Historic Happenings Blog

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Sunday, January 31 – Virtual Travel Vicariously with Ocean County Historical Society Join Dr. Jeff Schenker and his historian friend and fellow traveler, George O’Donnell, on January 31, 2021 at 2:00 PM.  They will be our guides via Zoom to many of the fascinating Presidential sites they’ve visited in the United States.  These super-knowledgeable history lovers will share the must-see itineraries of their many-year quest to learn more about the backgrounds of every U.S. President. You will enjoy the East Wing of the White House as well as a private guided tour of the White House West Wing, and chuckle at the humorous anecdotes of some of the surprises they encountered in their travels elsewhere.  Jeff and George’s travel odyssey will encourage you to read your brochures and pack your bags. You’ll want to be prepared to visit prime historical sites in the United States the minute that the dreaded coronavirus is finally defeated. Zoom link will be shared later in the month.  

The Sound of the Times A new exhibit highlighting the radio, one of the most important inventions of the 20th century, is featured at the Red Mill Museum Village. A collection of antique and vintage radios is on loan to the Museum from collector and radio enthusiast Michael Molnar. Mr. Molnar has been collecting for over 30 years and has generously co-curated this very special exhibit which traces the evolution of radio and shares stories of the cultural impact it had on society. For enjoyment, visitors can listen to a radio from over 70 years ago, hearing the sounds of the time. Ever wonder how was radio different from today? Try to tune a radio from a hundred years ago and find out for yourself! This exhibition was made possible thanks to funding generously provided by the Astle-Alpaugh Family Foundation. VISITOR INFORMATION The Red Mill Museum Village 56 Main Street ,  Clinton ,  NJ   08809 Phone:   908.735.4101 Fax:   908.735.0914 Email:   admin@theredmi

Sunday, January 31 -- Virtual COFFEE and COLLECTIONS Featuring members of NSCDA-NJ's Collections Committee and guest speakers. Begins 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm. Topics and dates are as follows: January 31, 2021: Meet the Collection The cost per participant is $10.00 Friends of Peachfield admission is free An email for each event will be sent out with a PayPal option. Friends of Peachfield may register by sending an email to  colonialdamesnj@comcast.net  with "Friends of Peachfield" in the subject. To register please send check payable to: "NSCDA-NJ" and mail to Peachfield, 180 Burrs Road, Westampton, NJ 08060. For questions please email colonialdamesnj@comcast.net or call (609) 267-6996. The  Zoom link will be mailed to you. Or you can use PayPal by clicking "Pay Now" now. https://www.paypal.com/webapps/shoppingcart?flowlogging_id=bdf9fc6d2d592&mfid=1600202076017_bdf9fc6d2d592#/checkout/openButton   This is a virtual event presented by The National Soc

Black Lives Matter October 1, 2020 - January 31, 2021 Virtual Tour - October 29, 6:00 pm  The “Black Lives Matter” exhibit features sculpture, paintings, photographs, correspondence, and scenes of protest-related to resistance past and present. Lavett Ballard’s sculpture of a defiant Aunt Jemima sets a tone of protest that echoes the turbulence of the times. Artists Richmond Garrick, John Morris, Jose Perez, Kelley Prevard, and Melvin Lee Smith capture the history of African American protest on canvas. Photographs of John Lewis and portraits of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd share the gallery with images of Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass. The African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey (AAHMSNJ) sprang from the passion of its founder, Ralph E. Hunter, Sr.  After retiring from a long career in retail, Ralph began collecting cultural treasures that he stumbled on while traveling or just by being an astute observer of his surroundings.  That’s a fancy way of saying he

  Friday, January 29 -- Union County Friday night with Hamilton!     Don’t throw away your – Shot! Join us as we go Hamilton-crazy! Kids and teenagers will enjoy a night out filled with all things Alexander Hamilton: what his life was like, colonial crafts & tavern games and maybe even an epic showdown like in the song “Cabinet Battle #1”. The evening will also include Hamilton music for everyone to sing to and light refreshments. Recommended for ages 11 - 15.   Program Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Program Fee: $25.00 per teen (drop off event - please be here at 8:30 p.m. for pick up) Reservations required by January 22; to purchase tickets visit our website or call 908-527-0400.

