We hope you are staying safe and healthy at home with your loved ones. Perhaps you are a little bored with all of this physical distancing and no where to go.
Musicians all over the world are posting YouTube videos; authors are reading books, and aquariums and zoos are posting live. But,
YOU CAN ONLY WATCH SO MUCH YouTube;
YOU CAN ONLY DO SO MANY PUZZLES;
YOU CAN ONLY BINGE WATCH SO MUCH TV;
YOU CAN ONLY READ SO MANY BOOKS.....
SO..... the Hunterdon 300th, the State of New Jersey's largest producer of historical lectures and events (all about Hunterdon all of the time!), gives you.... Hunterdon History at Home! TaDa!
We thought we'd provide you with a quiz to test your Hunterdon historical knowledge and give you a bit of a diversion. Even if you think it's a little hard, we promise you will find it educational (after all, we are a 501c3 Educational Not-for-Profit!)....
This quiz is fun! The multiple choice answers have a touch of humor and whimsy -- fun and educational for all ages and all levels of Hunterdon knowledge. We hope you'll take it, read it to your children, Skype your friends with your impressive Hunterdon trivia, and self-amuse (as we did when we wrote the multiple choice answers!). Hugs to John Kuhl, who provided these questions for our calendars and publications "300 Fun Facts About Hunterdon County" and "305 Fun Facts About Hunterdon County's Municipalities."
THE ANSWERS FOLLOW OUR CURRENT (AND HOPEFUL) CALENDAR.
WE MISS YOU ALL! STAY SAFE!
Write down your answers and add up your score at the end of this 25 question quiz:
1. What was Richard Ernst Weber arrested for in 1942 by the FBI on a poultry farm in Three Bridges?
a. Blackmailing
b. Spying
c. Counterfeiting
d. Tampering with the US mail
a. International milking contest
b. International tractor pull
c. International Pie Eating Contest
d. Miss 1939 World’s Fair
3. What famous event occurred at the farm of Richard Schomp in 1939?
a. The State Police raided it over alleged animal cruelty.
b. A two-headed albino calf was born that went to the 1939 World’s Fair.
c. The first artificially inseminated calf was born.
d. The first Woodstock style concert event was held.
a. Marcia Karrow
b. Connie Myers
c. Mildred Preen Mortimer
d. Barbara McConnell
5. Which war spurred the name change of New Germantown to Oldwick?
a. The American Revolutionary War when the Hessians invaded Hunterdon County.
b. World War I
c. World War II
d. The War Against the Worlds
b. It’s another name for the Peach Blight.
c. Teenagers ransacked a sheep farm.
d. State Police illegally raided a farm.
7. What unsanitary drink did William Griffith accidentally create because he was too cheap to start over?
a. Sweet Tea
b. Grey Water
c. Pink Lemonade
d. Pink Champagne
a. Readington Township
b. Raritan Township
c. Alexandria Township
d. Union Township
9. After a murder occurred in this municipality, the area of the crime was nicknamed Little Easton because Easton PA had an unsavory reputation.
