MLH brings you back to school with a fun look back at Schoolhouses of the past in New Jersey. We then look at the history of food. Meet the Brush’s of Basking Ridge and their deli and we look back at the history of a Jersey original, the Italian Hot Dog and a few special additions!
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Mr Local History Fall 2022 Magazine[/caption]
On September 11, 2001, we lost friends, family, neighbors, and loved ones in a tragedy that changed our nation forever. Their absence is felt every day, yet in the years since that heartbreaking morning, we have also witnessed countless examples… Read More »Then & Now: Post 9/11-Somerset Hills Family Friends and Neighbors & Their Legacy
Somerset County is full of great history almost to a fault. Driving up and down Route 202 we often forget to see the historic beauty right in front of our eyes. Mr. Local History must drive by the Van Dorn… Read More »Traveling Historic Highways – The Van Dorn Mill
Who doesn’t remember driving the car and ending up at the famed orange roof of the famed Howard Johnson motor lodge or restaurant. From Weirs Beach, New Hampshire to Daytona Beach Florida, all the way out to Anaheim, California it… Read More »Remembering Howard Johnson’s
While attending a program entitled “Early American Schoolhouses” at the Brick Academy in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, the instructor passed out handouts that discussed rules for students, teachers, and punishments in 1872. Meg Wastie, program coordinator at the Museum of Early… Read More »Student Rules Then and Now
UPDATE: We are looking for art programs, non-profits, and elder program coordinators to consider programs where an entire art class works to create their own collection with ties to our collective local history. MLHP Education Coordinator The Mr. Local History… Read More »Art and History – Looking for Artists To Interpret History to Celebrate NJ250
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 Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, and Peapack… Read More »#911neverforget in the Somerset Hills
How about a fun day out in the fall fresh air, strolling the streets of a Jersey haunted village? The Mr. Local History Project has created a new chapter of the Haunted History Walking Tour of Historic Basking Ridge Village… Read More »Mr. Local History’s Haunted History Walking Tour of Basking Ridge Fundraiser
The ancestors of the creator of the Italian Hot Dog continue to serve up Italian hot dogs every day. Over the years, Mike Loikith says that about twenty locations came and went as his great-grandfather and grandfather passed away, but… Read More »Historic Jimmy Buff’s and the Italian Hot Dog Honored With Miniature Wooden Collectible
The Mayor of New Jersey’s Historic Village has decreed two icons be added to the New Jersey Historic Wooden Village Collection recently in a bold move to expand the only set of New Jersey collectible icons. Produced in conjunction with… Read More »Ford Mansion Added to NJ Village Collection
The Mayor of New Jersey’s Historic Village has decreed another Jersey icon be added to the New Jersey Historic Wooden Village Collection recently in a bold move to expand the only set of New Jersey collectible icons. Produced in conjunction… Read More »Lucy the Elephant Added to NJ Village Collection
The Mayor of New Jersey’s Historic Village has launched a campaign to determine if Jimmy Buff’s, the former Newark, New Jersey eatery deserves to be part of the collection. UPDATE:The public voted a resounding YES and the committee representing the… Read More »Does Jimmy Buff’s Deserve Nomination to Jersey’s Historic Village?
Those following the Mr. Local History Project know we love Jersey food and iconic food outlets. Along with the grand ethnic diversity comes food concoctions that have become iconic Jersey staples on the Jersey food scene over the years. One… Read More »Legendary Jimmy Buff’s Italian Hot Dog – A Newark, New Jersey Invention
Brush’s Deli has a long history in Basking Ridge and is the longest-standing deli in the community. Located at 35 S. Finley Avenue in the same building, the P.C. Henry general store opened in 1869 and remained until 1935. On… Read More »Brush’s Deli Served the Community for Three Generations and Now It’s Just a Memory
BASKING RIDGE UPDATE:April 1, 2025 – Since the village of Basking Ridge lost the famed creator of the Official sandwich of Basking Ridge, “the town special,” the title is up for grabs. Come back soon for the opportunity to meet… Read More »The Official Sandwich of Basking Ridge – What Now?
Update:The oldest surviving one-room schoolhouse in New Jersey will make its national television debut in Ken Burns’ upcoming PBS documentary series “The American Revolution.” The historic building, located in downtown Mount Holly, will be featured in the fourth episode in… Read More »Mapping New Jersey’s Historic Schoolhouses