Historic Happenings Blog

Wednesday, April 22 – Essex County     Please join the Cedar Grove Historical Society on March 25, at 7:30 p.m. in the Cedar Grove Library, 1 Municipal Court, when Jean Jaeger, Cedar Grove Township Historian, will present a program entitled  “Let’s Stroll Down Pompton Avenue.”        She will take you back to a time when what is now known as Pompton Avenue was a narrow dirt road lined with houses up to the present day when the road is a state highway.  During the PowerPoint presentation, we will look at the changes that have taken place over the years and share what we remember from the past. There will be a short business meeting before the presentation.

Wednesday, October 23 – Essex County      The Cedar Grove Historical Society Proudly Presents “Destination: Pearl Harbor” Join the Cedar Grove Historical Society on October 23 at 7:30 in the Cedar Grove Public Library,  1 Municipal Plaza, when local actor Mark Simmons will give a moving one-man presentation and tribute to the soldiers and sailors who were witness to the terrible attack of December 7, 1941.      Mr. Simons gives vivid compelling narratives and monologues as told in the very words of the men who were there. Their stories of shock, fear, anger and extraordinary heroism during the two hours of terror on “a date that will live in infamy” makes this a harrowing, inspiring and at times heart-wrenching experience that you will not soon forget.     Mark Simmons brings thirty years of experience as a seasoned actor, performing in over fifty different productions on stage, both professionally and non. ...

Wednesday, September 25 – Essex County    Please join the Cedar Grove Historical Society at the Cedar Grove Public Library, 1 Municipal Court, Cedar Grove, on September 25, at 7:30 p.m., when  Ray Williams will present a program about how our early government kept our army running by issuing paper money. England’s attempt to undermine our economy by flooding the market with counterfeit bills and how this affected the common citizen will also be discussed.  Examples of actual Continental Currency (1775-1779) will be shown. Questions and discussion are encouraged.    Ray Williams is a recently retired Electronics Technician. He is a Fellow of the American Numismatic Society and a columnist for the American Numismatic Association. He has been interested in coins and currency all his life and was a Past President of the Colonial Coin Collectors Club. There will be a short business meeting before the program.

Wednesday, May 22 – Essex County     Join the Cedar Grove Historical Society at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22, at the Cedar Grove Public Library, 1 Municipal Court, Cedar Grove, when  Linda Barth will explore groundbreaking, useful, fun and even silly inventions and their New Jersey roots.      Many people are familiar with Edison’s “invention factory” in Menlo Park, where he patented the phonograph, the light bulb and many more inventions. Yet many other ideas have grown in the Garden State, too. New Jerseyans brought sound and music to movies and built the first drive-in theater. In addition to the first cultivated blueberry, tasty treats like ice cream cones and M&M’s® are also New Jersey natives. Iconic aspects of American life like Bubble Wrap® , the boardwalk, the Band-Aid® and even professional baseball itself started in New Jersey. Life would be harder without the vacuum cleaner, plastic and air-conditioning, and many o...

Wednesday, April 24 – Essex County       Join the Cedar Grove Historical Society at 7:30 on April 24 at the Cedar Grove Public Library, 1 Municipal Court when Jim DelGiudice will present a program entitled  Agents of Change: Famous New Jersey Women. Mr. DelGiudice will go down the alphabet form Dr. Virginia Apgar, inventor of the Apgar score, to the legendary Revolutionary War heroine, Temperance Wick , to discuss the New Jersey women who have been an integral part of American History. Some other personalities included in the program are socialite Doris Duke, business executive Carly Fiorina, restaurateur Alice Waters, actress Bebe Neuwirth, politician Millicent Fenwick and even a ghost named Phebe, who just won’t go away.     Jim DelGiudice has been documenting New Jersey since 1979 when he graduated college. He served as the primary photographer for two books about New Jersey architecture for Rutgers Press.   ...

Wednesday, March 27 – Essex County Cedar Grove Historical Society presents “Overbrook - Inception to Today”     Join the Cedar Grove Historical Society on Wednesday, March 27, at the Cedar Grove Public Library, 1 Municipal Court, Cedar Grove, when a uthor Kevin Kowalick will discuss the history of Overbrook Hospital in Cedar Grove from its inception in the 1800s to its downfall in 2018. Learn about how Overbrook was a self-sustaining community, nestled in the quiet suburbs of West Essex.  Discover many “firsts” in mental health care that are part of the hospital’s history. Historical and recent photographs will be part of the program. Artifacts dating back to the 1800s, salvaged from the hospital center, will be on display. Copies of Mr. Kowalick’s book, “Images of America: Essex County Overbrook Hospital” will be on sale. There will be a short business meeting before the program. Kevin Kowalick has been researching Overbrook for the past eig...

Wednesday, February 27 – Essex County Cedar Grove Notables      What do Marty Liquori, Allen Du Mont or Amanda Freitag have in common? They all lived in Cedar Grove. Join the Cedar Grove Historical Society on  February 27 at 7:30 p.m. when Jean Jaeger will present a program entitled “Cedar Grove Notables.”  The program will highlight residents who have contributed to the growth of Cedar Grove and some who lived here and made contributions to the world at large. She will take you back to the 1800s and up until the present day.     The program will take place at the Cedar Grove Public Library, 1 Municipal Plaza in Cedar Grove. Jean Jaeger is the secretary of the Cedar Grove Historical Society, editor of their newsletter and Cedar Grove Township Historian. A short business meeting will be held before the presentation.  Caption: Marty Liquori, third high school athlete to break the 4-minute mile