a. Raritan Township
b. Readington Township
c. Bloomsbury
d. Union Township
a. The BR&W
b. The Del-Bel
c. The Rockabye Baby
d. The Holy Cow
11. Which of the following is not a former name of the hamlet of Barley Sheaf?
a. Camelsville
b. Dromedary
c. Cambellsville
d. Farmersville
12. The hamlet of Cherryville was once called what?
a. Dogtown
b. Cattown
c. Bonetown
d. Goattown
13. Which village is in Alexandria Township?
a. Point Pleasant
b. Sunnyside
c. Landsdown
d. Everittstown
14. What is the westernmost unincorporated town in Hunterdon County?
a. Mount Joy
b. Mount Salem
c. Mount Lebanon
d. Mount Pleasant
15. Which name was NOT an original name of Stockton?
a. Reading’s Ferry
b. Howell’s Ferry
c. Mitchell’s Ferry
d. Robinson’s Ferry
e. Harpers Ferry
b. Mount Salem
c. Mount Lebanon
d. Mount Pleasant
15. Which name was NOT an original name of Stockton?
a. Reading’s Ferry
b. Howell’s Ferry
c. Mitchell’s Ferry
d. Robinson’s Ferry
e. Harpers Ferry
| 16. For what reason did Union Township split from Bethlehem Township? a. Liquor licensing b. Two families feuding c. School policy dispute d. Taxes 17. What was the name of the bathtub gin moonshine made in Raritan Township? a. White goat b. Black Horse c. White mule d. Pink elephant 18. What two construction projects did Asbel Welch of Lambertville engineer? b. Rockefellers Mill and Darts Mill c. D&R Canal and Bel-Del Railroad d. National Hotel in Frenchtown and the Union Hotel in Flemington 19. Prior to 1827, Sergeantsville was known as: a. Hogtown b. Hensfoot c. Skunktown d. Hogswart 20. What tavern was the first in the county to be raided during prohibition? b. Millers Tavern c. Jones’ Tavern d. Lebanon Hotel 21. Hunterdon has one of the last of these off Black Brook Road in Bethlehem Township. What is it? a. Pink sheep b. Bog Turtle c. Quaking Bog d. Whistling Meadow 22. How were logs transported south from 1750 thru 1900? a. The D&R Canal b. Horse and Wagon c. Train d. Log Rafting a. Merv Griffin b. John Amos c. Chet Huntley d. Joe Piscopo e. David Brinkley 24. What was the former gruesome name of Spring Mills in Holland Township? a. Satan’s Corner b. Sodom c. Bonetown d. Helltown 25. Which of the following names were not a previous name for Frenchtown? a. Swisstown b. Sun Beam c. Sherrerds Ferry Colvins Ferry d. Lowreys Ferry |
OUR 2020 YEAR OF EVENTS AND TALKS ON THIS YEAR'S THEME:
HUNTERDON'S UNIQUE HISTORIC TREASURES. 's 2020 the
RESERVATIONS STILL BEING TAKEN:
TUESDAY, MAY 19TH (POSTPONED FROM TUESDAY, APRIL 7TH): THE FABLED WARRIOR KING AND INDIAN BURIAL VAULT RESEARCH IN HUNTERDON COUNTY: Was Hunterdon the resting place of the fabled warrior king of the great Raritan Indian Tribe of the 17th century? Join Dr. Gregory C. Herman, PhD in Geology, in this discussion on his research of native peoples in Hunterdon County. His fieldwork has led to the possible rediscovery of ancient stone burial mounds located atop the Cushetunk Mountains. The discovery awaits confirmation through professional archeological work.
If you wish to read more on this topic, please seehis publication in the Hunterdon Historical Society's newsletter: 2018 Herman, G. C., Indian Burial Vault Research in Hunterdon County: Hunterdon Historical Record, vol. 54, No. 3, pgs. 1287 and 1292.
Dr. Herman earned his BS in geology from Ohio University in 1982. After receiving a MS in structural geology from the Univ. of Connecticut in 1984, he joined the NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) in the water quality management program, regulating industrial facilities having discharge of hazardous wastes to groundwater. He transferred to the NJ Geological Survey (NJGS) in 1985 to map bedrock geology in NJ. In 1997 he received his PhD in Geology from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. Having retired from the NJGS after 32 years, Greg now teaches Earth Science at local colleges and a university while consulting on Earth science projects. He also researches impact tectonics and provides Earth-science themes for Google Earth. In his spare time, he is also helping the Hunterdon County Historical Society clean and rearrange the Deats-Thatcher Collection, a massive collection of American Indian artifacts collected by Hiram E. Deats and John C. Thatcher in the 1800s.
7 pm. Main Branch of the County Library. Reservations recommended. Free with free refreshments following the talk.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-fabled-warrior-king-and-indian-burial-vault-research-in-hunterdon-county-tickets-96573607259
TUESDAY, JUNE 16TH (POSTPONED FROM THURSDAY, MARCH 19TH): THE WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT AND HUNTERDON'S WOMEN WHO MADE POLITICAL HISTORY: Celebrate Women's History Month and the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment with us. Author of "The Franklin Park Tragedy" and 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.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-womens-suffrage-movement-and-hunterdons-women-who-made-political-history-tickets-96570768769
TUESDAY, JUNE 16TH (POSTPONED FROM THURSDAY, MARCH 19TH): THE WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT AND HUNTERDON'S WOMEN WHO MADE POLITICAL HISTORY: Celebrate Women's History Month and the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment with us. Author of "The Franklin Park Tragedy" and 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. Reservations Requested.
