Weekend Historical Happenings: 8/31/13 - 9/1/13

WEEKEND HISTORICAL HAPPENINGS

Know about a historical event happening in your area? 

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Saturday, August 31 - Oldwick, Hunterdon County

19th Annual Tewksbury Flea Market

The Tewksbury Historical Society is hosting its 19th annual Flea Market, which is one of their main fundraisers, on Saturday from 8:00 am - 3:00 pm in the farm field located one half mile north of the village of Oldwick on County Route 517. The rain date will be Sunday, September 1st . There will be 111 vendors in attendance. Last year saw over 1,200 shoppers in attendance. There will be a $1 per car suggested donation to enter. Vendors will display old and new items of all types including antiques, toys and collectibles, farm fresh produce, household items, and more. The Pottersville Volunteer Fire Company will be serving breakfast and lunch to benefit their operations. Early birds can gain admission from 7:00 - 8:00 am at a cost of $10 per person, payable at the gate. Early Birds should enter the site via Homestead Road. The Tewksbury Historical Society booth has an eclectic mix of multiple items, all donated by Society members and residents of Tewksbury. All proceeds benefit the Society's building fund.

The Tewksbury Flea Market is easily accessible off exit 24 on Interstate 78.  Following the signs for Oldwick/County Route 523/517 north or from Route 206 from Chester. For more information, contact the Tewksbury Historical Society at 908-832-6734 or www.tewksburyhistory.net.

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Saturday, August 31 - Morristown, Morris County
Raw to Finish: Sewing
Children Friendly

In the colonial period, an average of four months was needed to make raw wool or flax into a finished product. Join a Park Ranger at the Wick House to discover the fourth and final step in making a completed project and why clothing was a concern for the Army. Programs at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm in the Wick House at Jockey Hollow, within Morristown National Historical Park, Morristown, NJ. Cost: Free. http://nps.gov/morr

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Saturday, August 31 - Toms River, Ocean County

Antiques and Collectibles Faire

Celebrate Labor Day with your family and friends at the Ocean County Historical Society's Antiques and Collectibles Faire on Saturday on the grounds surrounding the museum on 26 Hadley Avenue and the Ocean County Parking Garage on Madison Avenue in Toms River, NJ from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. Join the fun as you shop for antiques and collectibles as well as items crafted by a local wool spinner, basket maker, and decoy carver. Buy a 50-50 raffle ticket sponsored by OCHS. 

Bring your antiques for appraisals by Art Kravetz, Ben Pulcrano, and Cole Ferry. Enjoy morning performances by musicians from the Music Academy in Toms River, followed by vocal and guitar performances by Sal Aversano in the afternoon. Visit the Artists' Garden to purchase a favorite painting from an Ocean County artist. View vintage autos and buy a raffle ticket to hopefully win a 1965 Mustang. Buy books and have them signed by author Linda Barth. Watch a Civil War re-enactment. Savor breakfast and lunch foods prepared by vendors and delicious baked goods made by OCHS volunteers. Tour the OCHS museum and its current exhibitions. The event will be held rain or shine! For more information, visit www.oceancountyhistory.org

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Saturday, August 31 - Morristown, Morris County
Soldier at the Huts
Children Friendly

Visit a soldier at the huts and hear stories about life during the winter encampment. See the clothing, equipment, and weapons that a soldier of the Pennsylvania Line used. Meet the soldier between 1:30 and 4:00 pm at the soldier huts at Jockey Hollow, within Morristown National Historical Park, Morristown, NJ. Cost: Free. http://nps.gov/morr

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Saturday, August 31 - Hopewell Township, Mercer County

30th Annual Plowing Match

Children Friendly

Howell Living History Farm will hold its 30th Annual Plowing Match on Saturday from 9:30 am - 4:00 pm. The public is invited to watch and participate in the event, which features old-fashioned plowing and log pulling competitions, a craft and pony rides for children, and lots of food, music and old fashioned fun.

A dozen teams of draft animals from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York are entered in the match, which tests the performance of farmers, their horses and oxen, and their plows as they turn furrows. Judging will take place from 10:00 am - 12:00 noon. Winners of the Fine Plowing Class will receive trophies, ribbons, and cash prizes. 

Members of the general public aged 16 and older can try their hand at plowing in the Visitor Plowing Events at 11:00 am. Ox Plowing and Steam Engine Plowing will take place at 10:30 am.  Winners receive ribbons.

Children's activities will be offered from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, including pony rides and a craft program, "Horse Nail Wind Chime." Craft program cost $3.

Sheep, chickens and pigs can be seen in the farmyard area all day. Beginning at 12:00 noon, hungry plowers and visitors can lunch on roast pork sandwiches, a chicken BBQ, Kosher franks, and Howell Farm potatoes and sweet corn. Noontime festivities will include music by the Jugtown Mountain String Band, door prizes, and plowing award presentations.

At 2:15 pm, visitors can watch as teamsters use their animals to navigate an obstacle course.

Cash prizes for professional classes are furnished by the Friends of Howell Farm, and made possible through donations from Janssen Pharmaceutica of Hopewell Township, Trap Rock Industries of Kingston and J. & G. Conard of Flemington. Rain date is September 7.

Howell Living Farm represents typical farm life between 1890 and 1910. The farm is operated by the Mercer County Parks Commission. It is located at 70 Wooden's Lane, Lambertville, NJ. For more information or to register for the program, call 609-737-3299. www.howellfarm.org

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Saturday - Sunday, August 31 - September 1 - Cape May, Cape May County

Funfest Weekend

Children Friendly

Two days of family-friendly, interactive and educational fun are planned for Historic Cold Spring Village’s ‘FunFest Weekend,’ Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00 am - 4:30 pm.

Children will be given a ‘Pastport’ at the start of their Village trip, which can be stamped at the buildings they visit after completing a take-home craft or activity, like writing with a quill pen, carding wool or making a pinch pot. Pastports can be redeemed at the Country Store for a free treat! The Family Activity Area will feature children’s dress-up clothes, historic games, and take-home crafts. Other family-friendly activities include free toy train rides, face painting, demonstrations by the New Jersey Blacksmith Association and live entertainment from Jim the Banjo Man. This jam-packed family-fun weekend event is sponsored by Crest Savings Bank.

