Historic Happenings Blog

Thursday, March 19 -- Hunterdon County On March 19, Flemington-born author and noted historian Brian Armstrong will return home to present “ The Women’s Suffrage Movement and Hunterdon County Women Who Made Political History .” The event, organized by Flemington-based 501c3 nonprofit Hunterdon County Tricentennial, Hunterdon 300th and its founder, former county freeholder Marcia A. Karrow, will be held at 7 p.m.  March 19 at the Hunterdon County Library, on Route 12 in Flemington. Refreshments will follow the free presentation. Reserve tickets online or by contacting the Hunterdon 300th via email at 300info@co.hunterdon.nj.us or phone at 908-788-2030. Armstrong grew up in Readington Township and graduated from Hunterdon Central Regional High School in the class of 1977. He earned his bachelor's degree at American University. On March 19, he will customize the presentation to include prominent women in U.S. political history from the Flemington area and Hunterdon County.

Sunday, March 15 -- Hunterdon County Hunterdon County Historical Society Program Focuses on History of Early Medicine in New Jersey with Dr. Gary Grover FLEMINGTON -- Cayenne pepper enemas to treat lung diseases? Swallowing ground glass to treat gastro-intestinal disorders? Chewing tree bark to shake the shivers? Each of these treatments was considered legitimate at the time, but did any of them work? Dr. Gary Grover knows the answers and will share with you the results of years of research into early medical treatments and drug discoveries in New Jersey.  The talk will be presented during the Hunterdon County Historical Society’s spring meeting on Sunday, March 15 at 2 p.m. at the Flemington Presbyterian Church, 10 East Main Street. The meeting is free, and everyone is welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be served.     A cardiovascular pharmacologist, Dr. Grover is a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and ...

Friday, December 6 -- Hunterdon County Lindbergh Kidnapping Trial “When the Circus Came to Town” Local historian Jim Davidson will present an insightful and captivating take on events that hit the sleepy Borough of Flemington like a tsunami during the six weeks in the winter of 1935 when the so-called Trial of the Century, the Lindbergh baby kidnapping trial, played out in the Historic County Courthouse. The presentation will take place on Friday, December 6th at 7 pm at Hunterdon Central Regional High School’s Little Theater on Junction Road in Flemington. From the first weekend of the trial when 50,000 people descended upon Flemington and trashed the courthouse, to the comings and goings of some of the era’s most recognized movie stars, reporters and radio personalities on hand for the spectacle, to the escapades of “Nellie,” the stray dog that became famous when reporters covering the trial adopted her as a mascot, you’ll be treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the stories behind ...

Sunday, November 10 – Hunterdon County Hunterdon County Historical Society www.hunterdonhistory.org      Celebrate women’s history and the coming centennial of women’s right to vote with the Hunterdon County Historical Society at its annual Fall meeting and lecture November 10 @ 2:00 pm at the Flemington Presbyterian Church in Flemington. Andrea Tingey, Historic Preservation Specialist with the New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office, will present a pictorial journey through the  New Jersey Women’s Heritage Trail.    Ms. Tingey’s lecture will explore the Heritage Trail that defines many of the contributions made by notable women in New Jersey to history, science, religion, sports and business and the tangible legacies they left behind. The culmination of this rich history was first published by the NJ Office of Historic Preservation in 2004.    The illustrated lecture covering the women’s heritage trail and upcoming event...

Sunday, October 13 - Raritan Township, Hunterdon County "Stories That Shaped the Lives of our Ancestors" The Sunday, Hunterdon Land Trust Farmers’ Market offers a trio of events planned to entertain, educate, and engage. Historic Preservationist Consultant Carla Cielo will share intriguing tales culled from her two decades researching and interviewing in her special presentation "Stories That Shaped the Lives of our Ancestors" to be held in the Dvoor Farmhouse at 11:00 am. The program is free. She’ll tell attendees, for instance, about: * How a poor Italian girl -- who as a baby was sent away to a wet nurse in a mountain town in Southern Italy and nearly died from a "witch doctor" abortion in 1928 -- became independently wealth. * Life on a hardscrabble farm in Hunterdon County. Also, at 11:00 am, noted Nature Photographer Dwight Hiscano will lead a workshop that begins in the Dvoor Farm wagon house on how to take beautiful photos outdoors.  This event is ...

