When most people think of Ocean Grove, they view it as a religious community, a retirement community, a town filled with Victorian architecture or they recall the Sunday Blue Laws. While all of these are a part of the history of Ocean Grove, the community has a rich and diverse historical significance in the development of the United States and New Jersey. It is the goal of the Historical Society of Ocean Grove to make the public aware of this diverse history through our Outreach Programs.

Through participating in various events throughout the State, such as the Annual Archives and History Day, sponsored by the Monmouth County Archives at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters in Manalapan, NJ or the NJ League of Historical Societies Meetings around the state, the HSOG hopes to bring about awareness of Ocean Groves significant past. The HSOG is also striving to establish relationships with libraries, educational institutions and other historical agencies for the purpose of sharing research information and presenting historical and educational programs. Along with this the HSOG hopes to provide interpretive and informational programs to various social groups which have a direct bearing on the history of Ocean Grove.

The late 19th and early 20th Century was a time before radio, television, movies and the internet. When a person or a group wanted to make their causes known to the public they went on speaking tours. Ocean Grove was a major international stop on these speaking tours. The Grove has been host to such well known luminaries as Dr. Booker T. Washington, who spoke on the issues of African-American Civil Rights and the Education of the African-American in the United States or Dr. Anna Shaw, an ordained Methodist minister and physician, who spoke on temperance issues, woman's suffrage, and advocated peace. Other speakers of note at Ocean Grove included Alice Paul, chair of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), who was an advocate of Women’s Civil Rights and Suffrage, and largely responsible for the passing of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote; “God's Image Carved in Ebony” Amanda Berry Smith, an African Methodist Episcopal (AME) evangelist, who was a major supporter of the Temperance Movement and worked to found orphanages for African American Children orphaned by the Civil War as well as found AME Churches world wide and Labor Reform Activist Frances Perkins, who would later become the first female Secretary of Labor under Franklin Roosevelt.

The HSOG welcomes inquiries on the various Outreach Programs available. For more information contact the HSOG at 50 Pitman Avenue Ocean Grove, NJ 07756 732.774.1869 or e-mail us at info@onceagrovehistory.org.