Tales at the Dormer House Revisits the Legend of Calamity Jane

Issue #759

July 27, 2026

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In This Cape May Local Scoop Issue…

 📆 Cape May Events

☀️ Cape May Local Weather

🎭Tales at the Dormer House Revisits the Legend of Calamity Jane

⛵Wildwood Crest Hosts MAYRA South Jersey Summer Series Youth Regatta

 🌳Cape May Eyes Early 2027 Start for Final Lafayette Street Park Improvements

Cape May Local Scoop’s Events Are Sponsored By: Survivors of Cancer

👇 Here’s what’s going on in the Cape May Local Area👇  

 July 27

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Tales at the Dormer House Revisits the Legend of Calamity Jane

 Classic American Tales (CAT) continues its "Tales at the Dormer House" series with a thought-provoking presentation by Gayle Stahlhuth that explores one of the American West's most enduring mysteries: Did Calamity Jane really write the diary that helped shape her legendary reputation?

Classic American Tales was launched in the summer of 2023 as the successor to Tales of the Victorians, a beloved storytelling series created by East Lynne Theater Company in Cape May in 1989. Since its debut, CAT has expanded beyond storytelling to include acting and playwriting workshops, lectures and performances throughout Cape May and beyond.

Stahlhuth's presentation, The Diary of Calamity Jane, examines the long-debated authenticity of the famous journal attributed to the iconic frontierswoman.

Diaries can preserve personal history, but they can also influence how history is remembered. In Calamity Jane's case, a publication titled Calamity Jane's Diary and Letters appeared years after a 1941 Mother's Day radio broadcast in which Jean McCormack claimed to be the daughter of Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok.

Historians have long questioned whether Calamity Jane, who spent much of her life as a camp follower, laundress and storyteller on the American frontier, actually authored the polished and reflective diary entries attributed to her.

Through historical research and storytelling, Stahlhuth explores whether the diary may have been rewritten, edited or even fabricated, raising questions about how legends are created and why some historical figures become larger than life.

The presentation offers audiences an engaging look at the intersection of fact and folklore while encouraging them to reconsider one of the Old West's most famous personalities.

For performance dates, ticket information and additional details about Tales at the Dormer House and other Classic American Tales programs, visit the organization's official website.

 

Wildwood Crest Hosts MAYRA South Jersey Summer Series Youth Regatta

 Wildwood Crest will welcome more than 100 young sailors on Thursday, July 30, as the Greater Wildwood Yacht Club hosts the Mid-Atlantic Yacht Racing Association’s South Jersey Summer Series regatta on Sunset Lake.

The event will feature competitors ages 9 to 18 representing yacht clubs from across the Mid-Atlantic region. Racing is scheduled from approximately 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with sailors launching from the Greater Wildwood Yacht Club, located at 6501 Park Blvd. in Wildwood Crest.

Competitors will race in four popular youth sailing classes: Optimist (Opti), Sunfish, Laser, and 420. Spectators will be able to watch the action free of charge from several public viewing areas along the shoreline of Sunset Lake, where the races are expected to be clearly visible throughout the day.

The regatta is part of the Mid-Atlantic Yacht Racing Association’s South Jersey Summer Series, which brings together young sailors for competitive racing and skill development during the summer season.

Leading up to the event, the Greater Wildwood Yacht Club will also host a youth race tactics clinic led by former U.S. Sailing Team member Brian Huntsman

Cape May Eyes Early 2027 Start for Final Lafayette Street Park Improvements

Cape May is moving closer to completing the final major phase of the long-term Lafayette Street Park redevelopment, with city officials hoping to begin construction in early 2027 after years of planning, environmental reviews, and permitting. The redevelopment has unfolded in multiple phases because of extensive permitting requirements involving state and federal agencies, historic preservation organizations, utility companies, and environmental regulators.

Although originally planned as the project's final stage, the Lafayette Street Park Nature Trail became the first completed phase. Opened in June 2025, the ADA-accessible boardwalk and elevated walkway overlooking Cape Island Creek have become a popular recreational feature behind Cape May City Elementary School.

Phase two added the community dog park, gazebos, bocce courts, playground improvements, and athletic field enhancements, setting the stage for the park’s final recreational amenities.

The future of the park's athletic courts also sparked discussion, with some officials suggesting additional pickleball courts while others emphasized preserving the site's historic connection to youth tennis. Engineers noted that combining tennis and pickleball on hybrid courts presents design challenges because of differing court dimensions and net systems.

Once completed, the final phase will transform the 38-acre Lafayette Street Park into a comprehensive recreation complex featuring nature trails, athletic courts, open green space, gathering areas, and expanded public amenities.

Which Cape May beach is named after a famous philanthropist and offers a more secluded spot compared to other local beaches?

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 Answer to the July 26th Trivia Question

Which Cape May location is famous for its World War II-era watchtower, known as Fire Control Tower No. 23, used to spot enemy ships?

A) The Cove
B) Sunset Beach
C) Higbee Beach
D) Cape May Point State Park

Answer: B) Sunset Beach.

Fire Control Tower No. 23, located at Sunset Beach, was part of the coastal defense system during World War II. It was used to help coordinate artillery fire and spot enemy ships off the coast of Cape May. Today, it serves as a museum and memorial.​

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