Publications
The South Jersey Culture & History Center publishes works of note pertaining to the
South Jersey community. Most are available at Second Time Books in Mount Laurel, through
Amazon or Barnes & Noble online, or through direct mailing from the South Jersey &
Culture Center.
Stockton's Local History Press
The mission of the South Jersey Culture & History Center at Stockton University is to foster awareness within local communities of the rich cultural and historical heritage of southern New Jersey, to promote the study of this heritage, especially among area students, and to produce publishable materials that provide a lasting and deepened understanding of this heritage.
We republish noteworthy, hard-to-find titles and publish new works by contemporary authors and scholars. SoJourn, our annual journal, presents the studies of local historians. University students enrolled in the SJCHC editing internship assist in editing the books and articles, designing the layouts, and setting type; the directors of the South Jersey Culture & History Center oversee the publication of all titles. Together we proudly maintain Stockton’s local history press.
Our titles fall into several categories, each focused on the history and culture of southern New Jersey. Fair warning, many of our titles could fit in several of the categories below; we have listed each just once.
South Jersey Cities and Architecture
Jewish Farming in South Jersey
Don't forget to read about our annual local history journal, SoJourn (link in the nav bar).
The Pine Barrens
Pineys: The People of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, by Yael Aravah
Yael Aravah’s Pineys gives readers a glimpse into the world of the Pine Barrens through beautiful photography and interviews with residents of the Pines. Here is an authentic depiction of Piney culture from those who proudly proclaim themselves New Jersey’s Pineys.
144 pages, paperback.
ISBN: 978-1-947889-24-8. $22.95
Pine Barrens: Life and Legends, by Tom Kinsella & Paul W. Schopp
Richly illustrated primer on the culture and ecology of the Pine Barrens encompassing everything from itinerant berry picking and cedar mining to jug taverns and folklore. The section on Pine Barrens lore reproduces folk tales collected by the renown anthropologist Herbert Halpert in the 1940s.
108 pages, color, paperback.
ISBN: 978-09888731-4-8. $16.95
Soggy Ground: A Geography of Pine Barrens Wetlands, by Mark Demitroff
Renown local geologist Mark Demitroff explains how to read and value the unusual wet environment of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Little known ice age landforms provide critical habitat for plants and animals. Spungs, cripples, blue holes, and savannahs are woven together in a geographic tapestry of interactions between nature and society.
273 pages, illustrated, paperback.
ISBN: 978-1-947889-21-7. $39.95
Adventure with Piney Joe: Exploring the New Jersey Pine Barrens, by William J. Lewis; Illustrations by Shane Tomalinas
Explore the New Jersey Pine Barrens with guide and Piney translator Piney Joe—perhaps the last gnome in the woods. A guide to Pine Barrens plants and culture written for young adults.
187 pages, full color illustrations, paperback.
ISBN: 978-1-947889-09-5. $19.95
No Wild Rivers in South Jersey: An Environmental Biography, by Claude Epstein
Epstein describes the impact that cultural adaption has wrought upon South Jersey’s numerous waterways. No Wild Rivers explains the impact of indigenous peoples and the successive waves of European arrivals on the South Jersey waterways they encountered.
453 pages, illustrated, hardcover.
ISBN: 978-1-947889-07-1. $24.95
Seasons in the Pine Barrens, by Miriam S. Moss
From the 1970s to the 1990s, Moss and her husband Sidney spent weekends in their primitive cabin on Rancocas Creek. Moss spent the time observing the natural world. Selections from her journals present eloquent thoughts occasioned while quietly observing life and nature.
196 pages, illustrated, paperback.
ISBN: 978-1-947889-15-6. $26.00
Bungalow Life in the Jersey Pines, by Fred Winslow Noyes Sr.; collected by Judy Courter
With the stock market crashed of 1929, textile executive Fred Noyes Sr. moved his family to a bungalow along the Mullica River. There he took daily walks, befriended neighbors, and became the unofficial mayor of Lower Bank. Letters written by Noyes to his niece in May and June of 1933 provide a window into the daily routine of the Pine Barrens transplant. Afterword by Judy Courter.
24 pages, pamphlet bound.
ISBN: 978-0- 9976699-6-1. $5.00
Herbert Payne: Last of the Old-Time Charcoal Makers and His Coaling Process, by Ted Gordon
Herbert Payne was among the last of that “elusive and nomadic breed of woodsmen” who practiced charcoal-making in the Pine Barrens. This 1982 essay by the distinguished botanist and historian Ted Gordon describes Payne’s distinctive technique, which combined the best points of the chimney-type pit and the arch-type pit. Republished with Ted’s full-color photographs.
12 pages, pamphlet bound.
ISBN 978-0-9888731-3-1. $5.00
South Jersey Cities and Architecture
Patterned Brick Architecture of West New Jersey, by Robert L. Thompson
Architectural historian Robert L. Thompson attempts to answer the vexing question: why is the great preponderance of America’s patterned brick architecture located in the ancient colony of West New Jersey, a land mass covering roughly half of present-day New Jersey.
xxii + 194 pages, illustrated, hardcover.
