EARLY SPRING EVENTS IN HISTORIC HUNTERDON

THE HUNTERDON 300TH HAS BEEN ACTIVELY PARTNERING WITH MORE THAN 50 HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL PARTNERS THROUGHOUT HUNTERDON TO DEVELOP A ROBUST AND EXCITING CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR WHICH WILL BE KICKED OFF LATER THIS YEAR!!

WE ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING NEW VOLUNTEERS TO HELP US PRODUCE EVENTS AND LECTURES FOR ABOUT AN 18 MONTH PERIOD BEGINNING THIS FALL. IF YOUARE INTERESTED, PLEASE EMAIL MARCIA KARROW marcia23rd@yahoo.com.

MEANWHILE, WE ARE OFFERING TWO EXCITING TALKS THIS SPRING, BOTH OF WHICH HAVE AN INTERESTIG HISTORY AS TO HOW THEY ARE FINALLY, AND WE MEAN FINALLY, COMING TO YOU.

THE FIRST, ON THURSDAY, MARCH 20TH, WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED FOR MARCH 19, 2020, THEN POSTPONED TO JUNE 16, POSTONED TO OCTIBER 20, AND FINALLY, THANKS TO A HISTORICAL LITTLE PANDEMIC KNOWN AS COVID 19, INDEFINITELY POSTPONED. UNTIL NOW...

THURSDAY, MARCH 20TH: THE WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT AND HUNTERDON'S WOMEN WHO MADE POLITICAL HISTORY:  Celebrate Women's History Month and the 100th plus anniversary of the 19th Amendment with us.  Author of "The Franklin Park Tragedy", Historian Brian Armstrong ("The 1918 Influenza Epidemic in Hunterdon County") will provide a lecture focusing on the development of the women’s suffrage movement in the US that resulted in the 19th amendment to the US Constitution in 1919 permitting women to vote. Profiles of the key players (Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Ida Wells, Alice Paul, etc.), and organizations involved with the movement will be presented along with a timeline of events from the movement’s origination in the abolitionist movement to the passage of the amendment and the first vote in 1920. Mr. Armstrong will also discuss prominent New Jersey and Hunterdon County female politicians who followed in the footsteps of the suffragettes.

7 pm.  Main Branch of the County Library.  Free.  Refreshments follow.

Reservations Requested. 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/womens-suffrage-movement-hunterdons-women-who-made-political-history-tickets-1274820736139?aff=oddtdtcreator

IN 2014, DURING HUNTERDON'S 300TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION, NOTED HUNTERDON HISTORIAN FRANK CURCIO WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT INCREDIBLE YEAR.  AS THE AWARD WINNING AUTHOR OF A DEFINITIVE STUDY OF HUTERDON'S LIME KILNS, FRANK LED A WONDERFUL BUS TOUR AROUND OUR COUNTY'S KILNS.  AS AN EXPERT IN HUNTERDON RAILROAD HISTORY, FRANK GAVE A GREAT TALK AT THE RINGOES WHISTLE STOP OF THE BLACK RIVER AND WESTERN, AND FINALLY, FRANK GAVE A PREVIEW TALK ON HIS OPUS HISTORICAL WORK ON THE HISTORY OF HUTERDON'S AND NJ'S ROAD SYSTEM, A BOOK ON WHICH HE HAD ALREADY BEEN RESEARCHING FOR OVER A DECADE.

SADLY, FRANK CURCIO PASSED AWAY IN 2015.  HOWEVER, HIS BOOK WAS GENERALLY COMPLETE.  AFTER 6 YEARS OF POLSIHING AND EDITING BY FRANK;S SON, CHRIS, FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP'S EXTRAORDINARY HISTORIAN LORA JONES, COUNTY HISTORIAN JOHN KUHL, AND THE HUNTERDON 300TH'S OWN AMAZING BOARD MEMBER AND EDITOR, ANN MARIE QEEENEY, THE HUNTERDON 300TH IS PROUD TO HAVE FINALLY PUBLSIHED FRANK CURCIO'S FINAL WORK, "RIBBONS OF HISTORY."

SUNDAY, APRIL 6TH:  LECTURE AND BOOK LAUNCH PARTY:  Ribbons of History tells the story of the origin and development of roads in New Jersey and specifically Hunterdon County, from Lenape paths to traffic-clogged super highways. In this work, Frank Curcio lays out the geology, engineering, psychology, law, and politics of the transportation network that grew from footpaths to trails for horses, carts, bicycles, ferries, trains, and now millions of automobiles. Along the way you will meet the surprising assortment of people who built and traveled the roads of New Jersey: Lenape pathfinders, religious refugees, pioneering map-makers, traveling preachers, patriots fighting for independence, bicyclists yearning for a smooth ride, and engineers with dreams as large as a nation.

2 pm.  Main Branch of the County Library.  Free.  Refreshments follow.

Reservations Requested. 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lecture-and-book-launch-party-ribbons-of-history-tickets-1274813885649?aff=oddtdtcreator

FROM OUR PARTNERS AROUND THE COUNTY:

SUNDAY, MARCH 16TH:  The East Amwell Historical Society and Museum presents an enlightening historical tour, chronicling the decades-long struggle for women’s suffrage. Nancy B. Kennedy, the acclaimed author of Women Win the Vote!! 19th Amendment, will be their speaker. Discover the history that secured women's right to vote. Explore the history of Women's Suffrage and the courageous women who fought for their right to vote and the decades-long struggle for women’s suffrage.  4:30 pm at the East Amwell Museum,1053 Old York RD Ringoes, NJ.  Event is Free – Donations Appreciated at the Entrance Donation Box 

Limited Space! *** Please RSVP to Reserve Your Spot Today! ***
email: congetta2+EAHSinfo@gmail.com or text: 609-591-4661

SUNDAY, MARCH 30TH:  The East Amwell Historical Society and Museum hosts "Madam Curie: Mother of Groundbreaking Discoveries".  Don't miss this opportunity to learn about the remarkable achievements of Madam Curie, one of history's most influential figures. EAHS board member, Dr. Gary Grover, will provide an introduction and final remarks for a captivating visual presentation on Marie Curie, the pioneering scientist who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields. The screencast highlights Madam Curie's groundbreaking contributions to radioactivity, her dedication to scientific discovery, and her enduring impact on modern science.  Look into the incredible life and legacy of Madam Curie, the pioneering scientist who changed the world.  4:30 pm.  East Amwell Museum, 1053 Old York RD, Ringoes NJ
Afterwards, enjoy bubbly and chocolates in the 1800s kitchen Event is Free – Donations Appreciated at the Entrance Donation Box 

Limited Space! *** Please RSVP to Reserve Your Spot Today! ***
email: congetta2+EAHSinfo@gmail.com or text: 609-591-4661

LINDBERGH IS BACK AT THE HUNTERDON HISTORIC COURTHOUSE!

