Dr. Jonathan Pitney (October 2, 1797 – August 7, 1869), considered the Father of Atlantic City, New Jersey, was a physician who promoted

Absecon Island Absecon Island is a barrier island located on the Jersey Shore of the Atlantic Ocean in Atlantic County, New Jersey. On the island from north to south are the resort communities of Atlantic City, Ventnor, Margate, and Longport. The island ends a ...

as a healing seashore resort.

Biography

Born in

Mendham Borough, New Jersey Mendham Borough is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 4,981, which was unchanged from the count in the 2020 census and which in turn reflected a decl ...

in October 29, 1797, he studied medicine at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

under

Valentine Mott Valentine Mott (August 20, 1785April 26, 1865) was an American surgeon. Life Valentine Mott was born at Glen Cove, New York. He graduated at Columbia College, studied under Sir Astley Cooper in London, and also spent a winter in Edinburgh. A ...

. He moved to

Absecon, New Jersey Absecon (, ) is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 8,411,

in 1819 and established his medical practice there. He was a delegate to the New Jersey Constitutional Convention in 1844 and was instrumental in lobbying for the construction of the Absecon Lighthouse in the aftermath of the Powhattan ship wreck Pitney's main achievement was the promotion of Absecon Island as a shore medical retreat, with the help of civil engineer Richard Osborne and well connected Richard Summers they devised the idea creating a large scale resort. In 1853 he presented Osborne's designs for the city to Philadelphia railroad investors, which led to the creation of the Camden and Atlantic Railroad which opened on July 4, 1854. Pitney further promoted the city by extolling the healing properties of salt water and ocean air. He died in his Absecon home on August 7, 1869.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pitney, Jonathan 1797 births 1889 deaths Columbia University alumni People from Absecon, New Jersey American city founders