2025 Research in Review
2025 was a big year for the Mr. Local History Project. It marked our 5th year in operation and a milestone we’re incredibly proud of reaching our one millionth visitor. What started as a simple passion for telling New Jersey’s stories has grown into a well respected, statewide history project with readers showing up every day to learn, remember, and share. That continued curiosity and support confirms what we’ve believed all along people genuinely care about local history when it’s told in a way that’s fun, relatable, and rooted in real places and people.
During 2025, the Mr Local History Project researched, documented, and published 307 original posts, each grounded in primary sources, local memory, and New Jersey–centered storytelling. From those hundreds of deep dives, the 25 stories highlighted here rose to the top, drawing the most readers and engagement over the course of the year. Together, they reflect what resonates most with the community, stories that blend curiosity, nostalgia, and place.
Those top performing stories span a wide range of themes, including food history, presidential and political history, corporate and industrial landmarks, true crime, lost and threatened historic sites, roadside Americana, human interest stories, local oddities, language and folklore, Gilded Age estates, and suburban development. Some revisit well known names, while others uncover overlooked corners of New Jersey history that were hiding in plain sight.
Top 25 Stories of 2025 – Mr Local History
These 25 are only a snapshot of the work. With hundreds of additional researched stories across the site, there is no single path through Mr Local History. Readers are invited to dig in, follow their curiosity, and explore the people, places, food, businesses, and forgotten moments that make New Jersey history so rich and endlessly surprising.
