High Tide

The CapeMay.com blog

Tag: history

The Stephen Smith House

The Stephen Smith house has stood at 645 Lafayette Street for nearly 170 years. Maybe you’ve walked past it. Maybe you’ve read the plaque out front that offers a brief summary of Smith’s life. But you might not realize that he was a key figure in the pre-Civil War Underground Railroad. Smith was born into… Read more »

The fire of 1878

Today in 1878, fire broke out in the Ocean House on Perry Street. Less than twelve hours later, it had destroyed forty acres and destroyed commercial properties including Congress Hall, Ocean House, Centre House, Columbia House, Atlantic House, and Merchant’s Hotel. The total loss was estimated at $400,000. Arson was suspected, but the suspect was… Read more »

Racing to Success

In 1905, a young struggling entrepreneur by the name of Henry Ford and the dashing Louis Chevrolet came to Cape May, vying for the right to claim the fastest automotive machine.