Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-01-15
A SAND DUNE
~ TRANSFORMATION
What Three Men did In Two
Years Time on the Jersey
Coast

1G0Eo thltC ONh Akk( S@A6(
Coast
A couple of weeks ago Hubert S.
Foster, formerly on the JOURNAL staff,
spent Saturday and Sunday here, and
wrote the following for the Elmer
Times, of which paper he is one of the
editors:
"On a mild afternoon last week n of
the editors of the Times had the pleas
ure of strolling down the boardwalk at
Wildwood Crest, which is on the island
of Five Mile Beach on the Jersey coast.
Three years ago | walked over the
same course but the transformation
that has taken place in SO short time
is marvellous. In truth probably no
town in the United States has in so
short a period been conceived, built
and developed.
When | first visited the site of Wild
wood Crest it was but a collection OF
unnamed sand dunes with here and
there patches of crab grass swept by
the winds. At the approach of a hui
man being, fierce looking little hermit
crabs and snails, the only animal life
there, would seek safety in their sand
tunnels, and beach birds and gulls
would fly away in fright. There was
little to elicit admiration but the big
blue ocean which washed against the
hard white beach.
In 1906 the three Baker Brothers,
who had won fame in the founding of
Wildwood-by-the-Sea, startled the
country with the announcement that
they intended to reclaim these sand
dunes and to transform them into a
coast resort which would contain the
essence of beauty and perfection. They
were laughed at and failure was predic-
ted, but the Baker Brothers knew the
possibilities of that unappreeiated spot
and named it Wildwood Crest.
With wands tipped in gold dollars,
hundreds of thousands of them, back
ed by brains and a sturdy determine
ton to win out. the three brothers be-
gan the miracle which l saw in its fin
ished beauty last week.
The energy of a small army of able
bodied men, horses and machinery was
used steadily for two years to attain the
end, and the dunes were smoothed
over, the hollows filled up and topped
with good gravel from inland. The
coast line was made strong with con-
crete dykes and piling and broad ave-
nues took shape, miles of concrete
walks were laid, railroad and trolley
tracks extended, network of water, gas
and sewerage mains placed under
ground and a boardwalk built that cir
cled the resort. Then the people were
invited to build in the model resortand
they came from all points of the COM
pass to pay homage to the efforts of the
Baker Brothers. Houses sprang W
everywhere almost in a night, hotels,
pa%vilions and piers took shape, and 10,
ges, surrounded by every comfort. The
Baker Brothers, who made this wonder
full transformation possible are three
modest men with big unselfish minds
and hearts, who have given the best
years of their life to creating these ia.
nous municipalities. They detected
great possibilities in what at n time
vas but an obscure island covered ovel
with wild wood and they have given tC
the State of New Jersey two of the
most charming towns within its Dor
ders.
1t has been well said that in benefit
ting others we benefit ourselves. The
Baker Brothers have followed out the
idea of beneftting others for many
years, and now that their highest hopes
have been realized may they also bene.
fit by their labors and be honored un.
stintingly."