129 Engleside Avenue, Beach Haven, New Jersey 08008, United States
Not All Cutlasses Are Cars!
Mystery of the Rusty Cutlass
In February of this year, 2021, we received an email from Bill Smith regarding "the rusty Cutlass". The volunteer that received the email responded "Hmm... I don't ever remember seeing a rusty car or hearing about the donation of a rusty car at the Museum. I'll need to track this one down and get back to you". Well, quickly the historians at the Museum came to the rescue and explained that the "cutlass" is a sword!
The cutlass was brought to the Museum by Mr. Smith in 1990. He purchased the sword from Mr. Robert Parker who had received it from his great uncle, Freeman Parker, who understood it to be the "Tuckers Island Cutlass". Freeman Parker had worked for the Life Saving Service and had asked for the sword when his office in Asbury Park was closed.
Bill Smith remembered a story about the sword and some Spanish coins being dug up in a story called The Lure of Long Beach Island which his teacher read when he was in school in Barnegat Light around 1948 or 1949.
Mr. Smith placed the cutlass on permanent loan to the LBI Museum in 1990 providing it was always displayed in the Museum. Adhering to Mr. Smith's wishes, the cutlass is displayed in a glass case along with the story of the "buried treasure" and some information concerning the controversy of the actual origins of the piece.
In any event, this cutlass (or sword) is worth coming by and taking a look at. It also gives you some great perspective on the "lure of Long Beach Island" over generations of those who have lived and visited here.
