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Welcome to the Mr. Local History Project
“A 501c3 Non-Profit Dedicated to Preserving and Promoting Jersey History with a Social Twist”
As 2024 draws to a close, our gift to you is some of the great traditions and local history around New Jersey.
It’s also a great time for Jersey History gifts as we open our Mr. Local History Holiday History Boutique.
Please also consider an end-of-year donation to our 501c3 efforts, as they are tax deductible!
Happy Holidays, everyone!
Featured Stories
Latest Research
- Mom & Pop Hardware Stores are Disappearing Across JerseyViews: 151 We were reading a story on social media about a town losing its local hardware store after over 100 years of operation. The place you’d go to have a nice chat about local things and grab a bunch of screws and some drain cleaner is being lost to changing times. This story is… Read More »Mom & Pop Hardware Stores are Disappearing Across Jersey
- Top 10 Trending Posts Right Now Mr. Local HistoryViews: 765 400+ Posts Honoring Jersey History Top Weekly Posts Top History All Time #5 Post – All Time #4 Post – All Time #3 Post All Time #2 Post – All Time #1 Post – All Time Additional Stories: Mr. Local History’s #growlocalhistory Project December 13 – The Day that Altered American History Happened… Read More »Top 10 Trending Posts Right Now Mr. Local History
- Our Holiday History Boutique is OpenViews: 2,468 We’ve been spending all year creating some of the most unique Jersey history gifts this holiday season. The Mr Local History Holiday Boutique is OPEN 24/7 and ready to spread history and cheer this holiday season. Give the gift of locally made limited edition keepsakes and collectibles to give or decorate your home.… Read More »Our Holiday History Boutique is Open
- Who Brings Their Jersey Village Collectibles out Just for the Holidays?Views: 16 We have been told a terrible rumor. Is it true? Do some people bring out their Jersey Cat’s Meow collectibles only for the holidays? Read on…. Yes, we have been told many people bring out their Cat’s Meow Village keepsakes specifically for the holiday season. These collectible wooden village pieces, often depicting nostalgic… Read More »Who Brings Their Jersey Village Collectibles out Just for the Holidays?
- MGM’s Lion Rests in Gillette, New JerseyViews: 647 His stage name was Leo, but his real name was Slats. He was a 750-pound lion born on March 20, 1919, in Dublin, Ireland, and now rests peacefully in Gillette, a small New Jersey town. Meet MGM’s first lion mascot. Preview Release: Looking for more local connections to this story. More updates are… Read More »MGM’s Lion Rests in Gillette, New Jersey
- Jersey Presidental Legacy: Grover Cleveland and Now Donald TrumpViews: 204 Presidents #22 and #24 and Now #45 and #47 – Only Two Presidents to Serve Non-Consecutive Terms. Here’s how four presidential elections went down. Grover Cleveland, a Democrat, defeated Republican James G. Blaine of Maine and became the first president after the Civil War. The 21st President, Chester Arthur, did not seek reelection.… Read More »Jersey Presidental Legacy: Grover Cleveland and Now Donald Trump
- President Trump’s Historic Summer White House in Bedminster, New JerseyViews: 159,046 In a sleepy equestrian area in the Somerset Hills of central New Jersey, the former President of the United States still comes to summer at a house with a storied history. UPDATE: Congratulations to Present-Elect Donald John Trump on his victory. There has been tremendous demand for our New Jersey Historic wooden collectible… Read More »President Trump’s Historic Summer White House in Bedminster, New Jersey
- Museums and Historical Societies Must Change or DieViews: 11,825 Several museums are closing permanently, including the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City, the 9/11 Tribute Museum in New York City, and the Texas Civil War Museum. It’s funny how things work. Museums and historic sites are created to preserve landmark works for the public to view and enjoy. However, with… Read More »Museums and Historical Societies Must Change or Die
