Friday, October 31, 2014

THE BIZARRE: JUTLAND MASSACRE; GRAVEYARDS AND BAZAAR!

FAMILY FREE FALL FUN!  Download our cemetery and graveyard activity sheets from our home page at www.hunterdon300th and go scavenge this weekend!  Then come to our talk on Thursday, November 6th at the Main Branch of the County Library at 7 pm and share your experiences crawling around graves..... Sur-PRIZES for all participants!

Do you know the story of the JUTLAND MASSACRE?  Few do!  Some folks call it "Hunterdon's Ruby Ridge" -- 1926 -- Union Township.... the State Police at a stand off after a neighbor complaint.... a shoot out..... a murder.... then a major trial that stayed in the newspapers that took the Lindbergh Kidnapping to knock it out of the press.  We still have seats for this riveting and little told story of Hunterdon's darker history.  Sunday, November 2nd at 3 pm at the Main Branch of the County Library.

On November 8th from 10 am to 2 pm at the Choir School (3 Chorister Place, Flemington), we are holding a HOLIDAY BAZAAR early enough for you to do all of your shopping, wrapping, packing and shipping!  We are fully stocked right now so come and shop til you drop!  There will be door prizes and raffles and we have a full line up of some of our most popular authors who will be signing books for your lucky gift receivers!  Come for a t-shirt (now on sale while supplies last!), a woven throw with our great historic icons (we have all three colors in stock now! -- hunter green, navy blue and cranberry), beautiful glass beer steins with our 300th logo etched on them, or a book: from 10 am to noon Stephanie Stevens will be signing Tillers of the Soil -- a great compilation of the farm families of Hunterdon, Walter Chorozsewski  will autograph his beautiful photography book "Hunterdon in My Heart" and Frank Greenagel will be signing his new 300th special edition book that covers the amazing architecture of Hunterdon's Historic Churches.  John Kuhl will be hanging with us all day from 10 to 2 signing his AWARD WINNING book "Hunterdon in the Civil War.  David Reading, the great, great, great, great, great grandson of Governor Reading, will be signing his book on forefather's diary between 10 and 11 am, and artists/historians Dan and Marty Campanelli will be over between 10 and noon signing their book on Hunterdon's historic samplers as well as discussing Dan's art and the process of painting the fabulous Blue Skies (his painting of the Historic Courthouse done for the 300th).

Don't forget we have an exciting LECTURE SERIES series starting on Wednesday, November 5 with Stephanie Stevens covering significant events, people and dates in Hunterdon's history during the 1700s.  This lecture is unique as Stephanie will be telling our history by using the first panel of the Hunterdon Tercentennial Murals painted by artist Paul Jennis for the 300th.  On Wednesday, November 12, we'll hear about the 1800s through the icons on the second panel.  And on Wednesday, November 19, Stephanie will be detailing the history of our county during the 1900s with the third panel.  All of the lectures are at 7 pm at the Main Branch of the County Library.  This is going to be a unique and interesting way of hearing about the history of our county and we encourage you to bring your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews to see the art and hear the history.


Thursday, October 23, 2014

TAVERN TOUR TICKETS! NEW TIME - NEW LOCATION FOR SALE!

TICKETS FOR THE LONG AWAITED FINAL TAVERN TOUR OF THE 300TH CELEBRATION at the Tewksbury Inn go on sale this Saturday, October 25th at the MAIN BRANCH OF THE COUNTY LIBRARY ON ROUTE 12 AT 1 PM.  THE EVENT IS ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH.

We do NOT take payment for these tickets early.  We also only accept cash and checks for Tavern Tours.

Tickets will be available from 1 to 2 pm outside the Lecture Room on the first floor of the Library.  Beginning at 2 pm, we will be having a lecture in the Lecture Room on Governor Reading's life; you will be able to purchase tickets from the volunteers at our sales table inside (please come in quietly while the lecture is in progress).  We will have tickets available until they are sold out or 4 pm at the Library, which ever comes first.

If we do not sell out by 4 pm, remaining tickets will be on sale on October 29th at the North Branch Library beginning at 6 pm before our presentation on Haunted Hunterdon.  Please check our website's home page at www.hunterdon300th.org as to whether we are sold out of Tavern Tour Tickets or not.

ABOUT THE TAVERN TOUR:  Join us at the wonderful Tewksbury Inn for a sumptuous and delicious luncheon at noon.  Following a 3 course meal created just for this tour, Tewksbury Historian Shaun Van Doren will speak with us on the history of Tewksbury Township.  A bonus optional mini talk is planned in honor of the Zion Lutheran Church's 300th anniversary celebration in 2014.  Tickets are $40 per person. Checks and cash only.  No early bird sales.

Friday, October 10, 2014

NOVEMBER TICKETS GOING LIVE!

WE'RE TICKETING NOVEMBER!  ALL lectures are at the Main Branch of the County Library (we don't know HOW that happened! sorry, North County!)

LIMITED SEATS AVAILABLE!!! ENCORE! SEARCHING THE SEARCH ROOM:  On November 1st, our County Clerk, Mary Melfi, and her amazing staff will be repeating their seminar on how to search your property's history (November 1).