Historic Cold Spring Village is located at 720 Route 9, three miles north of Cape May City and four miles south of Rio Grande. Admission during the season is $10 for adults and $8 for children ages 3 to 12. Children under 3 are admitted free. Unlimited free admission is available with Village membership. As a member of the national Blue Star Museums program, Historic Cold Spring Village is proud to offer free admission to active duty military personnel and up to 5 family members. The Village Nature Trail at Bradner's Run is open to the public for free self-guided tours. For more information, call 609-898-2300, ext. 18 or visit www.hcsv.org.

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Sunday, September 1 - Morristown, Morris County
Soldier's Knapsack
Children Friendly

Have you always wondered what types of things soldiers carried throughout the war? Join a Park Ranger at the Wick House to discover what would have been inside a soldier's knapsack. Program runs continuously from 1:30 - 4:00 pm in the Wick House at Jockey Hollow, within Morristown National Historical Park, Morristown, NJ. Cost: Free. http://nps.gov/morr

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Sunday, September 1 - South River, Middlesex County

Open House

Stop by the South River Historical & Preservation Society on Sunday from 1:30 - 3:30 pm and view exhibits on all aspects of Borough history including: schools; churches and houses of worship; local businesses and organizations; daily life; events and celebrations; and more. While you are there, see the cemetery located behind the building, ask questions, drop off donations, or exchange hometown stories with the docents. The museum is located at 64-66 Main Street, South River. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~njsrhps/museum.html

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Sunday, September 1 - Matawan, Monmouth County

Open House

The Matawan Historical Society will holding an open house on Sunday from 2:00 - 4:00 pm at the Burrowes Mansion located at 94 Main Street in Matawan. Learn how this circa 1723 home and its owners played a role in the Revolutionary War. For more information call 732-492-6069. www.burrowesmansion.org

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Sunday, September 1 - Lebanon Township, Hunterdon County

Cemetery Cleanup

On Saturday beginning at 9:00 am, The Friends of Old Swack Church and cemetery grounds in Lebanon Township are sponsoring a cleanup of the grounds. Originally built in 1844, the church closed in 1894 and the grounds have been neglected, abandoned, and overgrown for years. Beginning in early 2013, the Friends of Old Swackhammer Church have been cleaning the grounds. This end-of-summer cleanup will involve weed whacking, raking, cutting down the tree saplings that have grown over the summer, and putting down weed killer. The Old Swackhammer Church and Cemetery is located at 108 Anthony Road, Lebanon, NJ. Please bring weed whackers, rakes, shovels, gloves, clippers, and any other tools that you think may be helpful in clearing the grounds. Tell your friends and family about this opportunity to preserve a New Jersey historic site!

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Tuesdays - Saturdays Through Sept. 15, 2013 - Cape May, Cape May County

Windsor Hotel Exhibit

The Greater Cape May Historical Society presents an exhibit on the Windsor Hotel, Tuesdays - Saturdays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm at the Colonial House Gallery in the Colonial House Museum, 653½ Washington Street, Cape May, NJ. www.capemayhistory.org

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Saturdays and Sundays Through October 27, 2013 - Ringwood, Passaic County
Grounds and Garden Tour

Did you ever wonder what all that “stuff” is placed around the grounds at Ringwood Manor? What about all those other buildings on the property? What were they used for? If you have ever been curious about the estate at Ringwood Manor, this tour is for you! The 2-1/2 hour guided walking tour will take visitors around the main property at Ringwood Manor, discussing the historic objects, the planned gardens & landscape features, the out-buildings, and the cemetery. Historic photographs of the property will also be shown. These free tours meet at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 2:00 pm in front of Ringwood Manor every Saturday and Sunday from May 25 - October 27, 2013. It is advised that participants wear walking or hiking shoes, dress appropriately for the weather, and bring bug spray and sun block. Steady Rain cancels. No reservations necessary. For more information and to call ahead to confirm a tour, call 973-962-2240. Ringwood Manor is located at 1304 Sloatsburg Road, Ringwood, NJ, within Ringwood State Park.

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Through June 30, 2014 - Piscataway, Middlesex County

Got Work? Exhibit

View the exhibit "Got Work? New Deal/WPA in New Jersey" at the 1741 Cornelius Low House Museum in Piscataway. The museum is open Tuesday - Friday, 8:30 - 4:00 pm and Sunday afternoons from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. The exhibit will run through June 30, 2014.

The Cornelius Low House, built in 1741, was the home to its namesake and is only one of two remaining buildings from historic Raritan Landing. This high-style Georgian mansion is listed on the National Register and operated by the Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission. Admission to the museum is FREE. The museum is located at 1225 River Road, Piscataway, NJ . For more information, visit

http://www.co.middlesex.nj.us/culturalheritage/museum1.asp

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Through October 6, 2013 - Paterson, Passaic County

Remembering the Paterson Silk Strike of 1913

Lambert Castle, the Victorian-era mansion located on the Garrett Mountain Reservation on the border between Paterson and Clifton, will be home to an exhibit highlighting the Paterson Silk Strike of 1913 now through October 6, 2013. The exhibit, entitled "We Had to be Rebels: Remembering the Paterson Silk Strike of 1913." This year marks the centennial of the landmark 1913 Paterson Silk Strike, which would forever change the face of labor relations in the Silk City. Thousands of workers walked away from their looms to be herded into court rooms and jail cells in a strike that took months to resolve. The exhibit will be open during regular museum hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Lambert Castle is located at 3 Valley Road, Paterson. For more information, call 973-247-0085 or visit www.lambertcastle.org.

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Some event listings courtesy of the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey

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Weekend Estate Sales: 8/30/13 - 9/1/13

WEEKEND ESTATE SALES

Click on each link for more information on the estate sale!

Find something neat at an estate sale? Let us know!

Hosting an estate sale? Send me an e-mail to be featured in our weekly post!

Be the first to know about these sales on Facebook!

