There’s a Navesink River waterfront spot in Rumson that’s an iconic slice of waterborne travel history. More than a century ago, the vicinity was the site of flourishing happy-go-lucky times of transport and community. It was the site of the Rumson Dock where the famous Albertina steam ship made stops for commuting, community and entertainments’ sake.

The Albertina was one of two ships that transported people from the communities of Rumson and Fair Haven to and from New York City. The ship docked in both boroughs and brought a community of vaudevillian actors to Fair Haven. Their “playhouse” was the present Shrewsbury Yacht Club. The vaudevillians, actors, directors and producers from New York to the west coast had homes in Rumson and Fair Haven. In fact, many of their bungalows, now mostly bulldozed, were considered upscale.

The showfolk living in Fair Haven in those days were much admired, my mother’s friend Loretta Mylot used to tell me. When she was still alive, Loretta would share stories about how everyone knew where these rich and famous, or poor and merry players of Fair Haven lived. It an entertainment ritual in itself, she said, to wait for them to come to town in mostly the summer months and take a purposeful walk by their homes.

The Albertina was not only known to be a transportation source. It was also a river fixture, a symbol of community connection the small towns, so much so that it became Fair Haven’s logo.

From happy days of transport and Rumson dock-and-stroll times to some sad news, the spot is an iconic one. So is the ship. So are the passengers.

These were the days of parasols, corsets and poofy dresses with hoop skirts. According to the archives of the Red Bank Register, women could purchase a parasol for 98 cents. To look your best for that dock stroll, suits were $10.98, corsets were 77 cents, Tub Dresses, whatever the heck they are, were $1.48 and $1.98. And for those ladies who wanted a quick trim-down, the best of corsets were $2.79 “a pair.”

What now stands in the spot where the dock is pictured? What iconic rites of passage have happened at this spot? What was the name of the other ship?

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