Paris fell to the Nazis. Germany bombed London and the US went on a War footing. The political debate was about non-interference vs. helping stop the advance of the German army.
The largest of all Frank Hague Democratic Rallies at Sea Girt was held at the Guard Camp in 1940 to support the candidacy of Charles Edison, son of the famous NJ inventor for governor. Hague had over 40 special trains and busses from the cities. 175,000 people came, many for the free ride to the beach and the box lunch. There were complaints that the ham sandwich, the cheese sandwich and the milk were all smaller portions than prior rallies. While the economy was off its back, there were still many poor and hungry.
Thomas Edison and his son Charles
Edison was a different type of candidate and he was rich enough to not have to worry about the money that the Hague machine could raise. He declared himself beholden to no man and won the governorship along with FDR who beat Wendel Wilkie for his third presidential term.
A pet goat of Mary Stokes was a regular visitor to the boardwalk, and in the fall became a mascot for the Manasquan Football team.
Kids playing under the boardwalk at Sea Girt (Marriott Morris Jr film)
There were 599 residents of Sea Girt in the 1940 census. Despite the depression, the 30s had provided a 50% increase in full time residents.
The erosion made it hard to find sun on the sand at high tide. The lack of beachfront led to the opening of more swimming spots south of the Pavilion.
It was the time of children in Sea Girt. While they went to different schools (half went to Spring Lake and half to Manasquan), but the kids socialized in clubs, church groups, and on the beach, where everyone gathered at the pavilion. In a civics lesson, through the YMCA, they started a practice of holding a mock election and replacing the borough mayor, council, and borough offices for a day. In 1940, it was boys only, and expanded to all kids 10-18 in 1941. Other shore towns followed, and by the mid-1940s, the practice expanded to county government. It was mimicked in many towns around the country.
Sea Girt Teenager Aimee Hawes wrote in the Spring Lake Gazette “Halloween and the election I hardly know where 1 am. We of the younger generation are surely getting educated in more ways than one! I hope we profit by what our parents are going through and least do. as good a job as they are doing. Anyway, I have learned that the less said about the election the better!”
A Police Pension ordinance passed to give long-time officers a benefit at retirement for their service. Superintendent Clarence Cornielus was voted fire chief. The Tremont was in the possession of the Borough. It had been foreclosed upon due to non-payment of taxes. September 19th saw two soldiers drown in a rip current at the guard camp, after defying orders not to go into the unprotected waters. Another woman, Marion Fitzpatrick of 217 Boston, died of a heart attack while swimming and was found floating in the sea.