Mr local history magazine Vol 7 Issue 2 Summer 2025 top 1
Welcome to the Summer Edition of the Mr. Local History Magazine!
Every summer, we dive headfirst into what we love most—celebrating New Jersey’s incredible place in America’s story. As the “Cockpit of the American Revolution,” New Jersey holds a central role in the nation’s founding, and we proudly spotlight our state’s pivotal contributions. From the legendary “Jersey Five Signers” of the Declaration of Independence to the fascinating origins of America’s flagmaking tradition rooted right here in the Garden State, this edition is filled with stories that inspire pride and curiosity.
Summer also means travel, exploration, and fun—and we’re all about making history come alive! Whether you’re hitting the road to explore Revolutionary War sites, paging through great reads, or picking up a new Cat’s Meow wooden keepsake, we invite you to discover just how exciting local history can be. This season, we also shine a spotlight on iconic Jersey landmarks, such as The Stone Pony and the Wildwood Boardwalk, both of which are honored with new additions to our keepsake collection.
In addition to our cover stories, also in this issue:
UPDATE:It’s HERE! The Cat’s Meow Village and Mr. Local History honors Asbury Park’s Stone Pony, joining the New Jersey Historic Village collection, now over forty keepsakes. Join the Party! Our Assumptions Were Correct…. Our assumptions were correct, and a big…
UPDATE: In 2010, we published this story on another website. Then we said people needed to see the story about this man, as he was seen again. It is a classic American tale that goes unnoticed, but we continue to…
UPDATE:USA TODAY says Wildwood is Home to One of the Country’s Best Pop Culture Museums. The museum received USA Today’s 2025 10 Best Readers’ Choice Travel Award. Anyone who’s visited Wildwood, New Jersey, knows it’s the Garden State’s greatest no-fee…
America’s First Military Academy, the Pluckemin Academy (Dec.1778) was 24 Years BEFORE West Point (Mar. 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. One of…
Summer is a great time for readers to take a book to the beach or just sit in a lounge chair in the backyard and read a good book. With history in our DNA, we’ve worked to create a great…
Yep, we said it….. sha la la la la la down the shore everything’s alright. Put some of the Jersey shore’s most iconic keepsakes out for display. Bruce Springsteen / Mr. Local History Project In Our Beautiful Jerse Shore Keepsake…
The term “Jersey Shore” is a term used to describe the coastal region of New Jersey that is famous for its beaches and tourist attractions. The word “shore” has a broader meaning than just “beaches” as it encompasses the entire…
Research Update:Are the Boylans and the Bullions the same family in Liberty Corner? Before Liberty Corner was Liberty Corner, it was Annins Corner AND we also found it named Boylans Corner (Bullions Corner). And what about that Bernardsville house targeted…
October 11, 2025While on a dual-purpose visit to Bedminster, MLHP stopped by to see the 2025 Bedminster Fall Fest and the 2025 Somerset County History Weekend, a county-wide celebration of history that includes the Jacobus Vanderveer House. While there’s good…
UPDATE: July 31, 2025: A new Bedminster Township-led commission has taken over the property and its contents, creating a new mission to preserve and promote the Vanderveer House and Museum in Bedminster Township, New Jersey. Learn More Bedminster’s Jacobus Vanderveer…
Flag Designer Betsy Ross and Her Basking Ridge Ties – Lore or Fact? “Here lies the woman who made the first banner containing the stars and stripes after that honored old ensign had been adopted, June 14, 1776.” July 4,…
Meet Francis Hopkinson – New Jersey signer #Jersey5 signer of the Declaration of Independence, who also designed, presented, and received the Continental Congress’s Approval as America’s First official flag on June 14, 1777, in Philadelphia. The Francis Hopkinson Flag –…
Long Hill Township, in Morris County, is made up of the villages of Stirling, Millington, Gillette, Meyersville, and Homestead Park. Each village has its own unique character, with Stirling serving as the central hub, Millington and Gillette being served by…
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 of the…
Isn’t it great when you think you know about something only to find out that someone else has shown up with a different answer? Well, I hate to admit it, but I think it’s been done to us again. Did…
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 Adams and…
Meet Herb Patullo, Bound Brook’s great historian and a true American. While Herb passed in 2020, his work is legendary in Somerset County. Herbert “Herb” Patullo (1929–2020) was a lifelong resident of Bound Brook, New Jersey, and a prominent figure…
It’s revered. It originates in Central and South America, dating back to the 1500s, and originated in the region now modern-day Mexico. Indigenous peoples in Central and South America, such as the Aztecs and Incas, were cultivating and consuming various…
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The first American Flag was authorized by the 2nd Continental Congress and created by Francis Hopkinson of Congress and of the Maritime Committee on JUN 14, 1777 (now Flag Day). It was flown at Middlebrook. Hopkinson is buried in Philadelphia.
It was 13 stripes, and a blue field containing 13 six point (not five point stars) in a a pattern of 3,2,3,2,3 either vertically or horiziontally.
When Bound Brook Library in New Jersey reopens you can see it flying in their two murals or at the annual ceremony at Washington's Campgrounds in the Watchungs.
Ross became popular in the 1790s.