Andirons, Rope Bed, & More

Warren, NJ 07059

1960s Mid-Century Time Capsule

North Brunswick, NJ 08902

Beautiful Antique Furniture

East Brunswick, NJ 08816

Primitive and Antique Furniture

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Find more Estate Sales near you at estatesales.net

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The Tragedy of Jennie Wade

The Tragedy of Jennie Wade
Written by NJ Historian

Only a few hundred yards from the edge of the main battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is the Jennie Wade House Museum. During the Battle of Gettysburg, which was fought from July 1 - 3, 1863 in and around the town, there was only one documented direct civilian casualty. Despite the town being torn apart by shells, gunfire, and overrun with Union and Confederate troops, most residents escaped to nearby areas away from the battle or hid in their cellars in the safety of darkness. The story of Jennie Wade relates the true cost of war and its impact on the innocent civilians that were caught in the crossfire between the opposing sides. Now, 150 years later, Jennie Wade's bravery and resilience during our nation's darkest hour has not faded from memory. The preserved house where Jennie died, which appears much as it did in 1861, complete with bullet holes and damaged brick, is a constant reminder of the the bloody battle which saturated the lush countryside with human sacrifice.

Mary Virginia Wade was born on Baltimore Street in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on May 21, 1843. "Ginnie" as she was later referred to by family and friends, attended the local schools in Gettysburg. The name "Jennie", which she is known by today, most likely came from a misprint in the newspaper after her death. Jennie had one older sibling, a sister named Georgia, and three younger brothers, John "Jack" James, Samuel Swan and Henry Marion. As a young girl, Jennie worked helping her parents in their tailoring shop. But when her father, James, became sick, Jennie's mother, Mary Ann, and sister, Georgia, took over the business in order to keep their house on Breckinridge Street. One day in 1850, Jennie's father had found $500 cash in the street. Instead of placing an ad in the local newspapers so that the owner of the money could claim it, he kept it for himself. He was later arrested in Washington City, Maryland and charged with the crime of embezzlement. He was sent to Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia for two years, where due to the conditions of solitary confinement, he developed mental issues and was sent to an asylum. Coincidentally, his wife had petitioned the Adams County Court of Common Pleas to have her husband declared legally insane upon learning of his arrest.

Jennie's childhood friends included Johnston "Jack" Hastings Skelly and John "Wesley" Culp. Many family members and friends believe that this was the time when Jennie and Jack's friendship blossomed into romance. Although it has not been proven through letters or documentation, some historians believe that Jennie was engaged to Skelly, a corporal in the 87th Pennsylvania.

The only known photo of Jennie Wade.  taken in 1861 when she was 18. She is to the right. The woman in the center is a friend of Georgia Wade, Maria Comfort, 48. To the left is Georgia Wade, 20.

Jennie's sister Georgia Wade married John Louis McClellan on April 15, 1862, and they rented a duplex home on Baltimore Street. The Wade family and the rest of Gettysburg never imagined that the two armies would meet in the center of their town that summer of 1863. On June 30, 1863, a Confederate infantry brigade from General A. P. Hill's corps heads toward Gettysburg in search of supplies. While heading toward Gettysburg, the Confederates spot Union cavalry traveling in the same direction.

Around 1:00 pm on July 1, 1863, Confederate troops enter Gettysburg. Jennie, her mother, and a six year old boarder named Isaac, fled from their home on Breckenridge Street to the home of her sister, who had just given birth five days earlier on June 26. Georgia lived in a two-story brick duplex on Baltimore Street, less than fifty yards north of Cemetery Hill. Her bed had been taken downstairs in the spring and placed in the parlor of the home. The home was moderately safe from the battle at this time, but a Union picket line was located just a few feet behind the house. There was intermittent skirmishing between the Union and Confederate troops, but the family could not seek further refuge outside of the home, as it was not customary to move a woman that soon after giving birth. For the most part, the brick walls of the house appeared sufficient.

The parlor, which had been set up for Georgia Wade and her newborn baby.

During the first day of the battle, Jennie spent most of the day bringing bread to Union soldiers and filling their canteens with water. By late afternoon of the second day, July 2, the diminishing supply of bread made it apparent that more bread would be needed. Jennie and her mother left the yeast to rise until the morning of July 3. That same day, as Confederate troops moved closer to the house, a ten-pounder "Parrot" artillery shell penetrated the roof on the north side of the house, passing through the brick and plaster wall which divided the two residences of the duplex. The projectile continued to plow through the brick wall on the south side of the house, finally resting in an unexploded condition above the eave of the house, where it remained for over fifteen years.

In the early morning hours of July 3, Jennie read from Bible, quoting scripture. The scripture, combined with the sounds of the battle outside, upset Georgia who requested her mother to ask Jennie to stop. The last words Georgia heard her sister say were, "If there is anyone in this house that is to be killed today, I hope it is me, as Georgia has that little baby." At approximately 7:00 am, Confederate sharpshooters began firing at the north windows of the house. One bullet hit a bedpost on Georgia's bed in the front parlor while others became lodged in the the fireplace mantel.

Regardless of the hostile conditions outside, Jennie continued to prep for baking around 8:00 am. Only about a half hour later, while Jennie stood in the kitchen kneading dough, a Confederate musket ball penetrated the wooden side door on the north end of the house, continued through another wooden door in the kitchen, and struck Jennie in the back beneath her left shoulder blade, embedding itself in her corset. The impact of the bullet killed her instantly. The cries of her sister and mother attracted nearby Union soldiers who evacuated the remaining occupants to the cellar on the other  side of the house. To get there, they went upstairs where the hole left by the ten pound shell the previous day was enlarged to provide for passage. They then went downstairs on the other side of the duplex and entered the cellar on the south side of the house. Union troops carried Jennie's body to the cellar, as per her mother's request. Georgia and her mother remained in the cellar for approximately eighteen hours before the battle ended and it was safe to emerge. In the early afternoon of July 4, Mary Wade finished baking fifteen loaves of bread from the dough which Jennie had kneaded the previous morning.

The blood-stained floorboard and the ten pound shell that came crashing through the roof of the house and remained lodged in the wall, unexploded for over fifteen years.

Jennie was originally buried in a Union trench alongside the home. Georgia was only renting the house and when she moved six months after Jennie's death, her remains were moved to the cemetery of the German Reformed Church on Stratton Street. In November 1865, her remains were reinterred one final time at Evergreen Cemetery in Gettysburg, near the grave of "Jack" Skelly. Unbeknownst to Jennie, Skelly had been mortally wounded two weeks prior to the Battle of Gettysburg, in the Battle of Winchester. Skelly lost his battle to live on July 12, just nine days after Jennie Wade was killed. Sadly, the two never knew of each other's death. Recently, Jennie's letters to Skelly were rediscovered and are on display at The Gettysburg Museum of History.

