Richard L. Strickler Research Center
Home to Many Stories of Ocean County
Welcome to the Richard L. Strickler Research Center,
an invaluable source of information on the history
of Ocean County.
Please choose a link:
Guidelines for Visiting
Genealogy Holdings
Ocean County Family Names
Research Requests
Genealogy Web Links
Photograph Requests
Digital Camera Policy
We're open from 1:00-4:00 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and the first Saturday of the month. Contact us at ochs_research@verizon.net or at 732-341-1880.
We currently have a catalog of more than 8,000 volumes. We also have a large collection of historic documents, maps, cemetery records, census data, and Ocean County newspapers dating back to 1852. Our holdings include records on over 500 families.
Follow us on Facebook
_________________________________
Guidelines for Visiting
We are open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1-4 PM and the first Saturday of the month from 1-4 PM. (If you're traveling a distance, give us a call to confirm.)
If you are not an OCHS member, there is a daily fee of $2.00 to use the Research Center.
Kindly sign the guest book each time you visit.
Tote bags, backpacks, or carrying cases are not permitted.
Patrons are asked to use pencil only.
The reference staff will retrieve and re-file all materials for you.
Only one box or family file is permitted on the table at a time.
Use care in handling research materials. Do not mark, bend, or lean on them. Patrons may be asked to wear gloves when handling sensitive materials.
Keep items in the order in which they were found.
Materials cannot be borrowed or checked out.
Laptop computers are allowed; however, we do not provide electrical outlets or Internet service.
Should you require photocopies, the reference staff will make them for you for a fee of .10 each (members) or .25 each (non-members). Be aware that some items may be too fragile for copying.
Handheld scanners are permitted under the same conditions that apply to digital cameras. Please refer to the Use of Digital Cameras policy for rules and fees.
With the exception of the various OCHS committee members and paid staff, no one is permitted to use the Research Center collections during off hours.
Food and beverages are not permitted.
Please refrain from using a cell phone in the Research Center.
We welcome your visit and hope to see you soon.
Back to top
______________________________________
Genealogy Holdings
Our records include:
Ocean County births, marriages and deaths on microfilm 1848-1867
Ocean County marriage records 1850-1900
Marriage licenses on microfilm 1711-1797, 1853-1878
Funeral home records from the 1850's to the 1960's
Newspapers on microfilm:
-Ocean Emblem: December 1852 - February 1866
-NJ Courier: March 1866 - January 1968
-Ocean County Review: January 1915 - December 1960
also 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978
-Ocean County Democrat: April 1878 - April 1894
-Ocean County Sun: November 1926 - July 1971
-Ocean County Leader: 1954 - 1961
Obituaries, marriages and births indexed from local newspapers: 1852-1968
Early tavern licenses
Road Returns
Civil War soldiers lists
Federal Census for Ocean, Monmouth, Burlington, and other NJ counties for 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900 and 1930. Civil War Veterans and Widows schedule for 1890
NJ State Census for Ocean and Monmouth counties for 1885, 1895, 1905, and 1915
Society of Friends, Little Egg Harbor monthly meeting minutes, 1715-1901
Family history books of genealogy research for various Ocean County families. To see if we have a book for a particular family name, see Family Names of Ocean County
Families of Old Dover: A series of booklets containing resource materials that can be used for genealogical research.
Information Kiosk
Back to top
_______________________________
Research Requests
In order to assist those who are unable to visit, a member of our volunteer staff will conduct research for a per-hour fee of $15. E-mail or call us with a request about a person, family, place, or event, and we will let you know if we have the resources to satisfy your inquiry and what the charge will be. Then, upon receipt of payment (check, Visa, or MasterCard), we will send you the results.
Research Fees
Full Search
$15.00 (non-members)
$ 5.00 (members)
Includes research time, photocopies, and postage
Look-up
For requests for a specific piece of information that's mailed out to you, there is a charge of $5.00. (For example: an obituary request that includes the name of the deceased and date of death, or a copy of a funeral or Bible record)
Quick Search
We gladly answer quick questions at no charge.
E-mail requests to: ochs_research@verizon.net
Phone: 732-341-1880 (during Research Center hours)
Mail payment to:
Ocean County Historical Society
26 Hadley Avenue
Toms River, NJ 08753
Attn: Research Center
Since we are an all-volunteer, non-profit organization, research fees help to sustain us, so we greatly appreciate your requests, and we strive to leave no stone unturned in answering them.
Back to top
____________________________________
Genealogy Web Links
State of New Jersey:
New Jersey State Archives
New Jersey State Department of Health
New Jersey State Library
Ocean County:
Ocean County Library
Ocean County Office of the County Clerk
Ocean County Genealogical Society
Monmouth County:
(Ocean County was formed in 1850 from Monmouth County.)