ISBN: 978-1-947889-18-7. $49.95
Atlantic City: Its Early & Modern History, by Alexander Barrington Irvine (“Carnesworthe”)
Alexander Barrington Irvine, writing under the pseudonym “Carnesworthe,” gave us the earliest history of Atlantic City (1868). Filled with humor and a faith in free enterprise, the work provides a romantic glimpse into the aspirations of Atlantic City’s backers a mere fourteen years after the trains began running.
95 pages, paperback.
ISBN: 978-0-9888731-0-0. $9.95.
Also available in digital format $1.99 (Amazon)
Burlington Biographies: A History of Burlington, New Jersey, Told Through the Lives and Times of Its People, by Robert L. Thompson
A monumental history of Burlington City from its founding by radical Quakers. Forty-seven chapters focus on the lives of prominent residents and city institutions. Lively storytelling and lavish footnotes will please laypersons and specialists alike.
558 pages, illustrated, hardcover.
ISBN: 978-0-988873-9-3. $29.95
A Local HIstory of Camden, by L. F. Fisler, M.D.
Published in pamphlet form in 1858, Fisler’s work is the first stand-alone history to describe Camden City and its rise from a simple colonial ferry hub to a growing urban center in the 1850s. Fisler provides descriptions of Camden’s local institutions: churches, public buildings, ferries, schools, newspapers, the board of health, water department, and fire companies.
81 pages; paperback.
ISBN: 978-1-947889-23-1. $9.95
Biographies and Memoirs
Early Recollections and Life of Dr. James Still, by James Still
A gifted South Jersey physician, James Still was a son of former slaves, who was self taught in both medical knowledge and practice. He overcame poverty and racial animus to build a large medical practice and become one of the wealthiest men in South Jersey. An outstanding autobiography, first published in 1877.
220 pages, paperback.
ISBN: 978-0-9888731-6-2. $14.95
William Still: His Life and Work to This Time, by James P. Boyd
William Still, James’ younger brother, was known as the Father of the Underground Railroad for his efforts in helping move fugitive enslaved Africans while recording their harrowing stories. A republication of James P. Boyd’s 1886 biography.
211 pages, paperback.
ISBN: 978-0-997699-5-4. $14.95
The Kidnapped and The Ransomed, by Kate E. R. Pickard
Subtitled “The Personal Recollections of Peter & Vina Still After Forty Years of Slavery,” this is the affecting biography of Peter Still, older brother of James and William, who was enslaved from birth until adulthood, when he was able to purchase his freedom and that of his family.
462 pages, index, paperback.
ISBN: 978-1-947889-80-4. $18.95
Underground Rail Road, by William Still
William Still’s Underground Rail Road is filled with daring adventure and breathtaking narratives. Some accounts read like nineteenth-century Tom Clancy spy narratives except that these stories are real, dredged from the dark side of American history. A facsimile of the 1878 revised edition.
842 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1-947889-16-3, $32.95
With Eager Hands: The Life of Elizabeth Coleman White, by Albertine Senske
Elizabeth Coleman White (1871–1954) was a shining star of New Jersey. With the aid of Frederick V. Coville, she cultivated the modern blueberry. A horticulturist, conservationist, and social advocate, she contributed greatly to improved agricultural practices and social conditions in New Jersey. Albertine Senske presents the details of Elizabeth’s rich and consequential life with infectious passion.
259 pages, photographs, paperback.
ISBN-13: 978-1-947889-02-6. $15.95
Beauty Is Never Enough, by Elizabeth B. Alton
The memoir of Atlantic County trailblazer Elizabeth B. Alton. Her community service is extensive and praiseworthy, especially her participation in the New Jersey Federation of Women’s Clubs and the establishment of Stockton University. The centerpiece of the work is Alton’s longtime association with the Miss America Pageant, providing a behind the scenes view of the Pageant’s earliest years through the mid 1990s.
463 pages, photographs, index, paperback.
ISBN: 978-1-947889-05-7. $19.95
Literature and Nature Writing
Seasons, by Dallas Lore Sharp
Born in 1870 in Haleyville, Dallas Lore Sharp spent his childhood roaming the woods beside the Cohansey and Maurice Rivers. He became one of the most popular nature writers of his day, seeking to inspire young people to share his appreciation for the glories of the natural world. Sharp wrote with near-mystic appreciation for the most commonplace flora and fauna.
158 pages, paperback.
ISBN: 978-0-9888731-1-7. $14.95
The Nature of Things, by Dallas Lore Sharp
Our second volume of engaging nature essays from Sharp’s The Whole Year Round. Dallas Lore Sharp, born in Haleyville, Cumberland County, New Jersey, was an outstanding essayist writing for young adults in the early twentieth century.
179 pages, paperback.
ISBN: 978-1-947889-00-2. $14.95
Everyday Adventures, by Samuel Scoville Jr.
Twelve essays describing Scoville’s jaunts into nature. Whether listening to birdsong, searching for hidden nests, or quietly observing natural routines, Scoville describes his surroundings vividly and with considerable wit. He recounts expeditions in the Northeast, including the Pine Barrens, and the far north of Canada.
