Ongoing historical research on a variety of topics.
Views: 88 I think I first heard of St. Nick about 20 years ago, gathering on the town green in Basking Ridge on Christmas Eve at 7 pm, as thousands of people before me have done since 1924, for the… Read More »The Candy Cane Man – Basking Ridge’s Own Christmas Eve’s St. Nick
Views: 215 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… Read More »The Basking Ridge Christmas Eve Carol Sing – Black River Journal
Views: 1,003 Holiday Memories is such great history, and what better way to look back than remembering how Advent Calendars worked, but this time we mix gift memories with some history. Call it our Vintage Toys Advent Calendar – New… Read More »2025 Advent Calendar of Memorable Toys/Gifts & Their History
Views: 155 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… Read More »“Janice Meredith” – 1924 Silent Film Showcases American Revolution
Views: 13,224 UPDATE:Kinda laughed when I watched THE BEAR TV series and saw they were pulling currency out of tomato cans. They claim they’re not taking from the Pizza Connection story, but it’s remarkably similar! These cans, discovered in the… Read More »Jersey Pizzerias and Heroin – The Mafia’s Pizza Connection Trial
Views: 10,273 Researching Local History with Maps As a historian, I believe maps are one of the greatest sources of information, capturing a time and place. We use these maps to research history and find buildings, families, farms, or streets.… Read More »Map Research & Archives: Sharing Local History with Maps
Views: 9,236 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… Read More »Meet (Sir) Francis Bernard Esq. – New Jersey’s Royal Governor
Views: 9,785 New Jersey is known as the “Cockpit of the American Revolution” for a reason – because it was. More battles, more encampments, more strategies took place in New Jersey than in any other colony of the original thirteen.… Read More »New Jersey Rev War Series Mr. Local History Project
Views: 6,959 Capturing History with Art in the Somerset Hills in Somerset County, New Jersey The Mr. Local History Project has launched a new program to honor artists that celebrate our local history with art. We’re also looking for groups… Read More »Art and Local History in the Somerset Hills
Views: 6,955 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… Read More »America’s First Republican Vice President Nominee – Basking Ridge’s William Dayton Beats out Abraham Lincoln
Views: 5,929 Summer is a great time for readers to take a book to the beach or just sit in a lounge chair in the backyard and read a good book. With history in our DNA, we’ve worked to create… Read More »Summer Reading Book & Film Club – Central Jersey History
Views: 5,185 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… Read More »Sir Francis Bernard Honored With American Town Names
Views: 5,056 Yep, we said it….. sha la la la la la down the shore everything’s alright. Put some of the Jersey shore’s most iconic keepsakes out for display. Bruce Springsteen / Mr. Local History Project In Our Beautiful Jerse… Read More »History: ‘Down the Shore Everything’s Alright’ Collectibles
Views: 5,032 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… Read More »Retrospective: Lost & Torn Down Memories From the Somerset Hills
Views: 5,000 Jockey Hollow is part of America’s first National Historical Park, Morristown National Historical Park which marks their 90th Anniversary in 2023. We also know there is a Jockey Hollow Bar and Kitchen, a four-part restaurant housed inside Morristown’s historic… Read More »What is (a) Jockey Hollow?