Refreshments follow.https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-womens-suffrage-movement-and-hunterdons-women-who-made-political-history-tickets-96570768769
NEW DATE PENDING THIS FALL (POSTPONED FROM SUNDAY, APRIL 19TH): NOT JUST COLONIALS AND GINGERBREADS: 20TH CENTURY HOMES IN HUNTERDON: Colonial Period? Victorian Gingerbreads? Our County has so much more! When we think of local historic architecture we picture the Greek Revival, Italianate, and Queen Anne homes of Flemington, Clinton, Lambertville and the other villages and hamlets of Hunterdon. But what about the buildings constructed post 1900! After a brief overview of architectural building styles we can then look at the Colonial Revival, Tudor, Foursquare, Craftsman bungalows and Mid-century modern styles that are a larger part of the homes of Hunterdon. We'll explore the historic and industrial trends that made these popular and possible! Join Janice Armstrong, noted historian, preservationist, and heritage educator, for a talk focusing on 20th Century architecture. As a follow up (Summer date to be announced) we'll take a stroll in Flemington to the "newer" side of town, tracing the town's expansion and growth.
Janice is a life-long resident of Hunterdon County and a retired teacher from Readington Township. Her preservation experience includes working with the New Jersey Historic Trust, Preservation New Jersey, and the Samuel Fleming House Museum and Gardens. She has also taught classes at Drew University for their Historic Preservation program.
Janice is currently writing a walking tour script and training tour guides for tours of Flemington.
Reservations requested. Free with free refreshments following the talk.
Registration: 10:30 am.
Key Note Address by Dr. Joseph M. Adelman, Author of "Revolutionary Networks, The Business and Politics of Printing the News": 11 am.
Lunch courtesy of Jersey Mike's: 12 pm.
Cemetery Tours and Demonstrations: 1 pm:
- Revolutionary Gravestone Tour
- Mary Claypoole (1st Wife of David Chambers Claypoole)
- Bonnell Family
- Robert Taylor Famiy
- Civil War Gravestone Tour
- Gravestone Cleaning with D/2 Demonstration
Original "General Advertiser" newspapers from 1796 will be on display from the Hunterdon Historical Society Collection. Dr. Adelman's book will be available for purchase.
Bethlehem Presbyterian Church, 2 Race Street, Pittstown, NJ 08867
$10 Registration is required.
Register at www.hunterdon300th.org.
Send checks to: Hunterdon County Historical Society, 114 Main St, Flemington, NJ 08822
For further information call 908-782-1091 or go to hunterdonhistoryinfo@gmail.com
Sponsored by The Hunterdon County Historical Society, The Hunterdon 300th Committee, and
The Bethlehem Presbyterian Church.
UPCOMING TALKS AND EVENTS ABOUT HUNTERDON'S UNIQUE HISTORIC TREASURES:
WE ARE HOPEFUL THAT DATES IN MAY WILL NOT BE POSTPONED OR CANCELLED.
SUNDAY, MAY 3RD: HOLCOMBE-JIMISON FARM FESTIVAL: An extraordinary day at Hunterdon's oldest farmstead! Certainly one of Hunterdon's Unique Historic Treasures!! Join us on the farm for a fun packed day with things to see and do no matter your age!! Live Western and Blue Grass music provided by the "Red Oak Country Boys."
Morning events from 10 am to 4 pm included in the price of admission:
- Make a rope bracelet for yourself with a machine more than 100 years old!
- Dip your own wax candle
- Make a pottery plate for your very own
- Visit the Hunterdon County 4H Fur and Feathers' Petting Zoo of small creatures
- Learn to play an Outside Kids' game from Yesteryear
- Visit the Museum barns and the 1711 House -- filled with memories
- Visit the Barn of Toys
- Other sites to see include a Country Store, a Post Office and a Barbershop, Mini-Craft Fair, the Delaware Valley Herb Society's “ International Herb Garden”, and the 1920’s Machine Shop
- Take a Tractor/Wagon ride across the lower field
- Print a Post card on our 3x5 Letter Press from 1880 (Print shop) and learn how paper printing has changed
- Watch the Blacksmith make a Hook – Can You try?
