Views: 4,313 UPDATE: March 12, 2025 –A few researchers at the Mr. Local History Project are looking for a few Chinese and Indian residents interested in tracing the roots of these two growing communities in Bernards Township to the first… Read More »Bernards Township Origins
Views: 583 Quick History – Irish Immigration to New Jersey By the mid-19th century, Irish immigration from Ireland to the United States surged, mainly due to the Great Irish Famine (1845-1852), which drove hundreds of thousands of Irish people to… Read More »Gotta Love the Irish in Jersey – The History and All the Parades
Views: 23,593 Frank McGovern opened his tavern in 1936 selecting 58 New Street right in the central ward of downtown Newark. Whether by coincidence or not, McGovern’s also opened around the same time Newark’s St. Patrick’s Day parade was reborn… Read More »Retrospective: Newark’s McGovern’s Tavern- An Irish History Tale
Views: 6,957 Congratulations, Cranford, on the five collectibles now part of the New Jersey Historical Wooden Village collection, a group of over 40 Jersey collectibles. Each keepsake brings awareness to historic Cranford icons. The Mr. Local History Project group is… Read More »Preserving Cranford’s History – Five Limited Iconic Collectibles
Views: 251 Release Party: March 1, 2025 Celebrating the rich history of the Kennedy Martin Stelle Farmstead, this iconic Basking Ridge farm is honored with this beautiful wooden hand-painted collectible as part of the New Jersey Historic Village Cat’s Meow… Read More »KMS Farmstead in Basking Ridge Honored with Painted Wooden Keepsake
Views: 1,591 Our researchers continue to dig and have finally found ALL of the deed records of the Riverside Inn property. It took us back to the late 1800s. If you have additional information about any of the owners, we’d… Read More »The Riverside Inn – History of Cranford’s (and New Jersey’s) #1 Dive Bar
Views: 279 Want to be part of the New Jersey Historic Keepsake Village Collection? It all starts with a nomination! The MLH Project is proud to be the exclusive organizer of the New Jersey Historic Wooden Keepsake Collection, partnering with… Read More »Does Your Preservation Work Deserve to Be Part of the New Jersey Historical Wooden Village?
Views: 765 Our history of the Riverside Inn has really come a long way. There seems to be such love for Cranford, New Jersey’s Riverside Inn, aka “The Dive,” that we had to create a dedicated page separate from the… Read More »The Riverside Inn – Cranford, New Jersey’s Community Online Photo Album
Views: 7,225 UPDATE: The Mr. Local History Project is determining interest in nominating the Cranford Canoe Club to the New Jersey Historic Registry. If you believe this should be done, please consider signing our petition to let Cranford local officials… Read More »Cranford Canoe Club – Honoring the History
Views: 1,577 Cranford High School – Cranford, New Jersey – Three Locations – Three Icons 1st CHS – Cranford High School at Grant School Established in 1902, Cranford’s first High School in Cranford, New Jersey, began as a four-year institution… Read More »Honoring New Jersey’s Cranford High School History
Views: 652 The time – 1950s – the invention – The EggOmat, an egg vending machine enclosed in a wooden shed, born on Mountain Boulevard, across from the field that’s now home to municipal ballfields in Somerset County’s Warren Township,… Read More »Does Warren’s EggOmat Deserve a Keepsake in the NJ Historic Wooden Village Collection? Vote
Views: 482 It’s hard to believe that next year, America will be celebrating its 250th anniversary. That means it’s also been 50 years since the Bicentennial, and hopefully, almost everyone remembers that one. As this researcher was just 14 back… Read More »America’s 250th Anniversary is Coming – Looking Back at the Bicentennial… Jersey Style
Views: 3,837 Mixed inside a Revolutionary War site on a hillside in Bernardsville, New Jersey, is a modest estate with lovely gardens. The Cross Estate encompasses 162 acres and, together with the Jarvis tract, augments the 320-acre New Jersey Brigade… Read More »Bernardsville’s Historic Cross Estate & Gardens
New Jersey History Preservation and promotion is an integral part of what the non-profit Mr. Local History Project stands for. Below are just a few of the key organizations we support, and we hope you do so too.
 | America 250 – To commemorate and celebrate our 250th anniversary with inclusive programs that inspire Americans to renew and strengthen our daring experiment in democracy. The shared experiences of America250 will have ignited our imaginations, elevated our diverse stories, inspired service in our communities, and demonstrated the lasting durability of the American project. |
 | RevNJ – In unison with America 250, in 2026, New Jersey, like much of the U.S., will commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the United States of America through events, programs, and ceremonies. RevolutionNJ is New Jersey’s official organization charged with planning and promoting our state’s commemoration. |
 | The New Jersey Division of Travel and Tourism (NJTT) creates awareness of all that New Jersey has to offer as a destination in order to enhance the quality of life for New Jersey residents and their communities. NJTT is the only organization in New Jersey providing marketing strategy and industry leadership for tourism sector stakeholders |
 | Welcome to the heart of New Jersey! Whether you’ve come to play, work stay – or make this your home!, we hope you’ll fall in love with everything that makes Somerset special. More Info |
 | Founded in 1978, Preservation New Jersey is a statewide member-supported non-profit historic preservation organization. PNJ promotes the economic vitality, sustainability, and heritage of New Jersey’s diverse communities through advocacy and education. |
 | The nine-member Somerset County Cultural and Heritage Commission, appointed by the County Commissioners, is charged with the responsibility to develop County programs to “promote public interest in local and county history, in the arts and in cultural values, goals and traditions of the community, State and Nation.” |
 | The New Jersey Historical Commission (NJHC) is a state agency dedicated to the advancement of public knowledge and preservation of New Jersey history. Established by law in 1967, its work is founded on the fundamental belief that an understanding of our shared heritage is essential to sustaining a cohesive and robust democracy. |
The Mr. Local History Project is a 501c3 nonprofit charity history organization run entirely by volunteers. We have two goals: to create an ongoing scholarship fund to be presented annually to a senior high school recipient, to promote local history, and to create programs with a social twist. Your pledge will fully support those two efforts.
Mr Local History also accepts Venmo – Scan the QR code or find us under “Charity” @mrlocalhistory
Each year the Mr. Local History Project works with area high schools to make an unrestricted scholarship to a worthy senior.
Please help us continue this annual tradition.
For those who prefer traditional mail to make donations, mail to:
Mr. Local History Project Giving Campaign
184 W. Oak Street, Suite 101
Basking Ridge, NJ 07920
Per IRS requirements, donations of $250 or more will be recognized with a receipt.
