Ongoing historical research on a variety of topics.
Views: 1,009 Pluckemin, New Jersey, pronounced “PLUCK um in“, carries three enduring name stories. Some trace it to a Lenape word for persimmon tied to early Algonquian place terms. Others repeat the roadside tale of tavern keeper Jacob Eoff, who… Read More »Middlebrook Symposium – Pluckemin’s Rev War Academy Analysis with Dr. John Seidel
Views: 1,172 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… Read More »Looking Back at Train Stations Along the Peapack Gladstone Line
Views: 669 History says the subscriber list is lost, so Mr. Local History is trying to rebuild it. We wanted to begin this addition to our Somerset Hills train history series with the story behind what became widely known as… Read More »Millionaires Express Elegant Commuting – Who Was On That Exclusive Subscriber List
Views: 446 As our researchers investigated the history of the Millionaires Express story, we found several articles about a terrible rail accident involving the Millionaires Express on June 5, 1908. We’re sharing a few stories/articles from the era and are… Read More »Historic Train Accidents on the Peapack Gladstone Line
Views: 2,367 UPDATE:For 1 day only on Sunday, May 17, visitors can experience the “Millionaires Express” at the Whippany Railway Museum by riding in restored 1900s era luxury club cars once used by wealthy railroad travelers on New Jersey’s famed… Read More »The Millionaires Express Train – Luxury Between Hoboken & the Somerset Hills
Views: 1,348 Latest Issue – Summer 2026 – Click Here Spring 2026 marks the beginning of something extraordinary across the Garden State. Communities, museums, schools, and historical societies are launching celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary, the SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL of the Declaration… Read More »Mr. Local History 2026 Spring Magazine Vol 8. Issue 1
Views: 3,150 This Special Issue of Mr. Local History Magazine celebrates America’s SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL, the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence, by bringing New Jersey’s Revolutionary past to life. From historic battlefields and museum exhibits to community events… Read More »Mr. Local History’s America’s 250th Celebration Magazine
Views: 1,037 Part of our Mr. Local History Train Series….. For years, the Mr. Local History research team has been digging into New Jersey’s railroad history. As we traced old rail lines town by town, something curious began to appear… Read More »Northside or Southside – Train Determines Socio Economic Town Dynamics
Views: 503 A Retrospective The Mr. Local History Project conducted a deep dive into the beginnings of railroads in New Jersey, focusing on east-west corridors that sought to connect Pennsylvania with New York through New Jersey’s crossroads. Long before the… Read More »Passaic Valley & Peapack and the West Line Railroad – What if the West Line Succeeded?
Views: 2,915 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. As our researchers identify new pertinent information, this… Read More »The West Line Railroad: Fate That Created a Community Instead of an Industry
Views: 9,050 April 14 is National Garden Day, so make sure you get out there and enjoy our Garden State’s beauty (and history) While the Mr. Local History Project typically focuses on historical research, stories, and events, we figured one… Read More »Garden State’s Top Historic Gardens and Estates
Views: 7,755 “It’s the most extensive America 250 Events Calendar for New Jersey 250. BOOKMARK this Site and Come Back Often – Updated Daily This free statewide calendar is open to all New Jersey organizers to share America’s Semiquincentennial 250th… Read More »New Jersey’s Most Extensive America 250 Events Calendar
Views: 1,038 Starting in 2026, Mr. Local History will partner with the New Jersey Historic Project to document the history of ice boats and ice yachts in New Jersey, from the 1850s through recent history. We love the sport so… Read More »New Jersey Ice Boating History Series
Views: 1,306 “I want to try this ice boating. But I Need THREE EASIES: Easy to Set Up. Easy to Sail. Easy to Put Away.“ Ice boating has always lived in that wonderful space between ingenuity and obsession. For generations,… Read More »Production Ice Boats & Contraptions – Getting Started on Ice the Easy Way
Views: 460 Yachtsmen Preparing for The Winter (1889) New York Times Mr. Local History Jersey Ice Boat Time Machine SeriesJoin us as we look back at stories written about great ice yachts and those who made them iconic names in… Read More »Profiles in New Jersey Iceboating – 1889 – History of Ice Boating in Red Bank