Welcome to the Mr. Local History Project
“A 501c3 Non-Profit Dedicated to Preserving and Promoting Jersey History with a Social Twist”
The Mr. Local History Project brings New Jersey’s past into the present through the stories of real places, real people, and real communities. Focused especially on New Jersey history, the project celebrates local history in a way that feels personal, engaging, and relevant- not something locked away in textbooks, but history that lives where we live. As we head into 2026, the 250th anniversary of the United States, Mr. Local History is turning history into a shared experience. With a social twist, this is about connecting online and in the community, sharing memories, spotlighting hometown stories, and honoring New Jersey’s outsized role in America’s founding. It is history you can explore, share, and be part of together.
Today in America’s History (We Update Every Day)
- 1682: William Penn receives the area that is now the state of Delaware, and adds it to his colony of Pennsylvania.
- 1781: American Revolutionary War: A small force of Pennsylvania militia is ambushed and overwhelmed by an American Indian group, which forces George Rogers Clark to abandon his attempt to attack Detroit.
- 1814: British troops capture Washington, D.C. and set the Presidential Mansion, Capitol, Navy Yard and many other public buildings ablaze.
- 1857: The Panic of 1857 begins, setting off one of the most severe economic crises in United States history.
- 1932: Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly across the United States non-stop (from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey).
- 1933: The Crescent Limited train derails in Washington, D.C., after the bridge it is crossing is washed out by the 1933 Chesapeake–Potomac hurricane.
- 1950: Edith Sampson becomes the first black U.S. delegate to the United Nations.
- 1954: The Communist Control Act goes into effect, outlawing the Communist Party in the United States.
- 1963: Buddhist crisis: As a result of the Xá Lợi Pagoda raids, the US State Department cables the United States Embassy, Saigon to encourage Army of the Republic of Vietnam generals to launch a coup against President Ngô Đình Diệm if he did not remove his brother Ngô Đình Nhu.
- 1967: Led by Abbie Hoffman, the Youth International Party temporarily disrupts trading at the New York Stock Exchange by throwing dollar bills from the viewing gallery, causing trading to cease as brokers scramble to grab them.
What Can You Do Today to Celebrate America’s 250th?
Our Readers’ Top 10 MLH Posts this Week
Latest Posts
Washington’s Rev War Fortress – It Was New Jersey Itself
Views: 275 Washington Didn’t Build His Fortress. New Jersey Did. So we start by coining a phrase, one that defines what we think Washington knew all along. A geological fortress is not an artificial fort of stone walls, towers, and…
Donate Today and Get a Great Gift: 2026 US Mint RevWar 250 Quarters Collectible Pack
Views: 164 Minimum donation: $25, but feel free to donate at any of the levels below. Your contribution is TAX DEDUCTIBLE. We only have a limited supply of these great keepsakes, so act fast. First come, first reserved, while supplies…
“The Frippery” Thrift Store Extraordinaire is a Watchung Historic Gem
Views: 4 For over Half a Century, the Frippery is Watchung’s Original Treasure Hunt Long before thrift shopping became trendy, generations of bargain hunters were already climbing the stairs and rummaging through the shelves at one of Watchung’s best-known hidden…
Revolutionary Crawls Brings Its One-of-a-Kind Historical Experience to Bernardsville
Views: 217 History is marching into Bernardsville, and Mr Local History is joining the procession! On Saturday, October 10, 2026, Revolutionary Crawls & Events will make its Bernardsville debut with an immersive Revolutionary Pub Crawl through the heart of town.…
Crane Farm: The Little Farm Stand Preserves Basking Ridge’s Farming Past
Views: 1,160 RUMOR CONFIRMED:As Crane Farm approaches another turning point, word has begun circulating that Tyson and Doris Mertz are retiring October 31, 2026 and will not be renewing their lease with Somerset County. The Mertzes have not owned the…
Mashing Crime History to Maps and Apps
Views: 6,355 Imagine relocating to a city or state where you have no family or friends to help you evaluate different neighborhoods. You can easily compare home prices, property taxes, schools, commute times, restaurants, and traffic. But finding reliable, current,t…
Meandering Basking Ridge’s Newest Largest Lake – The Millington Quarry
Views: 2,082 The Millington Quarry property in the Millington section of Bernards Township is one of the largest former industrial sites in Somerset County and has been the focus of redevelopment discussions for more than a decade. Covering approximately 180…
Noe Pond & the Browers- Chatham’s Swim Club People Remember
Views: 175 Noe Pond began as a natural, spring-fed farm pond on the Noe family’s roughly 800-acre property in Chatham Township. Dating to before the Revolutionary War, the pond supplied water to the family’s dairy farm, rose greenhouses, and surrounding…
Millington’s Millridge Swim Club Bulldozed Back into the Great Swamp Landscape
Views: 201 Before the Millridge Swim Club existed, it was known as Reggie’s Playland Farm, and we found a strange real estate listing from 2002 that read: This story is part of the Mr. Local History Project’s New Jersey Swim…
Westfield’s Rialto Theater History and Next Chapter
Views: 113 UPDATE: A New Life for Westfield’s Rialto After sitting largely dormant since closing as a movie theater in 2019, Westfield’s historic Rialto is now headed toward a major rebirth. In July 2026, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority…
Celebrating 100 Years of the Cranford Theater
Views: 443 As Cranford prepares to celebrate the theater’s 100th birthday on November 29, 2026, we’re taking a look back at the little movie house that became a Cranford institution, and the generations of people who have kept coming through…
Our Summer 2026 Magazine is HERE!
Full of great local Jersey History to keep you on the edge of your history seat.
Special Edition – America’s 250th The SEMI-QUIN-CENTENNIAL is HERE!
See our special digital magazine. Full of great local Jersey History.