- See the Black and River Railroad Road Equipment being used to restore service to Lambertville
Food for sale by Hunterdon County 4H including hamburgers, hot dogs and more PLUS
A Home Made Ice Cream Vendor AND free coffee and snacks in the Office will be available.
$5.00 per Adult or $10.00 a Family - or become a Member for $25.00!
1605 Daniel Bray Highway (Rte. 29) Lambertville NJ 08535
(Last New Jersey Exit on route 202, then follow blue signs)
Visit the Farmstead Website at www.Holcombe.Jimison.org
Rain or Shine.
THURSDAY, MAY 14TH: THE ARCHITECTURE AND INTERPRETATION OF THE 1759 VOUGHT HOUSE - THE ONLY LOYALIST HOUSE MUSEUM IN NJ: In this lecture, Historical Architect, Michael Marguiles, AIA, will discuss the the significance of the architecture of the Vought House - among the most unique in the United States - and the fight to save and preserve it.
Built in 1759, the house was acquired by the Clinton Township Board of Education and slated for demolition. it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 16, 2008. The building is on Preservation New Jersey's 2010 "10 Most Endangered Historic Sites list." It was acquired by a newly formed not-for-profit to save and preserve the house for $17.59.
The house is a heavy timber frame, and the walls are made with wattle and daub. Distinctive features of the interior are four original plaster ceilings with geometric designs. The most unique of the ceilings is the serpentine design with a snake's head at one end near the front entrance - still intact since it was originally installed in 1759! This may be the only house in the United States with four mid-eighteenth century wattle and daub decorative plaster ceilings. The ornamental plasterwork is very similar to another Palatine German stone farmhouse in Berks County, PA, the Hehn-Kershner House, circa 1755. In 1958, the architectural elements were purchased by and relocated to Winterthur Museum.
Christoffel Vought was a loyalist during the American Revolution and volunteered to join the British Army. Vought was captured by the Patriots and found guilty by a Jury of Inquisition. Vought and his family went into exile in Nova Scotia. The land and house were sold at auction.
When preserved, this will be the first museum in New Jersey interpreted as a Loyalist site, recognizing the significance of the civil war that raged within New Jersey during the American Revolution.
7 pm. Main Branch of the County Library, Route 12.
Free with free refreshments following the talk.
THURSDAY, JUNE 4TH: HOW GROWING UP IN HUNTERDON INFLUENCED MY LIFE - WITH GOVERNOR CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN: Governor Whitman created the Open Space and Farmland Preservation Program for the State and also enacted the largest tax cuts in State history. An activist who speaks her mind, Governor Whitman made history when she became the first and only woman Governor in New Jersey history. Join us for a special evening with a unique, history-making, Hunterdon treasure.
7 pm. Main Branch of the County Library, Route 12, Flemington.
Free with refreshments following the talk.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH: THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF HIRAM DEATS: Join our great treasure, author and historian John Kuhl as he discusses the importance of Hiram Deats, wealthy entrepreneur, businessman, collector, historian. The legacy of Hiram Deats to Hunterdon County, including the founding of the Hunterdon County Historic Society and his bequeathing priceless artifacts to the Society, is one of both generosity and significance.
7 pm. Main Branch of the County Library, Route 12, Flemington.
Free with refreshments following the talk.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH: READING CEMETERY TOUR WITH TOUR GUIDE DAVID READING: 10 am; details to be announced.
TICKETING NOW -- LOCK IN THE 2019 PRICE BY BOOKING NOW! SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24TH: HISTORY, HERITAGE AND HARVEST: BUS TOUR OF HUNTERDON'S 26 MUNICIPALITIES WITH 6 STOPS: 9 AM TO 4:30 PM: Join us for a fabulous Autumn drive thru Hunterdon County's scenic 26 municipalities. We will be hopping on and off a deluxe coach bus with private comfort facility while enjoying history, heritage and harvest.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bus-tour-of-hunterdons-26-municipalities-in-one-day-35-per-person-tickets-74589474125
ANSWERS TO THE HUNTERDON HISTORY QUIZ: GIVE YOURSELF 4 POINTS FOR EVERY CORRECT ANSWER. SEE HOW YOU DID AT THE END.
1. Answer B
The small town of Three Bridges in Readington Township was shocked in 1942 when the FBI moved in and arrested Richard Ernst Weber, a German spy and radio agent operating on a local poultry farm.