- Wearing Lost Jersey Motorsports Icons is Fun HistoryViews: 137 Mr Local History loves history with a social twist. In fact, it’s our motto! So we thought how fun it would be to share some of the most loved New Jersey businesses that have disappeared. We started researching and putting our artists to work to recreate an offering of vintage retro clothing and… Read More »Wearing Lost Jersey Motorsports Icons is Fun History
- 1928 – Woodbridge Speedway – The Fastest 1/2 Mile Track in the WorldViews: 211 This is a tale about auto racing legends of the early 1920s, known as daredevils and speed freaks, who traveled to a tiny new track built outside New York City in the small town of Woodbridge, New Jersey. What opened as a spectacle and a death-defying event, this Woodbridge Speedway quickly became the… Read More »1928 – Woodbridge Speedway – The Fastest 1/2 Mile Track in the World
- Samuel Southard of Basking Ridge – A US Vice PresidentViews: 264 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 after President William Henry Harrison died in 1841. Was he? Check out the research we’ve… Read More »Samuel Southard of Basking Ridge – A US Vice President
- Does Another Jersey Hot Dog Icon Deserve a Historic Collectible? VOTEViews: 188 Does the hot dog (not the Italian one) get a place in New Jersey’s Historic Foodie Wooden Collectible series?What about Rutt’s Hut, or any other of a handful of iconic hot dog eateries? The Mr. Local History Project researchers LOVE stories about Jersey food. It’s not automatic. They have to be voted in… Read More »Does Another Jersey Hot Dog Icon Deserve a Historic Collectible? VOTE
- 1926: Atlantic City Opened One of the Greatest Speedway’s in the WorldViews: 358 The year is 1926. Welcome to the “Board Bowl,” which had 80,000 fans and was one of the world’s greatest motorsport spectacles—and it was right here in New Jersey! It’s funny how history weaves in and out of many of our stories and other research that becomes a new story. This story came… Read More »1926: Atlantic City Opened One of the Greatest Speedway’s in the World
- Remebering the Waterloo Village Concert SeriesViews: 269 In 1977, Waterloo Village opened an open-air concert field about a mile down the road from the historic village to raise restoration funds. Actually, in Byram Township, New Jersey, locals remember (and I grew up at the perfect time) the advertisements on WDHA, WNEW, WPL, WLIR, WDRE, and others announcing major acts performing… Read More »Remebering the Waterloo Village Concert Series
- The World’s Greatest Broadcast in New Jersey History – War of the WorldsViews: 247 GO LISTEN WITH YOUR FAMILY on Mischief Night, Cabbage Night, Goosey Night, or whatever you call it – October 30th!!!! The date was October 30, 1938, and Jerseyans tuned in to a radio broadcast stating that Martians had landed in Jersey and were on the march to invade. The War of the Worlds… Read More »The World’s Greatest Broadcast in New Jersey History – War of the Worlds
- Jackie Mars – Jersey’s Halloween Candy IconViews: 4,639 Jacqueline “Jackie” Mars is an American heiress, investor, and philanthropist who was a Bedminster, New Jersey resident. Known at one time as the richest woman on the planet, Halloween just wouldn’t be the same without the Mars family and their confection collection of the Milky Way, Three Musketeers, and M&Ms. So when you’re… Read More »Jackie Mars – Jersey’s Halloween Candy Icon
- Keepsake: Iconic Wildwood Joining NJ Historic Wooden Village CollectionViews: 128 The Mayor of New Jersey’s Historic Village recently decreed that a new icon be added to the New Jersey Historic Wooden Village Collection in a bold move to expand the only set of New Jersey collectible icons. Introducing Wildwood, New Jersey. Wildwood, New Jersey, offers a captivating mix of natural beauty, history, and… Read More »Keepsake: Iconic Wildwood Joining NJ Historic Wooden Village Collection
- Keepsake: Bernardsville’s Olcott School Coming to Keepsake CollectionViews: 122 The Mayor of New Jersey’s Historic Village recently decreed that a new icon be added to the New Jersey Historic Wooden Village Collection in a bold move to expand the only set of New Jersey collectible icons. Introducing the historic Olcott School and historic district in Bernardsville, New Jersey. Supporting Bernardsville’s history via… Read More »Keepsake: Bernardsville’s Olcott School Coming to Keepsake Collection
Recent Comments
There was a milk vending machine on Belmont Avenue, in North Haledon, in front of Ideal Farms.
