Monday, August 22, 2022

SUMMER, AUTUMN, HALLOWEEN -- HISTORICAL HUNTERDON HAPPENINGS!

THE HUNTERDON 300TH IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE REPUBLICATION OF COUNTY AND READINGTON TOWNSHIP HISTORIAN EMERITA STEPHANIE STEVENS' BOOK "OUTCAST" -- THE STORY OF SLAVERY IN READINGTON TOWNSHIP.  THIS BOOK, ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY MERCK IN THE YEAR 2000, HAS BEEN OUT OF PRINT FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS.  VERY LITTLE HISTORICAL RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE ON THE SUBJECT OF SLAVERY IN HUNTERDON COUNTY AND MRS. STEVENS' BOOK IS ONE OF THE ONLY SOURCES OF SUCH RESEARCH.  THE 300TH WILL HAVE COPIES FOR SALE FOR $7 AT THE HUNTERDON COUNTY 4H AND AGRICULTURAL FAIR; WE ARE IN THE COMMUNITY TENT.  

THE SUMMER IS FLYING BY!  AUTUMN IS ALMOST HERE, AND OUR FALLL EVENTS ARE NOW TICKETING INCLUDING SOME NEW, 👀HALLOWEEN-SEASON EVENTS👻! (BUT WE ARE WORKING ON ADDING MORE FOR YOU INCLUDING A TAVERN TOUR!):

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3:  WALKING TOUR OF THREE BRIDGES (READINGTON); RAINDATE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4:  Join County Historian and Three Bridges native John Kuhl for a walking tour of historic Three Bridges. John knows every nook and cranny of this special hamlet. Wear comfortable shoes!

Walk limited to 20 people.

The walk is free but reservations are required.

Meeting location will be disclosed to people with reservations only. 

Rain Date on September 4th with time to be announced.   

For ticketing use this link or cut and paste into your url if trouble with the link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walking-tour-of-three-bridges-tickets-374543478627

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2pm: FRENCHTOWN CEMETERY TOUR; (RAINDATE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2 pm): Join amazing story-teller Rick Epstein as we tour Frenchtown's Lower Cemetery. That’s the old part of the cemetery. Hear how a Civil War captain's life was saved by his wife and his job was saved by Abe Lincoln. We’ll visit the graves of three people who conspired to rescue geese from Frenchtown's pound around 1870. We’ll remember a child who was swept away in Milford Creek's Flood of 1890, a woman murdered by her son-in-law and a soldier who died in a Japanese prison camp. You'll also hear about the man who hanged Jeff Davis in effigy in 1865, plus many more tales!  

For ticketing use this link or cut and paste into your url if trouble with the link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walking-tour-of-frenchtown-frenchtowns-lower-cemetery-tickets-376499358717

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24: WALKING TOUR OF RINGOES - BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND, 10 AM:  Take a walking tour of downtown Ringoes and discover its rich history. Our tour guide is Dave Harding, former Hunterdon County Historical Society trustee, founding member of the East Amwell Historical Society, and author of a self-guided walking tour of Ringoes. Dave will tell us about John Ringo’s arrival in the early 1700s where he became a reluctant tavern owner, and discuss the legend of his buried treasure. We'll learn about the Sons of Liberty meeting at the tavern of “the second” John Ringo, an ardent patriot who hung a portrait of George Washington outside his establishment (unless the British were passing through!). We’ll swing past the Henry Landis House where the Marquis de LaFayette convalesced after falling ill, and we’ll talk about the local doctor who rushed to his aid. Speaking of doctors, we’ll also tell you all about Dr. Mary Tidd Bennett, the town’s rare 1800s female physician, and we’ll stand beside the home and publishing house of Dr. Cornelius Larison, and discuss this physician, teacher, publisher, author, interviewer of ex-slave Sylvia DuBois and advocate of phonetic spelling. We’ll also learn about the impact of the railroad on the community and what the village looked like a century ago. Join us to learn about the fascinating, historic hamlet.

Reservations are required. Approximately 90 minutes.

Meet at the Clawson House in Ringoes, the home of the East Amwell Historical Society.

Walk limited to 20 people.

WE ARE SORRY BUT THERE IS NO RAIN DATE FOR THIS EVENT.

