Ongoing historical research on a variety of topics.
Views: 25,206 Below are the original research notes as I had spent years researching contradicting information on the Widow White’s Tavern in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Often I like to post research in hopes that other researchers can see what’s… Read More »What Happened to Mary White and Widow White’s Tavern
Views: 20,780 While attending a program entitled “Early American Schoolhouses” at the Brick Academy in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, the instructor passed out handouts that discussed rules for students, teachers, and punishments in 1872. Meg Wastie, program coordinator at the Museum… Read More »Student Rules Then and Now
Did you know that US Route 206 actually used to be Route 31 and what is US Route 202 was actually Route 32?
So now you tell your friend “Take Route 31 North Thru Bedminster
and Turn Right onto Route 32 straight into Bernardsville.” Huh. “Route 31 goes to Clinton right? Left? WRONG! Confused?
Travel back to 1935 and you definitely would have been.
Maybe you could travel down Mine Brook Road to Bernardsville and the directions read take Route 32 south to Bville and stop at the dairy. Or maybe you’re coming down from Chester and you wanted to visit the Brady’s Hamilton Farm in Peapack/Bedminster and you actually have to go down Route 31. Well that was actually the case right up until 1935 when the transition began to change these two crossroads across the Somerset Hills to Routes 202 and 206.
Have you ever had such a major roadway change names in your lifetime? Your whole psychic changes. Think about how much confusion there is when the Department of Transportation changes highway exits and how long it takes you to forget the old ones and replace it with the new numbers. Geeze, I think there’s still exit signs on the southern end of Route 202 South that still say Old Exit 2B.
Read More »Liar – Route 31 Did Go Thru Bedminster & Bernardsville
Views: 6,318 How General Henry Knox got a Profile on Facebook Hey General Washington, was the water cold when you were crossing the Delaware? Hey Socrates, do you really believe all of the stuff you came up with? Don’t go… Read More »Putting Historic Personalities on Facebook
Views: 8,013 The Accent of Money is actually the history of money – and worth the watch! A few years ago, PBS released a documentary called The Accent of Money, hosted by Niall Furgerson. Based on his book about the… Read More »The Accent of Money – Grab the Kids
The New Jersey Historic Trust is responsible for advancing historic preservation in New Jersey and establish stable sources of funding to support activities that contribute directly to the preservation and use of New Jersey’s heritage resources. We thought it’d be interesting to follow up on the discussion regarding the New Jersey Historic Trust and their distributions over the last decade.
The analysis was done just to observe the data and see if there are any interesting trends. The data was sent to us from Dorthy Guzzo, the Executive Director of the New Jersey Historic Trust in Trenton, New Jersey and we thank her for her efforts.
Views: 11,373 New Jersey Historic Trust Announces Grant Applications for 2008 February 27, 2009 TRENTON – The New Jersey Historic Trust today announced its recommended list for 2008 Historic Preservation Grants. The list of recommended sites will go before the… Read More »New Jersey Historic Trust Site Grants 2008
Views: 15,508 “The entertainment began with a discharge of 13 cannons at 4 o’clock in the afternoon.” The Grand Alliance Ball – Sunday, February 18, 1779 , Pluckemin, New Jersey Sunday, February 18, 1779 , Pluckemin, New Jersey One of… Read More »1779 – Grand Alliance Ball – Pluckemin New Jersey
Views: 15,100 Did you know that New Jersey has one of the largest collections of historic one-room schoolhouses in the country? TRUE. Join the Mr. Local History Project as we map New Jersey (and surrounding areas) Historic Schoolhouses! A great… Read More »Mapping New Jersey’s Historic Schoolhouses
The Mr. Local History Project 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 project 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.
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.
The Mr Local History Project 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 the Mr. Local History Project. After being a non-paid volunteer for over a decade, the Mr. Local History project was born. Started by Basking Ridge resident Brooks Betz, the Mr. Local History Project is dedicated to providing all kinds of local research and stories from the area we call home.
Views: 20,437 First – Start your journey with 30 seconds of #burgerporn. Enjoy as we did! Who doesn’t love a good burger? Ah, yes, even the statement opens the door for interpretation. How big, ketchup or not, steamed, fried, broiled,… Read More »The History of Burgers and Mapping the Best Burgers in America