The famous and sometimes not-so-famous people and stories from the Mr. Local History Project researchers. Over 30 stories and counting.
Views: 3,550 Congratulations to our 2020 Ridge High School senior and MLH History Student of the Year – Annie Kleinle. A history volunteer since the MLH was founded, Annie Kleinle has been involved with local history. In addition to her… Read More »Congratulations to Annie Kleinle, the 2020 MLH Project High School Student of the Year.
Views: 7,698 James Monroe was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and “Founding Father” who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was the last president of the… Read More »Retrospective: President James Monroe Had Ties to Basking Ridge
Views: 6,336 For many the downtown village of Basking Ridge is a bucolic vision of a Rockwell American town. Dotted with small shops, churches, and eateries, you don’t have to travel back in time too far when one of the… Read More »Looking Back – Werring Chevrolet-Olds in Basking Ridge
Views: 15,762 In a sleepy little section in the northern end of Bernards Township lies the Olde Mill Inn. Once just a tiny restaurant and former grain house barn, it has become a quiet getaway for Hollywood elite and social… Read More »They Stayed In Basking Ridge
Views: 11,325 Before we get started: The Methodist Church in the United States is 94% white, 92% third-generation American, 60% married, 69% believe in God, 42% attend church weekly, and 62% believe in hell. Several attempts were made in the… Read More »Bishop Edmund S. Janes – Father of the Bernardsville Mountain
Views: 19,572 Liberty Corner’s Most Famous Resident? In a quiet little rural village in New Jersey that’s known more for Memorial Day parades and quiet strolls up and down Church Street, there’s this little secret about a man who became… Read More »Liberty Corner had the REAL Zip the Pinhead – Yow!
Views: 5,537 Back in 1924 silent films were all the rage. Bernardsville was just becoming a boro and separating from Bernards Township but there was still only one movie theater, The Liberty . How fortunate was the theater to feature… Read More »“Janice Meredith” – 1924 Silent Film Showcases American Revolution
Views: 28,341 UPDATE:Did you see that another Basking Ridge resident is hitting the silver screen, sharing the screen with Basking Ridge’s Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada 2? Meet Basking Ridge’s Helen J. Shen. Helen J. Shen graduated from… Read More »Retrospective: Meryl Streep Was From Basking Ridge BEFORE Bernardsville
Views: 8,475 Morristown, New Jersey – Alexander Hamilton’s Roots Known as “the cockpit of the American Revolution,” New Jersey has a rich history from the American Revolution. During the 2nd winter encampment in Morristown and the 4th in New Jersey,… Read More »Alexander Hamilton’s Morristown Love Story
Views: 46,463 Father of the American Army ArtilleryFather of the American NavyFather of the Military Draft Fate has it often that those who put themselves in constant danger and face death every day are often spared until some freak accident takes… Read More »General Henry Knox – America’s Forgotten General
Views: 44,123 Noted High Society Playboy and Titanic Survivor Brings Notoriety to Bernards Township. It’s a fun story, but you have to hang in there. First, we must provide a little background about John’s father, who didn’t survive the Titanic… Read More »Titanic Survivor Astor and Basking Ridge
The Mr. Local History Project is a 501c3 all-volunteer non-profit public charity incorporated on October 15, 2019. It brings locals together to “preserve and promote local history with a social twist.” The project started in northern Somerset County, New Jersey, and now works across the Garden State, finding new ways to engage with local communities, organizations, and passionate people with great stories to share. Volunteers are always welcome.
The organization has been engaged in local historic efforts in Bedminster, Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, Cranford, Far Hills, Keyport, Newark, Hoboken, Peapack/Gladstone, and Westfield towns, just to name a few, and we continue to expand as our audience grows.
Our efforts continue based on three sources: fundraisers, website advertising, and, most importantly, public donations from people like you! If you haven’t donated to our efforts, please consider one at the bottom of this page.
The Mr Local History Project is now the exclusive seller of the New Jersey Historic Cat’s Meow Village, a partnership with the globally recognized wooden collectibles company Cat’s Meow. EVERY PENNY we raise from these collectibles goes back into funding the next collectible and other projects (like our coloring book and oak tree book). Please consider supporting us by becoming a resident of this fun set of collectibles in the New Jersey historic village.
“Out of adversity came opportunity” is the genesis for the Mr. Local History Project. After being a non-paid volunteer for over a decade, the Mr. Local History project was born. Started by Basking Ridge resident Brooks Betz, the Mr. Local History Project is dedicated to providing all kinds of local research and stories from the area we call home.