May 15th

1952 – The Sentinel Ledger reported that the planned expansion for the Ocean City High School had been delayed. “Present indications are that the start of construction on the enlargement of the high school gymnasium and cafeteria will be delayed at least until July or August.”

May 16th

1933 – In Ocean City, Palmer’s Chevrolet had new 6-cylinder 1933 Standard Chevrolet Coaches for sale for just $550. An easy 12 – 18 month payment plan was available, as was home delivery. In addition to this, service bargains for the month included grinding and cleaning valves, adjusting distributor points, cleaning and adjusting spark plugs, cleaning and adjusting the carbonator, and adjusting the parking brake — all for just $6.50.

May 17th

1894 – The Sentinel Ledger reported that in Ocean City, “Mrs. Annie Ireland, the wife of ex-keeper Daniel Ireland, of the City of Almshouse has been taken into custody by Policeman Woodruff Saturday on complaint of the Reading Railroad officials. The woman who is about 35 years of age, is somewhat demented over religion and has for some time been under hallucination that she is under special divine protection. This has led her to travel along the railroad track and bid defiance to the warning shouts of engineers and the whistle of the locomotives. She has shown a remarkable fearlessness of the big machines that was the wonder of railroad men.”

May 18th

1996 – The Cape May Seashore Lines began operating. In January 1984, Tony Macrie leased 27 miles of brush covered railroad tracks from New Jersey Transit with a dream to begin operating trains over the Cape May Branch. In 1996, Macrie’s trains began running between Cold Spring and Cape May Courthouse. He had planned to offer service to Cape May City, but a barge struck the Canal Moveable Bridge in ‘93, delaying completion until June 1999. Macrie plans to eventually offer service between Cape May City and Atlantic City, connecting with the Atlantic City Line at Winslow Junction.

May 19th

1933 – “Ocean City and Wildwood are likely to receive extra business during the next few weeks, through the issuance of scrip by Cape May County,” The Sentinel Ledger revealed, “Tomorrow, it is expected, nearly $40,000 in scrip will be paid to employees and creditors of the county, who have been waiting for from six weeks to three months for their money. All employees will receive scrip, while those having bills against the county can receive their pay in scrip or keep on waiting for cash.” Scrip was primarily used in the U.S. to pay workers in cash poor areas such as mining towns or logging camps. Workers would receive scrip instead of cash and could use it at the company store instead of money. Depression scrip was issued because the banks had closed and money was not available.

May 20th

1812 – Richard Wescott, Sr. of Great Egg Harbor Township donated land and a meeting house in Mays Landing so that a church could be built. In 1849 a new Methodist Church was dedicated. In February 1888, the church was destroyed by fire. A new church was built and dedicated in February 1889. This church is still standing.

May 21st

1725 – Dr. Richard Collins was born in Ireland. He became the first physician of what is now Atlantic County and resided near what is now Smithville. Collins became a doctor before immigrating to West Jersey (now South Jersey). Although he was raised Roman Catholic, he quickly adopted the religion of his new home, becoming a Quaker. He also adopted the Quaker dress and dialogue. As medicine was not a paying profession, he established Collins’ Mills then married and had five children. He was 51 when the Revolutionary War began, but in spite of his age, he enlisted as a private. He both fought in battle and healed the wounded. When he died in 1808 at the age of 83, he had become a Methodist, the religion of his son who was one of the founders of Methodism in American.