It's not everyday your borough turns 100-years old. That's the case with Ocean Gate who is celebrating their rich history in 2018 and how they've grown over the years.

In March of 1918, Ocean Gate petitioned the state to secede from Berkeley Township.

They were then given the right to have an election.

26 of the 30 people who voted, checked 'yes' on the ballot.

Ocean Gate was born.

Two months later on May 11, Ocean Gate town historian and OG President of the Historical Society Lou Porcaro says came the first mayor, council, constable and tax assessor.

"Their budget was somewhere around $10,000.00 that year," Porcaro said. "I'm sure there was some people up in arms because they thought it was a lot of money."

While 1918 was the year they were born, Ocean Gate has really been around since the beginning of the 20th century.

"People got here by train and they started coming down when property was up for sale," Porcaro said. "A company by the name of 'The Great Eastern Corporation' from Newark bought most of the property and they advertised 'Gateway to the Ocean'. It was $50.00 for a lot if you won a lottery."

Property was not the only reason people wanted to come down to Ocean Gate.

"They came down because it was quiet and beautiful," Porcaro said. "People came down for crabbing and swimming and boating and they would dress in their Sunday best and enjoyed themselves and went back home."

Ocean Gate is a borough enriched with traditions and attractions that have drawn people to the borough over the years including 'sky high' slides, you can see below in our photo gallery.

"The kids back in the 1920's, 30's and 40's...they were on those things all day long," Porcaro said. "They were 30-feet high...they were a huge attraction."

Mayor Paul Kennedy says one piece of history that sticks out to him...he's just the 10th mayor of the borough.

"The mayors office was controlled by one family for the longest time...52-years of the Meece family," Kennedy said. "The rest, obviously, was the eight of us and out of those eight, my predecessor was in for 12-years and I'm in my twelfth year."

Perhaps it's the annual 4th of July parades or summers spent down in Ocean Gate, but it's filled with a community of people who take a lot of pride in what they do.

Ocean Gate continues to be a community of people who work together for the common good, says Kennedy.

"We have beach and boardwalk crews that help raise money to maintain our boardwalk and paint our stuff," Kennedy said. "They take pride in what they do, they take pride in their community."

Kennedy says there are many things that bring people to Ocean Gate every year, but most of all it's their beaches and boardwalk.

"We have a one-mile long boardwalk that probably...there's more people walking from out of town than in town," Kennedy said.

There will be events throughout the summer including a volleyball tournament at the end of June, the annual 4th of July parade and weekend but Kennedy says August 11 is a date to mark down now.

"August 11 is a full-fledge day of a 5-K fun walk and 1-mile walk in the morning, then we have the crafters and the vendors and the foodtrucks on Wildwood Avenue and the cardboard boat races at 12-noon," Kennedy said. "Then we have the Ocean County Vocational School out of Lakehurst playing in the afternoon that day and a band that night and then we're having fireworks around 9:00 pm or so."

To see what else is going on this summer in Ocean Gate, watch the video again above or below or head to their website.

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