AN AMAZING GALLERY FULL OF RARE HISTORIC PHOTOS, COURTROOM AUTOGRAPHS, MEMORABILIA AND SO MUCH MORE; 6 LECTURES, INCLUDING BRAND NEW MATERIAL, AND 2 MEET UPS ALL STARTING TOMORROW NIGHT AT 6 PM.

COME AND MEET AUTHOR JAMES DAVIDSON AND BROWSE THE GALLERY OF ARTIFACTS PROVIDED BY BOTH JIM AND THE HUNTERDON HISTORICAL SOCIETY STARTING AT 6 PM.  THEN STAY FOR THE LECTURE.  WE ARE SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS SERIES AND WE HOPE YOU ARE, TOO!  

LINDBERGH MINI SERIES

A special thank you to the Hunterdon County Board of Commissioners, Director Jeff Kuhl, Deputy Director Sue Soloway,  Members Zach Rich, John Lanza, and Shaun Van Doren, County Administrator Brad Myhre, and Executive Director of the Hunterdon County Cultural and Heritage Commission Natalie Zaman for making this happen.

We hope you will enjoy leaving the Historic Courthouse and strolling downtown Flemington to see the actual locations which Jim discusses in his talks.  Enjoy dinner before the evening talks or lunch before the afternoon ones.  Please make sure you make reservations as appropriate for before or after dining.  A list of dining establishes in Downtown, Flemington, follows at the end of this blog.

NEW! The Circus Returns to Flemington:  A Photographic and Memorabilia Exhibit of the Lindbergh Trial:  The Hunterdon 300^th in partnership with the Hunterdon County Cultural and Heritage Commission and Hunterdon County Historical Society is pleased to announce an exhibit on the Lindbergh kidnapping and trial throughout the month of September. The exhibit, features a large photographic and memorabilia display of the “Trial of the Century,” courtesy of noted Lindbergh speaker, James Davidson. Mr. Davidson has assembled a collection of over 90 rare photographs, many never before seen in public, as well as Lindbergh trial memorabilia. The County Historic Society has also provided rarely seen Lindbergh artifacts.  The exhibit will be on view during the month of September on the first floor galleries of the newly renovated Hunterdon County Historic Courthouse and Jail where the Lindbergh trial took place.

View the exhibit before and after the lectures. The Hunterdon County Historic Courthouse and Jail is open for special events, such as this lecture series, and by appointment. If you wish to schedule a tour of the Courthouse, Jail and exhibit outside of the lecture series, please call the Hunterdon County Sheriff’s Office at (908) 788-1166.

A SPECIAL LINDBERGH LECTURE SERIES:  In 2014, the Hunterdon Tricentennial Committee, now the Hunterdon 300th, produced a series of 8 lectures over an 8 week period by Jim Davidson on Lindbergh at the Historic Courthouse.  We are proud to bring a new series of 6 lectures to the Historic Courthouse over 2 weekends with Jim!

James Davidson has lived the Lindbergh Kidnapping for over 30 years. A former history teacher and a popular speaker on the Lindbergh case, this is the third book he had written on the Lindbergh Kidnapping. Along with co-author Mark Falzini his first book was “New Jersey's Lindbergh Kidnapping and Trial”. This was followed up in 2022 with “When the Circus Came to Town – Flemington New Jersey and the Lindbergh Kidnapping Trial”.  James Davidson grew up in Flemington, New Jersey where from an early age he heard stories of the Lindbergh Kidnapping and Hauptmann Trial. His parents had lived in Trenton, NJ and attended a Hauptmann Execution Party at a local hotel, where they listen to Gabriel Heater broadcast the execution live from outside the State Prison. His father said all the lights in the hotel dimmed when they electrocuted Hauptmann! As a young boy Davidson met William Allen, who worked for his grandfather and who was one of the people who found the Lindbergh baby. In Flemington he knew Lloyd Fisher, who was his father’s attorney and who was also Bruno Hauptmann’s attorney, while Davidson’s neighbor was one of the jurors at the trial. A local historian and former history teacher, Davidson, over a 30 year period, has amassed one of the largest collections of Lindbergh Flight and Trial memorabilia. With Mark Falzini, archivist of the New State Police Museum, he co-authored “New Jersey’s Lindbergh Kidnapping and Trial.” Davidson is an avid and much sought after speaker on the Lindbergh’s, the Kidnapping and the Trial.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH:  ANNE AND CHARLES LINDBERGH, PART ONE:  A two-part biography of the couple, including Lindbergh in Nazi Germany and the families Lindbergh fathered in Germany.  Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 7 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6TH:  ANNE AND CHARLES LINDBERGH, PART TWO:  Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 7 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH:  SEARCHING THE SOURLANDS:  Early stages of finding the Lindbergh baby, including all the chaos in Hopewell.  Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 2 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH: MEET UP! VISIT TO THE STATE POLICE MUSEUM WITH A SPECIAL MEET UP AT THE LINDBERGH KIDNAPPING EXHIBIT:  We've arranged a very special visit to the State Police Museum to tour the State Police Museum and meet up at the Lindbergh Exhibit where there will be a special talk.  Come on your own as early as 9 am when the Museum opens.  Spend time before or after our Meet Up at 11 am at the Lindbergh Exhibit.  The Museum closes at 3 pm so you can tour at your leisure no matter what time you arrive.  Please have photo identification for every member of your party.  The State Police are graciously allowing us to provide some refreshments as well.  This tour is free but we are requiring reservations as we get closer to the event to provide a head count to the State Police.  Limited to 50 guests.

https://events.humanitix.com/meet-up-visit-to-the-state-police-museum-with-a-special-meet-up-at-the-lindbergh-kidnapping-exhibit

