The 15th annual 2024 High Bridge Soap Box Derby was Saturday, June 1, 2024. A beautiful day for a classic event! We’re hoping for a 2025 edition! As with all Mr. Local History retrospectives, we often update the post when… Read More »Retrospective: The Soap Box Derby and Ties to New Jersey
On April 24-26, 2017 the New Jersey town of Basking Ridge lost its oldest resident, the Basking Ridge historic white oak tree. What was estimated to be over 600 years old, no one ever imagined that the tree would die… Read More »Basking Ridge Oak Tree Community Photo Album
Get your own Miniature Wooden Keepsake to Honor the Cranford Canoe Club in Cranford, New Jersey Cranford Canoe Club History The Cranford Canoe Club is an iconic historic landmark at on the corner of Springfield and Orange Avenue in Cranford,… Read More »Keepsake Honors the Cranford Canoe Club – New Jersey’s Oldest Canoe Livery Operation
NOTE: Remember that Far Hills and Bernardsville were part of Bernards Township until the 1920 so these names do cover those areas as well History showcases some of the greatest reminders of where we came from. Many people new to… Read More »The Founding Families of Bernards Township (Basking Ridge)
In recognition of the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in the U.S., and the ratification of the 19th amendment guaranteeing all American women the right to vote, the Mr Local History project recognizes this great accomplishment in American History. The U.S. Congress… Read More »100th Anniversary Honors Women’s Right to Vote in New Jersey
Alexander Hamilton’s New Jersey Roots – Morristown Known as “the cockpit of the American Revolution,” New Jersey has a rich history from the American Revolution. During the 2nd winter encampment in Morristown and the 4th in New Jersey, the winter… Read More »Alexander Hamilton’s Morristown Love Story
Below are the original research notes as I had spent years researching contradicting information on the Widow White’s Tavern in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Often I like to post research in hopes that other researchers can see what’s been gathered… Read More »What Happened to Mary White and Widow White’s Tavern
Did you know that US Route 206 actually used to be Route 31 and what is US Route 202 was actually Route 32?
So now you tell your friend “Take Route 31 North Thru Bedminster
and Turn Right onto Route 32 straight into Bernardsville.” Huh. “Route 31 goes to Clinton right? Left? WRONG! Confused?
Travel back to 1935 and you definitely would have been.
Maybe you could travel down Mine Brook Road to Bernardsville and the directions read take Route 32 south to Bville and stop at the dairy. Or maybe you’re coming down from Chester and you wanted to visit the Brady’s Hamilton Farm in Peapack/Bedminster and you actually have to go down Route 31. Well that was actually the case right up until 1935 when the transition began to change these two crossroads across the Somerset Hills to Routes 202 and 206.
Have you ever had such a major roadway change names in your lifetime? Your whole psychic changes. Think about how much confusion there is when the Department of Transportation changes highway exits and how long it takes you to forget the old ones and replace it with the new numbers. Geeze, I think there’s still exit signs on the southern end of Route 202 South that still say Old Exit 2B.
Read More »Liar – Route 31 Did Go Thru Bedminster & Bernardsville
New Jersey Historic Trust Announces Grant Applications for 2008 February 27, 2009 TRENTON – The New Jersey Historic Trust today announced its recommended list for 2008 Historic Preservation Grants. The list of recommended sites will go before the Garden State… Read More »New Jersey Historic Trust Site Grants 2008
Did you know that New Jersey has one of the largest collections of historic one-room schoolhouses in the country? TRUE. Join the Mr. Local History Project as we map New Jersey (and surrounding areas) Historic Schoolhouses! A great new mapping… Read More »Mapping New Jersey’s Historic Schoolhouses