[Lee Stewart]

In the summer of 1916, a series of brutal shark attacks rocked Matawan, New Jersey. Surprisingly, two of the incidents occurred in a freshwater creek farther inland than the initial shoreline attacks. A 300-pound bull shark was finally captured and confirmed via its stomach contents — yuck! — to be the culprit. The whole thing inspired Peter Benchley to publish “Jaws” in 1974. The book was famously adapted by Benchley and writer Carl Gottlieb for the screen a year later, and the film was directed by Steven Spielberg. Luckily for fans of “Jaws,” you can visit Matawan Creek free of cost.