Gretchen F Coyle

Tucker's Island Gretchen F Coyle

Once located between Great Bay and Little Egg Harbor, along the New Jersey coast, Tucker's Island disappeared into the Atlantic Ocean. Sand dunes and native foliage once covered its eight miles. For generations, the Rider family kept the light illuminated, and the US Life-Saving Service provided aid to ships in distress. Two hotels were constructed by island men with building materials salvaged from local shipwrecks. Visitors arrived by sail or steam, and the popularity of Tucker's Island inspired real estate agents to sell worthless lots to unsuspecting buyers eager for their own piece of the shore. Storms battered the vulnerable island; the lighthouse toppled in 1927, the life-saving station washed away, and in 1932, the island was removed from tax records.