The Basking Ridge Christmas Eve Carol Sing – Black River Journal
Views: 245 The editors of the Black River Journal recently reached out to the Mr Local History Project with a simple request. They wanted to help tell the story of one of the region’s most cherished holiday traditions, the Basking…
“Janice Meredith” – 1924 Silent Film Showcases American Revolution
Views: 177 Back in 1924, silent films were all the rage. Bernardsville was just becoming a borough and separating from Bernards Township, but there was still only one movie theater, The Liberty Theater. How fortunate was the theater to feature…
Meet (Sir) Francis Bernard Esq. – New Jersey’s Royal Governor
Views: 9,269 Our curiosity started with a round-table discussion: Who is Francis Bernard, and should there be a statue to recognize his service to New Jersey? Read the story and tell us what you think at the end. It is…
America’s First Republican Vice President Nominee – Basking Ridge’s William Dayton Beats out Abraham Lincoln
Views: 6,993 Americans think the Biden/Trump election was one for the ages, exposing huge ideological beliefs, highly charged politics, and a fight for American values. Looking back at history, most people know the presidential challenges as the country tore apart…
Sir Francis Bernard Honored With American Town Names
Views: 5,202 Sir Francis Bernard’s Legacy Carries On as Towns Honor the Royal Governor of New Jersey and Massachusetts In 1758, Francis Bernard, originally from Lincolnshire, England, was appointed Governor of the province of Nova Caesarea (New Jersey). He packed…
Retrospective: Lost & Torn Down Memories From the Somerset Hills
Views: 5,049 As with all Mr. Local History retrospectives, we often update the post when we learn stories and are sent photos from our community. We will continue to expand this piece as information becomes available. If you have any stories to…
Liberty Corner & Bullion’s Tavern
Views: 3,074 Every great historical story starts with something like, “So we were at this tavern and……” This is one of those stories. America was in the final stages of the Revolutionary war. After an agreement with the French was…
Stirling Manor- 13 Colonies’ Most Prestigious Manor Was Right In Basking Ridge, New Jersey
Views: 1,469 Is William Alexander, aka The Earl & Lord of Stirling, Basking Ridge’s Most Famous Resident? Our researchers think so. Let’s see if we can answer that question. William Alexander (1726 – Jan 15, 1783) was the son of…
1930 – Lyons Glider Field: Where New Jersey’s Soaring Story Began
Views: 1,368 Before the Schley Glider Field rose to fame in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, a quiet field in the Lyons section of Bernards Township launched the state’s first glider site for a generation of aviators. Lyons Glider Field The…
The Bernardsville Basking Ridge Speedway of 1907
Views: 2,204 Mr. Local History took a ride down Washington Avenue in Bernardsville & Basking Ridge as we uncovered a story that we wanted to check out. Now if you know Washington Avenue and Washington Street, it’s really known as…
Resolution Needed for the Bernards Township Flag
Views: 1,705 For over 60 years Bernards Township has had an official flag. The four colored rectangles recognized the four hamlets inside Bernards Township. In the 80s, a vote was made in West Millington to join the nearby Basking Ridge…
‘Beautiful Bernards’ Honors Bernards Township History and Community
Views: 3,663 “Beautiful Bernards” is a perfect example of “sharing local history with a social twist!” Mr. Local History Project’s mission – the red and gold have a tie to Bernards Township history. Two years ago, Mr. Local History donated…
Quicklinks – Tracking History From Selected Jersey Towns
Views: 3,275 Want a quick way to search for articles about the history of one of the towns we love to cover?The Mr. Local History Project has created a few quick searches to give you a head start. Our researchers…
The Ross Farm Still Defends Liberty and Independence 250 years Later
Views: 2,598 Lewis – Boudinot – Southard- Ross Farm in the Basking Ridge section of Bernards Twp., New Jersey. The Ross Farm in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, has a rich history of the Revolutionary War and played a notable role…
Plenty of Local Ties to Jersey in the Ken Burns Rev War Series
Views: 200 These are a series of posts that provide local insight into Ken Burns’ American Revolution series and its ties to local history, which the Mr. Local History Project has been covering. Here are all six episodes of Ken…
Retrospective: Liberty Corner – History in the Cemetery
Views: 924 The Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church was founded in 1837 to serve the growing rural community in the Liberty Corner section of Bernards Township, New Jersey. Its adjacent cemetery, established shortly after, became the final resting place for many…
Widow White – Mary Jarvis Whitaker Brown White
Views: 867 This is a story about a widow, a General, and a War for Independence. For over a decade, I’ve been researching the story behind the 1776 capture of one of General Washington’s head generals, but I never really…
Basking Ridge Live Cam – Mr. Local History’s Beautiful Town Green
Views: 8,997 Yes, there is sound too. You can mute it if you like. Basking Ridge Village Web Cam How’s life in Basking Ridge? Check in on the Basking Ridge Town Greene from atop the Presbyterian Church. Signature downtown village…
Royal Governor Francis Bernard and the Stamp Act
Views: 172 These are a series of posts that provide local insight into Ken Burns’ American Revolution series and ties to local history that the Mr. Local History Project has been covering. Episode 1, titled “How Land, Taxes and Rebellion…
Basking Ridge Christmas Eve On the Green – Watch on Your Device
The town of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, welcomes its annual Christmas Eve Sing on The Town Green at 7pm on Dec. 24th.