There is a wealth of history to be learned from a map. We have historic maps and interactive maps embedded in many of our stories, and we try to list that research here. If you’re looking for something specific, try our search feature. If you still don’t find anything, try our Gen AI Agent in the lower right-hand corner.
Map Research & Archives: Sharing Local History with Maps
Views: 10,282 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.…
Sir Francis Bernard Honored With American Town Names
Views: 5,195 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…
Lord Stirling Deep Dive Series
Views: 2,881 Some called him William, others called him General. Some even called him Lord Stirling. Whatever you called him, William Alexander, aka Lord Stirling, was one of the most interesting people of the Revolutionary War. The Mr. Local History…
Day Trips – Four Historic New Jersey Fall Locations You Must See
Views: 7,853 The 2025 Fall Foliage Map is the ultimate visual planning guide to the annual progression of leaf change. While no tool can be 100% accurate, this tool is designed to help travelers better time their trips to maximize their chances…
The History of Burgers and Mapping the Best Burgers in America
Views: 25,655 Start This Journey with 2 minutes of #burgerporn. Enjoy as we did! Who doesn’t love a good burger? Ah, yes, even the statement opens the door for interpretation. How big, ketchup or not, steamed, fried, broiled, with lettuce—the…
Bernardsville’s Lost Dayton Home, Orchards and Mount Airy Nursery
Views: 1,913 UPDATE:Another Dayton family discussion came up…. we couldn’t refuse the query. MLH Introduces Ezra Dayton and the Dayton Families The name “Mount Airy” first appears in printed atlases and maps as early as the 1870s–1880s, when the hill…
Pocono Pines and Lake Naomi Area – Map Collection Showcases History
Views: 2,175 I’ve been creating a series of memories and researching the history of Lake Naomi, Pocono Pines, and the greater Pocono Mountains area. While some call me a historian, I’m more of a researcher who shares what I find,…
Meet the Historians Series
Views: 2,967 Featured individuals include longtime resident and historian Ruth Thomson (with ties to the Peapack-Gladstone area) and her son, Barry Thomson, along with other local history advocates dedicated to preserving the region’s cultural heritage. Bedminster’s Dutzie Robie, Bernardsville’s Marion Kennedy and…
Garden State’s Top Historic Gardens and Estates
Views: 6,531 April 14th is National Garden Day, so make sure you get out there and enjoy our Garden State’s beauty (and history) While the Mr. Local History Project typically focuses on historical research, stories, and events, we figured one…
The New Jersey Historic Wooden Village Keepsake Collection Keeps Expanding
Views: 25,233 The MLH Project is proud to be the exclusive reseller of the New Jersey Historic Wooden Keepsake Collection, created by the world-famous Cat’s Meow Village. Made in the USA!!! NEW FOR 2025 The New Jersey Historic Wooden Keepsake…
Col. Samuel Colt Got His Start in Paterson, New Jersey
Views: 7,447 Starting in 1836 in Paterson, New Jersey, Samuel Colt’s revolver is one of the 10 most influential inventions EVER produced. The Colt Paterson revolver was the first practical revolving-cylinder handgun, and it was made in Paterson, New Jersey. For years,…
Jersey’s History with Bar Room Shuffleboard
Views: 19,255 Isn’t it interesting how history becomes a part of history? Take, for example, pay phones. When you were using them, you never thought about it, and then they’re gone and not just gone……totally gone. Then you see them…
Retrospective: Building AT&T Headquarters Basking Ridge
Views: 14,630 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…
Best Crumb Cake in New Jersey – Discuss Now
Views: 90,252 Maybe we’re taking this too seriously, but we’ve been searching for bakeries serving New Jersey’s best crumb cake. If you’re not a fan of the cake, you might want to leave now because we’re really going to get…
New Jersey Hills are Alive with Distilling History
Views: 11,463 Distilling in Central New Jersey New Jersey has a deep history of distilling spirits that goes back to colonial times. The Somerset Hills is an area in central New Jersey’s Somerset County grouping six similar towns, villages, and…
Where is West Millington, Lyons and Madisonville Sections of Bernards Township
Views: 5,137 NOTE: 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 grow this piece as information becomes available. Mr. Local History Project…
America 250 Series