Winter Picnic @ Seven Presidents Seven Presidents Park, Beach Campfire Area 1 Joline Avenue, Long Branch, NJ 07740 Fri, Jan 29, 2021, 4:30-6:00 PM (all ages, under 18 with adult) Cozy up by the campfire and warm your heart at your local county park! Bring your own dish and enjoy a meal around our fire, with dessert (hot cocoa and s’mores) provided. Come enjoy an afternoon outside with neighbors and friends. A variety of games will be available for kiddies and kids at heart too! One Session $15.00 2-4 Per Family $5.00 Additional Person

Evening Night Hike Thompson Park, 3 Barns Parking Lot 805 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, NJ 07738 Fri, Jan 29, 2021, 4:30-7:00 PM (adults) No need to be afraid of the dark on this hike. The Full Wolf Moon will help light our way as we discover the beauty of a winter hike at Thompson Park. After our hike, we will enjoy sitting around the campfire ring. Please feel free to bring your own s’mores supplies for an extra treat. Hiking boots are required, and headlamps/flashlights are encouraged. Dress in warm layers as this is an outside program. Snowshoes will be provided if we have snow. Rating: Easy; icy, snowy, muddy trails, flat. Miles: 2-4 One Session $15.00 Per Person

Thursday, January 28 - Virtual 7:14 p.m.   North Jersey Civil War Round Table meeting.  ZOOM Meeting – Please submit your request for meeting link to  NJCivilWarRT@aol.com North Jersey Civil War Round Table   THE FALL OF RICHMOND – April 2, 1865 Presented by Robert M. Dunkerly  One of the momentous events of the war has hardly been studied in detail by historians: the fall of Richmond. On the night of April 2,1865, the Confederates evacuated the city, and the next morning Union forces occupied it. There have been numerous controversies about destruction in the city, which Union troops were the first to enter, and the specific order of events. Many of these have been debated by veterans and contemporaries, yet there have been few modern studies of these events. This talk will explore the final day of Richmond as the Confederacy's capital, and the Union army's occupation of the city.   Robert M. Dunkerly is a historian, award-winning author, and speaker who is actively involved

Thursday, January 28 -- Virtual Social Power and Slavery in Early New York's Dutch Reformed Churches 7:00 p.m.m Lecture Andrea Mosterman discusses the early slave trade in American and the philosophical, economic and religious structures it was based upon with a focus on Early New York's Dutch Reformed Churches.  Mosterman, professor at the University of New Orleans, has explored the multi-faceted dimensions of slavery, slave trade, and cross-cultural contact in the Dutch Atlantic and Early America with special emphasis on Early New York. BCHS Zoom Lecture - Free, no charge, or make a donation to BCHS. 100% goes to our mission.  Proceed to the Events Page to make a Reservation  

  Disaster Preparedness for Cultural Institutions This webinar will teach how to write a disaster plan for small to mid-sized libraries and cultural institutions and includes an interactive tabletop exercise. January 28, 2021, 2:00-3:30 PM ET February 23, 2021, 2:00-3:30 PM ET Register Now What is NJCAR? The New Jersey Cultural Alliance for Response empowers New Jersey's cultural communities to preserve assets and sustain operations before, during, and after a disaster. NJCAR is a network of organizations, associations, agencies, and individuals dedicated to safeguarding the State's cultural heritage. 

