Tomorrow's History

The Port Norris Historical Society is dedicated to preserving the history of our unique village, located in Commercial Township in Cumberland County, NJ.

This series of pages is about documenting today what will be tomorrow's history.
Click on the year for more information.

If you have images or stories that have made a impact to the Port Norris community, let us know.
web@historicportnorris.org

Back to Main List

News Happenings 2015

 

October 29, 2015

For NJ Advance Media By Joe Warner

PORT NORRIS -- It's been three years since Hurricane Sandy struck New Jersey and Cumberland County is still recovering from the devastating storm. 

The damaging winds and overwhelming flooding forced many from their homes in the quiet community of Cumberland County's Bayshore and some are still unable to return. 

The heavy floods breached a dike just south of Millbounre Drive, forcing a multi-generational family of five to be rescued via boat. In a few short weeks, the family will be able to return home after thanks to the Cumberland County Long Term Recovery Group.

The group partnered with several contractors and teams of volunteers to refurbish the Port Norris home. With an estimated price tag of $60,000, workers have rebuilt the bottom half of the home and replaced everything from flooring to siding. 

Shiloh Baptist Church, where the family attends Mass also contributed by donating brand new furniture for the home. 

 

September 2015
Situated along the southern New Jersey shoreline of the Delaware Estuary, the Commercial Township Salt Hay Farm Wetland Restoration Site covers approximately 4,171 acres in Cumberland County and is the largest EEP wetland restoration site. The site includes the preservation of 339 acres of upland buffer habitat and the preservation, restoration and/or enhancement of 2,894 acres of previously diked wetlands. Enhancement began in 1996 and was completed in 1997 with the return of daily tidal flow to the site. See full PDF

 

August 22, 2015
Heritage Day at Bayshore Center at Bivalve
– Life on the Bayshore During the Revolutionary War

See full review and "Pickings" for the day.

August 17, 2015
Baywalk Empire: The Secret Prohibition History of South Jersey
The Gloucester County Times
By Don E. Woods | For NJ.com

There is a history, hidden by rising tides and familial secrets, along the Delaware Bayshore - a history of rumrunners, moonshiners and bootleggers during the Prohibition era. The glamor of Atlantic City during the 1920s attracts more attention but, for the sense of what the 18th Amendment birthed, it would be better to spend time at Laning's Wharf in Fairfield Township where men were paid $15 a night to unload liquor from boats and hide them in the reeds or in Port Norris where a man people called Slick attempted to bribe state police with $70 to forget about the liquor found behind a secret panel in the bedroom above his pool hall. See More

 

June 29, 2015
Battle of Dallas Landing Research 
SNJ Today

PORT NORRIS – Port Norris has ties to the Revolutionary War, and after all this time, they’re finally being researched. “This is am very interesting episode in the American Revolution that happened somewhere over here on the river,” said Patrick Harshbarger, Principal and Architectural Historian. Hunter Research Incorporated, a company based out of Trenton, has been doing an archeological investigation of the Skirmish on the Lower Maurice (MORRIS) River, the site of the historical Battle of Dallas’ Landing. The group recently presented some of their findings at a public meeting. “This one newspaper account, this is the single most important piece of evidence we have for the skirmish,” said Richard Hunter, President at Hunter Research. “The actual conflict, as much as we can tell, was over in a matter of minutes,” said Harshbarger. “It involved a small number of people, probably 25-30, at most, and an even smaller number of causalities. It’s unclear how many were killed in this incident, but it seems to have been somewhere between four and eight.” Even though they just started the project about a year ago, the group has been using their expertise and skills, to give South Jersey some long awaited answers. “A lot of what we’ve been doing is trying to focus on trying to understand the river, how the river has changed, how the scenery, landscape might have changed in the 200-250 years or so since the time that this battle happened,” said Hunter. The Cultural and Heritage Commission received a grant from the National Parks Service for the project, and an additional grant from the New Jersey Council of Humanities to interpret what went on in August of 1781. “We have to stop calling this a battle, it really is not a battle,” said Hunter. “It’s really much less of a battle, it’s a short lived, quick moving interaction between two small groups here.” Their investigation has uncovered many hidden clues, but the mystery of the event still remains unsolved … for now. Link to video

 

March 24, 2015
Cumberland County 4th graders take a break from their cellphones to learn about nature

For NJ.com By Don E Woods

Wild About Cumberland, March 24, 2015 Cumberland County students take a tour of the forest in Port Norris during the Wild About Cumberland event organized by Citizens United to Protect the Maurice River and its Tributaries on Tuesday, March 24, 2015. (Don E. Woods | South Jersey Times)

PORT NORRIS -- When the fourth graders from Downe Township Elementary School began their tour of the Bayshore forest off Berrytown Road, some of them immediately took out their cellphones and other devices to capture the experience.

Sue Fenili, their tour guide, instead wanted them to experience something outside of their little screens.

"There's a time and a place and I thought it was more important for them to create a moment, to create memories, to listen, to hear, to feel, to touch and just be in touch with what was going on today," she said.

After being told to put their devices away, the one-mile tour of the PSEG wetland restoration site commenced for the Wild About Cumberland event.

Wild About Cumberland is sponsored by Citizens United to Protect the Maurice River and its Tributaries.

Tuesday was the first of a two-day event where fourth graders from Cumberland County take a tour of the wilderness and also spend a day at the Bayshore Center at Bivalve.

"The most important thing we can do today is build an appreciation for the outdoors," said Jane Morton Galetto, president of the organization. "Let them know the outdoors is fun and let them know there's lots of things to see and look for in the outdoors."