For ticketing use this link or cut and paste into your url if trouble with the link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walking-tour-of-ringoes-tickets-375365738027


SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8: WALKING TOUR OF MOUNTAINVILLE (TEWKSBURY), 10 AM; RAINDATE SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1PM:  Come hear the history of what was originally known as Bulls Head, where the confluence of 3 streams allowed Mountainville in Tewksbury Township to take advantage of the power of water and where the Potter family became an influential family. We’ll see the former one-room school, the local general store and post office, the hotel, the former Kitchen Caboodle cooking school and the site of a former tannery. Tour led by Tewksbury Township Historian Shaun Van Doren.

Meet at the Tewksbury Historical Society, 60 Water Street (use Lebanon, NJ 08833 for GPS).

Rain Date Sunday, October 9 at 1 pm.

For ticketing use this link or cut and paste into your url if trouble with the link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walking-tour-of-mountainville-tickets-374553257877

OCTOBER 1ST:  WALKING TOUR OF MILFORD, 2pm:  Join us at this beautiful river town.  For many years, people came to Milford to enjoy the fresh country air and view the beautiful river.  Milford's history is rich with the businesses and lives that prospered here and were so influenced by the river, lumber, coal, slate, mills and trains.  Come for a walking tour hosted by Rob Castagna of the Milford Historical for an overview of the history of this historic borough.
For ticketing use this link or cut and paste into your url if trouble with the link:

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16: 👀 "ALL HALLOWS EVE SONGS OF LOVE, DEATH AND THE SUPERNATURAL" - ENCORE PERFORMANCE (SEE READINGTON MUSEUMS BELOW, OCTOBER 2ND):  WE LOVED PARTNERING WITH READINGTON MUSEUMS IN AUGUST SO MUCH WE'RE DOING IT AGAIN!  JOIN US AT BOUMAN-STICKNEY FARMSTEAD, 2 PM. FOR AN ENCORE CONCERT OF HISTORICAL MUSIC PERFORMED BY  Anne and Ridley Enslow:  Balladeers, Ridley and Anne Enslow will perform an All Hallow’s Eve concert at the Bouman-Stickney Farmstead on Sundays, October 2 and 16 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Readington Museums and history partner, www.Hunterdon300th.org will sponsor these events.

In addition to singing, Ridley will be on the violin and Ann on the hammered dulcimer. They will trace the legends, beliefs, and superstitions about Halloween beginning in medieval times through the 18th century and beyond. Halloween as we know it today did not exist before the 1870s. But, the roots of Halloween reach back centuries into our past—to All Hallow’s Eve and ancient holidays and rituals, superstitions, and folklore. Anne and Ridley Enslow bring these ancient mysteries to life with a program of music spanning several centuries.

Each show will be held outdoors. Please bring a chair or blanket. In case of rain, the program will be moved inside the barn on the property. The program is free, but donations are appreciated, and reservations are required. All donations go to benefit Readington Museums.

Please register for either program online through the link on Readington Museums' homepage, www.readingtonmuseums.org, contact the museum by email at readingtonmuseums@gmail.com  or call 908-236-2327. GPS location: 114 Dreahook Road Lebanon NJ.

👀FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28th👻: THE TALE OF THE MURDERER, LITTLE JIM: 7:30 pm:  Sightings of Little Jim around Hunterdon County occurred long after he was hung -- or do they still occur?  Join us for a creepy Halloween tale steeped in folklore but with serious historical documentation.  Stephanie Stevens, retired educator and County Historian Emerita, weaves the true story about a horrific murder, the teenaged murderer, his victim, and the last hanging in Hunterdon County's history.  The murder weapon is owned by the Hunterdon County Historical Society, located just around the corner at 114 Main Street in Flemington, and may be on display that night. This story is a truly creepy historic tale and will be preceded with a true accounting of strange happenings in the Choir School.  Halloween goodies will be provided.  This event is not recommended for children under the age of 8 years old.  

Free but reservations are required.  Limited to 40 big and little people.

Flemington Choir School is located at 3 Chorister place, Flemington Borough.  Park on Main Street or in the public parking lot behind 113 Main Street (near the former Mikasa building).

