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Bernards Township Research

Historacle AI Mr Local History

Meet HistOracle AI: New Jersey Team Brings History’s Voices Back to Life

Brooks Betz Jun 21, 2026 11 min read

Views: 285 PREVIEW RELEASE to Subscribers: For centuries, historians have relied on books, letters, artifacts, and exhibits to tell the stories of the past. But what if visitors could do something more? What if they could actually sit down and…

Brochure Lord Stirling Dig 2026

America’s Grandest Estate in Basking Ridge Archaeological Dig Continues

New Jersey History Project Jun 10, 2026 11 min read

Views: 429 UPDATE:Wednesday, June 18, 2026, Session 13 – 02:00 PM – 03:15 PM, hear the panel explore, through the lens of archaeology, the past, present, and future of “The Buildings,” the former estate of Revolutionary War General William Alexander, also known…

The Great Swamp History Mr Local History

The Great Swamp: Ice Age, Melting, Airports, Swampers, Raptors, Fireworks & Horror Tales

New Jersey History Project Jun 9, 2026 13 min read

Views: 714 At first glance, the Great Swamp seems peaceful, a quiet stretch of reeds, willows, and winding creeks lying between Basking Ridge, Harding, and Chatham. Yet beneath its still surface lies a story that spans thousands of years, from…

Ridge Sailing Team Mr Local History

Documenting the Ridge High School Sailing Program

Brooks Betz Jun 3, 2026 9 min read

Views: 214 This post is part of a series in which the Mr. Local History Project will document what we believe are the early stages of a new varsity sport across the state. We plan to meet with the New…

Honoring Vets and soldiers 2019 Jimmy Decoste2

Memorial Day Tribute

New Jersey History Project May 22, 2026 2 min read

Views: 5,726 Honoring those we’ve lost and those veterans who have served. Soldiers showcased in the video who have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country: More Mr. Local History Our Readers’ Top 10 MLH Posts this Week

1950s Basking Ridge Town Green

Basking Ridge Town Green – The Town’s Smallest Park History & a New Flagpole

New Jersey History Project May 15, 2026 10 min read

Views: 1,645 UPDATE: Yes, it’s going to happen. A NEW flagpole is replacing the old, nasty, rusted version somewhere around June 19, 2026. While America’s 250th birthday is underway, the Basking Ridge town green is about to get a major…

Ohio Abandoned Home for Sale1

Was Basking Ridge’s Town Hall Abandonded?

Brooks Betz May 13, 2026 6 min read

Views: 2,011 Our first comment needs to be “NO, THIS IS NOT AN AI-GENERATED IMAGE.” At first glance, I honestly thought someone had listed Bernards Township’s Town Hall for sale. For a moment, it looked uncannily like the old Astor…

Mr Local History Train Series

Railroad and Train History Series – Mr Local History Project

New Jersey History Project May 10, 2026 2 min read

Views: 1,251 Railroads did more than move people and freight. They shaped towns, determined where businesses grew, and influenced where people chose to live. Across New Jersey and throughout the Northeast, the arrival of the railroad in the nineteenth century…

1880s DL&R Engine No 21 the Watsesssing at Bernardsville Restored Bernardsville History Room

Railroad Photo Collection – The West Line of Central New Jersey

New Jersey History Project May 9, 2026 1 min read

Views: 156 While researching the rich history of the West Line to Bernardsville, New Jersey, here are just some of the images from the series, gathered from various sources, to share as an online local photo collection that spans from…

Helen Shen Cabaret Ridge High School4

Helen Shen of Basking Ridge, NJ Shines in Breakout Film Devil Wears Prada 2

New Jersey History Project May 6, 2026 7 min read

Views: 1,134 Did you see that another Basking Ridge resident hit the silver screen, sharing the screen with Basking Ridge’s Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada 2? Meet Basking Ridge’s HelenJ. Shen. On the Devil Wears Prada 2 set, Shen…

