For 5 years and more than 650 posts, Mr Local History has been telling the stories of Basking Ridge, the Somerset Hills, Somerset County, and eventually communities across New Jersey. What started local grew wider, but the goal stayed the same to uncover, document, and share the history hiding in plain sight. As we look back over the last half decade, we are picking some of our favorite stories along the way that surprised us after we dug in. Have a favorite post that stuck with you, taught you something new, or made you see your town differently. Share it with us and help shape this look back at 5 years of local history.
Some Top Picks That Surprised Even Me….
Larison’s Turkey Farm & Arthur’s Tavern- A Legendary New Jersey Restauranteur
Views: 5,221 Do you know how Arthur’s Tavern got its name? Meet Arthur….. Arthur McGreevy. Meet Arthur McGreevy Arthur was born on Dec. 6, 1927, in Orange, N.J., and lived most of his life in Morris Plains, N.J., before moving…
What Might Have Happened if General Lee Wasn’t Captured in Basking Ridge
Views: 484 In December 1776 the American rebellion was close to collapse. The Continental Army was shrinking as enlistments expired and morale sank to its lowest point of the war. British forces held New York and expected the uprising to…
Top 10 Trending Posts Right Now Mr. Local History
Views: 4,851 Over 600 Posts Honoring Jersey History “You keep suggestin, We keep researchin’ “ Top 10 MLH Reseearch Posts This Month Top 10 MLH Reseearch Posts Last Year Top MLH Posts All Time #5 Post – All Time #4…
John Morton – General Washington’s Rebel Banker Stashed in Basking Ridge
Views: 7,704 John Morton was a Colonel in the Continental Army. Still, he relinquished his commission in 1761 to become a highly successful merchant, specializing in the trade of flax from his native Ulster in Northern Ireland, thereby supporting the…
Jersey’s History Bucket List
Views: 7,209 Wow, this story was one of our most controversial and difficult stories we’ve ever prepared. Just the thought of picking only 10 Jersey historic sites is an insane task. But I think we’re up to it. The 10…
The Official Sandwich of Basking Ridge – What Now?
Views: 6,259 BASKING RIDGE UPDATE:April 1, 2025 – Since the village of Basking Ridge lost the famed creator of the Official sandwich of Basking Ridge, “the town special,” the title is up for grabs. Come back soon for the opportunity…
Project Local History Ambassador Flags for Students
Views: 4,563 UPDATE: May 2025 Connecting Bernards Township students to their local history, the Mr. Local History Project kicked off its 3rd year of our Project Local History Ambassador program for 5th-grade students thanks to the financial support of many…
Moonshining Bootlegging Speakeasies in Somerset County, NJ
Views: 4,417 A few friends got together and started talking about the fine art of distilling and how much it’s changed (if at all). It seems that due to the efforts of a few Jersey residents, distilling spirits is back…
Is it Bernard or Bernards? Hummm
Views: 3,327 The Mr. Local History project often digs into multiple archives looking for evidence of the areas collective past. But this one got us scratching our heads. There is no doubt that Bernards Township is named after Sir Francis…
Samuel Southard of Basking Ridge – A US Vice President
Views: 2,361 While researching the Southard family of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, we uncovered something we never knew about Samuel Southard. MLH believes Basking Ridge’s own Samuel Southard was the Vice President of the United States for over a year…