2. Answer: A
At age 21, Three Bridges farm girl Mildred Saums won the international milking contest at the 1939 World’s Fair. She brought home a cash prize of $25 plus a handsome silver trophy, and went on to a lifetime of farming.
3. Answer: C
Hunterdon has long been a leader in the state’s agriculture. In 1939, the nation’s first artificially inseminated calf was born on the Stanton farm of Richard Schomp located just north of the Reformed Church in that town.
4. Answer: C
Mildred Preen Mortimer’s father owned the stone quarry at Oldwick. She grew up as a hands-on person. In 1941, at age 22, she was elected to the NJ State Assembly, the youngest ever. Born in 1918, she died in 1979.
5. Answer: BStarting in the 1720s, much of northern Hunterdon was settled by Germans. But the WW I anti-German hysteria saw the town of New Germantown renamed Oldwick. To the north, German Valley became Long Valley.
6. Answer: D
Jutland Massacre saw the Meany family of Jutland chasing off SPCA officials in 1926. Police shot two Meany’s, killing Beatrice. Two police officers were convicted of theft. It nearly short-circuited the new State Police force.
7. Answer: C
William Griffith of Three Bridges was featured on 1937 ABC radio as the inventor of pink lemonade. Wind had blown the fat lady’s pink tights into his vat of circus lemonade. He sold it anyway and a new popular craze was born.
8. Answer: D
When Union Township was divided from Bethlehem in 1853, some said it should be called Rockhill Township for its prominent colonial family. But it took its name from the Union Forge Iron works in the northeastern part of the township.
9. Answer: A
Little Easton was the nickname of an area in Raritan Township “on the first crossroad to the left off Route 12” from Flemington. A woman living there was found dead in her home in 1853, hinting at skullduggery. Easton’s (PA) reputation was less than savory.
10. Answer: C
Whitehouse Station was once a railroad hub. Across the Jersey Central RR of NJ tracks, it had a station for the New Jersey and Pennsylvania RR that was locally known as the Rockaway Valley RR running up into Morristown. It was also termed “the Rockabye Baby” for the swaying occasioned by its flimsy engineering. It opened in 1888, failed and closed in 1913.
11. Answer: B
Barley Sheaf is a small hamlet in Readington Township along C.R. 523 between Whitehouse Station and Flemington. The name was granted in 1868, coming probably from its local tavern. Its previous names had been Cambellsville, Camelsville, or Farmersville.
12. Answer: A
Cherryville is an old Franklin Township town named for the Cherry family in 1834, which owned much of the land around it. For some time around 1830 it had been called Dogtown for the old tavern kept there from 1761. It had its own post office from 1850 to 1919.
13. Answer: D
Everittstown is a village on the Nishasakawick Creek in Alexandria Township. It was named for brothers who had a mill in the area by 1759 when it was known as Everitts Mills. A church, a tavern, a store, some artisan’s shops, and homes came later. The name changed to Everitts by 1816. A post office was established in 1848 and served until closing in 1912.
14. Answer: A
Mount Joy is an unincorporated town in Holland Township and has the distinction of being the westernmost town in Hunterdon County. It seems never to have had a post office but did have the advantage that it was a local stop on the Bel- Del RR, later part of the Pennsylvania RR system.
Mount Pleasant sits mostly in Alexandria Township at the intersection of C.R. 518 and Jake Rick Rd. It has old origins to match its large cemetery. A tavern opened there by 1767. Besides the usual artisan shops, a post office opened in 1825 but was phased out in 1912 as rural free delivery took over service.
Mount Salem is an unincorporated area northwest of Pittstown along C.R. 579, which forms the border between Alexandria and Union Townships. It also edges what used to be known as “The Barrens”. Its most conspicuous feature is its 1864 Methodist Episcopal Church, now inactive.
16. Answer: C
Union Township split off from Bethlehem Township in 1853 over school policy disagreements. There was a battle over the new name with several suggested. One was Rockhill from a family near Pittstown. In the end Union prevailed after the old iron forge.
17. Answer: C
White Mule Corner is not a name you will find on maps or old records but was the name of a corner on the Voorhees Corner road where it is crossed by Barley Sheaf Road (C.R. 650) in Raritan Township. The name came in the bathtub gin era of Prohibition days for its powerful and illegal liquid product.
