Welcome to the Mr. Local History Project
“A 501c3 Non-Profit Dedicated to Preserving and Promoting Jersey History with a Social Twist”
Mr. Local History is about bringing America’s past into the present through the stories of real places, real people, and real communities. Focused especially on New Jersey, the project celebrates local history in a way that feels personal, engaging, and relevant not something locked away in textbooks, but history that lives where we live. As we head into 2026, the 250th anniversary of the United States, Mr. Local History is turning history into a shared experience. With a social twist, this is about connecting online and in the community, sharing memories, spotlighting hometown stories, and honoring New Jersey’s outsized role in America’s founding. It is history you can explore, share, and be part of together.
On This Day in America250 History: February 6
- 1778: New York became the third state to ratify the Articles of Confederation.
- 1778: Pluckemin, New Jersey. Continental Army artillery cantonment during the Revolutionary War, associated with Henry Knox and American artillery training and logistics.
- 1788: Massachusetts becomes the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution.
- 1820: The first 86 African American immigrants sponsored by the American Colonization Society depart New York to start a settlement in present-day Liberia.
- 1843: The first minstrel show in the United States, The Virginia Minstrels, opens (Bowery Amphitheatre in New York City).
- 1922: The Washington Naval Treaty is signed in Washington, D.C., limiting the naval armaments of United States, Britain, Japan, France, and Italy.
- 1951: The Broker, a Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train derails near Woodbridge Township, New Jersey. The accident kills 85 people and injures over 500 more. The wreck is one of the worst rail disasters in American history.
- 1996: Willamette Valley Flood: Floods in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, United States, causes over US$500 million in property damage throughout the Pacific Northwest.
- 2021: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken suspends agreements with Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras to send asylum seekers back to their home countries.
Our Readers’ Top 10 MLH Posts this Week
Latest Posts
- New Jersey’s Oldest Yacht Club is RYC
Views: 8 DISCLAIMER:Although both the Raritan Yacht Club in Perth Amboy and the Riverton Yacht Club on the opposite side of New Jersey were founded in 1865, published sources currently give Riverton Yacht Club the bragging rights as the state’s oldest, leaving Raritan holding the very dignified title of historic number 2. The New Jersey… Read More »New Jersey’s Oldest Yacht Club is RYC - Sailing & Some New Jersey Yacht Club History
Views: 4 From early shore and lake recreation to organized racing, the culture of sailboats in New Jersey grew out of everyday life on the water. While formal club racing began with the New York Yacht Club in Hoboken with John Cox Stevens, yachting history was forever linked to Hoboken. Stevens helped turn informal boat… Read More »Sailing & Some New Jersey Yacht Club History - The New York Yacht Club Actually Started in New Jersey
Views: 25 If you asked most American sailors to name the single most recognized burgee in the country, the answer is almost always the burgee of the New York Yacht Club. That recognition comes straight out of history. Founded in 1844, the New York Yacht Club became the dominant institution in American sailing during the… Read More »The New York Yacht Club Actually Started in New Jersey - The America’s Cup and a New Jersey Angle
Views: 44 If you asked most American sailors to name the single most recognized burgee in the country, the answer is almost always the burgee of the New York Yacht Club. That recognition comes straight out of history. Founded in 1844, the New York Yacht Club became the dominant institution in American sailing during the… Read More »The America’s Cup and a New Jersey Angle - New Jersey Iceboating Legends
Views: 106 “It’s time \the Garden State Honors the Legends of New Jersey Iceboating.” Based on numerous interviews and research about the history of New Jersey iceboating, we hope that our New Jersey Legends of Iceboating list of members of the iceboating community is a solid representation of the history of the sport in the… Read More »New Jersey Iceboating Legends - Iceboats Flock to New Jersey Ice Again – Historic Winter Times
Views: 1,695 How exciting to announce that the cold is back and there’s ice on our lakes, rivers, and bays across New Jersey. In fact it’s so cold, we have to pray to the snow gods to slow down the delug just a bit so the iceboats can get back on the ice. North Shrewsbury… Read More »Iceboats Flock to New Jersey Ice Again – Historic Winter Times - Podcast Corner: Honoring Jersey & American History for the 250th Anniversary
Views: 156 America’s 250th anniversary is not something that is coming soon. It is already underway. Across the country and here in New Jersey, America 250 and NJ250 programs have begun the long, multi year commemoration leading to 2026, inviting the public to engage with the nation’s history now rather than waiting for a single… Read More »Podcast Corner: Honoring Jersey & American History for the 250th Anniversary - Jersey Food, Iconic Places, All Jersey
Views: 162 The Best of the Best We Don’t Kow Why – But We Keep Finding Great Jersey Food Stories To Write About Create PDF - Westfield Builds a Lego Town to Celebrate America 250
