Corson Inlet

Corson Inlet is a narrow strait on the southern coast of New Jersey in the United States.^[1]

Corson Inlet leads from the Atlantic Ocean through barrier islands off the northeast coast of Cape May County, New Jersey.^[2] The Inlet separates Ocean City, New Jersey, from Strathmere, New Jersey.

The United States Navy seaplane tender USS Corson, in commission from 1944 to 1946 and 1951 to 1956, was named for Corson Inlet.^[3]

Corson's Inlet State Park borders the strait.

The inlet and adjacent dunes were a favorite place for the amblings of American poet A.R. Ammons, resulting in one of his best known poems, "Corsons Inlet".

The passing of automobiles to Corson's inlet has naturally left giant, mogul-like bumps in the road, oddly evenly spaced, all reaching the same height and depth (approx. 3 feet).

Geography

Corson Inlet separates Pecks Beach from Ludlam Island in Cape May County.

It was described in 1834 as,

Corson's Inlet, a passage of the sea, through the beach, to the lagunes and marshes of Upper t-ship, Cape May co., about half a mile in width.^[4]

Corson Inlet was described in 1878, viz.,

Corson's Inlet connects Corson's Sound and Ludlam's Bay with the ocean. It is upwards of half a mile wide, and is navigable for small-sized vessels; it has seven feet of water on its bar.^[5]

History

Corson Inlet appears as Bottle Inlet on a map circa 1700;^[6] and as "Coston's Inlet" on a map published in 1749 by Lewis Evans.^[7]

Notes

1. Merriam Webster's Geographical Dictionary, Third Edition, p. 283
2. Merriam Webster's Geographical Dictionary, Third Edition, p. 283
3. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships at http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c14/corson.htm; see ship namesake paragraph.
4. Gordon, Thomas Francis (1834). A Gazetteer of the State of New Jersey - Thomas F. Gordon - Google Books. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
5. Historical and Biographical Atlas of the New Jersey Coast, Woolman and Rose, Philadelphia, 1878; p. 20
6. A New Mapp of East and West New Jarsey, Being an Exact Survey Taken by Mr. John Worlidge, John Thornton, London; circa 1700
7. A Map of Pensilvania, New-Jersey, New-York, And the Three Delaware Counties, Lewis Evans, 1749

References

• Merriam Webster's Geographical Dictionary, Third Edition. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 1997. ISBN 0-87779-546-0.
•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here. (See ship namesake paragraph.)
• Lehman, D.(Ed.) (2006). A.R. Ammons: Selected Poems. American Poets Project, pp. 18–22. New York: Library of America.

39°12′20″N 74°38′57″W