Nathan Rowley Horner was the quintessential New Jersey bayman. Both Federal and State censuses list his occupation as employed as "Oysterman, "clamming", "boat builder", "Captain" or "caretaker gunning club". Somewhat ironically there is no mention that he also just happened to be among the very best of New Jersey decoy carvers of his day, rivaled by, perhaps, only Harry V Shourds. Many would award him the title of "The Best".

He was born into a working family in Atlantic City where his father worked as a blacksmith. In 1902, he married Lillian M Bartlett in Tuckerton, and they began to raise their family of four children. Nathan's various jobs took him to a number of locations around Little Egg Harbor Bay, located roughly in the mi...