A monument to Jennie's memory was erected in 1900, designed by local resident Anna M. Miller. In 1910, a flagpole was erected at the gravesite by the Gettysburg Association of Iowa Women and permission was granted for an American flag to fly over the gravesite twenty-four hours a day. The only other woman in the United States that this same honor applies to is the gravesite of Betsy Ross, at the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The duplex, renamed the Jennie Wade House, became a museum and tourist attraction in the early 1900s, in honor of Jennie's commitment to the war effort. Subsequent owners left the house virtually unchanged. The north side received most of the damage, as it faced the Confederate position and today over 150 bullet holes remain in the brick facade. The damage from the artillery shell is also visible on the second floor. Recently, a floorboard from the kitchen, stained by the blood of Jennie Wade, and the ten pound shell, which pierced the roof, were returned to the home for display. For over one hundred years the Jennie Wade House has remained a monument to the efforts of Jennie that fateful day and reminds visitors that it was not just the troops that suffered during the Battle of Gettysburg - many families remained in their homes and cellars, scared and scarred by the bloodshed that was occurring just outside their doors.

The side door of the Jennie Wade House with the hole left by the bullet that struck Jennie Wade.

Additional photos of my trip to the Jennie Wade House on Pinterest

Audio

Jennie Wade House Podcast (right click and choose "save target/link as" to save to your hard drive)

For More Information

Jennie Wade House
Gettysburg Tour Center

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Mysteries of History: Let's Have a Cookout!

Mysteries of History: Let's Have a Cookout!

Written by Scott M. Cooper

Summer is the time of year when families get together to enjoy the weather and the atmosphere of the whole experience. Mom and Dad cooking on the grill, and the kids playing in the pool, enjoying their school break; Ah, the smell of hotdogs, burgers, chicken, and the lingering scent of barbecue ribs cooking on an open fire are, as American as apple pie.

People have cooked on an open flame since the beginning of time; the use of wood and the discover of fire made it all possible. During the early part of the twentieth century a cousin of Henry Ford, E.G. Kingsford, noticed that Ford’s automobile factory had large amounts of wasted wood, that they were only going to throw away. Kingsford talked with Ford and convinced him to utilize the discarded wood to manufacture charcoal and offer it through all of his dealerships. By this time in America, the average home could afford the most popular car on the road, the Model T. Those families were traveling to the lakes and state parks, and what they brought with them was the Ford charcoal briquets for their cookouts. The Kingsford Company was formed when E.G. Kingsford brokered the site selection for Ford's new charcoal manufacturing plant. The company, originally called Ford Charcoal, was renamed Kingsford Charcoal in his honor.

The American public was using the age-old method of a fire pit to cook their meals while out on their weekend excursions, but it was not until George Stephen, a metalworker, of Weber Brothers Metal Works decided to construct himself a homemade “kettle grill”. When he brought it home to try the new grill, his neighbors poked fun at it and dubbed it “sputnik”. The Weber Brothers Company manufactured metal buoys; George cut one of these buoys in half, welded metal legs to the bottom to stand it upright, and then reshaped the top half, mounting a handle, and made the lid shallower. The reason for this brain storm; he was tired of the ashes blowing around on his food from the hibachi-style grill he was using. Weber Brothers loved the innovation, and began to build many more. The first kettle grill sold under the Weber-Stephen Products Company in 1952.

In 1958, a man named Phillip Arnold, a sales clerk for a natural gas company in Wisconsin, took a challenge from his boss, to develop a way to use natural gas for another household product. The first thought that came to his mind was the backyard grill. Working at home, he cut an oil drum in half, the long way, down to nine inches, and borrowed some lava rocks from his wife’s garden to line the bottom of the drum. He then used the log lighter from the his fireplace and put them all together and the first backyard gas grill was born. Phillip was not completely satisfied with his new invention, knowing that it could be improved upon. He talked with Walter Kozoiol, the owner of Charmglow, which manufactured gas lighting, about the new invention. The two men teamed up and began production. The business was so successful that Phillip moved his family to southern California to sell their new product under the name of AEI Corporation.

The backyard grill has evolved since the 1950s, not only using the Liquefied petroleum (LP) gas, but now natural gas connections fitted to the household gas line. The grills of today have many modern conveniences, such as the base with wheels for easy travel and a slot to hold the LP gas tank; an electric motor for easy igniting; double and triple racks for cooking, and a rotisserie for slow cooking. Some of the larger models even have side burners and a smoke box for that deep southern taste.

About the Author

Scott M. Cooper, the author of "Mysteries of History," is a Massachusetts native, now living in Florida. Cooper, a freelance writer, is the owner of The Elegant Quill, which offers ghost writing, fiction, non-fiction, editing, and proofreading services. He may be contacted at smcooper5289@gmail.com.

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Organization of the Week: Civil War Trust

Every Monday, I highlight a non-profit related to history or the arts, a historical society, preservation group or friends group whose main objective is to promote the historical and artistic history of the United States.

This week, I am featuring the  Civil War Trust. Founded in 1987, the Civil War Trust is America's largest non-profit organization (501-C3) devoted to the preservation of our nation's endangered Civil War battlefields. The Trust also promotes educational programs and heritage tourism initiatives to inform the public of the war's history and the fundamental conflicts that sparked it. The Trust has worked to save and preserve more than 34,000 acres of battlefield land at 110 battlefields in twenty different states. The Civil War Trust has saved 853 acres at Gettysburg and is currently working to protect another twelve.

The Civil War Trust relies on memberships, fundraising, and countless volunteers to continue its mission. For more information on programs, special events, and exhibits hosted by the Civil War Trust or to become a member or volunteer, please call 202-367-1861 or visit www.civilwar.org.

If you are a member of a non-profit organization or know of one that you would like to see featured on this site, please let us know in the comments or send an e-mail to kelly@thehistorygirl.com.

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eBay Items of the Week: 8/25/13 - 9/1/13

eBay Items of the Week!

