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)
- 1780: American Revolutionary War: John André, a British Army officer, is hanged as a spy by the Continental Army.
- 1789: The United States Bill of Rights is sent to the various States for ratification.
- 1864: American Civil War: Confederates defeat a Union attack on Saltville, Virginia. A massacre of wounded Union prisoners ensues.
- 1919: Seven days after suffering a "physical collapse" following a speech in Pueblo, Colorado, U.S. president Woodrow Wilson has a catastrophic stroke at the White House, leaving him physically and mentally incapacitated for the remainder of his presidency.
- 1967: Thurgood Marshall is sworn in as the first African-American justice of the United States Supreme Court.
- 1996: The Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments are signed by U.S. President Bill Clinton.
- 2002: The Beltway sniper attacks begin in Washington, D.C., extending over three weeks and killing 10 people.
- 2006: Five Amish girls are murdered in a shooting at a school in Pennsylvania, United States.
- 2019: A privately owned Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress conducting a living history exhibition flight crashes shortly after takeoff from Windsor Locks, Connecticut, killing seven.
What Can You Do Today to Celebrate America’s 250th?
Our Readers’ Top 10 MLH Posts this Week
It’s Horror History Time in Central New Jersey – Join the fun with our annual look at some local Jersey horror stories.
Latest Posts
The History of New Jersey Candy and Our Jersey Candy Hall of Fame
Views: 433 At the Mr. Local History Project, our motto is “Jersey history with a social twist,” and few things bring people together faster than talking about their favorite candy. And with Halloween just around the corner, wouldn’t it be…
Local Horror Tales and Ghost Stories Special Edition Magazine
Views: 24,974 Urban Legends, Ghosts, Murder, Nuns gone insane, the Devil and other horror stories we’ve dug up from Central New Jersey’s past. May be urban legends, but they’re OUR stories! When the leaves start turning and the nights get…
Looking Back: 1983 America’s Cup Trophy Room and the New York Yacht Club’s Hole in the Floor
Views: 629 This story is a personal account, shaped by growing up with a father who was a member of the New York Yacht Club and by experiencing the America’s Cup firsthand in Newport, Rhode Island, in both 1980 and…
Eyewitness Account of the 1776 Capture of General Charles Lee at Widow White’s Tavern
Views: 419 Preface to James Wilkinson’s Account of General Charles Lee’s Capture The following account comes from General James Wilkinson’s Memoirs of My Own Times, published in 1816, and provides a remarkable first-person description of the events surrounding the capture…
Dr. Robert Finley, Founder of Basking Ridge’s Brick Academy, American Colonization Society, and Liberia Africa
Views: 12,424 In the News:What could the West African nation of Liberia possibly have to do with Basking Ridge, New Jersey? Liberia has recently returned to American headlines after agreeing to accept certain people deported from the United States who…
Time To Honor 1776 Route to Washington’s Delaware Christmas Crossing
Views: 1,064 The “Ten Crucial Days” of the American Revolution began with Washington’s crossing of the Delaware on Christmas night, 1776. They continued through the victories at Trenton, the Battle of the Assunpink, and Princeton on January 3, 1777. In…
Greetings From Historic Basking Ridge
Views: 478 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: 438 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: 725 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: 11,376 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: 884 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…
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.