18. Answer: C
Asbel Welch of Lambertville was a leading construction engineer of his time. He built the Delaware & Raritan Feeder Canal along the Delaware in the 1830s, and its paralleling route, the Belvidere & Delaware Railroad by 1853.
19. Answer: C
Sergeantsville was named for the Sergeant family of the area but its residents today would probably overwhelmingly choose that new name over Skunktown, as it was known prior to 1827.
Hensfoot is an area in the vicinity of the two schools of the Union Township school system just south of Perryville off I-78. This name was already in use before 1814 when a new road was laid out to it at and a new tavern was built and named at Perryville.
Pigs were important to early agriculture. The village of Swinesburg lay along C.R. 579 on the hill above Bloomsbury on the border of Alexandria and Union Township where Turkey Hill Road branches off to the north. As early as 1791 in a mortgage description its earlier name of Hogtown is listed.
20. Answer: A
Its liquor license was shifted to White House some years ago, but the Three Bridges Tavern was the first in the county to be raided during the earliest Prohibition days in the 1920s. Prohibition lasted until 1933 when repealed.
21. Answer: C
A quaking bog is a long-time wet area that features specialized plant species and layers of sphagnum moss and peat that undulate underfoot. Hunterdon has one of the last off Black Brook Road in Bethlehem Township.
22. Answer: D
It was a perilous occupation, but log rafting of a thousand or more logs was the most expedient method of sending timber down the Delaware. Begun before 1750, it continued until the timber supply had petered out by 1900.
23. Answer: E
Merv Griffin bought the Teetertown mill for a country retreat in 1961. His talk show moved to Los Angeles in 1972 and, spending less time there, he sold it in 1980. He called his show business company Califon Productions, after that nearby town.
John Amos is an actor and New Jersey native, best known for his roles in Good Times and ground-breaking mini-series Roots. He lived in Tewksbury Township.
Chet Huntley was a popular and well-remembered co-anchor of the long-running Huntley Brinkley Report on NBC Television. He owned a cattle farm in Delaware Township just above the covered bridge where he lived part-time.
Joe Piscopo, Lebanon Township resident, is best-known for his work on Saturday Night Live. He is also an actor, musician, and radio talk show host.
Our day starts at 9 am when we begin our amazing journey winding through county roads, hamlets, small towns and townships. On our route, we will go thru many historic hamlets within our 14 townships and all of our 12 small towns. Our day includes four short stops to see some lesser known or viewed historical sites as well as some that every "Hunterdonian" should see! Two longer stops include our lunch stop, which will be at a wonderful winery and includes some of their finest, and a stop at a cidery in the afternoon. On this trip you will have the opportunity to purchase fresh apples, pumpkins, squash and other fresh Hunterdon produce at two farmstands, as welll as award winnng wines, hard cider, and the best apple cider in New Jersey. The sites along the roadways and brief histories of all 26 municipalities will be provided by Historian and Author John Kuhl and Hunterdon 300th Chair Marcia Karrow.
Tour is all inclusive: lunch with wine, snacks, hard or sweet cider in the afternoon, bus, bottled water, even the tip for our bus driver. Return time is approximately 5:00 pm.
$35 per person. Checks payable to the Hunterdon 300th and mailed to, or dropped thru the mail slot at 3 Chorister Place, Flemington, NJ 08822 by October 20th.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15TH: HUNTERDON HISTORY BOWL: We had so much fun last year, we thought we'd do it again!!! 2 pm Main Branch of the County Library.
WE WILL RESUME POSTING OUR
HISTORICAL AND HERITAGE PARTNERS'
EVENTS AS SOON AS THEY RESUME.
ANSWERS TO THE HUNTERDON HISTORY QUIZ: GIVE YOURSELF 4 POINTS FOR EVERY CORRECT ANSWER. SEE HOW YOU DID AT THE END.
The small town of Three Bridges in Readington Township was shocked in 1942 when the FBI moved in and arrested Richard Ernst Weber, a German spy and radio agent operating on a local poultry farm.
2. Answer: A
At age 21, Three Bridges farm girl Mildred Saums won the international milking contest at the 1939 World’s Fair. She brought home a cash prize of $25 plus a handsome silver trophy, and went on to a lifetime of farming.