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 (RAIN DATE SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 22):  LINDBERGH'S FLEMINGTON WALKING TOUR:  Join historical architect and Flemington architecture expert Chris Pickell for a new walking tour on and around Main Street to explore Main Street as Lindbergh saw it.  Chris will also outline and show some of the special places in town including where Defense Attorney Lloyd Fisher's office was, where Anna Hauptmann and her son stayed, and where the reporters ate.   Reservations are required for the event. Limited to 20 guests. 10 am.

https://events.humanitix.com/lindbergh-s-flemington-walking-tour-ffku6j93

A SPECIAL LINDBERGH LECTURE SERIES CONTINUES:

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH:  DEBUT: THE OTHER LINDBERGH KIDNAPPING TRIAL IN FLEMINGTON:   In 1932, Charles Lindbergh sat in the Flemington New Jersey courtroom in the First Lindbergh Kidnapping trial. Most people are familiar with Charles Lindbergh vs. Bruno Richard Hauptmann in the famous 1935 “Trial of the Century.” But very few people know that there was another trial that preceded the Hauptmann trial. In the summer of 1932, John Hughes Curtis, a well-known pillar of society in Norfolk, Virginia was approached and asked to serve as an intermediary between the gang who said they kidnapped the Lindbergh baby and Charles Lindbergh. Thus began an adventure with Curtis and Lindbergh out to sea for three weeks, Curtis being held captive in the basement of Lindbergh's house, culminating in a wild trial in the hot summer of 1932 in the Flemington courthouse. Many of he same people who show up in the Hauptmann trial are there: Lloyd Fisher, Anthony Hauck, Col. Lindbergh, Col. Schwarzkopf, Betty Gow, Ollie Whately, etc.  Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 7 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.  We will have Jim Davidson's new book, just published in 2024, The Other Lindbergh Kidnapping Trial, available for sale.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH:  WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME TO TOWN: Much has been written of the Lindbergh-Hauptmann Kidnapping Trial of 1934. Jim Davidson's 2022 book, When the Circus Came to Town, examines what actually happened in the town of Flemington, New Jersey, a sleepy farm town that became, for a few months, the center of the universe. The first weekend of “The Trial of the Century,” the town saw 50,000 people arrive. Over 700 reporters were on hand as well as 150 photographers and countless sketch artists. Nellie’s Bar in the Union Hotel became a landmark for those who got to drink there while prostitutes roamed the streets, paying newsboys tips for “Johns.” Every famous news writer and commentator of the day was there – Adela Rogers St. Johns, Damon Runyon, Dorothy Kilgallen, Walter Winchell, Gabriel Heater, etc. This book examines what they wrote and what they said in their own words as well as colorful stories about each of them. Some of the most famous sketch artists and cartoonists of the times were also there and this book examines what they produced on a daily basis. Flemington, the trial and the times are shown in a light heretofore not described in other books. Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 2 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.  We will have this book available for sale.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH:  12 THEORIES OF WHO KIDNAPPED THE LINDBERGH BABY:  This dynamic lecture goes through not only the most popular and well-known theories of the Lindbergh Kidnapping, but also some of the less well known that will make you rethink everything you ever knew about the kidnapping.  This talk is a stunner as Jim Davidson summarizes various theories, spinning them into the facts of the case and how each theory could possibly identify other guilty parties including a famous mafia don and Colonel Lindbergh himself.  You will leave this talk questioning whether or not Hauptmann acted alone or with others, what he really knew, who else was involved and whether or not he was simply framed.  Sunday afternoon Sept. 29 at 2 pm: 12 Theories of Who Kidnapped Jr.  Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 2 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.

Downtown Borough Restaurants, Cafes, Snack Bars (please check hours of operation and make reservations as appropriate)

Cilantro Garden (136 Main Street) 

https://cilantrogarden.menufy.com/

Dolce's Italian Restaurant (161 Main Street) https://www.dolcerestaurantnj.com/

Bistro 55 (55 Main Street Suite 2) http://www.55main.com/

Gabby's Pizza (203 Main Street) https://gabbyspizzapasta.com/

Jack's Pizzeria (55 Main Street) https://www.orderjackspizza.com/

Little Egypt Oasis (79 Main Street) https://bobashopflemington.com/

Main Street Bagel Company (26 East Main Street) https://mainstreetbagelnj.com/

Market Roost (65 Main Street) https://www.marketroost.com/

Matt's Red Rooster (22 Bloomfield Avenue) https://www.mattsredroostergrill.com/

Shaker Cafe (31 Main Street) https://www.jsshakercafe.com/

Viva Mexico (148 Main Street) https://restaurantvivamexico.com

Bread & Culture (123 Main Street) https://breadandculture.com

AUGUST BRINGS THE HUNTERDON 4H FAIR, BUT SEPTEMBER IS LINDBERGH MONTH!

AUGUST BRINGS HUNTERDON FAIR WEEK!  WE HOPE YOU WILL VISIT US AT THE HISTORIC HUNTERDON COUNTY AGRIGULTURAL AND 4-H FAIR. WE ARE LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY TENT ALONG WITH THE COUNTY HISTORIC SOCIETY AND HOLCOMBE-JIMSON FARMSTEAD.  THE FAIR RUNS FROM WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 10 AM TO 10 PM, THRU SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, 10 AM TO 5 PM.

BACK IN STOCK: OUR FABULOUS, 100% COTTON, MADE IN AMERICA WOVEN THROW DISPLAYING 9 OF HUNTERDON'S MOST ICONIC BUILDINGS INCLUDING THE SITE OF THE LINDBERGH KIDNAPPING TRIAL, THE HISTORIC HUNTERDON COUNTY COURTHOUSE, AND LISTING ALL 26 MUNICIPALITIES AROUND THE EDGES -- NOW IN FOUR FABULOUS COLORS: NAVY, HUNTER GREEN, CRANBERRY AND BLACK. $40 EACH - AN AMAZING VALUE AND A GREAT GIFT.  PERFECT FOR A COLLEGE DORM, A COZY DEN, OR EVEN IN YOUR CAR.  WE WILL HAVE THEM AT THE FAIR AND AT ALL OF OUR LINDBERGH LECTURES.