For ticketing use this link or cut and paste into your url if trouble with the link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-tale-of-the-murderer-little-jim-a-historical-halloween-event-tickets-405872634977

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29 (RAINDATE SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30):  WALKING TOUR OF ROSEMONT CEMETERY:  10 AM TO 11:30 AM: Looking for a story with a good plot? Well, how about a plot with a good story? Join Hunterdon County Historical Society Administrator Dave Harding on a walking tour of Rosemont Cemetery (100 Kingwood-Stockton Road in Rosemont). Dave will share stories about a number of denizens buried there including Captain Daniel Bray (later General), who was among several officers who collected all the boats on the upper Delaware River and hid them from the British troops snapping at the heels of General George Washington in late 1776; Aaron Rittenhouse Lewis, who as a hand-writing expert played a key role in the Lindbergh baby murder trial; Anne Elstner Matthews, a long-time Stockton resident and popular radio star for almost two decades; and Anton Schuck, a master mechanic, who built an automobile that ran on coal.

For ticketing use this link or cut and paste into your url if trouble with the link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/walking-tour-of-rosemont-cemetery-tickets-405867971027

EVENTS FROM OUR FABULOUS HISTORICAL PARTNERS FROM AROUND THE COUNTY!:

NOW THRU SEPTEMBER:LEBANON MUSEUM CELEBRATES FORTY YEARS:  

Join the Lebanon Museum, voted best museum in Hunterdon County, in their celebration of their first forty years. The exhibit runs through September. 57 Musconetcong River Road.  Phone: (908) 638-8523 x405

museum@lebtwp.net

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24 THRU SUNDAY, AUGUST 28: HUNTERDON COUNTY 4-H FAIR:  Come and visit us there in the Community Tent!  We always offer a "fair special" on our merchandise so stop by and say hi!  South County Park, Ringoes.

AUGUST 26 (7 PM) READINGTON MUSEUMS PRESENT GREGORY HERMAN:  GEOLOGY, ARCHEOLOGY, AND INDIAN BURIAL GROUNDS OF CUSHETUNK AND ROUND MOUTAINS: For more information, please visit 

https://www.readingtontwpnj.gov/departments/museums or call 908-236-2327. Free.  Donations appreciated.

The Readington Museums received an operating support re-grant from the Hunterdon County Cultural & Heritage Commission, with funds from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State. 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10:  MUSIC AT THE MILL:  SUMMER CONCERT SERIES AT THE RED MILL MUSEUM:  5:30 PM JOHN STUBY; 7 PM BRASS ILLUSION

The Red Mill Museum Village, 56 Main Street, Clinton, NJ 08809

https://theredmill.org/

OCTOBER 2ND:  READINGTON MUSEUMS PRESENT: ANNE AND RIDLEY ENSLOW PERFORMING ðŸ‘€"ALL HALLOW'S EVE: SONGS OF LOVE, DEATH, AND THE SUPERNATURAL", 2-3 PM: A new musical program by Anne and Ridley Enslow at the Bouman-Stickney Farmstead.  Balladeers, Ridley and Anne Enslow will perform an All Hallow’s Eve concert at the Bouman-Stickney Farmstead on Sundays, October 2 and 16 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Readington Museums and history partner, www.Hunterdon300th.org will sponsor these events.

In addition to singing, Ridley will be on the violin and Ann on the hammered dulcimer. They will trace the legends, beliefs, and superstitions about Halloween beginning in medieval times through the 18th century and beyond. Halloween as we know it today did not exist before the 1870s. But, the roots of Halloween reach back centuries into our past—to All Hallow’s Eve and ancient holidays and rituals, superstitions, and folklore. Anne and Ridley Enslow bring these ancient mysteries to life with a program of music spanning several centuries.

Each show will be held outdoors. Please bring a chair or blanket. In case of rain, the program will be moved inside the barn on the property. The program is free, but donations are appreciated, and reservations are required.

Please register for either program online through the link on our homepage, www.readingtonmuseums.org, contact the museum by email at readingtonmuseums@gmail.com  or call 908-236-2327. GPS location: 114 Dreahook Road Lebanon NJ.

The Readington Museums received an operating support re-grant from the Hunterdon County Cultural & Heritage Commission, with funds from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State.

For more information, please visit 

https://www.readingtontwpnj.gov/departments/museums or call 908-236-2327. Free.  Donations appreciated.

The Readington Museums received an operating support re-grant from the Hunterdon County Cultural & Heritage Commission, with funds from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State. 

Sunday, October 23RD: Lambertville House Tour returns! 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Presented by the Lambertville Historical Society.  For further information visit their website at https://lambertvillehistoricalsociety.org/