The Other Jersey Shore

Life on the Delaware River

By Michael Aaron Rockland; Foreword by Maya K. van Rossum

Rutgers University Press

River otters, black bears, and red foxes drink from its clear waters. Prickly pear cacti grow from the red shale cliffs that overlook it, while on the river near Bordentown lies the archeological remnants of a sprawling estate built by the former King of Spain, Napoleon’s brother, who lived there for almost twenty years. You might imagine this magical and majestic waterway is located in some faraway land. But in fact, it’s the backbone and lifeblood of the Garden State: the Delaware River.

The Other Jersey Shore takes readers on a personal tour of the New Jersey portion of the Delaware River and its surroundings. You will learn about the role that the river played in human history, including Washington’s four crossings of the Delaware during the Revolutionary War. And you will also learn about the ecological history of the river itself, once one of the most polluted waterways in the country and now one of the cleanest, providing drinking water for 17 million people. Michael Aaron Rockland, a long-time New Jersey resident, shows readers his very favorite spots along the Delaware, including the pristine waterfalls and wilderness in the Delaware Water Gap recreation area. Along the way, he shares engrossing stories and surprising facts about the river that literally defines western New Jersey.

The Other Jersey Shore is Michael Rockland’s poetic love letter to the Delaware River. As he has done in previous books on the New Jersey Turnpike and the George Washington Bridge, Rockland sheds ample light on an essential, if often overlooked, element of life in the Garden State. Exhaustively researched and endearingly written, The Other Jersey Shore will remind even New Jersey natives that the Delaware and its New Jersey shore should be held in the same high esteem as the state’s beloved Atlantic coastline. Christopher Hann, executive editor, River Towns magazine

Michael Aaron Rockland has produced a book full of dramatic stories featuring a river of scenic beauty, with history and vibrant communities on its New Jersey banks. He has shown us a fascinating alternative to what we normally call 'The Jersey Shore'— endless pleasures and adventures that presently too few enjoy. Angus Kress Gillespie, author of Port Newark and the Origins of Container Shipping

Michael Aaron Rockland has brought to life the Delaware River as he discusses its bridges, towns, and islands. We so enjoyed the descriptions of George Washington’s four crossings (not one) and of the life of Joseph Bonaparte, former King of Spain and Napoleon’s brother, during the many years he lived on a bluff overlooking the Delaware. We also enjoyed his discussions of New Jersey’s two canals and their relationship to the river, the wonders of their civil engineering and bucolic beauty, not to mention the port towns that, to this day, mark their way.’
Linda Barth, author, and Bob Barth, Canal Society of New Jersey

MICHAEL AARON ROCKLAND is professor emeritus of American Studies at Rutgers University. He has also lectured in twenty-four countries and served as a US cultural attaché in Argentina and Spain. He is the author of fifteen books of scholarship, memoir, and fiction, including The George Washington Bridge and Looking for America on the New Jersey Turnpike, both from Rutgers UP.

Foreword by Maya K. van Rossum

Introduction

1 The Joy of a River

2 The Delaware and New Jersey Geography

3 Islands in the Stream

4 The Delaware Water Gap and the Old Mine Road

5 The Dam That Was Never Built

6 The River and the Canals

7 The Delaware Riviera

8 Washington’s Crossing(s)

9 Napoleon’s Brother on the Banks of the Delaware

10 Bridges Not to Be Missed