Click on each link for the eBay page!

More items always going up.

Stay updated about new items on Facebook.


Wee Winkles & Wideawake
Published 1905

The Waverly Dictionary
Published 1879

On Sound and Atmospheric Vibrations
Published 1871

Life and Works of Washington Irving
Late 1880s

True Stories of Crime 
By Former District Attorney of New York County (1924)

Woolco Department Store Receipt - East Brunswick, NJ

From September 1968

Rahway, NJ Pay Envelope

Savings Institution Bank Envelope

Bamberger's Bedding and Sleep Furniture Pamphlet

Vintage Pamphlet

 Perth Amboy Savings Institution

1968 Pocket Calendar and 2 Shoe Horns

Frank Hunt Auto Repair Receipt

Old Bridge, NJ

 Hackettstown Bank Statements

1948 & 1952

East Brunswick Township Newsletter, 1968 - Vintage

From November/December 1968

Check out more Antique Books, Bottles, Ephemera, & Tins.

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Weekend Historical Happenings: 8/24/13 - 8/25/13

WEEKEND HISTORICAL HAPPENINGS

Know about a historical event happening in your area? 

Send me an e-mail to let us know!

Be the first to find out about these events on Facebook!

Saturday, August 24 - Wharton, Morris County

Wharton Canal Day Music & Craft Festival
Children Friendly

The Wharton Canal Day Music & Craft Festival is an old-time country fair that celebrates the Morris Canal and its contributions to the development of the communities along its banks. The festival is now in its 38th year. Come to a day of free family fun featuring unique craft and fine art items from 150 vendors. Learn about local history by taking a guided Morris Canal walking tour provided by the Canal Society of NJ. Visit a Civil War encampment or learn the art of blacksmithing. Experience life on the canal first-hand on a free boat or kayak ride. Take a hayride on the canal towpath or enjoy a free pony ride. The Wallaby Tales Traveling Zoo will delight children of all ages. Dress up your furry friend and enter the Pet Parade and Costume Contest for a chance to win prizes. View the high energy of Roller Derby competition or lay back and enjoy listening to 10 of New Jersey's best musical performers. The festival is held at Hugh Force Canal Park, 170 West Central Avenue, Wharton NJ from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, rain or shine. For more information, visit www.canalday.org. 

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Saturday, August 24 - Morristown, Morris County
Heavy Metal
Children Friendly

Jacob Ford Jr. was a founder of heavy metal, the casting and forging of iron. Cast iron was vital to the war effort. Join a Park Ranger and discover how Jacob's ironworks helped in the cause of liberty. These twenty minute programs are held at 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30 pm at the Washington's Headquarters Museum within Morristown National Historical Park, Morristown, NJ. Cost: $4.00 per adult. http://nps.gov/morr

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Saturday, August 24 - Morristown, Morris County
Raw to Finish: Weaving
Children Friendly

In the colonial period, an average of four months were needed to make raw wool or flax into a finished product. Join a Park Ranger at the Wick House to discover the third step in making a completed project and why clothing was a concern for the Army. Programs at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm in the Wick House at Jockey Hollow, within Morristown National Historical Park, Morristown, NJ. Cost: Free. http://nps.gov/morr

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Saturday, August 24 - River Edge, Bergen County

Wine Festival at Historic New Bridge Landing

The Bergen County Historical Society will host a Wine Festival at Historic New Bridge Landing on Saturday from 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm. The event will feature seven New Jersey wineries, live music, food, and much more! Sample and purchase Garden State wines from Cava Winery, Ventimiglia Vineyard, Four  Sisters Winery, Unionville Vineyards, Old York Cellars, Westfall Winery, and Amalthea Cellars in the scenic historic setting in the heart of Bergen County.

Taste fine food from Sanducci's and Choripan Rodizio. Enjoy music from Particle Theory, Wood Jam with Kelly and Ashley Wood and the River Acoustic Band. Tour historic Jersey Dutch sandstone houses on a Revolutionary War battleground.

Pre-Event Tickets are $20 per person. On the day of the event, $25. Designated drivers and those ages 12 - 20 are $10. Historic New Bridge Landing is located at 1201 Main Street, River Edge, NJ. For more information, call 201-343-9492 or visit www.bergencountyhistory.org.

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Saturday, August 24 - Bridgeton, Cumberland County

Meet the Man who Invented the Bridgeton, NJ Historic District

Cape May architect Hugh McCauley, the preservationist who put Bridgeton's Historic District on the map 30 years ago, will be a featured speaker at "CHABA-Con," an event organized by the Center for Historic American Building Arts (CHABA) at Bridgeton's Riverfest/Crabfest on Saturday from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm. McCauley's talk is scheduled for about 1:30 p.m.

McCauley headed up the team in the late seventies that defined Bridgeton's historic district, the largest in the state. The district was placed on the National Register in 1982, and municipally designated the following year.

CHABA, the Center for Historic American Building Arts, a recently-formed Bridgeton-based non-profit, has designed CHABA-Con to highlight its cooperative-action strategies for "making historic preservation work not just for buildings but for people." The organization has billed CHABA-Con as a 'Comic-Con'-style meet-up of builders, crafters, gardeners, historic-house, and local history nuts. The event forms part of CHABA's "HomeFronts" series of community-based preservation workshops designed to bring people - especially homeowners, landlords, tenants, builders and craftspersons - together to rethink the needs of the Historic District and find cooperative ways to generate new potential for community investment.

In addition to other brief presentations, CHABA-Con artists, architects, authors, historians and photographers will present videos, maps, pictures and projects-in-the-works, as well as new and recent books rooted in local history, hands-on materials, information, conversation and family-style fun, all based on appreciation of "place."

The RiverFest is an all-day event. CHABA-Con, which will be held at the Ashley/McCormick Center near the Bridgeton Riverfront at 40-44 East Commerce, will run from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm, following a surprise curtain-raiser at the Downtown Pocket Park mural (Laurel and Commerce Streets) at about 11:30 am. Admission is free.

For more information on CHABA or its events, visit www.historicbuildingarts.org or e-mail centerhabarts@gmail.com. For more information on RiverFest/Crabfest, visit www.cohanseyriverfest.org.

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Saturday, August 24 - Trenton, Mercer County

"Swamp Angel" Cannon Rededication

The Camp Olden Civil War Round Table & Museum and Abraham Lincoln Camp 100, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, will co-sponsor a rededication of the "Swamp Angel" cannon, located in Trenton's Cadwalader Park, at Parkside and Bellevue Avenues, at 11:00 am on Saturday. The public is cordially invited to attend the ceremony.

The occasion is the 150th anniversary of the massive long range artillery piece's action at Charleston, South Carolina. The "Swamp Angel," its position created by thousands of Union soldiers piling 13,000 sandbags and 10,000 feet of planking in a marsh, burst at the breech after three days of firing, and after the war was recognized by New Jersey Civil War veterans in a pile of scrap destined to be recycled at Trenton's Phoenix Ironworks. The gun was rescued and mounted on a base at the intersection of Clinton and Perry Streets in Trenton in 1877. It was relocated to Cadwalader Park due to street reconstruction in 1961. An important piece of Civil War history, the "Swamp Angel" was also the subject of a poem by noted author Herman Melville.

Bruce Sirak, President of the Olden Civil War Round table, Commander of the Lincoln Camp and Trustee of the New Jersey Civil War Heritage Association (NJCWHA), will introduce Civil War scholar Dr. David Martin, Past Commander of the Lincoln Camp and Vice President of the NJCWHA who will tell the history of the "Swamp Angel." The ceremony will also feature a uniformed color guard and a ceremonial volley of musketry.

The GPS address of Cadwalader Park is 299 Parkside Avenue, Trenton, NJ. The ceremony rain date is 1:00 pm, Sunday, August 25, 2013.

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Saturday, August 24 - Ocean Grove, Monmouth County

Ocean Grove Postcard Show

Children Friendly

The Historical Society of Ocean Grove invites you to its 24th Annual Ocean Grove Summer Postcards, Antiques, Collectibles, and Jersey Shore Memorabilia Show on Saturday at the Auditorium Pavilion and surrounding grounds directly across from the Great Auditorium. Show hours will be 10:00 am - 4:00 pm. Admission is free.

This popular summer event is one of a number of annual fund-raising events to benefit and support the public programs and ongoing research projects of the very active Historical Society of Ocean Grove.

A variety of quality dealers will be set up to provide lots of buying opportunities for the beginning collector or the advanced collector. At this show there is always something for everyone at affordable prices. Postcard collecting is one of America's fastest growing hobbies and is, in fact, the third most popular of all hobbies trailing only stamps and coins. For more information, call 732-774-1869 or visit www.oceangrovehistory.org.

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Saturday, August 24 - Hopewell Township, Mercer County

Fiddle Contest

Children Friendly

The Hunterdon Folk Exchange will join with the Friends of Howell Living History Farm to present their 27th annual fiddle contest on Saturday, August 24, at the farm in Hopewell Township. The Folk Exchange Fiddle Contest is the largest and longest running traditional fiddle contest in New Jersey, and annually draws some of the best fiddlers from throughout the tri-state region.

Howell Living History Farm, a 19th century farmstead nestled in a lush valley, is the ideal setting for an old time traditional fiddle contest. Fiddlers will be competing for cash prizes. Each fiddler will perform two old-time tunes of varying tempos, and may use up to two accompanists. Also performing at the contest will be the Jugtown Mountain String Band, a traditional old-time acoustic country string band. Admission to the contest and parking are free. The farm opens to the public at 10:00 am and the contest will begin at 12:00 noon. Carriage rides and lunch fare will be available for sale.

Howell Living Farm represents typical farm life between 1890 and 1910. The farm is operated by the Mercer County Parks Commission. It is located at 70 Wooden's Lane, Lambertville, NJ. For more information or to register for the program, call 609-737-3299. www.howellfarm.org

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Saturday, August 24 - Princeton, Mercer County

Yoga in the Garden

Join us in Morven's beautiful and peaceful gardens for the last class of our summer series, "Yoga in the Garden," with Gemma Farrell of Gratitude Yoga in Princeton beginning at 12:00 noon. Gemma is a long-time yoga practitioner, and one of Princeton's most popular yoga instructors. 

Enjoy the benefits of taking your practice out of the studio! "Yoga in the Garden" is FREE, open to the public, and appropriate for all ages and skill levels. All you need to bring is your yoga mat, a towel, and a bottle of water. Morven Museum & Garden is located at 55 Stockton Street, Princeton, NJ. For more information, call 609-924-8144 or visit www.morven.org.

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Saturday - Sunday, August 24 - 25 - Cape May, Cape May County

Seafarers’ Weekend

Children Friendly

Celebrate the maritime culture and history of the Jersey Cape at Historic Cold Spring Village on Saturday and Sunday, from 10:00 am - 4:30pm. Seafarers’ Weekend will feature pirates, maritime music, family fun, and a variety of displays and demonstrations of all things nautical. The Village buildings will also be open, presenting historical interpreters in period clothing who demonstrate the trades, crafts and lifestyles of Early America. This event is generously sponsored by Exit Zero Publishing and will feature, new for 2013, an Exit Zero Treasure Hunt. Visitors should be on the lookout for gold coins hidden throughout the Village that can be redeemed for cool Exit Zero prizes!

Valhalla’s Pirates will join the event, bringing thrilling fight scenes both days at 12:00 noon and 3:00 pm. Captain Black and his crew will also meet with guests throughout the day to take pictures and tell tales of the sea. The New Jersey Blacksmith Association will team up with the Village’s resident blacksmith to forge nautical ironware. The Sea Dogs, an authentic maritime reenactment crew, will perform sea chanties on both Saturday and Sunday. Other highlights include a display from the Cape May Maritime Museum, antique boats, decoy carving, face painting and more! The Friends of HCSV will host a traditional South Jersey corn roast at the Village Pavilion from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm.

Historic Cold Spring Village is located at 720 Route 9, three miles north of Cape May City and four miles south of Rio Grande. Admission during the season is $10 for adults and $8 for children ages 3 to 12. Children under 3 are admitted free. Unlimited free admission is available with Village membership. As a member of the national Blue Star Museums program, Historic Cold Spring Village is proud to offer free admission to active duty military personnel and up to 5 family members. The Village Nature Trail at Bradner's Run is open to the public for free self-guided tours. For more information, call 609-898-2300, ext. 18 or visit www.hcsv.org.

