Edison First Day Brings High Price! - New Jersey Postal History ...

Craig Mathewson ~ A BIT OF HISTORY ON A POSTCARDA BIT OF HISTORY ON A POSTCARDBy Craig MathewsonCape May was the premier 19th century seaside resort in southern New Jersey, and manyfine hotels were built to accommodate the visitors. Some were destroyed by spectacular blazes,but among those which survived to suffer the fate of demolition was the Stockton, a sprawlingfour story edifice built on the oceanfront at the east end of the City in 1869. It survived for 42years until it disappeared from the scene in 1911. 11911 postcard night view of the Hotel Stockton, Cape May, NJ.A postcard with a night view of the hotel to a friend in Moorestown, N.J. bearing a July12, 1911 duplex handstamp documents the month of demolition and provides details from theperspective of a nearby property owner.The message reads:“This hotel is being torn down now. Not many years ago it was the hotel of this place,but now it looks like a huge empty barn. We live right across from it and we find it veryinteresting to watch the workmen. The part between the two x [sic] is nearly torn down. We livein the direction of the arrow.”A bit of (postally related) history preserved for present day collectors!Vol. 33/No. 2NJPHWhole No. 15873May 2005