Wednesday, October 2 -- Hunterdon County The next update meeting to discuss New Jersey's commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States  is scheduled for Wednesday, October 2, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Historic Hunterdon County Courthouse, 71 Main Street, Bldg 3 in Flemington. Please RSVP your attendance by responding to this email.  Please note that the Historic Courthouse is a different building from the modern county justice complex. More information and parking options are available on the  Crossroads website .  The meeting will be available on Go-to-Meeting for those who can't attend the session in person. You can use your computer, tablet or smartphone  to reach the presentation on the internet.  Just click on the underlined words. You can also dial in using your phone. Dial 1 (872) 240-3311, access code: 474-336-741 . If possible, please log in with others at your physical site to help us conserve seats.  If ...

Sunday, September 29 -  Raritan Township, Hunterdon County Prohibition Talk at  Hunterdon Land Trust  Farmers’ Market Toast the centennial anniversary of Prohibition with a free program led by historian, researcher and author Brian Armstrong at the Hunterdon Land Trust Farmers' Market on Sunday at 10:30 am in the Dvoor Farm wagon house. Armstrong will discuss the "noble experiment" that constitutionally banned the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages a century ago. He’ll cover the back story on how Prohibition came to be passed, the problems with enforcement, and how it ultimately was repealed. He also will tell some interesting tales about New Jersey and Hunterdon County during the Prohibition era. Armstrong holds a BAs in history and political science from American University. He's the vice-president, Central Region, for the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey and past president of the South River Historical & Preserv...

Ferry and Main Streets, Lambertville, NJ, 1955 Historic Delaware River Series Explores 1955 Flood Sunday, August 18, 2019 Learn about the deadly Delaware River flood of 1955 that killed nearly 100 people, destroyed bridges and washed away homes and summer camps at the Hunterdon Land Trust Farmers Market on Sunday, August 18 at 10:00 am. The market is located at the Dvoor Farm, 111 Mine Street, Flemington, NJ. In the Hunterdon Land Trust’s second Historic Delaware River Series program, Mary A. Shafer, author of  Devastation on the Delaware: Stories and Images of the Deadly Flood of 1955 , will discuss in words and images the terrifying flood and its tragic aftermath on the 64th anniversary of the event. In August of 1955, two hurricanes slammed into the Carolinas and charged north. By the time they hit the Hunterdon County area, both had weakened to tropical storms, but dumped heavy rains all through the Delaware Valley. From the river’s headwaters in the Catskills down through the ...

Sunday, July 28 -  Raritan Township, Hunterdon County Author Kicks Off Hunterdon Land Trust’s Historic River Series After spending the weekdays working at home, author Hal Taylor loves nothing more than jumping in the car on weekends to explore. He discovered, in time, that his meanderings often took him to the Delaware River. "There's something about a large body of water that stirs me, and probably most people, especially if there's some ship traffic," Taylor notes. "I wonder where the vessels are going and where they've been. The water stirs the same curiosity. There's a history in that river." Discovering that history led Taylor to pen his first book,  The Illustrated Delaware River: The History of a Great American River , an historical travelogue filled with 140 original drawings and paintings. And it will bring him to the Hunterdon Land Trust Farmers' Market on Sunday at 10:30 am. where he will share stories and his illustrations from his m...

These workshops are a great opportunity to learn about locally available funding opportunities for Hunterdon County nonprofit organizations. Funded through The New Jersey State Council on the Arts' Local Arts Program (LAP), and New Jersey Historical Commission's County History Partnership Program (CHPP) the programs provide funding opportunities for qualified nonprofit organizations through project grants and general operating support grants. For organizations who are interested in applying for our next round of grants, but not currently funded, attendance is required. We will provide an overview of the programs, the requirements, and strategies for completing the application. If your organization is currently funded, come and learn what is new for 2020, and get tips to avoid common application errors. Preregistration requested.

View this email in your browser Disaster Preparedness Workshops Join us for a disaster preparedness training provided by the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts. This series of workshops will introduce the Pocket Response Plan (PReP), its use a tool to begin institutional planning, and provide guidance on use and implementing it. This will be followed by information on staff training. Finally, there will be a group table top exercise. The training will run from 9:00am to 1:00pm. A continental breakfast will be provided. Dates and Locations: February 6 - Hamilton Club, 32 Church St, Paterson, NJ 07505 March 6 - Atlantic County Library System - Mays Landing Branch - 40 Farragut Ave., Mays Landing, NJ 08330 April 3 - Trailside Nature and Science Center - 452 New Providence Road, Mountainside, NJ 07092 May 1 - Burlington County Lyceum of History and Natural Sciences - 307 High St, Mt Holly, NJ 08060 June 5 - Historic Courthouse - 71 Main Street Flemin...