North Cape May in Lower Township in Cape May County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The European Settlement of Cape May County
Photographed by Pete Skillman, May 19, 2024
1. The European Settlement of Cape May County Marker
However, it was not until the mid-1600s that whalers came from Long Island and New England during whaling seasons, then year-round in the 1680s, to establish the first settlement. It was located along the bay from this site north and known variously as New England Town, Cape May Town, Portsmouth. and Town Bank.
Settlement was encouraged by Dr. Daniel Coxe, London investor and Governor / Primary Landholder of West Jersey, who acquired 95,000 acres from the Lenape in 1688 "I have setled a towne and established a ffishing for whales which are very numerous about Cape May."
Development of the county accelerated in 1692, when Coxe divested to the West Jersey Society, Cape May County was established, and land was sold to whaler yeomen, coopers, carpenters, blacksmiths, weavers, and others.
As whaling declined in the mid-1700s. the county's economy shifted primarily to livestock, timber products, and oysters.
Encroaching waters washed away most of the original settlement by the late 1700s.
Erected 2017 by The Society
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1631.
Location. 38° 58.133′ N, 74° 57.613′ W. Marker is in Lower Township, New Jersey, in Cape May County. It is in North Cape May. It can be reached from Lincoln Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1200 Lincoln Blvd, Cape May NJ 08204, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on New Jersey’s Jersey Shore. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Town Bank (approx. 1.3 miles away); S.S. Atlantus (approx. 1.8 miles away); Ens. Harry V. Groome, Jr. (approx. 1.8 miles away); Dr. Witmer Stone: Noted Ornithologist, 1866 - 1939 (approx. 1.8 miles away); Slaughter in Cape May (approx. 1.8 miles away); Cape May during World War II (approx. 1.8 miles away); The Construction of Fort Miles (approx. 1.8 miles away); History of Coastal Defenses (approx. 1.8 miles away).
Photographed by Pete Skillman, May 19, 2024
2. The European Settlement of Cape May County Marker wide view
Credits. This page was last revised on May 20, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 20, 2024, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware. This page has been viewed 275 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 20, 2024, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware.
