While Cranbury Inlet was opened it afforded great facilities for vessels to trade in and out of the bay. As this inlet is laid down on a map of 1755 (Lewis Evans) it is probable that it was opened - broke out from 1750 to 1755. It was closed about 1812. During the war of the Revolution it was much used. The question of the exact year when this inlet was opened has been in litigation in our County Courts in a question involving title to land on the beach in its vicinity; no decisive information was obtained upon trial.

Two or three attempts have been made to open inlets towards the head of the bay. One by a man named Ortley about 1821; after working a long time (three or four years, I have heard it said,) and spending much money on the effort, he finished the work one set day; and that evening he and his friends had a merry time drinking and rejoicing over the completion of the work. But a sad disappointment awaited them in the morning, for the running tide, instead of working the inlet deeper, had made a bulkhead of sand and the inlet was soon filled up.

Another effort was completed about July 4, 1847. A large number of men (about three hundred), under the supervision of Anthony Ivins, Jr., worked about three days to open one opposite Toms River; when they opened it it was at high water in the bay and low water outside; they expected the running tide would work the inlet deeper, but they, too, were doomed to disappointment, as the tides immediately filled it up with sand, again.

Barnegat Inlet is continually slowly shifting and changing, and always has been from our earliest accounts.

Six or seven years ago the old lighthouse washed into the sea, but a new building had already been built in anticipation of this event.

Shrewsbury Inlet (Monmouth county) opened in 1778 and closed in 1800. In 1830 it opened again, but was again closed some thirty years ago.

At Little Egg Harbor a new inlet broke through Tucker's Beach about the year 1800 and Brigantine Inlet closed up.