Historic Happenings Blog

Sunday, February 23 – Somerset County     Annual Meeting of the Wallace House and Old Dutch Parsonage Association will be held on Sunday, February 23 at 1:30 pm. at the sites’ Visitor Center at 71 Somerset Street in Somerville.       The annual meeting will include a review of upcoming programs and events and an opportunity to meet Paul Soltis, the new curator. In honor of George Washington’s 288 th  birthday, noted historian and author William L. (Larry) Kidder will provide insights on George Washington from his recent book  Ten Crucial Days  at 2:30 p.m. At 3:30 p.m., Commander Andrea Cahill-Adair and members of Somerville's American Legion Post 12 will participate in the raising of the American flag as well as General George Washington's headquarters flag. 

George Washington’s Ten Crucial Days with author William “Larry” Kidder December 26, 2019  @  12:00 pm  –  2:00 pm Between December 24, 1776 and January 3, 1777, George Washington was faced with a number of critical decisions. The actions he formulated would play a major role in either bringing the American Revolution to a crushing defeat or reviving hope for its eventual success. This talk examines those decisions to understand how the battles of Trenton and Princeton prevented an early end to the war for independence and reversed American despair during the “times that tried men’s souls.”  Please note: Seating for this program is on a first-come, first-served basis. Once the room capacity of 75 individuals is reached, no further attendees will be admitted. ID is required as you enter the State Library.

Thursday, September 19 – Hunterdon County The Ten Crucial Days: Washington’s Vision for Victory Unfolds      Historian and author Larry Kidder will tell the story of the battles of Trenton and Princeton that took place between December 25, 1776 and January 3, 1777 and explain why they are so important to the outcome of the American Revolution during his presentation on Sept. 19 at the Bethlehem (NJ) Township Community Center. Much of his talk focuses on the people of New Jersey, including Bethlehem Township, and ways their lives were influenced by these events. Previously, Mr. Kidder researched the Hunterdon County militia, leading to the publication of his first book on the Revolution titled A People Harassed and Exhausted: The Story of a New Jersey Militia Regiment in the American Revolution. This research fostered an interest in the lives and experiences of people in Trenton during the entire Revolution and resulted in the book Crossroads of the Revolution: Trento...

Friday, May 24 – Mercer County     On Friday, May 24, at 7:00 p.m. the Hopewell Valley Historical Society president and local  historian Larry Kidder will present a heavily illustrated program about the Carlisle Indian Industrial School and the students it placed with Hopewell Township farm families for either a summer or a full year as part of the controversial government effort to remove their Indian culture, and hopefully eliminate the all too popular belief that the only good Indian was a dead Indian. Over 200 young Indian men, mostly teenagers, from about 50 different tribes, spent time living in Hopewell during the 1880-1918 period this "outing" program was active. Mr. Kidder's presentation includes the stories of several individual Hopewell farm families and the Indians they sponsored. Those stories will also include information about the lives of the Indians before and after their time spent in Hopewell. This will be HVHS’s contributi...

Tuesday, March 19 – Mercer County "Trenton Makes - The Army Takes" Illustrated Lecture by Larry Kidder     Trenton, NJ—Historian Larry Kidder will present a free, illustrated lecture entitled “Trenton Makes – the Army Takes”  on Tuesday, March 19 at 7:00pm.  This talk explains the contributions made by Trenton residents to supplying the material needs of the Continental Army and the New Jersey militia.  Learn about the real people whose skills will be demonstrated at the event  Manufacturing a Revolution: Trenton During the Winter of 1778 over the weekend of March 23-24  and how those people also provided other services to the cause. No one could just do their normal job and ignore the Revolution taking place around them. This talk is based on Mr. Kidder’s research for his two most recent publications: “Crossroads of the Revolution: Trenton, 1774-1783” and “Ten Crucial Days: Washington’s Vision for Victory Unfolds”, which will be available fo...

Princeton Battlefield Society Education Forum clock Sunday, December 2, 2018 at 1:30 PM – 5 PM Morven Museum & Garden 55 Stockton St, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 Princeton Battlefield Society Education Forum: Soldiers and Civilians in Princeton Winter 1776 to 1777 The Princeton Battlefield Society’s third Education Forum of 2018 focuses on the Ten Crucial Days during the Winter of 1776 to 1777 and features four noted historians: Dan N. Hagist, Larry Kidder, Joseph Seymour, and Glenn F. Williams, discussing the people and military actions during the pivotal time in America’s War for Independence. Books will be available for signing/sale following lecture. Tickets TEN CRUCIAL DAYS: Princeton Battlefield Society will be hosting three different events relating to the Battle of Princeton beginning on Sunday, December 2 with presentations at Morven Museum and Garden by four Revolutionary War historians, continuing on December 8 with Young Patriot’s Day at Princeton Friends School, and cu...

Sunday, December 2 – Mercer County Princeton Battlefield Society Education Forum:  Soldiers and Civilians in Princeton Winter 1776 to 1777 Sunday, December 2 from 1:30 – 5:00 p.m. in Morven’s Stockton Education Center $15 advance registration; $20 at door      The Princeton Battlefield Society’s third Education Forum of 2018 focuses on the Ten Crucial Days during the Winter of 1776 to 1777 and features four noted historians: Dan N. Hagist, Larry Kidder, Joseph Seymour, and Glenn F. Williams , discussing the people and military actions during the pivotal time in America’s War for Independence. Books will be available for signing/sale following lecture.   To register for the event, click  HERE .  55 Stockton Street, Princeton, NJ 08540; 609-924-8144;  info@morven.org  or Debi Lampert-Rudman