Eric San Juan

Lakehurst: Barrens, Blimps & Barons: the True Tale of a Pine Barrens Town Eric San Juan

Lakehurst, NJ is best known as the site of the Hindenburg disaster and the unofficial ''Airship Capital of the World,'' a place where rigid airships were once common and where one of the most iconic events in history took place. But there is much more to the story than one notable disaster. Located on the northern fringes of New Jersey's Pine Barrens, Lakehurst boasts a past filled with visionary railroad barons, innovative military advances, and quirky residents. For the first time ever, a comprehensive history of this fascinating community is gathered between two covers. From its days as a bog iron community making cannonballs for the American Revolution to its modern status as a bedroom community nestled outside one of the East Coast's largest military bases, Lakehurst: Barrens, Blimps & Barons offers a story of New Jersey triumph and tragedy as told by the people who lived it. Featuring dozens of photos and based in part on a slew of interviews, Barrens, Blimps & Barons will delight railroad aficionados, students of military history, and anyone who has ever had a connection to Lakehurst, Manchester, Toms River, Whiting, or the Pine Barrens.