Views: 52 Fall in New Jersey is more than colorful leaves, crisp mornings, and roadside farm stands; it is a season filled with great history and stories. In this issue, the Mr. Local History research team travels from the historic… Read More »Fall Is In the Air – So Much to Do and See in Mr. Local History’s 2026 Fall Magazine
Views: 1,525 RUMOR CONFIRMED:As Crane Farm approaches another turning point, word has begun circulating that Tyson and Doris Mertz are retiring October 31, 2026 and will not be renewing their lease with Somerset County. The Mertzes have not owned the… Read More »Crane Farm: The Little Farm Stand Preserves Basking Ridge’s Farming Past
Views: 2,153 The Millington Quarry property in the Millington section of Bernards Township is one of the largest former industrial sites in Somerset County and has been the focus of redevelopment discussions for more than a decade. Covering approximately 180… Read More »Meandering Basking Ridge’s Newest Largest Lake – The Millington Quarry
Views: 615 Isn’t it strange that you might drive by something 1,000s of times and never notice something….until you do. This is one of those stories. Just to the south of the former Millington quarry entrance on Stonehouse Road sits… Read More »A Tiny Roadside Cemetery in Basking Ridge
Views: 2,235 UPDATE: Yes, it happened. A NEW flagpole replaced the old, nasty, rusted version, and it finally happened on July 10, 2026. While America’s 250th birthday is underway, the Basking Ridge town green is about to get a major… Read More »Basking Ridge Town Green – The Town’s Smallest Park History & a New Flagpole
Views: 2,337 Our first comment needs to be “NO, THIS IS NOT AN AI-GENERATED IMAGE.” At first glance, I honestly thought someone had listed Bernards Township’s Town Hall for sale. For a moment, it looked uncannily like the old Astor… Read More »Was Basking Ridge’s Town Hall Abandonded?
Views: 679 “Every day, thousands of drivers wind their way up Anderson Hill Road, one of Bernardsville, New Jersey’s defining roads, without ever stopping to ask who Anderson was or why the hill carries his name. Yet behind that familiar… Read More »Bernardsville’s Anderson Hill Road and Judge John Anderson, Esq.
Views: 14,519 Our curiosity started with a round-table discussion: Who is Francis Bernard, and should there be a statue to recognize his service to New Jersey? Read the story and tell us what you think at the end. It is… Read More »Meet (Sir) Francis Bernard, Esq. – New Jersey’s Royal Governor
Views: 7,902 Sir Francis Bernard’s Legacy Carries On as Towns Honor the Royal Governor of New Jersey and Massachusetts In 1758, Francis Bernard, originally from Lincolnshire, England, was appointed Governor of the province of Nova Caesarea (New Jersey). He packed… Read More »Sir Francis Bernard Honored With American Town Names
Views: 5,169 Want a quick way to search for articles about the history of one of the towns we love to cover?The Mr. Local History Project has created a few quick searches to give you a head start. Our researchers… Read More »Quicklinks – Tracking History From Selected Jersey Towns
Views: 2,613 On October 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln designated Thursday, November 26, 1863, as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer. While many recognize President Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving proclamation, many don’t know that two New Jersey statesmen persuaded President… Read More »Thanksgiving Proclamations Way Before Lincoln Did It -Thanks Jersey Guys
Views: 4,460 SUBSCRIBER PREVIEW: If you signed up for our alerts, we’re releasing this story as a preview as we’re hoping you, or other people will read and share additional photos or stories they have of Basking Ridge’s John “Honey… Read More »John Placko – A Basking Ridge Icon
Views: 3,901 In 1923, Calvin Coolidge was President of the United States, Yankee Stadium opened for the first time, and Bernards Township residents gathered to form the Basking Ridge Garden Club. A century later, congratulations to the Basking Ridge Garden… Read More »When the Basking Ridge Garden Club Turned 100, Mr. Local History Was There!
Views: 15,294 Online, we’ve created the #3LOCALHISTORYEVENTCHALLENGE, where you share your town’s three most historic events. As the historian for Bernards Township, representing Bernards Township and its four hamlets is a great honor. We’re always looking for ways to showcase… Read More »Three Historic Moments That Changed Basking Ridge & America
Views: 3,323 June Kennedy – Bernards Township’s First Official Historian A Basking Ridge resident for 31 years, June Kennedy served as Bernards Township’s Historian from 1970 to approximately 1990. She would lecture and give tours to school and civic groups… Read More »Meet the Historians Series – June Kennedy Bernards Township