Monmouth County Archives
Monmouth County Historical Association
Back to top
____________________________________
Photograph Requests
The Society maintains a collection of over 5,000 historical images of Ocean County people, places, and events. For more information, contact the Research Center during our hours of operation (Tuesday and Wednesday 1-4) or e-mail us at ochs_research@verizon.net.
Back to top
____________________________________
Use of Digital Cameras
Non-flash, handheld digital cameras are permitted under the following conditions:
Staff permission is required.
Images are for personal study, scholarship, or research only and may not be used for commercial publication without permission from the OCHS.
Published or displayed images must be credited with “Collection of the Ocean County Historical Society”.
No more than 5 images may be taken from a single collection.
Preservation is paramount, so photography is not permitted on items in fragile condition or on items available in other formats (e.g. microfilm).
Materials must be handled with great care. Items must be kept flat on the table, may not be bent or pressed, and may not be removed from folders or plastic sleeves.
Standing on chairs or rearranging tables to get a better image is prohibited.
OCHS reserves the right to refuse photographic access to the research center collection.
Should a work be published, it is the researcher’s responsibility to refer to the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) and to obtain the required permissions from copyright owners.
Back to top
_______________________________________
New!
Information Kiosk
The Research Department has begun the process of digitizing materials - OCHSDP (Ocean County Historical Society Digitization Project). The goal of the Project is twofold: first to preserve and protect the materials; and second to make the materials more readily available to researchers and other interested persons.
The Information Kiosk provides access to digital content. It contains summary data with pointers to the original documents as well as scans of original documents. It is not available online, but can be accessed in-person at the Research Center. Here is a list of the information currently on the Kiosk:
Families of Old Dover
The "web" version of the collection of booklets that attempt to collect into a single source, materials related to a single family coming from census records, cemetery records, birth/death records, funeral records, and bible records. There are currently over 70 booklets in the collection.
Ocean County Birth Records
Little Egg Harbor Birth Records 1848-1880
More to follow
Ocean County Death Records
Dover Death Records 1864-1876
NJVS Dover Death Records 1848-1867
NJVS Brick Death Records 1850-1867
NJVS Jackson Death Records 1850-1867
NJVS Union Death Records 1849-1864
Plumsted Death Records 1848-1923
Death Notices Reported in Ocean County Democrat 1871 - 1893
Lacey Township Death Records 1921-1945
Little Egg Harbor Death Records 1848-1979
Probate Records
Probate Information -- Records compiled by Ralph and Bea Johnson and transcribed by Betty Grant
Applegate Probate Information -- Records compiled by Donald T. Applegate ca. 1950
Ocean County Marriages
Ocean County Marriages 1850-1890 Vol. 1
Dover Township Marriages 1864-1876
Methodist Circuit Rider Marriages 1869-90
Marriages of Joseph Lawrence, JP, 1818-1838
Marriages of Isaac Peckworth, JP, 1841-1866
Little Egg Harbor Marriages 1848 -1880
Marriages recorded in the records of the Presbyterian Church Toms River 1862-1888
Marriage notices appearing in the Ocean County Democrat 1879 - 1893
Ocean County Historical Society Scroll (Newsletter)
Article Search
Author Search
Topic Search
Name Search
Scrolls -- Select an individual Scroll to view
Cemetery Records
Data base of Cemetery Records compiled by volunteer Staff at OCHS
List of Cemeteries in the OCHS Cemetery Project
Census Records
Dover Township Census -- Dover Federal Census Records 1850 - 1900 transcribed by Richard Kuntz ca. 1990
1850 Ocean County Census Records transcribed by Richard Kuntz ca. 1990
1860 Census -- Transcribed ca. 1992 by Maggie Reden and converted to html format 2010 by Richard Kuntz
1870 Census -- Transcribed ca. 1992 by Maggie Reden and converted to html format 2010 by Richard Kuntz
1880 Census -- Transcribed ca. 1992 by Maggie Reden and converted to html format 2010 by Richard Kuntz
Island Heights Census -- Island Heights Federal Census Records 1910, 1920, and 1930 transcribed 2008 by Richard Kuntz
Name Search- Search the 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900 Census for records for a specified surname (At present time, 1900 census records only include Jackson and Plumsted Townships)
Deeds on file at OCHS (Ocean County)
List Deeds -- List Deeds on file by Grantor or Grantee
New Jersey Archives - Dover Township Probate
New Jersey Archives -- Abstract of Wills
VanHise/Callaghan Mortuary Records
Name Search -- Records for the period 1931 - 1956
Listings of Ocean County High School Graduates
Toms River High School -- 1921-1970
Central Regional High School -- 1957-1965
St. Joseph's -- 1970-1974
Civil War Pension Records - 1890
Ocean County Civil War Pension Records as of 1890
Catalog of Media Holdings
List all Records -- Order list by Author
Media Holdings
Ocean County Indian Survey
Survey reports compiled 1978
Bible Records
Bible Records transcribed from documents in file OCHS
Lists the records in the file by Head of Household
History of New Jersey
Index of Articles appearing in the publication: New Jersey History
Index of Articles appearing in the publication: New Jersey History for a specified author name
Back to top
________________________________________
A Publication from the Research Center...
