Historic Happenings Blog

Tuesday, March 24 -- Mercer County The Sourland Mountain is a natural oasis filled with remarkable plants and creatures - many rare or endangered - located in the middle of the most densely populated state in the nation. The 90-square-mile Sourland region, which stretches from Hillsborough to Hopewell and Montgomery to Lambertville, is home to the largest contiguous forest in Central New Jersey. This mosaic of forest, wetlands and grassland habitats serves as an important rest-stop and breeding area for migratory songbirds. The sparsely populated mountain benefits millions of people, too, by offering a source of recreation and renewal, carbon sequestration, and clean air and water. The Mountain’s streams form headwaters for the Raritan, Millstone and Delaware Rivers.   The Watershed Institute and the Sourland Conservancy invite the public to enjoy a special visual evening of film, stories, and community on March 24th at 7 PM at  The Watershed Institute  (31 Titus Mil...

Thursday, March 19 -- Mercer County 5:00 PM to 8:00 p.m. Sourland Mountain Spirits (30 Hopewell Rocky Hill Rd, Hopewell, New Jersey 08525): Join us for drinks at Sourland Mountain Spirits as we share the beautiful book by Jim Amon,  Seeing the Sourlands : A book of photos and essays.  Sourland Mountain Spirits have generously offered to host a book talk and a percentage of drink sales from the evening to be donated to Sourland Conservancy.

Thursday, March 5 – Mercer County 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM, REI Princeton (3371 Us Highway 1, #34, Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648):  Brimming with gorgeous photography and rich stories on the tales of nature within the Sourlands, this new book by beloved naturalist and photographer, Jim Amon, illustrates how much we have to learn from nature and all its inspiration. Join Jim Amon at REI as he shares his favorite stories of Seeing the Sourlands. Register in advance:  http://tiny.cc/SCATREI

Thursday, February 27 -- Somerset County 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, Mary Jacobs Memorial Library Foundation, 64 Washington St, Rocky Hill, New Jersey 08553. Join Jim Amon and the Van Harlingen Historical Society at the Mary Jacobs Memorial Library as he shares his favorite stories of Seeing the Sourlands.

Sunday, April 14 – Mercer County The Sourlands Conservancy invites you to the  Princeton Environmental Film Festival, Princeton Public Library, at 11:30 a.m. to see “ The Sourlands - A New Jersey Treasure.”  This 34-minute film tells the story of New Jersey’s Sourland Mountain, an ecological oasis in the heart of the nation’s most densely populated state. Home to the largest forest in central New Jersey, the relatively unspoiled Sourlands provide critical habitat for endangered animals and plants, as well as a place of refuge, recreation and inspiration for people from the surrounding cities, towns and suburbs. The film will be followed by a panel discussion. For more information about the Princeton Environmental Film Festival (PEFF), visit  https://princetonlibrary.org/peff/

Saturday, March 30 – Mercer County If These Stones Could Talk : Reading and Book Signing Local authors document the history of African American families in New Jersey’s Sourland Mountains communities Trenton, NJ  (For immediate release)—The Trent House Association welcomes  Elaine Buck and Beverly Mills, authors of the recently released If These Stones Could Talk:  African American Presence in the Hopewell Valley, Sourland Mountain and Surrounding Region in New Jersey  for a presentation and reading, followed by discussion and book signing.  The program will be from 1:00- 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 30, at the Trent House Museum, 15 Market Street, Trenton, New Jersey. If These Stones Could Talk  brings fresh light to a forgotten corner of American history that begins in a small cemetery in central New Jersey.  Authors of  If These Stones Could Talk  Elaine Buck and Beverly Mills started their journey through the past as two middle aged Afric...

Sunday, March 10 – Hunterdon County 2:00 pm Spring Membership Meeting and Lecture “A Proud Heritage” Presbyterian Church 10 East Main Street   The Hunterdon County Historical Society is pleased to present: “‘ A Proud Heritage”  on Sunday,  March 10, 2019 at 2:00 pm  at the Flemington Presbyterian Church, 10 East Main Street in Flemington.      The lecture explores the fascinating history of African Americans in the Sourland Mountain Region of New Jersey that was almost lost to time. As research partners, Elaine Buck and Beverly Mills co-authored the book, “ If These Stones Could Talk ,” (2018), based on over a decade’s worth of research on the contribution of African Americans who lived in this region. It was through this research that Beverly has been able to trace her ancestry to African Americans who were enslaved in Hopewell Township prior to the Revolutionary War!       Elaine Buck and Beverly Mills are founders ...

Friday, March 8 – Hunterdon County The Dark Side of the Sourlands  Explore the Dark Side of the Sourlands - bootleggers, bandits, unsolved mysteries and bloody murders - with East Amwell historian, Jim Davidson. Back by popular demand, this event is sure to sell out again. Friday, March 8, 2019 7:00PM - 8:30PM (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.) Hillbilly Hall 203 Hopewell-Wertsville Road, Hopewell, New Jersey  Admission: $10. per person To purchase tickets, use the link below https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E195020&id=32

Tuesday, March 5 – Somerset County at 7 p.m.    The Van Harlingen Historical Society, co-sponsoring with One Montgomery and Montgomery Mosaic, is honored to offer a very special presentation entitled:  " A Proud Heritage: The African American Contribution to the Sourland Mountain and Surrounding Region , "  by speakers Elaine Buck and Beverly Mills.     Municipal courtroom of the Montgomery Township Municipal Building, 2261 Rt. 206, Belle Mead, NJ 08502.  All are welcome!      Learn about the African American presence from this region dating back to colonial times that has been left out of local history. Buck and Mills will highlight the accomplishments of prominent African Americans who served in the military and the agricultural contributions of African Americans working as slaves on the plantations in Hopewell Valley . They will discuss the work of African Americans in peach orchards, basket mak...

An Exhibition of Photographs of Plants and Animals Native to the Sourlands - 1/5/19 - 2/15/19 An Exhibition of Photographs of Plants and Animals Native to the Sourlands Saturday, January 5, 2019 - Friday, February 15, 2019 Camera in hand, Jim Amon heads to the Sourlands whenever he can. Amon, a resident of Lambertville, has a deep and long connection with the Sourlands. In the 1980’s he and three others founded the D&R Greenway Land Trust, who now have nature preserves extending over several hundred acres in the Sourland Region. Then, in 2005, upon retiring after thirty years as Executive Director of the Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission, he became the Director of Stewardship for the D&R Greenway. In that capacity, he did ecological restoration on the Greenway’s nature preserves and built about twenty miles of recreational trails. Upon retiring from the Greenway he served on the Board of Directors for the Sourland Conservancy. For the last five years, the Conservancy has be...