  Save the date: AGM                                                                                                             1/13/21 The Annual General Meeting will be via Zoom on Wednesday, January 27th Details to follow Navesink Maritime Heritage Association Navesink Maritime Heritage Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving knowledge and appreciation of Monmouth County's maritime heritage through programs that teach wooden boat building and the boat handling skills; through preserving the history of Monmouth County's wooden boat builders and rich maritime history; and through experiential on-the-water programs of  River Rangers  for middle school children and Sea Scout Ship  Navesink  for coed youth age 14-21.   Contact email:  myhumphreys@gmail.com

  Wednesday, January 27 -- Union County Professor & Pints:   Sick of not being able to travel? Miss the warmer weather and visiting beautiful scenic gardens.  Then this Professor and Pints is for you! We invite you to transport yourself and explore the history of the gardens of Versailles with Dr. Beth Hyde from Kean University . Sit back and enjoy the lecture as you sip on a pint or two! Light refreshments will be served. Must be 21 years or older.   Program Time: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Program Fee: $35.00 per adult, $30 for museum members Reservation required by January 20; to purchase tickets visit our website or call 908-527-0400.

W ednesday, January 27 -- Morris County Morris County Historical Society Kicks off 75 th  Anniversary Landmark year includes Acorn Hall Donation The fascinating history behind the 1886 St. Cecelia stained glass window, a significant piece of American art history, will be presented in a Zoom discussion led by MCHS Curator of Collections Anne Motto at noon on Wednesday, January 27 . After conservation, the window will be displayed at Acorn Hall. MCHS will offer free, biweekly Zoom meetings every other Wednesday, entitled  History Lunch Break.          The MCHS collection of presidential inauguration invitations and state of the union addresses from Eisenhower to Obama will be presented by Motto from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 14, as part of the Second Sunday series at Acorn Hall. To register and receive the link for the Jan. 27 Zoom discussion, email  mchsacornhall@gmail.com  or call (973) 267-3465.  MCHS will mark the 75 th  anniversary of its incorporation and the 50 th  anniv

Wondrous Winter Walks @ Thompson Park Thompson Park, Old Orchard Parking Lot 805 Newman Springs Rd, Lincroft, NJ 07738 Wednesday, January 27, 2021, from 10:00-11:30 AM  (all ages, under 18 with adult) Nature walks are like snowflakes, each one is unique in its own way. Tag along with a Park Naturalist as you explore the serenity that is nature in the wintertime. Please wear appropriate Winter clothes and sturdy footwear.

  All the King’s Men Who Tried to Put British America Back Together Again Tuesday, January 12, from 7 to 8 pm ET Don Johnson, author of OCCUPIED AMERICA: British Military Rule and the Experience of Revolution and Don Hagist , author of NOBEL VOLUNTEERS: The British Soldiers Who Fought the American Revolutio n, with Guest Host: Todd Braisted, author of GRAND FORAGE 1778: The Battleground Around New York City Partner in History: Bergen County (NJ) Historical Society, Historic New Bridge Landing bergencountyhistory.org Watch prior  History Author Talks

Casual Birder @  Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park  Tuesday, January 26, 2021, at 9:00 AM  Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park Pavilion 221 Ocean Avenue, Long Branch, NJ 07740 (ages 8 and up, under 18 with adult) Join a Park System Naturalist for a leisurely walk on well-maintained trails in our parks. We will explore a different park each session as we discuss seasonal points of interest, search for signs of wildlife and identify a bird or two. This is a free 1 1/2-2 hour program, but feel free to join in or drop out at any point during the walk. Dress for the weather as light rain and snow are not deterrents. Hit the trails with us at 9:00 AM

  GSBC General Meeting (Online!) Silent Voices: Telling Stories of Your Female Immigrant Ancestors Monday, 25 January @ 7pm (EST) Free Online Webinar—All Experience Levels are Welcome Presenter: Lisa Alzo Most historical records have been created for and/or about men, making it more challenging to research and write about female ancestors. This session will include: effective ways to discover your female ancestors and how to document the important roles their lives played in culture/society ; various methods for writing about your female ancestors (from short, informative bio sketches or profiles to writing a complete book) ;  and a discussion of options for publishing your family history. REGISTER:  https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7556960321286617869 Lisa Ann Alzo, MFA   earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Nonfiction Writing from the University of Pittsburgh in 1997 and has been an avid genealogist for 26 years. She has published articles in  Ancestry Magazine ,  Discover