Celebrate New Jersey

Save gas as you tour our wonderful state from the comfort of your chair. Experience the famous and not-so-famous people, places, and events of our great little state. Explore our diverse geography: mountains, highlands, rivers, lakes, and seashore. Visit the South, the North, the Central, and little-known places in between. See the many inventions made in New Jersey, including the Band-Aid^®, the bar code, and Bubble Wrap^®. See the largest clock and flag in the world. Follow George Washington as he criss-crossed our state.

Thank you so much for your very interesting and informative program.  It was excellent and we all enjoyed it!  We were happy to have you in Cranbury again and are already looking forward to the next time.
 – With appreciation, Audrey

The Delaware and Raritan Canal

Did you know that for more than 170 years, the Delaware and Raritan Canal has meandered across the narrow waist of New Jersey? Did you know that the D&R was one of our nation’s most successful towpath canals, carrying more tonnage in 1866 than the more famous Erie Canal? Did you know that Johnson & Johnson, Roebling, and Fleischmann’s Distillery all had their start along the D&R? And did you know that the canal provides the people of central New Jersey with both a water supply and a premier recreational facility?

We all really enjoyed your presentation and realized how many hours went into making it.  You are doing a great service to our state. Keep up the good work.
– Christine Williams, president
Jefferson Township Historical Society

The Garden State (Where Ideas Grow):

Band-Aids. Movies. Color television. Bubble Wrap. Bar codes. The modern submarine. What do all  of these things have in common? Give up?

They were all invented in the great state of New Jersey!

New Jersey is truly the land of inventions. M&M’s, solar panels, transistors, flexible film and Graham crackers are but a few of the useful and unique creations from the minds of Garden State residents. Not to mention the 1,093 patents issued to Thomas Alva Edison. Learn about the many inventions and innovations that came from the minds of Garden State people.

Your inventions talk was informative, entertaining, and downright fun!
– Rural Awareness, Inc.

Somerville Through Time

The historic photos of Somerville Through Time provide a glimpse into the life of the village and the people of a century ago and through comparison with modern views, show the growth of the borough. George Washington lived in Somerville for six months during the Middlebrook Cantonment of the American Revolution. At the turn of the last century, Somerville, the county seat, was a very contemporary town. Main Street was an avenue of commerce, lined with stores, services, and entertainment. In 1900 the town boasted three newspapers, a major shopping district, and lots of entertainment. People traveled from neighboring towns on the trolleys, and train service linked Somerville to New York, Trenton, Philadelphia, and more distant points. The municipality was part of Bridgewater Township until 1909, when Somerville became an independent borough. The town celebrated its Centennial in 2009. National Register sites in the borough include the Somerset County Court House; the colonial Wallace House; the Old Dutch Parsonage; St. John’s Episcopal Church and rectory; the Exempt Firemen’s Museum, the Daniel Robert Mansion, now the borough hall, and J. Harper Smith Mansion.

Thank you and Robert for a wonderful program. Somerville has a wonderful and rich history and your passion for this town is contagious. I counted 37 people here.
– Fiona Kennedy, Program Directory, Somerville Public Library

The Millstone Valley Through Time

Driving along the Millstone Valley National Scenic Byway is a trip back into the history of central New Jersey. The villages of East Millstone, Millstone, Blackwells Mills, Griggstown, Rocky Hill, and Kingston offer the visitor a glimpse into the life of the valley as it was and still is today. This north-south corridor in Somerset County is a rare oasis of natural beauty and historic integrity. It offers a glimpse into the past, where rich layers of history—from the earliest Dutch settlement through the Revolutionary War to the canal era—live on. The Millstone Valley is also part of the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area and the East Coast Greenway. As hundreds of people come daily to hike, bike, fish, and canoe in the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park, they discover the beauty of the Millstone. Valley National Scenic Byway. Follow the byway through natural areas, farmland, historic villages, and early industrial sites, linked by the tranquil ribbons of water that give modern New Jerseyans a sense of their 19th-century heritage. Spend a day, an afternoon, or a lifetime, savoring the charm of this unexpected, rural oasis.