Ongoing historical research on a variety of topics.
Views: 929 The 1766 Morgan–Hills Map of Somerset County Unlike most eighteenth-century maps that depict only towns and transportation routes, the Morgan–Hills map provides a remarkable snapshot of the county’s agricultural landscape by assigning numbered tracts to individual owners in… Read More »1766 Somerset County, New Jersey Map Tells So Many Stories
Views: 1,177What 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 – What… Read More »Discussion: Sacking General Lee in Basking Ridge….But What if
Views: 467 Yes, it’s true: to celebrate America 250, we have a great gift for you from our friends and the New Jersey State Bar Foundation. Order anything from our fundraising gift shop or make a donation, then ask for… Read More »Free Declaration of Independence & Constitution Booklet for Supporting MLH
Views: 1,139Big News in the Jersey Burger World! Hackensack’s historic White Manna is going for it and made the decision to relocate one of New Jersey’s most iconic burger joints, lifting it up and moving it up the road, but… Read More »Hackensack’s Historic White Manna Burger Diner is MOVING – And Going BIG
Views: 872In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, we’ve been on the road, attending many great speeches and presentations on our country’s history. But one speaker gave an interesting twist, asking the audience about some commonly stated facts that have since… Read More »America250 History Debunked: Separating Myth from Fact
Views: 936As Americans experience our 250th anniversary, historians are asking how this moment should be understood and remembered. The Mr. Local History Project is preparing an in-depth story that brings together perspectives from respected voices across our region. This collection… Read More »What America at 250 Means to Me Essay Series Open to All
Views: 820America’s 250th birthday is a once-in-a-generation celebration, and there’s no better time to proudly display what America means to you. Whether it’s a porch draped in flags, a family dressed in red, white, and blue, a neighborhood gathering, or… Read More »Show us Your Red, White, and Blue Contest – Celebrating America 250
Views: 1,720Military protocol in the eighteenth century generally called for armies to suspend major campaigning during the winter months. Harsh weather, poor roads, limited food supplies, and the difficulty of moving men, horses, artillery, and wagons made large-scale operations impractical.… Read More »Middlebrook’s 1778-1779 Encampment – 10,000 Troops and Bridgewater’s Legacy
Views: 1,669Long before telegraphs, radios, or cell phones, New Jersey’s mountaintops carried messages by fire. During the Revolutionary War, General William Livingston and Brigadier General William Alexander—better known as Lord Stirling—relied on a chain of signal beacons stretching across the… Read More »Igniting New Jersey’s Revolutionary Signal Beacons for America 250 Effort
Views: 1,250For 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 sit down and talk with Elias Boudinot, Henry George,… Read More »Meet HistOracle AI: New Jersey Team Brings History’s Voices Back to Life
Views: 8,935Communicating Life Stories and Digital Storytelling For generations, family stories and personal memories were preserved through handwritten letters, photo albums, and conversations around the kitchen table. Today, those same stories can be recorded with a smartphone, shared across continents… Read More »Communicating Life Stories – Digital Storytelling Oral History
Views: 4,366This 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 and… Read More »New Jersey’s America 250 Commemorative Magazine
Views: 1,819As New Jersey commemorates the 250th anniversary of the American experience, the archaeological work at Lord Stirling Manor represents one of Somerset County’s most significant contributions to the America 250 effort. By uncovering the physical remains of William Alexander’s… Read More »Archaeological Dig – America’s Grandest Estate in Basking Ridge
Views: 2,153One of the things we enjoy most about the Mr. Local History Project is discovering how seemingly unrelated stories eventually connect. Over the years, we’ve crossed paths with Perth Amboy through the lives of New Jersey’s Royal Governors, the… Read More »Perth Amboy’s Great Jersey History
Views: 559 On February 9, 2026, Brian Haumersen and Mike D Achille returned the historic ice yacht OURS to the ice of the Navesink River at the North Shrewsbury Ice Boat and Yacht Club for the first time in approximately… Read More »Historic Ice Yacht Gifted to Lake Hopatcong Club- It’s “Ours”