I heard Dublin Zoo was so good at breeding lions that it was known as the Lion Factory!
My grandparents were on Morristown Rd and were friends with the Phifers. A quarter got you in to look around.…
Grew up there in the 50s. Sat on that ground under the tree many times. We knew that was where…
We checked here – https://www.concertarchives.org/venues/waterloo-village?date=past nothing listed.
I remember seeing Emmylou Harris at Waterloo on August 22, 1992. It isn’t included in your list and I have…
When my boys were young, their Dad did some renovation work at the M&M’s factory in Hackettstown. One Saturday, we…
Thanks for the tip. We’ll investigate!!!!
Supposedly, Mead Hall at Drew University is haunted. Before the campus Safety office moved to a newly built building, night…
I am 78 yrs old. Born in Newark and grew up in Irvington. I moved to Kentucky 6 yrs ago.…
I was able to get onto the property back in 2019 with a small group of friends we walked through…
My father, H. Neil Carlson, was working on his Cessna 170B one weekend when the actor Burgess Meredith (penguin on…
Yes, the drive to Matheny from Main St through the stone pillars and up the hill. The farm estate where…
I really enjoyed your article about the old airport. If you would like more information you might go speak with…
Carol, that must have been around the same time that she moved her horses out of Fox Chase where I…
Jackie also rented a small ranch house in Peapack owned by Anne Casey in the 1970s. We lived on that…
Diedre Locati That was so much fun; although I’ve been gone for 50+ years, there wasn’t one I didn’t remember.…
Gus Manz I’ve lived in Flemington for the past 30+ years and Flemington Speedway existed for almost 100 years from…
Dan Becker I love that race track photo. That is larger than the UHS football stands. I wonder if the…
Jersey History Posts
Jersey history – over 450 researched stories.
From Fort Lee to Cape May and everywhere in between.
Take a look.
“Wear Local History” Collection
Brings Back Memories
MLH has digitally recreated lost businesses from the 1900s to the 1980s, producing over 250 designs of iconic vintage logos.
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Stories, Stories, and More Stories
Researched by Mr. Local History himself, see over ten years of research on the internet to share the history.
The Mr. Local History 2024 Fall Magazine
See our quarterly digital magazine for FREE. Full of great local Jersey History.
Events Calendar
Signature Events, Tours, Fundraisers, and Speaking engagements.
The New Jersey Historic Village Wooden Collection
30 iconic local Jersey Collectibles made exclusively for the Mr. Local History Project by the world famous “Cat’s Meow Village” of Wooster, Ohio. Once they sell out, they’re usually gone forever.
Like Historic Photos?
Over the years our researchers have gathered some great historic photos. Take a look as we “Dig In the Archives”
“I love sharing stories about the history of Jersey food. If one thing people miss when they leave Jersey, it’s the food. We dig in!”
Brooks Betz aka Mr. Local History
“What is the point of being alive if you don’t know history?”
Meg Wastie – Education Team Lead
“The Mr. Local History Project covers some really unique stuff. I mean who digs into the history of Jersey Food? MLH does”
Ms. Paula Axt – Tour Guide and Education
Frequently Asked Questions
The Mr. Local History Project is a 100% volunteer organization. Want to join us? No problem. There are no membership fees, and you only need to support one of our efforts. Programs include education, research, guided tours, or one of our many events.. You can even start something of your own. Visit our Contact Us page and drop us a note to get involved.
No, but we are a 501c3 registered charity non-profit, meaning you can donate to the Mr. Local History Project, and your donation is 100% tax deductible. Every penny goes back into our programs.
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Wood Ave. Hardware, Linden NJ. Closed up in the early 90’s. I worked there is the mid – late 80’s…