Historic Happenings Blog

Ever wondered why the goldfinch became the State Bird of New Jersey? Or why there is a borough in South Jersey called Audubon? Or why the city of Trenton gained a worldwide reputation for birds? Join Nicholas Ciotola of the New Jersey State Museum for short videos about the social, cultural and natural history of birds tied to the exhibition,  Fine Feathered Friends: Birds as Mainstay and Muse . To view the video,  please click here .

Ocean County Until September 6, 2020   (Exhibit)  The Women of Peto -  John F. Peto Studio Museum In honor of the 100 th  anniversary of the 19 th  Amendment, the Peto Museum is highlighting the contributions of the  Women of Peto , including his daughter Helen (who was a watercolorist), Peto’s female students (including Emily Perkins); and art and artifacts of other Peto family members. The history of Peto’s granddaughter Joy Smiley’s life growing up in the Studio is also explored, as are the works of some of the founding members of the Peto Museum (Jean Wetta, Alice Askoff).        The museum is currently closed. For updates, sign up for our mailing list to receive the Museum's newsletter at  http://petomuseum.org .  Meanwhile, the museum is currently accepting submissions to an online exhibition we call "#PetoMuseumFromHome". In this virtual exhibition, the Art Committee is actively reviewing (and posting...

The Historical Society of Plainfield/Drake House Museum announces an online exhibit of “Plainfield During WWI and the Influenza Pandemic.”   The exhibit is dedicated to the memory of the 45 soldiers and their Gold Star Families from Plainfield and the surrounding area who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country during WWI. Some were born in Plainfield and others were immigrants, but all served their country with courage, bravery, and valor. Approximately 23 of the men succumbed to the Influenza Pandemic in 1918 and its related diseases. One of the men, Martin J. Kane, died as a result of pneumonia. He was a member of the U.S. Coast Guard, and was stationed at Fort Hancock, Sandy Hook. He was called to duty to help guard Sayreville after the T. A. Gillespie Company Shell Loading Plant explosion or the Morgan explosion, which occurred on October 4, 1918. This explosion leveled over 300 buildings, burned for 3 days, and forced the evacuation and reconstruction of ...

Dear Friends of Macculloch Hall Historical Museum,  Although the house is not yet open for tours, we continue to offer programs and activities through our website and Facebook Live. Our garden is also ready to welcome you every day, FREE.  This summer,  Dig it! Plant it! Eat it! In a box  combines hands-on activities with engaging learning online. This program is again FREE thanks to the generous support of The Astle-Alpaugh Family Foundation.  We’ve also introduced  Storytime: Guess and Go !  Join Cynthia Winslow, Curator of Education and Community Engagement, Wednesdays at noon on Facebook Live to read a story and get clues for a scavenger hunt in your own home or neighborhood. And  Growing in the Garden  is back! Join us twice a month on Facebook Live to participate. All program details are listed below.   We continue to offer interactive, fun activities inspired by Mr. and Mrs. Macculloch that can be followed along at home on our ...

I want to announce the launch of the  Middlesex County History Archives and Library - - what we have fondly dubbed the history hub.  This on-line database is a collection of some 22,000 items that help tell Middlesex County's story.  We truly want to make this site a one-stop for our history and to that end, we have also included material from our partner organizations.   We are proud of the work our interns and volunteers have done to catalog the material and the work of our County team to get this completed and launched. We also look forward to growing the database and would like to hear any feedback and comments.  https://ejotv.pastperfectonline.com/ Mark Nonestied,  Middlesex County Historian and Division Head, Middlesex County Division of Historic Sites and History Services 1050 River Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854;  732.745.3030 ext 312 mark.nonestied@co.middlesex.nj.us http://www.middlesexcountynj.gov/

Experience the Museum from anywhere While the Museum of the American Revolution is closed to the public, you can explore the Museum and its content from anywhere with free digital resources for all ages, including a  Virtual Museum Tour , a  Virtual Field Trip , a rich archive of  Read the Revolution book excerpts , a  digitized collection  of the Museum's art and artifacts, and more. Keep the kids busy while school's closed with teacher and student resources for learning about the American Revolution. Check out the Museum's  comprehensive lesson plans  full of primary sources, high-quality images, and provocative questions. Download the materials  here . Print out our free  “Color the Collection” coloring book  for kids to create their own colorful works of art based on treasures from the Museum’s collection. Download the PDF  here . Be sure to follow the Museum (@amrevmuseum) on  Facebook ,  Twit...

   With our lives being somewhat at a standstill due to the Covid 19 , the  Heritage Trail Association has missed you . We hope that you and your families are healthy and rested. We hope you have missed us, too! Our great programs that were planned will happen eventually and we want to see you when we are operating again!     We are still planning our guided, interactive tours for Weekend Journey Through the Past, with some modification, on October 10th and 11th. More on our website shortly. ​    But in the meantime here is a little fact sheet--first in a series--for you to enjoy, created by our own Lazarus Turner, who not only is a wiz at 21st-century technology but a grand historian as well. See below: