Historic Jersey

The moss-and-brick labyrinth at the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship.

With Labyrinths, You’re Found, Not Lost

May 25, 2016

New Jersey has its share of labyrinths intended for spiritual or intellectual inspiration....
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Emilio Carranza Crash Monument in Tabernacle New Jersey is dedicated the "Lindbergh of Mexico." Crashing on July 12 1928 in a terrible thunderstorm it was reported that he was forced to leave by orders of a Mexican general.

Hidden Jersey: Historic Sites

May 16, 2016

From military outposts and memorials to strange, sweet communities, history abounds in the Garden State....
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Former President Theodore Roosevelt stumps for the Republican nomination in Monument Square, a few blocks from the Rutgers campus, on May 25, 1912.

Before Obama, 12 Presidential Visits to Rutgers

May 10, 2016

"I recognize the symptoms of higher learning," said Theodore Roosevelt to a cheering Rutgers crowd....
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Goats prune unwanted vegetation ar Historic Jersey City and Harsimus Cemetery.

Old Burial Ground, New Life

May 9, 2016

At Historic Jersey City Harsimus Cemetery, you're more likely to see a gentle goat chewing on weeds than a spooky specter....
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Hamilton, middle, and Washington listen to Lafayette's 1780 vow of support on the Morristown Green.

Alexander Hamilton Was Here and Here And…

May 6, 2016

History is happening in New Jersey, and we just happen to be in the greatest state in the world. ...
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Urban legends romp amid the ruins of the Brooksbrae Brick Factory.

Hidden Jersey: Abandoned Jersey

May 2, 2016

These abandoned spots offer a peek to Jersey's rich past....
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White House Gardens Are Home to Politics, Pleasures and Whimsy

April 14, 2016

Gardening design mixed with American history in a Chatham gardener's April 2016 release, "All the Presidents' Gardens," makes for a great last-minute Mother's Day gift. ...
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George "Shotgun" Shuba greets Jackie Robinson at the plate after Robinson smashed his first professional home run. Shuba, an Ohio native, would play alongside Robinson in three World Series with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Jackie Robinson at the Plate for Baseball’s Finest Moment

April 13, 2016

Seventy years ago this month, Jackie Robinson ushered in the integrated era of professional baseball....
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Skylands Manor in Ringwood, one of New Jersey's castles.

Castles of New Jersey: Fairytale Fortresses

April 11, 2016

These storybook structures were home to many of our state's wealthiest inventors and entrepreneurs....
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Charlie Horner amid the archive of recordings, documents and photos he and his wife maintain to preserve the "classic urban harmony" they love.

A Collector of Songs—and Stories

March 10, 2016

Archivist Charlie Horner reveals the hidden history of Asbury Park’s long-lost R&B and jazz scene....
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13 Great Moments in NJ Beer History

March 4, 2016

Jersey beer history includes a 1765 law denying free beer to British soldiers and Krueger introducing canned beer in 1935....
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The ill-fated brother of author Gaspar González and his mystery date on prom night, 1967.

Cherished Photo Opens Door to an Immigrant Family’s Past

February 16, 2016

A mysterious photo links a man to the older brother he never knew....
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Henry Krajewski on the presidential campaign trail in 1952. He garnered 4,203 votes in that year's national election.

Candid Candidate: Presidential Pig Farmer Henry Krajewski

February 10, 2016

Pig farmer Henry J. Krajewski wanted our votes—and he’d promise free beer to get them....
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Principal George I. Read, right, with his students at Freehold's Court Street School in 1941.

Court Street School Fortified Students for Anything

January 15, 2016

Originally known as the Freehold Colored School, Court Street School fostered a community for a neighborhood of black families....
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Workers for the Star Fish Company, a pound-fishing operation in Manasquan, admire a hefty catch in a photo dated June 20, 1923.

Net Gains: The History of Pound Fishing

January 13, 2016

New Jersey's pound fishing industry was one of the largest and most lucrative in North America....
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Juno, owned by Mrs. Charles Mapes, jumps to the command of her owner's 16-year-old daughter, Judy, after the dog's turn in the ring at the Morris-Essex Kennel Show in June 1955.

The Morris-Essex Kennel Show, The Show of Shows

January 8, 2016

In the 1930s, at the height of the Great Depression, the Morris-Essex Kennel Show was said to be the world’s largest and richest one-day sporting event....
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Riding the Cyclone at Palisades Amusement Park. The park closed in 1971, replaced by condo towers.

High Above the Hudson at Palisades Amusement Park

"Palisades has the rides, Palisades has the fun. Come—On—Over.” ...
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Atlantic City’s Airborne Equines

The trained diving horses of Atlantic City were an attraction that made the biggest splash on the boardwalk's Steer Pier....
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The Promised Land: The Rise of Hispanic Immigrants

The state of New Jersey has the third-highest percentage of foreign-born residents, with Hispanics making up the state's largest immigrant group....
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Employees process asparagus at Seabrook Farms during World War II. Many of the farm's workers at the time were Japanese-Americans who had been interned since the beginning of the war.

Where New Lives Cropped Up: Seabrook Farms

Seabrook Farms, a huge farming and food–processing operation in Cumberland County, employed Japanese-Americans who had been interned in detention camp....
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