Somerset Hills Railroad Visionaries Mr Local History Project

Railroad Men of The Somerset Hills

New Jersey History Project May 5, 2026 11 min read

Views: 268 The iron rail that brought the steel horse to the Somerset Hills.This story is as much about the railroads that were built as it is about the railroads that weren’t. Railroad Companies of the Time Before we begin,…

Genral Lee Not Captured in Basking Ridge

Speaker Series: Sacking General Lee in Basking Ridge….But What if

New Jersey History Project May 1, 2026 3 min read

Views: 460 What would have happened if General Charles Lee WASN’T captured in Basking Ridge?Join the Mr. Local History Project as we break down the history with this interesting conversation. America250 Update: Presentation – Sacking General Lee in Basking Ridge –…

Counch Donation 2023 a

Project Local History Ambassador Flags for Students in Bernards Township

New Jersey History Project Apr 28, 2026 5 min read

Views: 5,683 UPDATE / Donor Special: The 2026 Ambassador Giving Campaign to Support Project Local History Ambassador for 5th Grade Students is underway: five schools and almost 500 Bernards Township official flags to be distributed. See our special offer to…

Honoring Vets and soldiers 2019 Jimmy Decoste2

Jimmy DeCoste – Mr Local History Honors a Friend

New Jersey History Project Apr 25, 2026 6 min read

Views: 716 If you live in Basking Ridge and you went to Brush’s Deli, you were bound to see Jimmy DeCoste holding court with his friends at the table by the window. They would meet just about every day, shoot…

2026 Basking Ridge Charter Day Mr Local History

2026: Bernards Township Charter Day – May 16 – It’s America 250 Time

New Jersey History Project Apr 16, 2026 3 min read

Views: 1,194 Live now Live viewer count is not available at this time. try { const searchResp = await fetch( “https://www.googleapis.com/youtube/v3/search?part=id&channelId=” + CHANNEL_ID + “&eventType=live&type=video&maxResults=1&key=” + API_KEY ); const searchData = await searchResp.json(); const videoId = searchData?.items?.[0]?.id?.videoId; if (!videoId) {…

Cricket Grounds Basking Ridge New Jersey Mr Local History

Cricket in the Somerset Hills isn’t New – But it’s New Again

New Jersey History Project Apr 13, 2026 15 min read

Views: 784 HELP NEEDED: CROWDSOURCING HISTORYBERNARDSVILLE CRICKET CLUBSWe’re on a mission to locate any families or someone who might possess anything related to cricket clubs in Bernardsville back in the early 1900s – a trophy, a program, a sweater, a…

Beacon Fire Lord Stirling Park 2026 Mr Local History

NJ 250 Idea – Build a Rev War Signal Beacon – Then Burn It

New Jersey History Project Mar 24, 2026 7 min read

Views: 1,990 At a recent Somerset County 250th Celebration gathering at the Grain House Restaurant, a simple sign pointed visitors toward the Hunt Room. It was an ordinary moment, but it captured something bigger, the quiet buildup of a once-in-a-generation…

Somerset County 250 Updates Mr Local History

Somerset County Revs Up History for America’s 250th

New Jersey History Project Mar 24, 2026 7 min read

Views: 6,214 Plans for New Jersey’s 250th Anniversary include Somerset County Going Big to Back Local history in Central New Jersey 2026 marks 250 years of American Independence, and Somerset County is gearing up to participate in the national celebration. And YES, General…

High Meadows Gun Club Sign2 David Ballentine

Remembering Gun and Rod Clubs Around Schley Mountain in the Somerset Hills

New Jersey History Project Mar 17, 2026 11 min read

Views: 787 From Rev War Soldiers to Gliders to Gun & Rod Clubs: The Transition on Schley Mountain There is no well-documented evidence of a formal, dedicated police or public shooting range in the “The Hills” development itself. But we’re…

Hoboken c1900s Postcard

Looking Back at Train Stations Along the Peapack Gladstone Line

New Jersey History Project Mar 12, 2026 5 min read

Views: 1,152 Stations in the News Railroad service into the Somerset Hills began in 1872 when the Passaic Valley and Peapack Railroad opened a new line running west from Summit into northern Somerset County. The original route established stations at…

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