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)
- 1789: The United States Congress passes the Judiciary Act, creating the office of the Attorney General and federal judiciary system and ordering the composition of the Supreme Court.
- 1869: Black Friday (1869): Gold prices plummet after United States President Ulysses S. Grant orders the Treasury to sell large quantities of gold after Jay Gould and James Fisk plot to control the market.
- 1906: U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt proclaims Devils Tower in Wyoming as the nation's first National Monument.
- 1950: The eastern United States is covered by a thick haze from the Chinchaga fire in western Canada.
- 2005: Hurricane Rita makes landfall in the United States, devastating portions of southwestern Louisiana and extreme southeastern Texas.
What Can You Do Today to Celebrate America’s 250th?
Our Readers’ Top 10 MLH Posts this Week
Latest Posts
Looking Back: 1983 America’s Cup Trophy Room and the New York Yacht Club’s Hole in the Floor
Views: 159 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: 75 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: 12,220 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: 693 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: 363 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: 310 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: 558 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: 11,197 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: 731 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: 714 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…
Trekking Native American Trails in Northern New Jersey
Views: 669 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…
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.
