Editing Point Pleasant, New Jersey (section)

== History ==
Around 1500, the area that included the future Point Pleasant was the ceremonial meeting place of the [[Lenape]] [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]], who called it the "Land of Tall Timber". In approximately 1665, the first European settlers arrived in the area, mainly fishermen, farmers and boat builders.<ref name="OfficialHistory" />

On February 15, 1850, Governor [[Daniel Haines]] and the [[New Jersey Legislature]] separated Ocean County from [[Monmouth County, New Jersey|Monmouth County]], and created Brick Township, including the Point Pleasant area, which became independent of Brick Township in 1920, though the post office carried the designation "West Point Pleasant" until 1956. According to the town's official website, many longtime residents still use that name. The town's first mayor was Melville B. Parker, chosen after J.H. Harvey declined the position after being elected. The town was initially a [[logging]] town, although logging was never a significant part of the local economy.<ref name="OfficialHistory" />

In 1925, the [[Manasquan River]]-Bay Head Canal was completed as part of the inland waterway. The canal, which divides Point Pleasant in half, provides a passage for boats, and is the northernmost leg of the [[Intracoastal Waterway]] which traverses the [[East Coast of the United States]] along the [[Atlantic Ocean]] between New Jersey and Florida. In 1964, Senator [[Clifford P. Case]] introduced legislation that changed the canal's name to the [[Point Pleasant Canal]].<ref name="OfficialHistory" /><ref>[http://www.pointpleasanthistory.com/time_canal.htm The Point Pleasant Canal; When the canal was opened in 1925 the upper Barnegat Bay was transformed from a stable fresh water area to a salt water bay with tides and currents. No environmental impact statement was needed.], Point Pleasant History. Accessed March 3, 2020. "There are varying accounts of exactly when the canal became navigable in 1926, but a climactic moment came at 3:15 p.m. on December 15, 1925 when a scoop dredge lifted a shovel full of dirt and allowed the waters of the Manasquan River and Barnegat Bay to intermingle.... Citing the fact that the waterway is entirely within Point Pleasant Borough's boundaries, and wanting to be more closely identified with the canal, Point Pleasant officials in 1964 successfully petitioned Congress to change the name from the Bay Head — Manasquan Canal to the Point Pleasant Canal."</ref> The two [[lift bridge]]s over the canal, at [[New Jersey Route 88|Route 88]] and Bridge Avenue, can be opened as many as 300 times per day during the summer to allow boats to pass underneath as marine traffic has the right of way.<ref name="Thinking" />

Though often regarded as a summer resort, the borough's website emphasizes that it is a "year round community of approximately 19,000 residents".<ref name="OfficialHistory" />

The borough's flag was designed by Carlo Kirk Polino, who created it at the age of 12 and presented it to the borough council in 2024, which adopted it unanimously.<ref>Carino, Jerry. [https://www.app.com/story/news/local/brick-point-pleasant/point-pleasant/2024/12/09/point-pleasant-nj-new-flag-carlo-polino-new-jersey/76818068007/ 'Point Pleasant didn't have its own flag, so this 12-year-old fixed that problem for good"], ''[[Asbury Park Press]]'', December 9, 2024. Accessed January 19, 2025. "Carlo Polino is a sixth grader with an affinity for flags. Earlier this year he noticed something: While many municipalities have flags, his hometown of Point Pleasant did not.... Not only did Carlo think of it; this enterprising 12-year-old drew up a design on his computer and, with the help of his parents, presented a prototype to borough council members in October. They unanimously approved, adopting the design as Point Pleasant’s official flag."</ref>