ALL OF THE LINDBERGH EVENTS, MEET UPS, WALKS AND TALKS BELOW ARE FREE AND NO RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED.  HOWEVER, RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR THE STATE POLICE MUSEUM MEET UP (SO WE CAN INFORM OUR HOST) AND THE WALKING TOUR (AS IT HAS LIMITED CAPACITY).    

LINDBERGH MINI SERIES

A special thank you to the Hunterdon County Board of Commissioners, Director Jeff Kuhl, Deputy Director Sue Soloway,  Members Zach Rich, John Lanza, and Shaun Van Doren, County Administrator Brad Myhre, and Executive Director of the Hunterdon County Cultural and Heritage Commission Natalie Zaman for making this happen.

We hope you will enjoy leaving the Historic Courthouse and strolling downtown Flemington to see the actual locations which Jim discusses in his talks.  Enjoy dinner before the evening talks or lunch before the afternoon ones.  Please make sure you make reservations as appropriate for before or after dining.  A list of dining establishes in Downtown, Flemington, follows at the end of this blog.

NEW! The Circus Returns to Flemington:  A Photographic and Memorabilia Exhibit of the Lindbergh Trial:  The Hunterdon 300^th in partnership with the Hunterdon County Cultural and Heritage Commission and Hunterdon County Historical Society is pleased to announce an exhibit on the Lindbergh kidnapping and trial throughout the month of September. The exhibit, features a large photographic and memorabilia display of the “Trial of the Century,” courtesy of noted Lindbergh speaker, James Davidson. Mr. Davidson has assembled a collection of over 90 rare photographs, many never before seen in public, as well as Lindbergh trial memorabilia. The County Historic Society has also provided rarely seen Lindbergh artifacts.  The exhibit will be on view during the month of September on the first floor galleries of the newly renovated Hunterdon County Historic Courthouse and Jail where the Lindbergh trial took place.

View the exhibit before and after the lectures. The Hunterdon County Historic Courthouse and Jail is open for special events, such as this lecture series, and by appointment. If you wish to schedule a tour of the Courthouse, Jail and exhibit outside of the lecture series, please call the Hunterdon County Sheriff’s Office at (908) 788-1166.

A SPECIAL LINDBERGH LECTURE SERIES:  In 2014, the Hunterdon Tricentennial Committee, now the Hunterdon 300th, produced a series of 8 lectures over an 8 week period by Jim Davidson on Lindbergh at the Historic Courthouse.  We are proud to bring a new series of 6 lectures to the Historic Courthouse over 2 weekends with Jim!

James Davidson has lived the Lindbergh Kidnapping for over 30 years. A former history teacher and a popular speaker on the Lindbergh case, this is the third book he had written on the Lindbergh Kidnapping. Along with co-author Mark Falzini his first book was “New Jersey's Lindbergh Kidnapping and Trial”. This was followed up in 2022 with “When the Circus Came to Town – Flemington New Jersey and the Lindbergh Kidnapping Trial”.  James Davidson grew up in Flemington, New Jersey where from an early age he heard stories of the Lindbergh Kidnapping and Hauptmann Trial. His parents had lived in Trenton, NJ and attended a Hauptmann Execution Party at a local hotel, where they listen to Gabriel Heater broadcast the execution live from outside the State Prison. His father said all the lights in the hotel dimmed when they electrocuted Hauptmann! As a young boy Davidson met William Allen, who worked for his grandfather and who was one of the people who found the Lindbergh baby. In Flemington he knew Lloyd Fisher, who was his father’s attorney and who was also Bruno Hauptmann’s attorney, while Davidson’s neighbor was one of the jurors at the trial. A local historian and former history teacher, Davidson, over a 30 year period, has amassed one of the largest collections of Lindbergh Flight and Trial memorabilia. With Mark Falzini, archivist of the New State Police Museum, he co-authored “New Jersey’s Lindbergh Kidnapping and Trial.” Davidson is an avid and much sought after speaker on the Lindbergh’s, the Kidnapping and the Trial.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH:  ANNE AND CHARLES LINDBERGH, PART ONE:  A two-part biography of the couple, including Lindbergh in Nazi Germany and the families Lindbergh fathered in Germany.  Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 7 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6TH:  ANNE AND CHARLES LINDBERGH, PART TWO:  Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 7 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH:  SEARCHING THE SOURLANDS:  Early stages of finding the Lindbergh baby, including all the chaos in Hopewell.  Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 2 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH: MEET UP! VISIT TO THE STATE POLICE MUSEUM WITH A SPECIAL MEET UP AT THE LINDBERGH KIDNAPPING EXHIBIT:  We've arranged a very special visit to the State Police Museum to tour the State Police Museum and meet up at the Lindbergh Exhibit where there will be a special talk.  Come on your own as early as 9 am when the Museum opens.  Spend time before or after our Meet Up at 11 am at the Lindbergh Exhibit.  The Museum closes at 3 pm so you can tour at your leisure no matter what time you arrive.  Please have photo identification for every member of your party.  The State Police are graciously allowing us to provide some refreshments as well.  This tour is free but we are requiring reservations as we get closer to the event to provide a head count to the State Police.  Limited to 50 guests.

https://events.humanitix.com/meet-up-visit-to-the-state-police-museum-with-a-special-meet-up-at-the-lindbergh-kidnapping-exhibit

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 (RAIN DATE SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 22):  LINDBERGH'S FLEMINGTON WALKING TOUR:  Join historical architect and Flemington architecture expert Chris Pickell for a new walking tour on and around Main Street to explore Main Street as Lindbergh saw it.  Chris will also outline and show some of the special places in town including where Defense Attorney Lloyd Fisher's office was, where Anna Hauptmann and her son stayed, and where the reporters ate.   Reservations are required for the event. Limited to 20 guests. 10 am.

https://events.humanitix.com/lindbergh-s-flemington-walking-tour-ffku6j93

A SPECIAL LINDBERGH LECTURE SERIES CONTINUES:

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH:  DEBUT: THE OTHER LINDBERGH KIDNAPPING TRIAL IN FLEMINGTON:   In 1932, Charles Lindbergh sat in the Flemington New Jersey courtroom in the First Lindbergh Kidnapping trial. Most people are familiar with Charles Lindbergh vs. Bruno Richard Hauptmann in the famous 1935 “Trial of the Century.” But very few people know that there was another trial that preceded the Hauptmann trial. In the summer of 1932, John Hughes Curtis, a well-known pillar of society in Norfolk, Virginia was approached and asked to serve as an intermediary between the gang who said they kidnapped the Lindbergh baby and Charles Lindbergh. Thus began an adventure with Curtis and Lindbergh out to sea for three weeks, Curtis being held captive in the basement of Lindbergh's house, culminating in a wild trial in the hot summer of 1932 in the Flemington courthouse. Many of he same people who show up in the Hauptmann trial are there: Lloyd Fisher, Anthony Hauck, Col. Lindbergh, Col. Schwarzkopf, Betty Gow, Ollie Whately, etc.  Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 7 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.  We will have Jim Davidson's new book, just published in 2024, The Other Lindbergh Kidnapping Trial, available for sale.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH:  WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME TO TOWN: Much has been written of the Lindbergh-Hauptmann Kidnapping Trial of 1934. Jim Davidson's 2022 book, When the Circus Came to Town, examines what actually happened in the town of Flemington, New Jersey, a sleepy farm town that became, for a few months, the center of the universe. The first weekend of “The Trial of the Century,” the town saw 50,000 people arrive. Over 700 reporters were on hand as well as 150 photographers and countless sketch artists. Nellie’s Bar in the Union Hotel became a landmark for those who got to drink there while prostitutes roamed the streets, paying newsboys tips for “Johns.” Every famous news writer and commentator of the day was there – Adela Rogers St. Johns, Damon Runyon, Dorothy Kilgallen, Walter Winchell, Gabriel Heater, etc. This book examines what they wrote and what they said in their own words as well as colorful stories about each of them. Some of the most famous sketch artists and cartoonists of the times were also there and this book examines what they produced on a daily basis. Flemington, the trial and the times are shown in a light heretofore not described in other books. Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 2 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.  We will have this book available for sale.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH:  12 THEORIES OF WHO KIDNAPPED THE LINDBERGH BABY:  This dynamic lecture goes through not only the most popular and well-known theories of the Lindbergh Kidnapping, but also some of the less well known that will make you rethink everything you ever knew about the kidnapping.  This talk is a stunner as Jim Davidson summarizes various theories, spinning them into the facts of the case and how each theory could possibly identify other guilty parties including a famous mafia don and Colonel Lindbergh himself.  You will leave this talk questioning whether or not Hauptmann acted alone or with others, what he really knew, who else was involved and whether or not he was simply framed.  Sunday afternoon Sept. 29 at 2 pm: 12 Theories of Who Kidnapped Jr.  Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 2 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.

EVENTS AROUND THE COUNTY FROM OUR HISTORY PARTNERS:

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AUGUST 24TH AND 25TH:  EAST AMWELL HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESENTS a fascinating and entertaining journey through the life and achievements of Dr. C. W. Larison! The Larison Exhibit offers an interactive experience with unique artifacts and art depicting his remarkable story.  Witness Larison's 1800s field pocket microscope with over 50 slides, along with his 1863 Medical Diploma and…. 6-foot skeleton!!  1800s artifacts and art illustrate the many professions and adventures of Dr. Larison.  Clawson House Museum and Gallery, 1053 Old York Road, Ringoes, 2 to 4 pm.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST: LEBANON TOWNSHIP MUSEUM PRESENTS: FALL QUILT SHOW THRU OCTOBER 19TH:  OPENING RECEPTION SEPTEMBER 21ST, 10 AM TO 3 PM:  Featuring Hunterdon County Quilting Guild quilts indoors and some of the Museum's historic quilts will be displayed outside for a "Fall Airing."  Refreshments will be provided.  57 Musconetcong River Road, Hampton, NJ.  Thursdays 3 to 6 pm and Saturdays 12 to 3 pm.  Admission is free.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19TH:  1759 VOUGHT HOUSE PRESENTS: FALLING FOR HISTORY:  Preservation and Archaeology Talks, House Tours, Artist Jerry Cable, Kids Activities:  Clinton Township Middle School, 34 Grayrock Road, 1:30 to 4:30 pm. Check their Facebook page for further details.

Downtown Borough Restaurants, Cafes, Snack Bars (please check hours of operation and make reservations as appropriate)

Cilantro Garden (136 Main Street) 

https://cilantrogarden.menufy.com/

Dolce's Italian Restaurant (161 Main Street) https://www.dolcerestaurantnj.com/

Bistro 55 (55 Main Street Suite 2) http://www.55main.com/

Gabby's Pizza (203 Main Street) https://gabbyspizzapasta.com/

Jack's Pizzeria (55 Main Street) https://www.orderjackspizza.com/

Little Egypt Oasis (79 Main Street) https://bobashopflemington.com/

Main Street Bagel Company (26 East Main Street) https://mainstreetbagelnj.com/

Market Roost (65 Main Street) https://www.marketroost.com/

Matt's Red Rooster (22 Bloomfield Avenue) https://www.mattsredroostergrill.com/

Shaker Cafe (31 Main Street) https://www.jsshakercafe.com/

Viva Mexico (148 Main Street) https://restaurantvivamexico.com

Bread & Culture (123 Main Street) https://breadandculture.com

300TH NEWS: SPECIAL CIVIL WAR FLAG MEET UP AND MORE!

 

COME JOIN US FOR OUR SPECIAL MEET UP AT THE STATE MUSEUM IN TRENTON! WE START OUR SPECIAL LINDBERGH SERIES WHICH RUNS THROUGHOUT SEPTEMBER.  ALL OF THE EVENTS, MEET UPS, WALKS AND TALKS BELOW ARE FREE AND NO RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED.  HOWEVER, RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR THE TWO MEET UPS (SO WE CAN INFORM OUR HOSTS) AND THE TWO WALKING TOURS (AS THEY HAVE LIMITED CAPACITY).    

