This account utilizes a limited number of images including several post card views of the classic Pennsylvania Railroad Station at the 85th Street area on Second Avenue and along Pennsylvania Avenue. In fact, let it be said that there are very few post cards and photographs that actually depict or include the Stone Harbor Railroad Station. The first post card shown above features crowds of people, including quite possibly many potential investors, arriving in Stone Harbor at the Pennsylvania Railroad Station on July 3, 1911 to witness the dedication ceremony in conjunction with the opening of the Ocean Parkway and drawbridge. The caption on the front of this promotional post card states the following: “Great crowds arriving at Stone Harbor to witness dedication and opening of the Ocean Parkway and Catholic and Episcopal Churches by Gov. Woodrow Wilson and other dignitaries, July 2 and 3, 1911”. Notice also the horse drawn carriage that is preparing to take visitors into town and the 96th Street entryway where the dedication ceremony will be taking place. In fact, you will be hard pressed to find many motor vehicles on the island at this early point in time. But that would all change rather noticeably as automobiles became more affordable and thus more commonplace.
While the image portrayed on the second post card shown here is identical to the earlier card displayed, it reveals a distinctive white border on all four sides and it was published just a couple of years later and mailed in June of 1914. The short caption evidenced in the lower border edge simply states: “Arrival of Excursionists at Stone Harbor, N. J.”. In addition, there is a 7-line printed inscription on the reverse or message/address side of this card that states the following: “Arrival of Excursionists at Stone Harbor, N. J. An Ideal Resort for Organized Outing Parties. Helpful Hints and Full Information are yours for the asking. Address Stone Harbor Excursion Bureau, 915 Real Estate Trust Bldg., Phila.” In essence, this specific Philadelphia mailing address that inquiries were to be mailed to was none other than the Risley brothers South Jersey Realty Company that was handling all promotional correspondence with interested parties and who offered the famous bond plan providing free lots to builders. It further appears that we are looking north as the steam locomotive in this dramatic image was arriving in Stone Harbor after traveling to Seven Mile Island from Sea Isle City, over Townsends Inlet and by way of Avalon.
It should be noted that the emphasis of this second card is a bit different than the first post card. While using the very same image in the scene, the producer of this second card in my view has somewhat repurposed the message or the theme of the common image. The word “Excursionists” suggests that the scene is one of a group of people on a brief pleasure trip or a promotional journey of some sort. No specific mention or reference this time is made to the events associated with the Gala Festivities Week at Stone Harbor during the period of July 1-5, 1911. Perhaps the intent of the producer of this second card was to be more timely or up-to-date and yet continue the emphasis on showing droves of people arriving at Stone Harbor to see what all the excitement of this new town was all about. After all, and aside from corresponding with folks back home, these picture post cards served another important purpose – they were really promoting and selling Stone Harbor to the public.
To continue the focal point of this brief article about the Stone Harbor Pennsylvania Railroad Station, this next post card seems to naturally follow chronologically in the sequence of these images to the time around the year 1918. This classic real photo view shows the single set of rails or railroad tracks leading into and from Stone Harbor. Parked near the tracks on the left is a vintage automobile. Please keep in mind that the placement of the Pennsylvania Railroad Station plaza at 85th Street and Second Avenue was actually in the very center of what was initially the early developing area that was known as “New” Stone Harbor from 1892 to about 1910-1911. That area basically extended from the oceanfront to the Great Channel or back bay and between 80th Street and 96th Street. The period from the mid to latter teens and the 1920s saw impressive growth and development of the 96th Street business district and the areas lying south of 96th Street.
Finally, the last two images in this pictorial sequence show the Pennsylvania Railroad Station in vivid color. Such color post cards were mass-produced and made available for sale during the decade of the 1920s. The former image is a copy of the actual post card and the last image is a cropped portion of that card highlighting just the railroad station and the immediate surrounding structures. One can see a couple of vintage automobiles are parked by the railroad station and the houses in the background on the right are situated looking westward and close to the Great Channel.
To my knowledge and after many years of collecting Stone Harbor post cards, I can conclude that these are the only cards that I know that actually depict the Stone Harbor Pennsylvania Railroad Station. Should you know about or have any different post cards or even photographs showing this particular railroad station, please let us know and feel free to share them with us.