Did you ever hear of the JUTLAND MASSACRE?  Some people consider it Hunterdon's Ruby Ridge - with a police raid and death!  It was a huge courtroom trial held in the Historic Courthouse and was finally knocked out of the papers with the Lindbergh Kidnapping!  (November 2).

If you played our cemetery scavenger hunt make sure you mark down November 6 to come in and claim your sur-prize!  Results and discussion about everyone's experience crawling around graveyards around Halloween are sure to be fun and fascinating!  HUNTERDON'S BURIED PAST -- LITERALLY. PART II occurs on November 6.

We have a NEW THREE PART SERIES WITH A BONUS!  THE HISTORY OF HUNTERDON THRU ART is sure to please both art lovers and historians alike!  Starting with the unveiling of two of the three panels painted by artist Paul Jennis at 2 pm on November 1st, on the next three consecutive Wednesdays (November 5, 12, 19) County Historian Stephanie Stevens will discuss each panel's unique icons and Hunterdon's history as painted by Paul.  Panel 1, the 1700s, will be on the 5th; the 1800s on the 12th and the 1900s on the 19th.

HUNTERDON'S MILITIAMEN (November 9) turned the Revolutionary War around -- learn how, why, when and where in this great lecture by Author and Historian Larry Kidder who literally wrote the book on the importance of the Revolutionary War's local militias.  Then on November 15th, you can hear about the SKIRMISH OF GEARY'S RIDGE in Raritan Township -- how the British turned tail after the Hunterdon Militiamen stood their ground.  A special site visit to Geary's Ridge follows the talk.

Finally, the postponed talk on JOHN READING AND THE CREATION OF HUNTERDON will be held on November 16th.

DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE FOR OCTOBER! INCLUDING OUR SPECIAL PARTNERS! 

Saturday, October 4, 2014

TAVERN TOUR AND OTHER OCTOBER TXTS STILL AVAILABLE AND CHECK OUT OUR SPECIAL PARNTER EVENTS!

THAT'S RIGHT!  We did NOT sell out of the October 11th Tavern Tour at the fabulous National Hotel in Frenchtown!  Tickets are available (while supplies last) on October 4 from 10 am to 2 pm at the Flemington Choir School and we'll be toting them along with us on our October 5, 7 and 9 lectures until they are sold out! $40 gets you a special lunch prepared just for us, a beautiful inn and a great lecture on the history of Frenchtown.  Cash bar available for those touristas who like to have a little something with a fine meal.

WE HAVE ROOM AT ALL OF OUR OCTOBER LECTURES!  Check our website www.hunterdon300th for the full monty -- but some highlights (we just can't believe there is any room left!) include this week's lectures on the Vought House Site's archeology (October 5, 1pm, Clinton Middle School) that includes a tour of the inside of the amazing house (suggested donation of $5 is requested by the Vought Trustees; 100% of these funds will go to the restoration of the house), or on the development of Hunterdon's Historic Roads (October 7, 7 pm, North Branch of the County Library), or on what Hunterdon County was like 100 years ago during the beginning of the First World War (October 9, 7 pm, Main Branch of the County Library),  or a special Planetarium Show of the planets and stars on the night of some of Hunterdon's most historic events (FAMILY FRIENDLY AND FREE!) at Raritan Valley Community College that includes a trip to the Observatory there (favorable sky conditions needed) -- this is GREAT FREE FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT! (October 10, 7 pm -- NO late admissions permitted), and the all day bus tour visiting some of our most beautiful, historical churches to see their architecture -- a great trip at a great price just to see the gorgeous foliage of Hunterdon!  (October 18, 9 am sharp, Raritan Township Municipal Building, $15 per person).

SPECIAL PARTNER EVENTS include a great display and program put on by the Rug Artisan's Guild on October 10 (daytime -- check our website) at the Assembly Space, Building One at the County's Route 12 Complex, a wonderful morning walking in Mount Airy (October 19), a spooky talk on ghosts in East Amwell (October 24), and a historic house tour in Flemington (October 25).  Plus there is so much more some of which have ticket information and details on our home page so here's the list:

October 5th: Lambertville Walking Tour Lambertville Historical Society
October 5th: Califon Day 
October 10th: Hunterdon Rug Artisans Guild Symposium OPen House Hoook-In and Demonstration 
October 11thWalking tour of Historic Annandale and the Vought House
October 12th: Alexandria Township Self-Guided Barn Tour
October 12th: Saxtonville Tavern Tour - Raven Rock in Delaware Township
October 18th: The Flemington Speedway Day
October 18th: Clinton Town Cemetery and Haunted Mill at the Red Mill 
October 18th: Walking Tour of West Amwell Township
October 19th: Lambertville House Walking Tour Lambertville Historical Society
October 19thWalking Tour of Mount Airy Village 
October 24th: Ghosts of East Amwell - East Amwell Township Historical Society 
October 25th: Stroll Thorutgh Flemington - A Historic House Tour Flemington Historic Preservation Commission