HUNTERDON AND THE CIVIL WAR MINI SERIES LAST EVENT AND A VERY SPECIAL ONE:

SATURDAY, JULY 6TH:  MEET UP!  CIVIL WAR FLAG UNVEILING AT THE STATE MUSEUM, TRENTON:  In the American Civil War, flags guided troops into battle and served as patriotic emblems of honor and pride. Join flag historian Dr. David Martin and Curator of Cultural History Nicholas Ciotola for a gallery walk about the history of five new flags to be unveiled in the State Museum’s exhibition, The Civil War Flag Collection of New Jersey. One-hour tour followed by a reception hosted by Hunterdon 300th in the museum’s Riverview Court. Attendees can also visit Discovering Grant Castner, a new exhibit consisting of more than 200 historical images taken by a long-forgotten, turn-of-the-20^th-century photographer from Belvidere, NJ, who later lived and worked in Trenton.  10 a.m, New Jersey State Museum, 205 West State Street (FREE weekend parking behind the museum), Trenton, NJ.  Reservations requested but not required.  

We are trying a new reservation system.  Please cut and paste the following URL or try clicking on the link below even though it says it is for the D&R.  

https://events.humanitix.com/copy-of-mini-walking-tour-of-the-d-and-r-canal?_gl=1*1xsgi1u*_ga*MTkxNjQxMTgxMi4xNzExMTM0NzMw*_ga_LHKW5FR9N6*MTcxMTU4NjEzNy4zLjEuMTcxMTU4NjQ3MS4xNS4wLjA.

https://events.humanitix.com/copy-of-mini-walking-tour-of-the-d-and-r-canal

LINDBERGH MINI SERIES:

A SPECIAL LINDBERGH LECTURE SERIES:  In 2014, the Hunterdon Tricentennial Committee, now the Hunterdon 300th, produced a series of 8 lectures by Jim Davidson on Lindbergh at the Historic Courthouse over 8 weeks.  We are proud to bring a new series of 6 lectures to the Historic Courthouse over 2 weekends!

James Davidson has lived the Lindbergh Kidnapping for over 30 years. A former history teacher and a popular speaker on the Lindbergh case, this is the third book he had written on the Lindbergh Kidnapping. Along with co-author Mark Falzini his first book was “New Jersey's Lindbergh Kidnapping and Trial”. This was followed up in 2022 with “When the Circus Came to Town – Flemington New Jersey and the Lindbergh Kidnapping Trial”.  James Davidson grew up in Flemington, New Jersey where from an early age he heard stories of the Lindbergh Kidnapping and Hauptmann Trial. His parents had lived in Trenton, NJ and attended a Hauptmann Execution Party at a local hotel, where they listen to Gabriel Heater broadcast the execution live from outside the State Prison. His father said all the lights in the hotel dimmed when they electrocuted Hauptmann! As a young boy Davidson met William Allen, who worked for his grandfather and who was one of the people who found the Lindbergh baby. In Flemington he knew Lloyd Fisher, who was his father’s attorney and who was also Bruno Hauptmann’s attorney, while Davidson’s neighbor was one of the jurors at the trial. A local historian and former history teacher, Davidson, over a 30 year period, has amassed one of the largest collections of Lindbergh Flight and Trial memorabilia. With Mark Falzini, archivist of the New State Police Museum, he co-authored “New Jersey’s Lindbergh Kidnapping and Trial.” Davidson is an avid and much sought after speaker on the Lindbergh’s, the Kidnapping and the Trial.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH:  ANNE AND CHARLES LINDBERGH, PART ONE:  A two-part biography of the couple, including Lindbergh in Nazi Germany and the families Lindbergh fathered in Germany.  Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 7 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6TH:  ANNE AND CHARLES LINDBERGH, PART TWO:  Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 7 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH:  SEARCHING THE SOURLANDS:  Early stages of finding the Lindbergh baby, including all the chaos in Hopewell.  Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 2 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH: MEET UP! VISIT TO THE STATE POLICE MUSEUM WITH A SPECIAL MEET UP AT THE LINDBERGH KIDNAPPING EXHIBIT:  We've arranged a very special visit to the State Police Museum to tour the State Police Museum and meet up at the Lindbergh Exhibit where there will be a special talk.  Come on your own as early as 9 am when the Museum opens.  Spend time before or after our Meet Up at 11 am at the Lindbergh Exhibit.  The Museum closes at 3 pm so you can tour at your leisure no matter what time you arrive.  Please have photo identification for every member of your party.  The State Police are graciously allowing us to provide some refreshments as well.  This tour is free but we will be requiring reservations as we get closer to the event to provide a head count to the State Police.  

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 (RAIN DATE SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 22):  LINDBERGH'S FLEMINGTON WALKING TOUR:  Join historical architect and Flemington architecture expert Chris Pickell for a new walking tour on and around Main Street to explore Main Street as Lindbergh saw it.  Chris will also outline and show some of the special places in town including where Defense Attorney Lloyd Fisher's office was, where Anna Hauptmann and her son stayed, and where the reporters ate.   Reservations will be required as we get closer to the event. Limited to 20 guests.  10 am.

A SPECIAL LINDBERGH LECTURE SERIES CONTINUES:

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH:  DEBUT: THE OTHER LINDBERGH TRIAL IN FLEMINGTON:   In 1932, Charles Lindbergh sat in the Flemington New Jersey courtroom in the First Lindbergh Kidnapping trial. Most people are familiar with Charles Lindbergh vs. Bruno Richard Hauptmann in the famous 1935 “Trial of the Century.” But very few people know that there was another trial that preceded the Hauptmann trial. In the summer of 1932, John Hughes Curtis, a well-known pillar of society in Norfolk, Virginia was approached and asked to serve as an intermediary between the gang who said they kidnapped the Lindbergh baby and Charles Lindbergh. Thus began an adventure with Curtis and Lindbergh out to sea for three weeks, Curtis being held captive in the basement of Lindbergh's house, culminating in a wild trial in the hot summer of 1932 in the Flemington courthouse. Many of he same people who show up in the Hauptmann trial are there: Lloyd Fisher, Anthony Hauck, Col. Lindbergh, Col. Schwarzkopf, Betty Gow, Ollie Whately, etc.  Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 7 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH:  When the Circus Came to Town Much has been written of the Lindbergh-Hauptmann Kidnapping Trial of 1934. This book examines what actually happened in the town of Flemington, New Jersey, a sleepy farm town that became, for a few months, the center of the universe. The first weekend of “The Trial of the Century,” the town saw 50,000 people arrive. Over 700 reporters were on hand as well as 150 photographers and countless sketch artists. Nellie’s Bar in the Union Hotel became a landmark for those who got to drink there while prostitutes roamed the streets, paying newsboys tips for “Johns.” Every famous news writer and commentator of the day was there – Adela Rogers St. Johns, Damon Runyon, Dorothy Kilgallen, Walter Winchell, Gabriel Heater, etc. This book examines what they wrote and what they said in their own words as well as colorful stories about each of them. Some of the most famous sketch artists and cartoonists of the times were also there and this book examines what they produced on a daily basis. Flemington, the trial and the times are shown in a light heretofore not described in other books. Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 2 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH:  12 THEORIES OF WHO KIDNAPPED THE LINDBERGH BABY:  This dynamic lecture goes through not only the most popular and well-known theories of the Lindbergh Kidnapping, but also some of the less well known that will make you rethink everything you ever knew about the kidnapping.  This talk is a stunner as Jim Davidson summarizes various theories, spinning them into the facts of the case and how each theory could possibly identify other guilty parties including a famous mafia don and Colonel Lindbergh himself.  You will leave this talk questioning whether or not Hauptmann acted alone or with others, what he really knew, who else was involved and whether or not he was simply framed.  Sunday afternoon Sept. 29 at 2 pm: 12 Theories of Who Kidnapped Jr.  Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 2 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.

