We’re all about Joisey History, but with a social twist!
Mr. Local History t is a 501c3 all-volunteer non-profit public charity incorporated on October 15, 2019. It brings locals together to “preserve and promote local history with a social twist.” The errort started in northern Somerset County, New Jersey, and now works across the Garden State, finding new ways to engage with local communities, organizations, and passionate people with great stories to share. Volunteers are always welcome.
The organization has been engaged in local historic efforts in Bedminster, Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, Cranford, Far Hills, Keyport, Newark, Hoboken, Peapack/Gladstone, and Westfield towns, just to name a few, and we continue to expand as our audience grows.
Partnership – New Jersey History Project
Mr. Local History is partnering with the larger New Jersey History Project, a statewide group of organizations dedicated to preserving and promoting history education across the Garden State. This statewide effort matters because New Jersey’s history does not live in one town, one museum, or one archive. It lives in hundreds of local societies, libraries, schools, veterans groups, and family collections spread across the entire state. By working together through a shared statewide network, stories that would normally remain isolated can be connected, verified, preserved, and made accessible to everyone. This kind of collaboration raises the quality and credibility of local history work, strengthens research standards, and helps ensure that photographs, documents, and oral histories are protected before they are lost.
Just as important, a statewide partnership makes history education stronger and more equitable for students and the public. When organizations across New Jersey coordinate programs, exhibits, and digital resources, communities large and small gain the same opportunity to see their past represented and understood. It encourages younger generations to engage with real local stories, not just national headlines, and helps teachers, researchers, and volunteers share tools, training, and expertise. In short, a unified statewide effort turns many individual history projects into a lasting public record of New Jersey itself.
100% Public Donor / Fundraiser Funded
Our efforts continue based on three sources: fundraisers, website advertising, and, most importantly, public donations from people like you! If you haven’t donated to our efforts, please consider one at the bottom of this page.
Paula Axt, Jill Betz, Brooks Betz, Meg Wastie, Robin Marion, and Larry Terricone.
Mr Local History is now the exclusive seller of the New Jersey Historic Cat’s Meow Village, a partnership with the globally recognized wooden collectibles company Cat’s Meow. EVERY PENNY we raise from these collectibles goes back into funding the next collectible and other projects (like our coloring book and oak tree book). Please consider supporting us by becoming a resident of this fun set of collectibles in the New Jersey historic village.
“Out of adversity came opportunity” is the genesis for Mr. Local History effort. After being a non-paid volunteer for over a decade, Mr. Local History was born. Started by Basking Ridge resident Brooks Betz, aka Mr. Local History is dedicated to providing all kinds of local research and stories from the area we call home.