Welcome to the Mr. Local History Project
“A 501c3 Non-Profit Dedicated to Preserving and Promoting Jersey History with a Social Twist”
The Mr. Local History Project brings New Jersey’s past into the present through the stories of real places, real people, and real communities. Focused especially on New Jersey history, 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.
Today in America’s History (We Update Every Day)
- 1620: Pilgrims set sail for Virginia from Plymouth, England in the Mayflower.
- 1776: American Revolutionary War: American forces win the Battle of Harlem Heights after General George Washington orders a counterattack on advancing British light infantry.
- 1779: American Revolutionary War: The Franco-American Siege of Savannah begins.
- 1863: Robert College, in Istanbul, the first American educational institution outside the United States, is founded by Christopher Robert, an American philanthropist.
- 1880: The Cornell Daily Sun prints its first issue in Ithaca, New York.
- 1920: The Wall Street bombing: A bomb in a horse wagon explodes in front of the J. P. Morgan building in New York City killing 38 and injuring 400.
- 1953: American Airlines Flight 723 crashes in Colonie, New York, killing 28 people.
- 1959: The first successful photocopier, the Xerox 914, is introduced in a demonstration on live television from New York City.
- 1961: The United States National Hurricane Research Project drops eight cylinders of silver iodide into the eyewall of Hurricane Esther. Wind speed reduces by 10%, giving rise to Project Stormfury.
- 1966: The Metropolitan Opera House opens at Lincoln Center in New York City with the world premiere of Samuel Barber's opera Antony and Cleopatra.
What Can You Do Today to Celebrate America’s 250th?
Our Readers’ Top 10 MLH Posts this Week
Latest Posts
Time To Honor Jersey’s 1776 March to the Crucial Delaware Christmas Crossing
Views: 74 The “Ten Crucial Days” of the American Revolution began with Washington’s crossing of the Delaware on Christmas night, 1776, and continued through the victories at Trenton, the Battle of the Assunpink and Princeton on January 3, 1777. In…
Greetings From Historic Basking Ridge
Views: 133 Your History Tour Guide to Basking Ridge, and Yes, We Know It’s Bernards Township (officially). Let’s start with the elephant in the room. Although the municipality’s official name is Bernards Township, most people have embraced Basking Ridge as…
Congress Declares A New Nation: Call Us “United States” Not “United Colonies” September 9, 1776
Views: 151 September 9, 1776 Two months after approving the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress took another important step in defining the new nation. On September 9, 1776, Congress ordered that the term “United Colonies” be replaced by “The…
THE 9.11 Ground Zero American Flag That Vanished for 13 Years
Views: 220 Raised above the ruins of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, this one American flag became an immediate symbol of courage, unity, and a nation that refused to surrender. Yet within hours of inspiring millions, the…
#911neverforget in the Somerset Hills
Views: 10,792 Twenty-five years ago, on the clear, crisp morning at 8:46 am on September 11, 2001, the first plane hit the North Tower, and our community was changed forever. Please take a moment to remember those 21 residents from…
Bernardsville’s Huffman-Koos and Finley Manor Hotel Memories
Views: 381 Long before Walgreens occupied the busy corner of Route 202 and North Finley Avenue, the property was home to one of Bernardsville’s more unusual redevelopment stories. What began as a large furniture showroom sat vacant for nearly a…
25 of New Jersey’s Oldest Taverns & Inns Still Serving Today
Views: 350 Eating Your Way Through New Jersey History Long before New Jersey had diners, highways, turnpikes, or even became a state, the local tavern often served as the center of community life. These were places where a traveler could…
Native American Trails History In Northern New Jersey
Views: 242 Long before anyone divided North and Central Jersey, Native American people lived, hunted, farmed, and traveled throughout the region. Archaeological evidence shows an Indigenous presence in New Jersey extending back more than 10,000 years. When Europeans arrived during…
Day Trips – Four Historic New Jersey Fall Locations You Must See
Views: 9,918 The 2026 Fall Foliage Map is the ultimate visual planning guide to the annual progression of leaf change. While no tool can be 100% accurate, this tool is designed to help travelers better time their trips to maximize their chances…
Fall Is In the Air – So Much to Do and See in Mr. Local History’s 2026 Fall Magazine
Views: 510 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…
So What Defines Peapack Village from Gladstone’s Village
Views: 473 Certainly, everyone knows when they’re in Peapack and when they’re in Gladstone, right? First off, a little clarification: the “Established 1701” on the borough’s sign date refers to the Peapack Patent, when the land encompassing present-day Peapack-Gladstone was…
Our Fall 2026 Magazine is HERE!
Full of great local Jersey History to keep you on the edge of your history seat.
Special Edition – America’s 250th The SEMI-QUIN-CENTENNIAL is HERE!
See our special digital magazine. Full of great local Jersey History.