252 pages, paperback.
ISBN: 978-0-9976699-9-2. $14.95
The Out of Doors Club, by Samuel Scoville Jr.
A collection of essays following the adventures of the “Band,” a group of siblings led on imagination-filled hikes by their father. In twenty brief essays, many set in the Pine Barrens, Scoville. reminds readers of simpler times, when the world held fewer cares and nature walks with a parent could be the highlight of a day.
147 pages, paperback.
ISBN: 978-1-947889-90-3. $14.95
Highboy Rings Down the Curtain, by George Agnew Chamberlain
The curtain rises on a horse like no other, noble to the end. This novella is Chamberlain's first work set in South Jersey.
47 pages, paperback.
ISBN: 978-1-947889-17-0. $8.95
The Lantern on the Plow, by George Agnew Chamberlain
A novel set in southern New Jersey, The Lantern on the Plow follows the trials and the tribulations and the ultimate triumph of the Sherborne family as they struggle to find their way in a changing landscape.
338 pages, paperback.
ISBN: 978-1-947889-19-4. $19.95
A Trip to Mars, by Charles K. Landis
Charles K. Landis, founder of Vineland and Sea Isle City, wrote this previously unpublished foray into science fiction c. 1876. The title alternates between thrilling storytelling and thinly veiled commentary on the social ills of Earth. Intrepid travelers journey to Mars, explore its geography, confront terrifying monsters, and encounter the ancient culture and philosophy of Martians.
136 pages, paperback.
ISBN: 978-0-9888731-5-5. $14.95
Canoeing the Delaware, by J. Wallace Hoff and John Boyle O'Reilly
J. Wallace Hoff and John Boyle O’Reilly record the events of two separate canoe trips down the Delaware River in the 1890s. With engaging detail and wit, each describes the waterway, its river towns, and the inhabitants along the way. Enjoy the camaraderie of friends measuring their skill against the challenges of an untamed river.
203 pages; paperback.
ISBN: 978-1-947889-28-6. $16.95
Jewish Farming in South Jersey
Migdal Zophim & Farming in the Jewish Colonies of South Jersey, by Moses Klein and others
A republication pairing Moses Klein’s 1889 essay collection Migdal Zophim with contemporary reports on life in the colonies of Alliance, Rosenhayn, and Carmel from 1882 to 1907.
xxiv + 266 pages, illustrated, paperback.
ISBN: 978-1-9478898-9-7. $19.95
The Jewish Colonies of South Jersey, by William Stainsby
A 1901 report by the Bureau of Statistics of New Jersey offers a contemporaries look at life in the Jewish colonies of Alliance, Rosenhayn, Carmel, and Woodbine in the decades after their founding by refugees escaping the pogroms of Eastern Europe.
53 pages, photographs, paperback.
ISBN: 978-1-947889-94-1. $9.95
Adventures in Idealism: The Life of Professor H. L. Sabsovich, Founder of Woodbine, New Jersey, by Katharine Sabsovich
The 1922 biography of H. L. Sabsovich (1861–1915), the founder of Woodbine, New Jersey, and champion of Jewish farming in America.
289 pages, photographs, index, paperback.
ISBN-13: 978-1-947889-06-4. $15.95
Back to the Land: Alliance Colony to the Ozarks in Four Generations, by Ruth Weinstein
Weinstein’s beautiful memoir, which details life among the early settlers of the Alliance Colony, is informed by her own experience as a homesteader in the Ozarks, where she has lived for forty-five years on forty acres in Searcy County, Arkansas.
225 pages, photographs, paperback.
ISBN: 978-1-947889-98-9. $16.95
A Farmer’s Daughter: Bluma, by Bluma Bayuk Rappoport Purmell and Felice Lewis Rovner
Farm girl, nurse, nursing home operator, wife of a prison doctor, world traveler, award winning painter, speaker, and the oldest living descendant of the founders of Alliance, New Jersey, Bluma Bayuk Rappoport Purmell, tells an exciting story that spans over a century.
xvi + 301 pages, illustrated, hardcover.
ISBN: 978-1-947889-12-5. $29.95
Growing American: The Alliance Agricultural Colony in South Jersey, by Tom Kinsella
A readable introduction to the Alliance Colony, the first successful Jewish farming community in the United States. Kinsella describes the origins of the colony in 1882 and relates stories of its development into the neighboring villages of Norma, Alliance, and Brotmanville.
111 pages, color, index, paperback.
ISBN: 13: 978-1-947889-08-8. $26.95
Free download: Collecting South Jersey: A Bibliography of South Jersey Poetry by Stephanie Allen
If your bookstore would like to stock our excellent titles, reach out to learn about our wholesale pricing. For more information, please contact Tom Kinsella at Thomas.Kinsella@stockton.edu. We’ll be happy to provide pricing and send along copies of these titles.
Information can also be obtained by standard mail. Please address queries to the address below:
Tom Kinsella
ARHU/Stockton University
101 Vera King Farris Drive
Galloway, NJ 08205