Views: 2,749 New Jersey holds a central place in the story of American independence, earning its nickname “The Crossroads of the American Revolution” due to the pivotal events that unfolded across its towns and countryside. Between 1775 and 1783, New…
Local Cemetery History Research
Views: 892 There is a wealth of history to be learned from a cemetery. We have a rich genealogy embedded in many of our stories, and we strive to describe other facts, analytics, and stories about those who make their…
Franklin Corners and William Childs Williamsburg-esqe Vision
Views: 8,297 Tucked in the northernmost section of Bernards Township, New Jersey, along the Passaic River lies a small historic district. If you drive through it, you’ll notice the area’s rich history, marked by its grist mill and restored barns.…
Grand Mansions and Historic Estates Mapped in New Jersey’s Somerset Hills
Views: 38,975 Many people have asked why you post all this history stuff on the area you’re calling the Somerset Hills. Well, call it passion. Call it intrigue. Call it local awareness. I think the main reason is that the…
Remembering 5 Historical Sites in Bridgewater, New Jersey
Views: 6,499 Bridgewater is the second largest town by population in Somerset County, with 45,977 residents according the 2020 Census. Its population boomed in the 1970s-1990s, but has been an important part of the County and State since the Revolution.…
Bernards Township Charter Day Streetfair Memories
Views: 2,306 Bernards Twp. 2025 Charter Day is A MEMORYBut You’re Early for 2026 🙂 Weather Forecast Stop by the Mr. Local History Booth #89 on Henry Street Just outside the Washington House Side Entrance Watch the South Finley Livestream…
History of Housing Developments in Bernards Township
Views: 10,749 Interactive map showcases Bernards Township development history. Source: Mr. Local History Bernards Township has a long history of being a sleepy rural town. Then, the US built the Lyons VA, and everything changed as the population grew. Then…
Gotta Love the Irish in Jersey – The History and All the Parades
Views: 1,727 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…
Mr. Local History Knows The Top 20 Daytona 500 Destinations to Hit During Speedweeks
Want to go to the #Daytona500 Speedweeks and feel like you know where to go? Here’s 20 years of experience all in one place where we’ve highlighted the top 15 Daytona spots to hit during Speedweeks. We’ve loaded THE BEST.
There’s a lot of History in These 100+ Jersey Dive Bars
Views: 6,499 The term “dive bar” originated in the United States in the 1880s and was initially used as a derogatory term. It referred to drinking establishments often located in basements or below street level, where patrons would “dive” down into the…
The Exclusive New Jersey Historic Wooden Village Keepsake Collection
Views: 14,521 The MLH Project is proud to be the exclusive reseller of the New Jersey Historic Wooden Keepsake Collection, created by the world-famous Cat’s Meow Village. Made in the USA!!! The New Jersey Historic Wooden Keepsake Village Collection The…
Finding New Jersey’s Giant Pizzas
Views: 2,863 People keep asking us why a non-profit is dedicated to researching New Jersey history and building food maps. The short answer is that history has what we call threads. We start researching one thing, which leads to another.…
VOTE for Jersey’s #1 Pizza Place
Views: 825 Many critics say New Jersey might have the best pizza places in America. Being from New Jersey, we can’t disagree. Why there would be any Dominos, Pizza Huts or Pappa Johns is beyond comprehension. Now it’s your turn…
Lost Motorsport Board Tracks Across America – Mapping Them All
Views: 4,060 As a huge motorsports fan, this topic came up with a few of our researchers who can’t let it go! While the Mr. Local History Project normally focuses on New Jersey history, they had to discover more once…
1928 – Woodbridge Speedway – World’s Fastest 1/2 Mile Track
Views: 4,147 This is a tale about auto racing legends of the early 1920s, known as daredevils and speed freaks, who traveled to a tiny new track built outside New York City in the small town of Woodbridge, New Jersey.…
Haunted Tales From Central New Jersey #3
Views: 2,322 Believe it or not, the dead are alive in central New Jersey, especially in northern Somerset County. The question is not whether they are real or not, but rather whether they are disturbing or friendly. As we share,…
Bernards Township/Bernardsville Historic Wooden Village Keepsake Collectibles
Views: 3,270 Congratulations, Basking Ridge and Bernardsville, on being the foundation for the New Jersey Historical Wooden Village collection, a group of over 40 Jersey collectibles. Each keepsake brings awareness to historic area icons created by the world-famous Cat’s Meow…