EVENTS AROUND THE COUNTY FROM OUR HISTORY PARTNERS:

SUNDAY, JULY 13TH:  SAMUEL FLEMING HOUSE ANNUAL ICE CREAM SOCIAL:  Step into history and explore the rich history of Flemington at the Samuel Fleming House Museum. Learn about colonial life, the origin of the town, and the story of Irish immigrant Samuel Fleming and his family.  The museum is proud to honor the legacy of the Fleming family. Samuel and his wife Esther raised 10 children in the house, including their daughter Esther, who married Thomas Lowery, a boy who emigrated with and worked for Fleming.  Lowery went on to become a prominent member of the Flemington community, and his impact is felt today. Come explore the history of these revolutionary patriots and the Flemings' later connection to the USS Constitution, or Old Ironsides.

Join us for a fun free event to celebrate summer! 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, Samuel Fleming House Museum & Garden, 5 Bonnell St, Flemington, NJ  08822.

300TH NEWS: OUR CIVIL WAR MINI SERIES IS HERE!

COME JOIN US IN OUR CIVIL WAR MINI SERIES NOW THRU EARLY JULY! ALL OF THE EVENTS, MEET UPS, WALKS AND TALKS BELOW ARE FREE AND NO RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED.  HOWEVER, RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR THE TWO MEET UPS (SO WE CAN INFORM OUR HOSTS) AND THE TWO WALKING TOURS (AS THEY HAVE LIMITED CAPACITY).    

HUNTERDON AND THE CIVIL WAR MINI SERIES:

THURSDAY, JUNE 13TH: CAMP FAIR OAKS:  Hunterdon Civil War expert John Kuhl continues with a back to back talk on Camp Fair Oaks, now the location of Lowes, WalMart and Pet Smart on Route 31 in Raritan Township and once the home of the Flemington Fair and Speedway.  This location was the recruitment center of the area where our soldiers were trained for combat before shipping off to the South.  Lower Level Meeting Room, Hunterdon County Library Main Branch. 7 pm. Free refreshments follow. No reservations required.

THURSDAY, JUNE 20TH: MUSIC OF THE CIVIL WAR: In period dress, Ridley and Anne Enslow will perform historic Civil War songs played on instruments found during the 19th century.  The Enslow's played this concert for us last in March of 2014.  It was a very emotional and moving evening of music that evoked the pain, the boredom and the patriotism of the American Civil War.  A night not to be missed!  7 pm; Lower Level Meeting Room, Main Branch of the Library.  Free.  No reservations required.  Refreshments Follow.

PLEASE NOTE THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED - WE ARE SO SORRY.... : TUESDAY, JULY 2ND:  ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND THE AMERICAN FLAG

SATURDAY, JULY 6TH:  MEET UP!  CIVIL WAR FLAG UNVEILING AT THE STATE MUSEUM, TRENTON:  In the American Civil War, flags guided troops into battle and served as patriotic emblems of honor and pride. Join flag historian Dr. David Martin and Curator of Cultural History Nicholas Ciotola for a gallery walk about the history of five new flags to be unveiled in the State Museum’s exhibition, The Civil War Flag Collection of New Jersey. One-hour tour followed by a reception hosted by Hunterdon 300th in the museum’s Riverview Court. Attendees can also visit Discovering Grant Castner, a new exhibit consisting of more than 200 historical images taken by a long-forgotten, turn-of-the-20^th-century photographer from Belvidere, NJ, who later lived and worked in Trenton.  10 a.m, New Jersey State Museum, 205 West State Street (FREE weekend parking behind the museum), Trenton, NJ.  Reservations requested but not required.  

We are trying a new reservation system.  Please cut and paste the following URL or try clicking on the link below even though it says it is for the D&R.  

https://events.humanitix.com/copy-of-mini-walking-tour-of-the-d-and-r-canal?_gl=1*1xsgi1u*_ga*MTkxNjQxMTgxMi4xNzExMTM0NzMw*_ga_LHKW5FR9N6*MTcxMTU4NjEzNy4zLjEuMTcxMTU4NjQ3MS4xNS4wLjA.

https://events.humanitix.com/copy-of-mini-walking-tour-of-the-d-and-r-canal

LINDBERGH MINI SERIES:

A SPECIAL LINDBERGH LECTURE SERIES:  In 2014, the Hunterdon Tricentennial Committee, now the Hunterdon 300th, produced a series of 8 lectures by Jim Davidson on Lindbergh at the Historic Courthouse over 8 weeks.  We are proud to bring a new series of 6 lectures to the Historic Courthouse over 2 weekends!

