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Train Accident, 1929 | Dunellen Past Present

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Train accident involving a passenger train and freight train when there was a train roundhouse near Art Color, December 31,1929. “Train Wrecks from the Movietone Outtakes Collection”

Phil Mulligan commented regarding this accident on Railway Preservation News: “A Reading freight train and a CNJ passenger train at Dunellen NJ on the CNJ. That was four track territory on the CNJ and Jersey City – Philadelphia trains (freight and passenger) ran on a pool basis based on mileage, about two Reading to one Central. B&O Royal Blue service also used these tracks. Today this is on NJT’s Raritan Valley Line. Continue Reading →

Filed under: History

Industries of New Jersey: Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties by Richards Edwards

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Dunellen may have officially become a town in 1887 but it was already being mentioned in books back in 1882. Below are a few pages from the “Industries of New Jersey: Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties” book by Richards Edwards. It’s available as a downloadable .pdf. “Like all the villages in this portion of the State, Dunellen is growing gradually in trade and number of inhabitants. The village is located on the Central Railroad of New Jersey, twenty-seven miles from New York city, three west of Plainfield, and four east of Bound Brook. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Dunellen, History

3rd Annual Middlesex County History Day May 21

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Middlesex County History Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 21. History lovers of all ages are invited to East Jersey Old Town Village, 1050 River Rd. in Piscataway, for a site-wide celebration. Historical craft demonstrations will include blacksmithing, open-pit cooking, chair caning, furniture making, antique clocks and more. A professional antique appraiser will be on hand to look over your treasurers. Continue Reading →

Filed under: History, Middlesex County

Middlesex County to Hold Program about WWI

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The Middlesex County Office of Culture and Heritage (MCOCH) is sponsoring “New Jersey and the Great War,” a lecture on New Jersey’s role in World War I.

A part of the MCOCH’s event series honoring the WWI Centennial, this free program is scheduled for Sunday, April 9, at the Indian Queen Tavern in East Jersey Old Town Village, 1050 River Road in Piscataway. Two sessions will be held: 1 and 3 p.m.

The First World War, also known as the Great War, lasted from July 28, 1914, to November 11, 1918, with the United States officially entering the war on April 6, 1917. Joe Bilby, Assistant Curator of the New Jersey National Guard and Militia Museum in Sea Girt, will give an overview of the events leading up to the war, the war in Europe and the impact of the conflict on New Jersey and local communities. Registration is required for either the 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. session. Call (732) 745-3030, ext. Continue Reading →

Filed under: History, Middlesex County

Middlesex County to Hold Talk on 1918 Influenza Pandemic

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The Middlesex County Office of Culture and Heritage will be presenting the second installment in its series of events marking the centennial of World War I. This special presentation will focus on how New Jersey was impacted by an important event that coincided with the First World War, the 1918 Influenza Pandemic. This free program is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, April 30 at East Jersey Old Town Village, 1050 River Road in Piscataway. This outbreak was one of the most severe of the 20th Century. Educator Jennifer Harmsen will examine the impact the pandemic left on New Jersey and the response by local communities. “As Americans, it is important for all of us to understand how historic events like WWI and the Influenza Pandemic still shape our lives today,” said Middlesex County Freeholder Director Ronald G. Rios. Continue Reading →

Filed under: History, Middlesex County

Middlesex County Seeking WWI Memorabilia

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The Middlesex County Office of Culture and Heritage is seeking objects to display in its upcoming exhibit at the Cornelius Low House commemorating the centennial of America’s entry in World War I.

The exhibit titled “Over There, Over Here: New Jersey During World War I” will focus on the stories of New Jerseyans and the effect the war had on those at home and fighting abroad. To add an even greater local connection to the exhibit, the Culture and Heritage Office is seeking objects for display. Objects may include military uniforms, medals, diaries, historic photographs, Red Cross or Salvation Army memorabilia, paper items, household objects and more. If you have objects you would like to loan, please contact Katie Zavoski, Senior Curator, at 732-745-4177 or email photographs of the items to katie.zavoski@co.middlesex.nj.us. Please reach out to museum staff before dropping anything off at the museum, located at 1225 River Road in Piscataway. Continue Reading →

Filed under: History, Middlesex County

Archaeology Open House at Piscatawaytown Settlement

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Old map showing Native American sites in Midelsex, Somerset and Union Counties.

The Middlesex County Office of Cultural and Heritage, in partnership with the Archaeological Society of New Jersey, will hold a unique public archaeology event at one of the earliest English settlement sites in Middlesex County. This excavation will be held at the areas surrounding the Piscatawaytown Burial Ground and St. James Episcopal Church located at 2316 Woodbridge Ave. in Edison. The two consecutive dates for the “rain or shine” event are Saturday, Sept. Continue Reading →

Filed under: History, Nearby, history

Local Lenni-Lenape Sites Mentioned in 1915 Survey Article

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The Treaty of Penn with the Indians by Benjamin West.

Years ago, the Dunellen area was not covered by roadways and mini-malls. Instead, the Lenni-Lenape hunted its forests and cultivated its land. However, by the 18th century, most of those surviving disease and intertribal conflict had been pushed out of their homelands and moved west, first to Ohio and then to Oklahoma. (Information on the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribe whose headquarters is in Bridgeton, Cumberland County can be found on its website). An article in the 1915 Geological Survey of New Jersey, “Indian Remains near Plainfield, Union County, and along the Lower Delaware Valley by Leslie Spier,” mentions Lenni-Lenape sites that had been identified a century ago. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Dunellen, History, Middlesex County, lenni-lenape, native american

Middlesex County History Day, May 31

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History lovers of all ages are invited to East Jersey Olde Towne Village for a site-wide celebration filled with demonstrations, performances, and other family-friendly activities. The first Middlesex County History Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 31. Olde Towne Village is located inside Johnson Park at 1050 River Road in Piscataway. Demonstrations will include blacksmithing, wool carding, yarn spinning, weaving, chair caning, antique clocks, furniture making and 19th century decorative painting techniques. The Local History Tent will feature exhibits and displays that will be brought to life by the members of 20 historical societies and groups including the Dunellen Historical Society. Continue Reading →

Filed under: Dunellen, Events, History, Middlesex County, Nearby, history, Middlesex County

Diner Exhibit Gallery Talk at Lowe House

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A special open house and evening meet and greet with museum staff and guest curator Michael Gabriele will be held on May 21, 7pm at the Cornelius Low House/Middlesex County Museum. This is a unique opportunity to view the museum’s current exhibit “Icons of American Culture: History of New Jersey Diners” with those that helped bring the exhibit together. Copies of Mr. Gabriele’s book “The History of Diners in New Jersey” will be available for purchase and signing. Light Refreshments will be served. The museum is located at 1225 River Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854 Continue Reading →

Filed under: Events, History, Middlesex County