Events Calendar

Views: 775 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 –…

Views: 180 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. Simply order anything from our fundraising gift shop or make a donation, then ask…

Views: 512 As 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…

Views: 536 America’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,…

Views: 1,061 Military 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…

Views: 954 Long 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…

Views: 578 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 have a conversation with…

Views: 708 As 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…

Views: 1,521 The Statue of Liberty’s official name is “Liberty Enlightening the World”. In French:”La Liberté éclairant le monde” Her raised torch represents enlightenment, while the tablet in her left arm bears the date JULY IV MDCCLXXVI — July 4,…

Views: 1,147 Perhaps you’ve heard that the US President wants an arch for Washington, DC, to honor America’s 250th anniversary. The Mr. Local History Project has another proposal: how about a nationally recognized monument for Morristown, New Jersey, America’s first…

Views: 22,287 The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It was engrossed on parchment, and on August 2, 1776, delegates began signing it. Jefferson drafted the statement between June 11 and 28, submitted drafts to…

Views: 5,043 RAIN or SHINE – EVERY July 4th at 10:30 am – Join friends and family on Independence Day as the Washington Camp Ground Association honors the American flag, the playing of the Star Spangled Banner, and the reading…

Views: 3,170 UPDATE:EXTENSION – Submissions to the program have been extended to give everyone a bit more time to complete and submit their thoughts, as well as to share their experiences over the July 4th period, providing additional retrospective in…

Views: 16,987 UPDATE: July 3, 2026 6:30amThey’re gathering in Sandy Hook Bay on July 3 and getting ready for July 4th. That’s Eagle in there, 2nd in from the right. New Jersey residents can expect to be right in the…

Views: 1,121 UPDATE:Rumor has it that the new Visitor Center should open in September 2026. We’ll keep our fingers crossed! Well, after over 250 years in the making, New Jersey has finally put its money where its mouth is and…

Views: 299 We’re going to try to do our best to get out there and experience America’s 250th across New Jersey by attending what we can. The most fun has to be not only learning more about the history but…

Views: 580 Enough already Pennsylvania, you don’t get all the fun. Now, Revolutionary Pub Crawls is coming to New Jersey. Is there a better way to honor America’s 250th anniversary than to join General Washington, Ben Franklin & other time…

Views: 750 In New Jersey, any serious study of the Revolutionary War inevitably leads to Morristown. More than just a waypoint, Morristown became the strategic and symbolic heart of the Continental Army during its darkest and most decisive years. Twice…

Views: 2,335 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…

Views: 6,695 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…

Views: 3,943 “Pluck-em-in” and America 250 – Perfect Together. Get to know this Great American History Story. Pluckemin, New Jersey, pronounced “PLUCK um in“, carries three enduring name stories. Some trace it to a Lenape word for persimmon tied to…

Views: 764 Historic archeologist drops a verbal bombshell announcement at a New Jersey conference: The Rev War Pluckemin Cantonment WAS America’s first military academy, confirming the construction was done 24 years before the United States Military Academy at West Point.Dr.…

Views: 1,382 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…

Views: 4,323 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…

Views: 9,671 BOOKMARK this Site and Come Back Often – Updated Daily “It’s the most extensive America 250 Events Calendar for New Jersey 250. This free statewide calendar is open to all New Jersey organizers to share America’s Semiquincentennial 250th…

Views: 202,730 America’s First Military Academy, the Pluckemin Academy (Dec.1778), was 24 Years BEFORE West Point (March 16, 1802). One of the greatest untold stories of the American Revolution.The Pluckemin Winter Cantonment, part of the overall Middlebrook Encampment of 1778-1779.…

Views: 1,678 “It’s the most extensive 250th Exhibit List we’ve seen for New Jersey.“ This free statewide exhibit list is open to all New Jersey organizers to share information about America’s 250th-anniversary exhibits happening across the Garden State. From local…

Views: 861 America’s 250th anniversary is not coming soon. It is already underway. Across the country and here in New Jersey, America 250 and NJ250 programs have begun the long, multi-year commemoration leading to 2026, inviting the public to engage…

Views: 1,165 On January 24, Westfield, New Jersey, hosted a special America250 edition of its popular community program Build Westfield in LEGO, bringing families and residents together for a creative celebration of local and national history. Held at Westfield High…

Views: 3,256 In the mid-1700s, Philadelphia wanted a bell with a voice strong enough to call people together. When the Liberty Bell first rang, it was loud enough to turn heads across the city. Imagine a quieter world, no engine,s…

Views: 1,972 A Memory of a Class Field Trip to Philadephia We love Jersey history, but Philly is right next door. In 2026, the United States marks 250 years since independence was declared. That declaration did not happen in a…

Views: 3,980 Mr. Local History finds itself back partnering with an iconic New Jersey business that has been among the most historic in American history. As we expanded our Gift Shop collection with America 250 flags, it’s no surprise that they’re…

Views: 1,583 In December 1776, the American rebellion was close to collapse. The Continental Army was shrinking as enlistments expired and morale sank to its lowest point of the war. British forces held New York and expected the uprising to…