Views: 337 On January 24, Westfield, New Jersey hosted a special America250 edition of its popular community program Build Westfield in LEGO, bringing families and residents together for a creative celebration of local and national history. Held at Westfield High School, the event invites families to use over 100,000 LEGO bricks and historic reference images… Read More »Westfield Builds a Lego Town to Celebrate America 250 - Weird Facts about The Liberty Bell
Views: 534 In the mid-1700s Philadelphia wanted a bell with a voice strong enough to call people together. When the Liberty Bell first rang it was loud enough to turn heads across the city. Imagine a quieter world no engines no sirens no constant hum. When that bell was struck its sound cut cleanly through… Read More »Weird Facts about The Liberty Bell - Where IS the Declaration of Independence? Where it Should Be
Views: 250 A Memory of a Class Field Trip to Philadephia We love Jersey history, but Philly is right next door. In 2026, the United States marks 250 years since independence was declared. That declaration did not happen in a museum or a vault. It happened in Philadelphia. The Declaration of Independence belongs in Philadelphia… Read More »Where IS the Declaration of Independence? Where it Should Be - Mr. Local History Research That Surprised Even Us
Views: 323 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… Read More »Mr. Local History Research That Surprised Even Us - Droning History Over New Jersey
Views: 871 Chasing Jersey History – Droning over the Years Full list of towns, sites, and date at the end of this post. NEWS: Our Drone Took a Hard Fall / Help MLH Get Back in the Air We are sad to share that our aerial history photography program has hit an unexpected setback. While… Read More »Droning History Over New Jersey - Bernards Township History: The Asian Origins Initiative
Views: 6,097 UPDATE: January 19, 2026 A few researchers at the Mr. Local History Project are looking for a few Chinese and Indian residents interested in tracing the roots of these two growing communities in Bernards Township to the first families to become Basking Ridge residents. Strong ties to the local community will be important.… Read More »Bernards Township History: The Asian Origins Initiative - Basking Ridge’s “Rushmore 5” Ladies Honored
Views: 1,867 MLH Mini-Series: The Basking Ridge Rushmore 5 Female Edition Now It’s the Ladies Turn…The Basking Ridge Ladies Rushmore 5 Okay, so I live in Basking Ridge, which is part of Bernards Township, but we all refer to it as Basking Ridge, right? Now, I believe that history has to be over a hundred… Read More »Basking Ridge’s “Rushmore 5” Ladies Honored - The Paula Grossman Story – 50+ Years Later Forever in Basking Ridge History
Views: 2,155 Paula Grossman’s dismissal from the Bernards Township school system in the early 1970s is widely regarded as one of the first public cases of transgender discrimination in American public employment. A tenured music teacher removed not for misconduct but for identity, her case was debated openly, litigated through state courts, and reported nationally… Read More »The Paula Grossman Story – 50+ Years Later Forever in Basking Ridge History - America 250: The Flag Design & Jersey’s Involvement
Views: 609 Mr. Local History finds itself back partnering with a New Jersey iconic business that has been one of the most historic in American History. As we expanded our Gift Shop collection with America 250 flags, it’s no surprise that it’s all being done by the Annin Flag Company, who’s family got their American… Read More »America 250: The Flag Design & Jersey’s Involvement - Griffin & Howe Bernardsville – America’s Outfitter Hidden in a Small Jersey Town
Views: 801 Griffin & Howe’s Bernardsville Story How an American Institution Took Root For generations, the quiet streets of Bernardsville were home to one of the most respected names in American sporting arms. Griffin & Howe was not simply a gun shop. It was a destination. Hunters, sportsmen, collectors, and craftsmen understood that if precision,… Read More »Griffin & Howe Bernardsville – America’s Outfitter Hidden in a Small Jersey Town - Basking Ridge’s Rushmore 5 Ladies Deserving Recognition
Views: 1,076 MLH Mini-Series: The Basking Ridge Rushmore 5 in our Community UPDATE:Our researchers have been watching this post carefully and have finally made the decision and create the Basking Ridge Rushmore 5 for five women that made and continue to make Basking Ridge such a great, historic, and beautiful community to live in –… Read More »Basking Ridge’s Rushmore 5 Ladies Deserving Recognition
MLH Loves To See The Public Engaged….. The Latest Comments
Another nomination for women in Basking Ridge who made a difference. Anita Albers founded the Albrook School almost 50 years…
Here’s some info from a local FB page: Posted in You Know Your’re from Basking Ridge FB Group…. Jayna Rydzinski I…
This is fantastic. The Tuskegee airmen have been something in interested in. I have about 5 historical prints of the…
In the summer of 1971 I was 14 years old. From my earliest memories I felt I was really a…
We lived across the street at 262 No Maple (we lived in a converted barn that was part of the…
I had Paul Grossman as a music teacher from 1st grade at Maple Ave. School , then at Cedar Hill…
All the great classical music and literature that we were introduced to was in his/her class. I loved when he/she…
I lived on old dutch road 1964 to 1986 next road heading south on rt 206. We went there many…
I had Paul Grossman in 7th grade at Oak Street Junior High School. He seemed like any other teacher. If…
The Mr. Local History 2025 Holiday Shopping Guide / Magazine
See our quarterly digital magazine. Full of great local Jersey History.
A brass monkey was a square plate, otherwise a fun article to read.