Grace is spending the Summer at Asbury Park – 1908

Asbury Park, the small city on the New Jersey shore, was developed by entrepreneurs from New York City as a residential resort in 1871.

Because the large Methodist Camp-Meeting community of Ocean Grove was located nearby, the town was given the name of Francis Asbury, pioneering Methodist Bishop.

Also due to the proximity of the popular Camp Meeting, the new town of Asbury Park remained “dry”.

This was an attraction to many families on the East Coast who were hesitant to embrace the appearance of hedonistic pleasure-seeking, in seaside resorts.

One of the advantages of Asbury Park was the accessibility of railroad transportation near the community.

The decline of the railroads and the building of the highways and parkways for automobile traffic contributed to a period of decline of Asbury Park.

(The ebb and flow in the fortunes of this community are recounted in the article linked in the Comments.)

On August 1, 1908, Grace mailed a postcard photograph of Asbury Park to Mr. William Weinhold of Ephrata, PA.

Ephrata is a picturesque borough in Lancaster County, about eight miles northeast of the city of Lancaster.

Grace reports, “I am having a lovely time. I don’t think I will be home before September”.

One hopes that Grace enjoyed her summer holiday and that William was not overcome by envy of her long vacation.