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Sunday, August 25 - Morristown, Morris County
The Making of an American Icon
Children Friendly

We remember George Washington as the father of our country and arguably the greatest American to ever live. Join a Park Ranger to discover the early years of Washington's life and see how he became the man Americans love and idealize. Programs at 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30 pm at the Washington's Headquarters Museum within Morristown National Historical Park, Morristown, NJ. Cost: $4.00 per adult. http://nps.gov/morr

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Sunday, August 25 - Chester Township, Morris County
National Milling Day
Children Friendly

On Sunday at Cooper Gristmill, celebrate the birthday of Oliver Evans, a 1780s inventor, who created the first automatic flour mill, amphibious vehicle, and high-pressure steam engine. As part of National Milling Day, learn about gristmills across the country from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. Cooper Gristmill is located at 66 Route 513 Chester Township, NJ. This program is free. For more information, visit www.morrisparks.net.

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Sunday, August 25 - Paterson, Passaic County
The Legacy of Negro League Baseball

On Sunday, at 2:00 pm at Lambert Castle, Dr. Lawrence Hogan presents his lecture "Recapturing a New Jersey Legacy: John Henry "Pop" Lloyd and the Communal Legacy of Negro League Baseball." Dr. Hogan, a Professor of History at Union County College will be discussing  the history of African-American professional baseball in Atlantic City. The program is free of charge; however, regular admission to the museum applies ($5 for adults, $4 for seniors, and $3 for children).

Baseball has long been America's pastime. Therefore, it is not surprising that there is more to the sport than balls, batting averages and home runs. During the early 20th century, baseball provided a platform for racial interrelations. The Negro leagues produced African-American heroes such as Jackie Robinson and Atlantic City's own John Henry "Pop" Lloyd.  Even Paterson's own Hinchliffe stadium was once home to a Negro team.

This program is sponsored by the Passaic County Historical Society. Lambert Castle is located at 3 Valley Road, Paterson NJ. For more information, call 973-247-0085 or visit www.lambertcastle.org.

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Sunday, August 25 - Montague, Sussex County

Quilting Exhibit and Demonstration

The Montague Association for the Restoration of Community History (MARCH) will open the circa 1790 Foster-Armstrong House on River Road and the Nelden-Roberts Stonehouse, at 501 Route 206 for Sunday afternoon tours between 1:00 and 4:00 pm. Both are situated within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in Montague, NJ and were originally part of the Tocks Island Dam acquisitions. These two sites are utilized by MARCH and portray the area's heritage. Tours will be conducted by docents at each house every Sunday through August from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. See the new display of hunting, fishing, and food preservation, ferry and lime kilns, a tavern room, an Indian exhibit, items from the Brick House Hotel, a special display of the Rock View Resort, a quilt collection, antique christening and baby clothes, hand-made covered bridges from around the United States, a Victorian bedroom, a school-room display, a military room with artifacts from five war periods, and old school books from Montague schools. There is no charge for either museum, but donations for house maintenance are welcomed.

On Sunday, view a quilting exhibit and ‘how-to’ by Sylvia Greening Lau at the Foster-Armstrong House. See how hand quilting is done with many quilts on display as examples. M.A.R.C.H.’s quilt room will also be open for those quilters who want to view their vintage quilt collection. For more information, visit www.montaguehistory.org.

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Sunday, August 25 - Morristown, Morris County

Poets in the Garden

On Sunday at 4:00 pm, Macculloch Hall Historical Museum will host their 16th annual “Poets in the Garden” program. Poet Ellen Doré Watson will present her work in the museum’s historic gardens. The event promises to be a wonderful opportunity to hear this established writer share her poems in a unique setting.

Ellen Doré Watson’s most recent volume of poems is “Dogged Hearts” (Tupelo Press, 2010). Earlier books include “This Sharpening”, also from Tupelo, and two from Alice James, “We Live in Bodies” and “Ladder Music”, winner of the New England/New York award. Her work has appeared in APR, Tin House, Orion, Field, Ploughshares, and The New Yorker. She was named “One of 24 Poets for the 21st Century” by Library Journal, and is currently serving a 5-year term as an Elector for Poet’s Corner, the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York City. Other honors include a Rona Jaffe Writers Award, fellowships to the Yaddo and to the MacDowell Colony, Vermont Studio Center’s Zoland Poetry Fellowship, and a National Endowment for the Arts Translation Fellowship. Watson has translated over a dozen books from the Brazilian Portuguese, including two by Adélia Prado, Ex-Voto (Tupelo Press, 2013) and The Alphabet in the Park (Wesleyan University Press, 1990).

Guests may picnic during garden programs and are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets. Program tickets include admission to take part in a house tour through the period rooms of the Museum for visitors who sign up for a tour during the afternoon. Visitors can also enjoy the “Thomas Nast Brings Down Boss Tweed”, and the “American Heroes in Bronze” exhibits prior to the presentation. The Museum and galleries close at 4:00 pm. Admission is Adults $8; Seniors & Students $6; Children 6 - 12 $4. Members and children under 5 are free. Please, no dogs during programs in the garden. In the case of inclement weather the performance will be moved indoors.

Macculloch Hall Historical Museum preserves the history of the Macculloch-Miller families, the Morris area community, and the legacy of its founder W. Parsons Todd through its historic site, collections, exhibits, and educational and cultural programs. The Museum is open for house and exhibit tours on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. The last tour leaves at 3:00 pm. Adults $8; Seniors & Students $6; Children 6 – 12 $4. Members and children under 5 are free. The gardens are open (free of charge) during Museum hours. The museum is closed for the Labor Day holiday on Sunday, September 1 and Monday, September 2. For more information, call 973-538-2404 ext. 10 or visit www.maccullochhall.org. Macculloch Hall Historical Museum is located at 45 Macculloch Avenue, Morristown, NJ.

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Sunday, August 25 - Freehold, Monmouth County

The Last Newspaperman Lecture

As part of its Historically Speaking lecture series, Monmouth County Historical Association is pleased to welcome Pulitzer Prize finalist and Star-Ledger Columnist Mark Di Ionno who will give a thought-provoking talk about the role of the media and how reporting has devolved to create the crime-saturated and celebrity-obsessed media we have today. The talk will be held on Sunday at Carlton Station, located at 2 Monmouth Avenue in Freehold, from 2:00 - 4:00 pm.

