Welcome to the Mr. Local History Project
“A 501c3 Non-Profit Dedicated to Preserving and Promoting Jersey History with a Social Twist”
Countdown to America’s 250th Birthday
The Mr. Local History Project is about bringing 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)
- 1778: Pluckemin, New Jersey. Continental Army artillery cantonment during the Revolutionary War, associated with Henry Knox and American artillery training and logistics.
- 1782: The U.S. Congress adopts the Great Seal of the United States.
- 1787: Oliver Ellsworth moves at the Federal Convention to call the government the 'United States'.
- 1863: American Civil War: West Virginia is admitted as the 35th U.S. state.
- 1944: World War II: The Battle of the Philippine Sea concludes with a decisive U.S. naval victory. The lopsided naval air battle is also known as the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot".
- 1945: The United States Secretary of State approves the transfer of Wernher von Braun and his team of Nazi rocket scientists to the U.S. under Operation Paperclip.
- 1956: A Venezuelan Super-Constellation crashes in the Atlantic Ocean off Asbury Park, New Jersey, killing 74 people.
- 1963: Following the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Soviet Union and the United States sign an agreement to establish the so-called "red telephone" link between Washington, D.C., and Moscow.
- 1972: Watergate scandal: An 18+1⁄2-minute gap appears in the tape recording of the conversations between U.S. President Richard Nixon and his advisers regarding the recent arrests of his operatives while breaking into the Watergate complex.
- 1975: The film Jaws is released in the United States, becoming the highest-grossing film of that time and starting the trend of films known as "summer blockbusters".
Two Great Calendars – One for Events, One for Exhibits
Readers’ Top 10 MLH Posts this Week
Latest Posts
Mr. Local History’s America’s 250th Commemorative Magazine
Views: 2,644 This Special Issue of Mr. Local History Magazine celebrates America’s SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL, the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence, by bringing New Jersey’s Revolutionary past to life. From historic battlefields and museum exhibits to community events…
America’s Grandest Estate in Basking Ridge Archaeological Dig Continues
Views: 362 UPDATE:Wednesday, June 18, 2026, Session 13 – 02:00 PM – 03:15 PM, hear the panel explore, through the lens of archaeology, the past, present, and future of “The Buildings,” the former estate of Revolutionary War General William Alexander, also known…
The Great Swamp: Ice Age, Melting, Airports, Swampers, Raptors, Fireworks & Horror Tales
Views: 694 At first glance, the Great Swamp seems peaceful, a quiet stretch of reeds, willows, and winding creeks lying between Basking Ridge, Harding, and Chatham. Yet beneath its still surface lies a story that spans thousands of years, from…
Perth Amboy’s Great Jersey History
Views: 606 One of the things we enjoy most about the Mr. Local History Project is discovering how seemingly unrelated stories eventually connect. Over the years, we’ve crossed paths with Perth Amboy through the lives of New Jersey’s Royal Governors,…
Historic Ice Yacht Gifted to Lake Hopatcong Club- It’s “Ours”
Views: 136 On February 9, 2026, Brian Haumersen and Mike D Achille returned the historic ice yacht OURS to the ice of the Navesink River at the North Shrewsbury Ice Boat and Yacht Club for the first time in approximately…
That 1779/1780 Winter at Jockey Hollow and a Hut City
Views: 569 Everyone knows the story of Valley Forge. But it’s Jockey Hollow you need to remember. For generations, Americans have learned about George Washington’s Army suffering through the winter of 1777–1778 in Pennsylvania. Valley Forge has become synonymous with…
Documenting the Ridge High School Sailing Program
Views: 207 This post is part of a series in which the Mr. Local History Project will document what we believe are the early stages of a new varsity sport across the state. We plan to meet with the New…
America 250 – Who Remembers 200? This Jersey Guy Does…
Views: 169 If you didn’t feel old, you might start feeling old if you read on. Where did time go? It wasn’t that long ago, was it? Boy, do I feel old. And it’s not that I really feel that…
Statue of Liberty History, Then Some Facts – Jersey Style of Course
Views: 949 The Statue of Liberty’s official name is “Liberty Enlightening the World”. In French:”La Liberté éclairant le monde” Her raised torch represents enlightenment, while the tablet in her left arm bears the date JULY IV MDCCLXXVI — July 4,…
High School Sailing Teams in New Jersey …Who Knew
Views: 540 Long before football stadium lights, marching bands, and Friday night rivalries, a quieter competition was taking shape along New Jersey’s bays, rivers, and coastlines. Students were racing sailboats. Today, high school sailing is an established part of the…
Overlooked Heroines of the Revolutionary War – Sarah Livingston Alexander
Views: 98 Part of the Mr. Local History Rev War and Lord Stirling Series As we were researching another story, we came across this really interesting piece published in 1914 about one of the Revolutionary War’s greatest generals, William Alexander,…
MLH Loves To See The Public Engaged….. The Latest Comments
When I moved to Martinsville section of Bridgewater 44 yrs. ago, the western side of Shley Mtn. was a huge…
Grew up at on So. 10th EWR. Went to St. Ann’s grammar school on 16th and 7th. Graduated 1956. Mom…
Please advise if Sky Farm is having an open house because the date within this document says June 11th Saturday…
I was a resident of Peapack , living on the road known as Matheny road during the years that Jacqueline…
Jimmy was an integral part of the services throughout the town and was always actively involved. He was always very…
A wonderful man, a hero and true friend of Basking Ridge. My father-in-law grew up with Mr. D and remained…
Jimmy & I have been the greatest of friends since kindergarten in Basking Ridge, going through Maple Ave School, Oak…
I was was blessed to be good friends with Jim. A fascinating person so dedicated to his country, his wife…
Knew Jim from the first day I opened my office. He was a greeter and now he will be greeted.…
Our Summer 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.
My Grandfather, Boyd Happe, was a proud member. Raised pheasants on Prospect behind 148 Maple. Those houses had trouble with…