Jersey Shore
Spotlight on:
Jersey Shore
THE EARLY DAYS OF JERSEY SHORE by Lou Bernard
“ Excuse me,” says the confused tourist passing through.“ I need some help. I thought I was in central Pennsylvania, but I just saw a sign saying the Jersey Shore is a couple of miles away. Where am I?” I’ ve fielded this question more than once. Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania has been causing this sort of confusion since 1785.
The first settler there was Reuben Manning, who lived on the land of his nephew, Thomas Forster, who’ d received a warrant for the land. Forster lived nearby, on an island in the Susquehanna. Both of the men were from New Jersey, and people began referring to the place, informally, as the“ Jersey Shore.”
In 1805, Manning laid out a community that he named“ Waynesburg,” after General Mad Anthony Wayne. Wayne, a Revolutionary War general, is best known for having two graves, one on each end of Pennsylvania. Most of the community names involving the name“ Wayne” come from him, including nearby Wayne Township, Clinton County.
Nobody ever called the place Waynesburg, however. That was the official, formal name, but it somehow never exactly stuck. Everyone ignored it, and referred to the place as“ Jersey Shore.”
The borough grew, and attracted some business and industry, including a hotel, tannery, blacksmith, tailor, shoemaker, and a hat shop.“ History of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania,” by John F. Meginness, also lists a doctor, jeweler, cabinet maker, and conveyancer, whatever that is.
In 1826, the borough was incorporated. But by this time, nobody was even pretending anymore. The name of Waynesburg was abandoned, and the community was officially named“ Jersey Shore,” a name that has stuck ever since.
Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania: Confusing travelers for almost two hundred years!
- Lou Bernard is a local writer and can be reached at loulhpa @ gmail. com.
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