3. Answer: C
Hunterdon has long been a leader in the state’s agriculture. In 1939, the nation’s first artificially inseminated calf was born on the Stanton farm of Richard Schomp located just north of the Reformed Church in that town.
4. Answer: C
Mildred Preen Mortimer’s father owned the stone quarry at Oldwick. She grew up as a hands-on person. In 1941, at age 22, she was elected to the NJ State Assembly, the youngest ever. Born in 1918, she died in 1979.
5. Answer: BStarting in the 1720s, much of northern Hunterdon was settled by Germans. But the WW I anti-German hysteria saw the town of New Germantown renamed Oldwick. To the north, German Valley became Long Valley.
6. Answer: D
Jutland Massacre saw the Meany family of Jutland chasing off SPCA officials in 1926. Police shot two Meany’s, killing Beatrice. Two police officers were convicted of theft. It nearly short-circuited the new State Police force.
7. Answer: C
William Griffith of Three Bridges was featured on 1937 ABC radio as the inventor of pink lemonade. Wind had blown the fat lady’s pink tights into his vat of circus lemonade. He sold it anyway and a new popular craze was born.
8. Answer: D
When Union Township was divided from Bethlehem in 1853, some said it should be called Rockhill Township for its prominent colonial family. But it took its name from the Union Forge Iron works in the northeastern part of the township.
9. Answer: A
Little Easton was the nickname of an area in Raritan Township “on the first crossroad to the left off Route 12” from Flemington. A woman living there was found dead in her home in 1853, hinting at skullduggery. Easton’s (PA) reputation was less than savory.
10. Answer: C
Whitehouse Station was once a railroad hub. Across the Jersey Central RR of NJ tracks, it had a station for the New Jersey and Pennsylvania RR that was locally known as the Rockaway Valley RR running up into Morristown. It was also termed “the Rockabye Baby” for the swaying occasioned by its flimsy engineering. It opened in 1888, failed and closed in 1913.
11. Answer: B
Barley Sheaf is a small hamlet in Readington Township along C.R. 523 between Whitehouse Station and Flemington. The name was granted in 1868, coming probably from its local tavern. Its previous names had been Cambellsville, Camelsville, or Farmersville.
12. Answer: A
Cherryville is an old Franklin Township town named for the Cherry family in 1834, which owned much of the land around it. For some time around 1830 it had been called Dogtown for the old tavern kept there from 1761. It had its own post office from 1850 to 1919.
13. Answer: D
Everittstown is a village on the Nishasakawick Creek in Alexandria Township. It was named for brothers who had a mill in the area by 1759 when it was known as Everitts Mills. A church, a tavern, a store, some artisan’s shops, and homes came later. The name changed to Everitts by 1816. A post office was established in 1848 and served until closing in 1912.
14. Answer: A
Mount Joy is an unincorporated town in Holland Township and has the distinction of being the westernmost town in Hunterdon County. It seems never to have had a post office but did have the advantage that it was a local stop on the Bel- Del RR, later part of the Pennsylvania RR system.
Mount Pleasant sits mostly in Alexandria Township at the intersection of C.R. 518 and Jake Rick Rd. It has old origins to match its large cemetery. A tavern opened there by 1767. Besides the usual artisan shops, a post office opened in 1825 but was phased out in 1912 as rural free delivery took over service.
Mount Salem is an unincorporated area northwest of Pittstown along C.R. 579, which forms the border between Alexandria and Union Townships. It also edges what used to be known as “The Barrens”. Its most conspicuous feature is its 1864 Methodist Episcopal Church, now inactive.
Mount Lebanon is fictional.
15. Answer: E
Stockton dates back to the early 1700s and has had a succession of names: Reading’s Ferry, Howell’s Ferry, Robinson’s Ferry, Mitchell’s Ferry, Centre Bridge, Centre Bridge Station, and finally Stockton presumably after that prominent New Jersey family when the post office was established in 1851.
15. Answer: E
Stockton dates back to the early 1700s and has had a succession of names: Reading’s Ferry, Howell’s Ferry, Robinson’s Ferry, Mitchell’s Ferry, Centre Bridge, Centre Bridge Station, and finally Stockton presumably after that prominent New Jersey family when the post office was established in 1851.
16. Answer: C
Union Township split off from Bethlehem Township in 1853 over school policy disagreements. There was a battle over the new name with several suggested. One was Rockhill from a family near Pittstown. In the end Union prevailed after the old iron forge.
