Queen Victoria was crowned Queen of Great Britain on June 28, 1838 and among the thousands of people who turned out was Eli P. Parker of Bedminster, NJ, who paid his own way.   This curious story was told by Bedminster historian John A. Powelson (1850-1938) in a 1937 postcard to Basking Ridge historian Nettie Allen.

Basking Ridge Fire Company No. 1 hosted its annual carnival Aug. 6-7, 1915 and used a real picture postcard to advertise the event.  The Moline fire engine, shown here in front of the old Maple Avenue school (now Bernards Township Library), was purchased in 1911.

“Hillandale” on the Mendham Township/Gladstone border was built in 1906 by architect Grosvenor Atterbury for George Rudolf Mosle (1865-1941), who made his fortune in the sugar industry.  In 1926, the mansion was sold to the Sisters of St. John the Baptist, the same order who later owned Blairsden in Peapack.  The sisters operated an orphanage

Just off Pond Hill Road in Bernards Township, NJ, is a lonely monument dedicated to the memory of Frederick W. Schmidt (1865-1926) who owned the nearby Millington Quarry (opened 1895).  In 1966, his heirs and the quarry donated 15 acres of land along the Passaic River, which is now Schmidt Park, and erected the monument.

An early picture postcard of the railroad trestle between Millington and Lyons addressed to Mrs. John Boyle in Liberty Corner.  The card has an undivided back which indicates it was printed before 1907, when the post office allowed a divider to separate a message from the address.  Mrs. John Boyle was Lydia Annin Boyle (1827-1907),

George Ballentine (1845-1912) of Peapack is listed as a farmer on the 1900 and 1910 U.S. censuses but also had a business selling lime and fencing.  Lime was used by farmers as a fertilizer and was produced in great quantity in Peapack as evidenced by the Moses Craig Lime Kilns on Main Street.  Charles P.

Mount Airy Road at intersection of Lake Road, looking north toward Whitenack Road.  Prior to Interstate 287 which opened in 1966, Mount Airy was a country road. Photo by Norman Hankinson, c.1955.

In 1907, the Basking Ridge Free Public Circulating Library, forerunner of the present Bernards Township Library,  was located at 25 South Finley in the Ira Pruden house, now home to Ridge Italian Comfort Food restaurant.  A bowling alley in the basement generated income to cover library expenses.  Prior to that, the Christopher Barkalow House, 31

Did you enjoy the THSSH February program on Revolutionary Spies?  Our speaker, Damien Cregeau, was recently interviewed by Revolution 250 and provided more insights on the subject including on the Mersereau Ring of New Brunswick.  If you missed Damien in February or just want to hear more on Revolutionary espionage, we’re sure you’ll enjoy this

This 1899 letterhead from David Dumont (1863-1909) shows the account of Charles Bird of Liberty Corner. When the railroad reached Far Hills in 1890, David Dumont quit farming and became a dealer in coal and lumber. In 1899, Dumont and Evander Schley divided up Dumont’s old farm into lots for what became the village of