For 5 years and more than 650 posts, Mr Local History has been telling the stories of Basking Ridge, the Somerset Hills, Somerset County, and eventually communities across New Jersey. What started local grew wider, but the goal stayed the same to uncover, document, and share the history hiding in plain sight. As we look back over the last half decade, we are picking some of our favorite stories along the way that surprised us after we dug in. Have a favorite post that stuck with you, taught you something new, or made you see your town differently. Share it with us and help shape this look back at 5 years of local history.
Some Top Picks That Surprised Even Me….
Top 10 Trending Posts Now, This Week, This Year, All Time
Views: 6,935 Over 700 Posts Honoring Jersey History “You keep suggestin, We keep researchin’ “ Readers’ Top 10 MLH Posts this Week Top 10 MLH Reseearch Posts This Month Top 10 MLH Reseearch Posts Last Year Top MLH Posts All…
John Morton – General Washington’s Rebel Banker Stashed in Basking Ridge
Views: 11,634 “EVERYONE NEEDS TO GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT JOHN MORTON, THE REBEL BANKER.” John Morton was a Colonel in the Continental Army. Still, he relinquished his commission in 1761 to become a highly successful merchant, specializing in the…
Project Local History Ambassador Flags for Students in Bernards Township
Views: 5,633 UPDATE / Donor Special: The 2026 Ambassador Giving Campaign to Support Project Local History Ambassador for 5th Grade Students is underway: five schools and almost 500 Bernards Township official flags to be distributed. See our special offer to…
What Might Have Happened if General Lee Wasn’t Captured in Basking Ridge
Views: 1,375 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…
The Stolen Lillie Drawing of Pluckemin Artillery Park
Views: 1,252 The wind that swept across the Somerset Hills in the bitter winter of 1779 carried more than snow and smoke. It carried the sound of hammers striking timber, the commands of officers echoing across the ridges, and the…
Samuel Southard of Basking Ridge – A US Vice President
Views: 3,795 While researching the Southard family of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, we uncovered something we never knew about Samuel Southard. MLH believes Basking Ridge’s own Samuel Southard was the Vice President of the United States for over a year…
Moonshining Bootlegging Speakeasies in Somerset County, NJ
Views: 5,645 A few friends got together and started talking about the fine art of distilling and how much it’s changed (if at all). It seems that due to the efforts of a few Jersey residents, distilling spirits is back…
Historic Moment at the Pluckemin Cantonment – Archeologist Finds His Mark
Views: 3,129 It was a cold, winterish April afternoon at the Jacobus Vanderveer House in Bedminster, New Jersey, as a very special guest came to tell his story about what has become a signature event in the history of the…
Larison’s Turkey Farm & Arthur’s Tavern- A Legendary New Jersey Restauranteur
Views: 6,892 Do you know how Arthur’s Tavern got its name? Meet Arthur….. Arthur McGreevy. Meet Arthur McGreevy Arthur was born on Dec. 6, 1927, in Orange, N.J., and lived most of his life in Morris Plains, N.J., before moving…
Jersey’s History Bucket List
Views: 9,032 Wow, this story was one of our most controversial and difficult stories we’ve ever prepared. Just the thought of picking only 10 Jersey historic sites is an insane task. But I think we’re up to it. The 10…