The island eventually known as Sea Isle was first purchased by Joseph Ludlam in 1692 for use as a grazing pasture. The island changed almost overnight when Charles K. Landis purchased it in 1880, intent on creating a seaside resort. After adding a railroad and hotels, tourists soon followed. The boardwalk hosted beach parties; clam bakes; and bicycle, sack, and even motorcycle races. Wedged between the Atlantic Ocean and the back bays, commercial fishing companies shared the waters with casual anglers. Recreational sailing, yacht racing, and sport fishing have long been popular with Sea Isle's year-round residents and visitors alike. Sea Isle City Revisited showcases the rich maritime and recreational history of this New Jersey coastal town.

The founder of Sea Isle City, Charles K. Landis, was a man of action. He had a dream of what the ideal seashore resort should be. In the 1870s, his dream began to take shape. It has been said, "Each age is a dream that is dying or a dream that is coming to life." This is the fascinating story of how Sea Isle City, located along the New Jersey coast in Cape May County, evolved. Sea Isle City is a pictorial tour of the founding and early history of this resort by the sea. Almost overnight the island town became accessible by railroad and by turnpike. Hotels and cottages appeared throughout the island. The Braca, Busch, Cronecker, Dever, Kehner, Pfieffer, and Rey families played a vital role in the growth of the town. Another family, the Hafferts, formed the Garden State Publishing Company, which contributed significantly to employment and economic stability. Commercial fishing became an important industry in the development of the town with the coming of the "Hatmen" at the beginning of the twentieth century. The influential people who shaped the community and countless other families, schoolchildren, and local legends are finally brought together in Sea Isle City.

Sea Isle City and Cape May- Wonderful imagery of the bays, the beaches, the beautiful sea, and city scenes. Sunsets and boats and festivities. The photographs in this book were captured from 2012 -2014 in Sea Isle City and Cape May.

In 1722, Seven Mile Beach, covered in red cedar and holly, bayberry bushes and beach plums, was acquired by the Leaming family, who used it for grazing and whaling. Long undeveloped, the southern portion of the island was sold to the South Jersey Realty Company in 1907. The Risley brothers sold bonds to support their vision of a seaside resort serving the wealthy of Philadelphia. Dunes were leveled, roads laid out, and basins dredged, creating the ideal vacation destination. Grand hotels shared space with workmen's cottages, and businesses sprang up to serve the crowds who flocked to Stone Harbor. The maritime ties of the community are evident in the long history of the Yacht Club of Stone Harbor, which traces its beginnings to as early as 1895. The clubhouse, built in 1909 and standing on its original site, is host to sailing and social activities throughout the year.