who died in 1814), where a pond was made at the spot where the three main branches of Cedar Creek flowed together. This is now Bamber Lake.

Reinvention, Again And Again

One thing to be noted about Lacey's history is that time and time again, the community reinvented itself. When one industry declined, the township picked up again and began a new one.

For example, while fishing and clamming have always been important to the region, did you know Lacey ran party boats as early as the mid-1800s? While you may associate this with the modern day, Lacey chartered party fishing boats nearly two centuries ago.

Another industry was hotels. The Lafayette House (founded by local and Ocean County's first sheriff, Joseph Parker), Parker House, Forked River House and Eno's Riverside Hotel were some of the important ones in Lacey. Sadly, many of these have since burned down.

The Riverside Hotel is one that burned down, but the Casino to the west is still there, though it's been altered. It's now the Captain's Inn.

Lacey Township, 2023

Today, in spite of the increasing development (both commercial and residential), vestiges of Lacey's past can still be found. Take a walk around Eno's Pond County Park and see where the hotel used to get ice. Murray Grove, the site where Universalism originated, is the site of a retreat center now.

And you can still find historical buildings throughout the township. Like The Old Schoolhouse - dating back to the 19th century, and now home to the Lacey Historical Society, which is filled with artifacts and displays and people eager to tell you about all of them.

Information in this article is courtesy of the Lacey Historical Society. For more information, visit their website.