The Township of Ocean Historical Museum recently invited Associate Professor of English Stanley Blair, Ph.D., to speak on two “almost forgotten” local authors who he argues should be remembered because their works shed light on and may be understood relative to local history.
Late nineteenth-century humorist Josh Billings published several brief essays and lectured about Long Branch. He used an intentionally bad writing style, called “cacography,” at the same time as some American educators were advocating for spelling reform. Billings and the reformers spelled words the way they sounded, a practice called “phonemic orthography.” This enabled Billings to make puns and to appeal to readers of limited literacy.
Billings’ writings about Long Branch explain how it is “a healthy place.” His health claims seem far-fetched today but accurately reflect the early tourism promotion of the city, such as in J. H. Schenck’s 1868 “A Complete Descriptive Guide to Long Branch,” which makes similar medical claims that visiting Long Branch will heal diseases, increase health, and prolong life.
Early twentieth-century writer Margaret Widdemer published a short story, “The Congregation,” included in her 1920 book “The Boardwalk.” In the story, set in a town called The Park, a congregation accuses a minister of inappropriate behavior with a church secretary and votes him out of his position, shortly after which he dies of a heart condition. The story appears to be Widdemer’s fictionalized portrayal of an 1899 Asbury Park church controversy involving her minister father, as reflected in multiple similarities between her short story and newspaper accounts of that time.
Blair was introduced at the event by Museum President Jim Foley, who praised Blair’s previous presentation that used an 1863 short story to solve an 1860 Long Branch murder. Several Monmouth University students attended.
Gabby Agostino, a sophomore health studies major from New York, said that “I am not an English nor History major, but I have a love for history and find it so intriguing, so coming and learning tonight about some of the historical writers of the Jersey Shore was great.” Similarly, junior business major Adam Wentzel, from Pennsylvania, remarked that “the presentation gave me the opportunity to learn more about historical writers from New Jersey, specifically those from the areas where I have lived while attending Monmouth University.”
Students were surprised to learn that intentionally bad writing could be used for humorous purposes. Agostino added that “I find it fascinating how Billings used it in his writing. For example, he mentions the ‘Oshun Hotel’ or the ‘Ocean Hotel,’ using puns and spelling such as ‘shun’ to warn people to stay away from that hotel. Billings was an exceptional example of the idea that your comprehension of history can help you understand the literature.”
English major Meghan Reilly ’25 agreed, and concluded that “I was able to see Dr. Blair’s scholarly research in a professional setting and see how much the audience was engaged with his topic. I was able to also learn a lot of new information that had not been widely researched previously. It was great!”
The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer period; both are available to watch on the museum’s web site and on YouTube.