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 12
- 1778: Pluckemin, New Jersey. Continental Army artillery cantonment during the Revolutionary War, associated with Henry Knox and American artillery training and logistics.
- 1779: Morristown winter encampment in New Jersey. Washingtons army endured a severe winter, associated with Nathanael Greene, Henry Knox, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Baron von Steuben.
- 1914: Copyright: In New York City the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers is established to protect the copyrighted musical compositions of its members.
- 1935: A jury in Flemington, New Jersey finds Bruno Hauptmann guilty of the 1932 kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby, the son of Charles Lindbergh.
- 1975: Fire at One World Trade Center (North Tower) of the World Trade Center in New York.
- 2021: Former U.S. President Donald Trump is acquitted in his second impeachment trial.
Want to See Exhibits that Honor America 250 in New Jersey? Check out our New Page
Our Readers’ Top 10 MLH Posts this Week
Latest Posts
- New Jersey Ice Boating History Series
Views: 12 Starting in 2026, Mr. Local History will be partnering with the New Jersey Historic Project documenting the history of ice boat and ice yacht history in the New Jersey area starting back in the 1850s thru recent history. If you have a topic you’d like to see or perhaps have deep knowledge about… Read More »New Jersey Ice Boating History Series - Profiles in NJ Ice Yachting History – 1913 Rockets Agustus Haviland
Views: 12 Mr. Local History Jersey Ice Boat Time Machine SeriesJoin us as we look back at stories written about great ice yachts and those who made them iconic names in the sport. This 1913 Asbury Park Press story is about Red Bank ice yachting pioneers Captain Augustus Haviland, Uncle Dan Asay and Captain James… Read More »Profiles in NJ Ice Yachting History – 1913 Rockets Agustus Haviland - Profiles in NJ Ice Yachting History – 1902 South Shrewsbury Ice Boat & Yacht Club
Views: 16 Mr. Local History Jersey Ice Boat Time Machine SeriesJoin us as we look back at stories written about great ice yachts and those who made them iconic names in the sport. The theme of this story is the growth and organization of ice yachting on the South Shrewsbury River, highlighting club leadership, friendly… Read More »Profiles in NJ Ice Yachting History – 1902 South Shrewsbury Ice Boat & Yacht Club - Profiles in NJ Ice Yachting History – 1904 HAZEL L Wins World’s Third Class Pennant
Views: 22 Mr. Local History Jersey Ice Boat Time Machine SeriesJoin us as we look back at stories written about great ice yachts and those who made them iconic names in the sport. In this story, the South Shrewsbury Ice Yacht and Boat Club defeated the North Shrewsbury Ice Yacht and Boat Club in a… Read More »Profiles in NJ Ice Yachting History – 1904 HAZEL L Wins World’s Third Class Pennant - Van Nostrand Cup: The America’s Cup of Ice Yachting Returns To New York
Views: 360 The “Hard Water” America’s Cup of Ice Yachting NEWS UPDATE: Trophy History: The Van Nostrand Cup The America’s Cup of ice boating, the Gardner Van Nostrand Trophy, today known as the Ice Yacht Challenge Cup. Gardner Van Nostrand was a wealthy American businessman and avid supporter of ice yachting in the late 1800s.… Read More »Van Nostrand Cup: The America’s Cup of Ice Yachting Returns To New York - New Jersey America 250 Exhibits
Views: 199 “It’s the most extensive America 250 Exhibit List we’ve seen for New Jersey.“ This free statewide exhibit list is open to all New Jersey organizers to share America 250 related exhibits happening across the Garden State. From local history displays and exhibits, school programs and community celebrations this is a central place for… Read More »New Jersey America 250 Exhibits - 1898: ICE YACHTS: KING OF WINTER SPORTS
Views: 99 Mr. Local History Jersey Ice Boat Time Machine SeriesJoin us as we look back at stories written about great ice yachts and those who made them iconic names in the sport. This 1898 story describes ice yachting as the fastest and most thrilling winter sport in America, explains how the boats were built… Read More »1898: ICE YACHTS: KING OF WINTER SPORTS - Historic Rocket Ice Yacht Reborn on the Navasink
Views: 381 In 1888, a fast and ambitious ice yacht named Rocket was built to race on the frozen reaches of the Navesink River at Red Bank, New Jersey. At a time when ice boating was one of winter’s great spectator sports, Rocket represented the peak of late 19th century ice yacht design. Rocket, a… Read More »Historic Rocket Ice Yacht Reborn on the Navasink - New Jersey’s Historic Olympians List – Who Will Shine in 2026?
Views: 3,266 Going to the Olympics as a participant is a great accomplishment. Winning an Olympic medal is the pinnacle to some. With the 2026 Winter Olympics underway, who from New Jersey is going, and who has a chance to win or place? We also started thinking: Who are some of the greatest Olympians who… Read More »New Jersey’s Historic Olympians List – Who Will Shine in 2026? - New Jersey’s Oldest Yacht Club is RYC
Views: 68 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 New Jersey- Yacht Clubs-Trophies- History
Views: 81 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 New Jersey- Yacht Clubs-Trophies- History - The New York Yacht Club Actually Started in New Jersey
Views: 82 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: 97 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 Super Heros
Views: 400 “It’s time the Garden State Honors the Legends & Super Heros 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… Read More »New Jersey Iceboating Super Heros - Iceboats Flock to New Jersey Ice Again – Historic Winter Times
Views: 2,884 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. First –… Read More »Iceboats Flock to New Jersey Ice Again – Historic Winter Times - Podcast Corner: Honoring Jersey & American History for the 250th Anniversary
Views: 190 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: 208 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: 371 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: 671 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
MLH Loves To See The Public Engaged….. The Latest Comments
You are absolutely correct. We fixed this a few years ago and not sure how it got back into the…
From the 1960s at least through the early 80s. Carlstadt, NJ. Corner of Hackensack St + Small St.
Hey according to other sources, and the image you provided, the statue was originally installed at 195 Broadway in 1916,…
Peter Commette was on the 1976 Olympic Sailing team, finished 11. He would have been there in 1980 but the…
A brass monkey was a square plate, otherwise a fun article to read.
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…
The Mr. Local History 2025 Holiday Shopping Guide / Magazine
See our quarterly digital magazine. Full of great local Jersey History.
Mr. Bridges is my real late grandfather ..I found out through 23 and me! I have an entire family I…