Jersey Shore Magazine

J e r s e y s h o r e • F A L L / H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 7 52 JERSEY SHORE PEOPLE AUTHOR GORDON HESSE, continued from page 51 Island Beach is amazingly compre- hensive in its scope. Was it your idea or the publishers? How long did it take to write? After All Summer Long, I had writ- ten several articles for Jersey Shore Magazine. In June 2014, at the end of a lunch meeting with my publisher, George Valente, I suggested doing an article about Island Beach for the magazine. I enjoyed taking photos of its rich landscape that seemed so otherworldly and thought it would be interesting to research a little bit of its history. It turned out that he also had the idea of publishing a coffee table book on Island Beach and had posted it many years ago on the com- pany's website under forthcoming titles. We agreed on a plan where I'd write the article for Jersey Shore and then expand upon it for the book. In the beginning, it was to be a coffee table book primarily with photos and light text. The publisher envisioned the content to include a brief history, landscapes, flora, wildlife, beach bug- gies, fishing, and the shacks. [But] building upon that article for the book took much longer than either of us rather naïvely anticipat- ed—in part because, as the network of people with links to Island Beach grew, more sources provided more information, and that raised more questions. I felt my first draft didn't do justice to the subject, and I kept uncovering "just one more thing" that added to the rich story and peo- The coffee table book has more than 385 photographs and images, many taken by Hesse. This image shows the rich landscape and iconic "Judge's Shack" at Island Beach. ple who lived in and loved the place. This was a big project that grew each month I worked on it, and every time I thought I was finished, some new information or contact arose. For example, after the book was well into layout, I made contact with author Pearl S. Buck's son, Edgar Walsh. He had some rare photos and comments that seemed to capture the essence of Island Beach. We ended up delaying production so we could add them to what was almost ready to go to print. In all, with a few minor sab- baticals from the project, it has taken more than three years to complete this book. There was information from a variety of publications, both historical and more current. Where did you find the sources? And so many photos? Did you track them down yourself? The Island Beach State Park files had numerous newspaper clippings and photos; many were undated or with no source or explanation. The park staff were all tremendously helpful, especially those who worked in the Personnel Building and the maintenance crews. I can't say enough about the Ocean County Historical Society and people there like Betsy Dudas who helped me numerous times to piece together slivers of clues. What a great resource for the legacy of the county! They also had some exceptional pub- lications they either sold or had on the shelves. It was where I stumbled upon Margaret Thomas Buchholz's New Jersey Shipwrecks – 350 Years in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. That, in turn, took me to the New Jersey Maritime Museum in Beach Haven where I found some wonder- ful discoveries and images. Deborah Whitcraft, the president and treasur- er of the museum, would lock me in at night and tell me to turn off the lights and slam the door shut. It seemed everywhere I turned there were people who wanted to Gordon Hesse The author inside the tower of the Island Beach Life-Saving Station, also known as Coast Guard Station No. 110.

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