Learn about fascinating real-life events that took place in New Jersey in the 1920s and 1930s, which led to the birth of tabloid journalism, and how Charles Lindbergh became the first "celebrity" to be hounded by the press. Although Di Ionno's new book is fiction, "The Last Newspaperman" explores the real roots of tabloid journalism where it was born, in New Jersey. The book takes us to Hopewell in 1932 where the infant son of Charles Lindbergh has just been kidnapped. The story then moves to Lakehurst, where the Hindenburg burst into flames as it was docking, and onto the Jersey shore as the Morro Castle was burning and sinking at Asbury Park.

Mark Di Ionno is a lifetime newspaperman and a four-time winner of the New Jersey Press Association's first-place award for column writing for The Star-Ledger.  Besides his work as columnist and author, he is also an adjunct professor of journalism at his alma-mater Rutgers Newark, the State University of New Jersey. Di Ionno is also the author of three award-winning nonfiction books about New Jersey. His book "The Last Newspaper Man" will be available for purchase.

Dr. Di Ionno's lecture is open to the public and admission is free. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call 732-462-1466 or visit www.monmouthhistory.org.

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Sunday, August 25 - Maywood, Bergen County

Square Dancing Exhibition
Children Friendly

On Sunday, the Maywood Square Dance Club will hold a dance exhibition on the Maywood Station Museum grounds from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. All are welcome to watch or participate. The station museum will also be open. The museum is located at 269 Maywood Avenue, Maywood, NJ. For more information, visit www.maywoodstation.com.

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Sunday, August 25 - Stillwater, Sussex County

Peach Festival
Children Friendly

The Historical Society of Stillwater Township will hold its annual Peach Festival on Sunday from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm at the society's museum. Peach shortcake made from fresh local peaches will be served with ice cream and a beverage for $5 per serving. Visitors are invited to tour the museum and to take a horse and wagon ride with Mr. Ray Hecht. Mr. Don Thoenig will provide live music. Desserts will be available to take home from the festival thanks to a bake sale. 

The society's museum is located at 900 Main Street, Stillwater, NJ. For more information, e-mail betty.english@historicstillwater.org.

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Tuesdays - Saturdays Through Sept. 15, 2013 - Cape May, Cape May County

Windsor Hotel Exhibit

The Greater Cape May Historical Society presents an exhibit on the Windsor Hotel, Tuesdays - Saturdays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm at the Colonial House Gallery in the Colonial House Museum, 653½ Washington Street, Cape May, NJ. www.capemayhistory.org

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Saturdays and Sundays Through October 27, 2013 - Ringwood, Passaic County
Grounds and Garden Tour

Did you ever wonder what all that “stuff” is placed around the grounds at Ringwood Manor? What about all those other buildings on the property? What were they used for? If you have ever been curious about the estate at Ringwood Manor, this tour is for you! The 2-1/2 hour guided walking tour will take visitors around the main property at Ringwood Manor, discussing the historic objects, the planned gardens & landscape features, the out-buildings, and the cemetery. Historic photographs of the property will also be shown. These free tours meet at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 2:00 pm in front of Ringwood Manor every Saturday and Sunday from May 25 - October 27, 2013. It is advised that participants wear walking or hiking shoes, dress appropriately for the weather, and bring bug spray and sun block. Steady Rain cancels. No reservations necessary. For more information and to call ahead to confirm a tour, call 973-962-2240. Ringwood Manor is located at 1304 Sloatsburg Road, Ringwood, NJ, within Ringwood State Park.

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Through June 30, 2014 - Piscataway, Middlesex County

Got Work? Exhibit

View the exhibit "Got Work? New Deal/WPA in New Jersey" at the 1741 Cornelius Low House Museum in Piscataway. The museum is open Tuesday - Friday, 8:30 - 4:00 pm and Sunday afternoons from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. The exhibit will run through June 30, 2014.

The Cornelius Low House, built in 1741, was the home to its namesake and is only one of two remaining buildings from historic Raritan Landing. This high-style Georgian mansion is listed on the National Register and operated by the Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission. Admission to the museum is FREE. The museum is located at 1225 River Road, Piscataway, NJ . For more information, visit

http://www.co.middlesex.nj.us/culturalheritage/museum1.asp

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Through October 6, 2013 - Paterson, Passaic County

Remembering the Paterson Silk Strike of 1913

Lambert Castle, the Victorian-era mansion located on the Garrett Mountain Reservation on the border between Paterson and Clifton, will be home to an exhibit highlighting the Paterson Silk Strike of 1913 now through October 6, 2013. The exhibit, entitled "We Had to be Rebels: Remembering the Paterson Silk Strike of 1913." This year marks the centennial of the landmark 1913 Paterson Silk Strike, which would forever change the face of labor relations in the Silk City. Thousands of workers walked away from their looms to be herded into court rooms and jail cells in a strike that took months to resolve. The exhibit will be open during regular museum hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Lambert Castle is located at 3 Valley Road, Paterson. For more information, call 973-247-0085 or visit www.lambertcastle.org.

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Sundays Through August 31, 2013 - Plainfield, Union County

Forty Years on the National Register: The Drake House Museum

The Nathaniel Drake House in Plainfield, New Jersey, was registered on June 19, 1973, by Charles H. Detwiller, Jr., who  was an architect and former president of the Historical Society of Plainfield. The photographer was Harold Morse, who was a local photographer and also a former president of the Historical Society of Plainfield. Since the Drake House was placed on the National Register in 1973, there are now nine individual sites and seven districts in the City of Plainfield. The City of Plainfield has a Historic Preservation Commission, and there are an additional twelve individual sites and three districts designated as historic within the City limits. The Drake House Museum is open on Sundays from 2:00 - 4:00 pm. The exhibit is dedicated to all who have preserved Plainfield in the past, present, and future. Photographs of the National Register sites and Historic Districts are on display in the second floor ballroom through the end of August. www.drakehouseplainfieldnj.org

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Some event listings courtesy of the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey

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