Mr Local History loves history with a social twist. In fact, it’s our motto! So we thought how fun it would be to share some of the most loved New Jersey businesses that have disappeared. We started researching and putting our artists to work to recreate an offering of vintage retro clothing and accessories that honor the history of these great businesses we all remember.
Over the years, the Mr. Local History Project has been researching Jersey motorsports history and some of the sport’s greatest stories. While we now have the research to share, we thought we would digitally recreate some of these historic icons, creating the largest historic Jersey motorsports collection for t-shirts, hoodies, backpacks, stickers, clocks, blankets, and more.
Any color, any size. All for Jersey Motorsports fans! All proceeds go towards furthering the research and education programs at the non-profit Mr. Local History Project, which preserves and promotes Jersey history “with a social twist.”
As we hear from our readers, the collection keeps growing. It’s amazing how many people remember these former businesses (and a few still standing) that dotted our Jersey landscape: shoes from Thom McAn, lumber from Channel Lumber or Rickels, fun at Storyland or Bowcraft, or eating out at Howard Johnson’s or many of the car hops and drive-ins we remember. Click and look down memory lane and see if there’s any history you’d like to wear from this fun new history collection.
Individual collections include Great Jersey History, Jersey Retro History, Jersey Foodie History, Basking Ridge/Bernardsville, Westfield, Westfield/Cranford, Jersey Motorsports History, Jersey Irish, and our goofy Mr. Local History Fun Collection. Just click on the image below to go to each collection.
Each item is from advertisements we’ve researched when they were in business. The addresses and telephone numbers are original from that time. The non-profit Mr. Local History Project has partnered with online retailer RED BUBBLE, an internet-based company that prepares our artwork in several styles and products. They process and ship directly to you. We’ll continue to grow the collection based on your thoughts and feedback. So, if you miss a place, let us know, and we’ll see what we can do. MLH is a non-profit 501c3 organization with a mission to preserve and promote Jersey History with a social twist. Honesty, we only make $1 or $2 on each sale, so it’s more about fostering history and less about making money.
Maybe we’re missing a favorite lost track or icon, and you want to add it to the collection? Post your feedback in the comments section below, and we’ll see what we can do.
Mr. Local History Project will present flags to 5th graders and share the local history…
UPDATE: March 2025 Connecting Bernards Township students to their local history, the Mr. Local History…
Picnickers in 1916 in what was known as Owens Woods. Pictured are Dorthy Wing, Jane…
Bernards Township Asian Community Research Project seeks researchers to help with this important effort. UPDATE:…
Joining the America 250 movement - Artists and New Jersey 250! UPDATE: We are looking…
Quick History - Irish Immigration to New Jersey By the mid-19th century, Irish immigration from…
This website uses cookies.