17. Answer: C
White Mule Corner is not a name you will find on maps or old records but was the name of a corner on the Voorhees Corner road where it is crossed by Barley Sheaf Road (C.R. 650) in Raritan Township. The name came in the bathtub gin era of Prohibition days for its powerful and illegal liquid product.
18. Answer: C
Asbel Welch of Lambertville was a leading construction engineer of his time. He built the Delaware & Raritan Feeder Canal along the Delaware in the 1830s, and its paralleling route, the Belvidere & Delaware Railroad by 1853.
19. Answer: C
Sergeantsville was named for the Sergeant family of the area but its residents today would probably overwhelmingly choose that new name over Skunktown, as it was known prior to 1827.
Hensfoot is an area in the vicinity of the two schools of the Union Township school system just south of Perryville off I-78. This name was already in use before 1814 when a new road was laid out to it at and a new tavern was built and named at Perryville.
Pigs were important to early agriculture. The village of Swinesburg lay along C.R. 579 on the hill above Bloomsbury on the border of Alexandria and Union Township where Turkey Hill Road branches off to the north. As early as 1791 in a mortgage description its earlier name of Hogtown is listed.
20. Answer: A
Its liquor license was shifted to White House some years ago, but the Three Bridges Tavern was the first in the county to be raided during the earliest Prohibition days in the 1920s. Prohibition lasted until 1933 when repealed.
21. Answer: C
A quaking bog is a long-time wet area that features specialized plant species and layers of sphagnum moss and peat that undulate underfoot. Hunterdon has one of the last off Black Brook Road in Bethlehem Township.
22. Answer: D
It was a perilous occupation, but log rafting of a thousand or more logs was the most expedient method of sending timber down the Delaware. Begun before 1750, it continued until the timber supply had petered out by 1900.
23. Answer: E
Merv Griffin bought the Teetertown mill for a country retreat in 1961. His talk show moved to Los Angeles in 1972 and, spending less time there, he sold it in 1980. He called his show business company Califon Productions, after that nearby town.
John Amos is an actor and New Jersey native, best known for his roles in Good Times and ground-breaking mini-series Roots. He lived in Tewksbury Township.
Chet Huntley was a popular and well-remembered co-anchor of the long-running Huntley Brinkley Report on NBC Television. He owned a cattle farm in Delaware Township just above the covered bridge where he lived part-time.
Joe Piscopo, Lebanon Township resident, is best-known for his work on Saturday Night Live. He is also an actor, musician, and radio talk show host.
24. Answer: D
Hunterdon County Place Names says the small country town of Spring Mills in Holland Township had the former name of Helltown in the 1760s from a local tavern which apparently often got a bit boisterous in the evenings.
Of many Hunterdon town names, Sodom was one that is perhaps most suggestive and unusual. It had formerly been known as Eveland’s Tavern and forms the northern section of today’s Glen Gardner.
It is nowhere near Sodom in north county but where County Route 579 branches off State Route 31 just north of Linvale, is the area once known as Satan’s Corner, named for a theological squabble amongst members of the Linvale Methodist Episcopal Church.
25. Answer: A
Colvins Ferry, Sun Beam, Sherrerds Ferry in 1778, Lowreys Ferry; all were preceding names for Frenchtown named after French officer Paul Henry Mallet-Prevost as of 1794. He actually was Swiss. Should it have been called Swisstown?
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Hunterdon County Place Names says the small country town of Spring Mills in Holland Township had the former name of Helltown in the 1760s from a local tavern which apparently often got a bit boisterous in the evenings.
Of many Hunterdon town names, Sodom was one that is perhaps most suggestive and unusual. It had formerly been known as Eveland’s Tavern and forms the northern section of today’s Glen Gardner.
It is nowhere near Sodom in north county but where County Route 579 branches off State Route 31 just north of Linvale, is the area once known as Satan’s Corner, named for a theological squabble amongst members of the Linvale Methodist Episcopal Church.
25. Answer: A
Colvins Ferry, Sun Beam, Sherrerds Ferry in 1778, Lowreys Ferry; all were preceding names for Frenchtown named after French officer Paul Henry Mallet-Prevost as of 1794. He actually was Swiss. Should it have been called Swisstown?
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