James Davidson has lived the Lindbergh Kidnapping for over 30 years. A former history teacher and a popular speaker on the Lindbergh case, this is the third book he had written on the Lindbergh Kidnapping. Along with co-author Mark Falzini his first book was “New Jersey's Lindbergh Kidnapping and Trial”. This was followed up in 2022 with “When the Circus Came to Town – Flemington New Jersey and the Lindbergh Kidnapping Trial”.James Davidson grew up in Flemington, New Jersey where from an early age he heard stories of the Lindbergh Kidnapping and Hauptmann Trial. His parents had lived in Trenton, NJ and attended a Hauptmann Execution Party at a local hotel, where they listen to Gabriel Heater broadcast the execution live from outside the State Prison. His father said all the lights in the hotel dimmed when they electrocuted Hauptmann! As a young boy Davidson met William Allen, who worked for his grandfather and who was one of the people who found the Lindbergh baby. In Flemington he knew Lloyd Fisher, who was his father’s attorney and who was also Bruno Hauptmann’s attorney, while Davidson’s neighbor was one of the jurors at the trial. A local historian and former history teacher, Davidson, over a 30 year period, has amassed one of the largest collections of Lindbergh Flight and Trial memorabilia. With Mark Falzini, archivist of the New State Police Museum, he co-authored “New Jersey’s Lindbergh Kidnapping and Trial.” Davidson is an avid and much sought after speaker on the Lindbergh’s, the Kidnapping and the Trial.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH:  ANNE AND CHARLES LINDBERGH, PART ONE:  A two-part biography of the couple, including Lindbergh in Nazi Germany and the families Lindbergh fathered in Germany.  Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 7 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6TH:  ANNE AND CHARLES LINDBERGH, PART TWO:  Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 7 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH:  SEARCHING THE SOURLANDS:  Early stages of finding the Lindbergh baby, including all the chaos in Hopewell.  Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 2 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH: MEET UP! VISIT TO THE STATE POLICE MUSEUM WITH A SPECIAL MEET UP AT THE LINDBERGH KIDNAPPING EXHIBIT:  We've arranged a very special visit to the State Police Museum to tour the State Police Museum and meet up at the Lindbergh Exhibit where there will be a special talk.  Come on your own as early as 9 am when the Museum opens.  Spend time before or after our Meet Up at 11 am at the Lindbergh Exhibit.  The Museum closes at 3 pm so you can tour at your leisure no matter what time you arrive.  Please have photo identification for every member of your party.  The State Police are graciously allowing us to provide some refreshments as well.  This tour is free but we will be requiring reservations as we get closer to the event to provide a head count to the State Police.  

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 (RAIN DATE SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 22):  LINDBERGH'S FLEMINGTON WALKING TOUR:  Join historical architect and Flemington architecture expert Chris Pickell for a new walking tour on and around Main Street to explore Main Street as Lindbergh saw it.  Chris will also outline and show some of the special places in town including where Defense Attorney Lloyd Fisher's office was, where Anna Hauptmann and her son stayed, and where the reporters ate.   Reservations will be required as we get closer to the event. Limited to 20 guests.  10 am.

A SPECIAL LINDBERGH LECTURE SERIES CONTINUES:

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH:  DEBUT: THE OTHER LINDBERGH TRIAL IN FLEMINGTON:   In 1932, Charles Lindbergh sat in the Flemington New Jersey courtroom in the First Lindbergh Kidnapping trial. Most people are familiar with Charles Lindbergh vs. Bruno Richard Hauptmann in the famous 1935 “Trial of the Century.” But very few people know that there was another trial that preceded the Hauptmann trial. In the summer of 1932, John Hughes Curtis, a well-known pillar of society in Norfolk, Virginia was approached and asked to serve as an intermediary between the gang who said they kidnapped the Lindbergh baby and Charles Lindbergh. Thus began an adventure with Curtis and Lindbergh out to sea for three weeks, Curtis being held captive in the basement of Lindbergh's house, culminating in a wild trial in the hot summer of 1932 in the Flemington courthouse. Many of he same people who show up in the Hauptmann trial are there: Lloyd Fisher, Anthony Hauck, Col. Lindbergh, Col. Schwarzkopf, Betty Gow, Ollie Whately, etc.  Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 7 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH:  When the Circus Came to Town Much has been written of the Lindbergh-Hauptmann Kidnapping Trial of 1934. This book examines what actually happened in the town of Flemington, New Jersey, a sleepy farm town that became, for a few months, the center of the universe. The first weekend of “The Trial of the Century,” the town saw 50,000 people arrive. Over 700 reporters were on hand as well as 150 photographers and countless sketch artists. Nellie’s Bar in the Union Hotel became a landmark for those who got to drink there while prostitutes roamed the streets, paying newsboys tips for “Johns.” Every famous news writer and commentator of the day was there – Adela Rogers St. Johns, Damon Runyon, Dorothy Kilgallen, Walter Winchell, Gabriel Heater, etc. This book examines what they wrote and what they said in their own words as well as colorful stories about each of them. Some of the most famous sketch artists and cartoonists of the times were also there and this book examines what they produced on a daily basis. Flemington, the trial and the times are shown in a light heretofore not described in other books. Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 2 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH:  12 THEORIES OF WHO KIDNAPPED THE LINDBERGH BABY:  This dynamic lecture goes through not only the most popular and well-known theories of the Lindbergh Kidnapping, but also some of the less well known that will make you rethink everything you ever knew about the kidnapping.  This talk is a stunner as Jim Davidson summarizes various theories, spinning them into the facts of the case and how each theory could possibly identify other guilty parties including a famous mafia don and Colonel Lindbergh himself.  You will leave this talk questioning whether or not Hauptmann acted alone or with others, what he really knew, who else was involved and whether or not he was simply framed.  Sunday afternoon Sept. 29 at 2 pm: 12 Theories of Who Kidnapped Jr.  Historic Courthouse, Main Street, Flemington, 2 pm.  Free. No reservations are required.

EVENTS FROM OUR PARTNERS AROUND THE COUNTY

JUNE JUNE 8TH:  TEWKSBURY BARN TOUR:  10 am to 3 pm, rain or shine.  Advance tickets available thru Thursday, June 6 at 10 pm $ 40 per person, children ages 11-18 $ 5 per person, children 10 and under Free.  Purchase online with any major credit card. Day of tour ticket cost $ 50 per person, children ages 11-18 $ 5 per person and children 10 & under FREE. Payment via cash, check or credit card for day of sales. Ticket Information at www.tewksburyhistory.net/id5.html.  Sponsored by the Tewksbury Historical Society & Tewksbury Trail Association.