Families of Old Dover
The Ocean County Historical Society Research Department is supporting a continuing project of publishing a series of booklets entitled “Families of Old Dover”. A starting point for those who are beginning to trace their ancestry, each booklet focuses on a specific family name and contains information compiled from census records, marriage and death records, cemetery and funeral home records, and newspaper articles. Booklets can be ordered by contacting the Research Center at 732-341-1880 or at ochs_research@verizon.net.
Cost: $12.00 per booklet (plus a $3.00-per-booklet mailing charge when mailing is requested)
Book 1 - Applegate
Part A Jacob Applegate (1723-1818)& Esther Irons (1732-1803)
Part B Thomas Applegate (1792-1868) & Hannah T. Thompson (1796-1871)
Book 2 - Wilbur/Wilber/Wilbert
Edward Wilbur (1730-1812+)
Book 3 - Vaughn
Asher Vaughn (1768-1850) & Charity Stout (1782-1871)
Book 4 - Hyers/Hyer/Heyer
Walter Hyer (1645-1700) & Tryntje Bickers
Book 5 - Leming/Liming/Lemon
John Leming (1650-1690) & Prudence Wainright
Book 6 - McKelvey
Robert McKelvey (ca. 1740-1818) & Abigail Wright
Book 7 - Worth
Peter Worth (ca. 1777-1859) & Mercy Cotteral
Book 8 - Johnston/Johnson
Part A Benjamin Johnson (1715-1784) & Sarah
Part B Other Johnsons - Ocean and Southern Monmouth
Book 9 - Clayton
John (1776-1845), Miles (1774-1863), and William (1804-?)
Book 10 - Jeffrey
John Jeffrey (1728-1794) & Elizabeth Irons (1738-1808)
Book 11 - Asay
Barzilla (1818-?) & Achash Gordon (1819-1901)
Book 12 - Phillips
Richard (ca. 1760-?)
Book 13 - Tilton
Peter (1775-1854) and others
Book 14 - Polhemus
Joseph (1779-1855) & Freelove Woolley
Book 15 - Hagaman
Barnet (ca. 1760-?) and others
Book 16 - Hankins
Zachariah (1754-1850)
Book 17 - Lawrence
Benjamin (ca. 1744-1811) and others
Book 18 Bogert
Joseph (1798-1861) and others
Book 19 - Cornellius
James (ca. 1775?) and others
Book 20 - Irons
Book 21 - Grant
John (ca.1700) and other
Book 22 - Giberson
Book 23 - Rogers Families
Book 24 - Camburn
Book 25 - Cook Families
Book 26 - Decendants of Timothy Page (b.1763) and Mary Conward (b.1768)
Book 27 - Thompson (Cornelius b. 1779, Miller b. 1804, Timothy b.1768)
Book 28 - Sherman Families
Book 29 - Truax
Book 30 - Stout Families
Book 31 - Osborn Families
Book 32 - Tice Families
Book 33 - Potter Families
Book 34 - White Families
Book 35 - Cowdrick Families
Book 36 - Britton Families
Book 37 - Bunnell Families
Book 38 - Grover Families
Book 39 - Luker Families
Book 40 - Wainwright Families
Book 41 - Hurley Families
Book 42 - VanNote Families
Book 43 - Lane Families
Book 44 - Allen Families
Book 45 - Bartlett Families
Book 46 - Bennett Families
Book 47 - Walton Families
Book 48 - Gulick Families
Book 49 - Hilliard Families
Book 50 - Herbert
Book 51 - Robbins
Book 52 - Seaman
Book 53 - Gant
Book 54 - Evernham/Everingham
Book 55 - Platt
Book 56 - Oliphant
Book 57 - Hulse/Hulshart
Book 58 - Harris
Book 59 - Bills
Book 60 - Wardell
Book 61 - Brand/Brandt
Book 62 - Williams
Book 63 - Gifford
Book 64 - Barkalow
Book 65 - Falkinburg
Book 66 - Ireland
Book 67 - Lewis
Book 68 - Curtis
Book 69 - James
Book 70 - Bishop
Book 71 - Havens
Book 72 - Miller
Book 73 - Brower
Book 74 - Horner
Book 75 - VanHise
Book 76 - Birdsall
Book 77 - Mathis
Book 78 - Skidmore
Book 79 - Pearce/Pierce
Book 80 - Borden
Book 81 - Fisher
Book 82 - Loveland
Book 83 - Dorsett
Book 84 - Lippincott
Book 85 - Harvey
Book 86 - Chambers
Book 87 - Halsey
Book 88 - Holman
Book 89 - Maxon
Book 90 - Soper
Back to top
__________________________________________