Hopewell Valley History Project
Preserving Our History
Could you pass the written test for a New Jersey driver’s license? How about the test from 1932 – ninety-some years ago? This small 12-page brochure from around 1932 can help – “Questions and Answers Upon the Motor Vehicle Laws.” It has 120 questions – and answers – including the driving laws and rules, plus … Continue reading 1932 N. J. Driver’s Test Brochure
The July 2024 updates to the History Project include 1960s vintage road maps showing changes to the local road network, railroad timetables from 1945 to 1978 illustrating the decline of service from the 1940s, plus more on the St. Michael’s Orphanage, school, and cemetery. (See Site Updates for more.) By the numbers, we finished the … Continue reading July 2024 Update – Road Maps, Train Schedules, and St Michael’s
So what changed in the Hopewell Valley landscape in the 1960s? One answer comes from comparing these 1962 and 1972 Hopewell Township road maps that continue the story of the development of the Hopewell Valley road network (see links below). Much of the Valley is still shown as open land, but these maps also show … Continue reading Hopewell Valley Changes – 1962 & 1972 Road Maps
The June 2024 updates to the History Project focused on the Straube Center and the Cointreau Distillery in Pennington, plus more on the St. Michael’s Orphanage farm, the Hopewell Township Police 50th, and tips on using the History Project resources to explore Hopewell Valley. (See Site Updates for more.) By the numbers, we finished the … Continue reading June 2024 Update – Cointreau and the Straube Center
The Hopewell Township Police Department is celebrating its 50th anniversary (1994-2024) as a full-time police department this summer – and has kindly shared the 50th Anniversary Brochure plus department patches and other materials to memorialize the event. The department was started as a part-time operation in the 1920’s or early 1930’s. The full-time department then … Continue reading Hopewell Township Police – 50th Anniversary Brochure
This is a fun collection of material from the Cointreau distillery that operated in Pennington from 1942 through 1967. These include colorful liqueur labels, collections of mini-bottles, and photos including a 1960s staff photo with names. These are all thanks to the Jamieson family, whose grandparents lived next to the Cointreau plant and worked there. … Continue reading The Cointreau Distillery at the Straube Center
The May 2024 updates to the History Project focused on the St. Michael’s Orphanage presentation and videos and images of local Memorial Day activities. (See Site Updates for more.) By the numbers, we finished the month with 323 files in the Archives, including 161 documents and 162 maps and aerials. The Image Gallery now has … Continue reading May 2024 Update – St. Michael’s Presentation
History, Presentation Video, Media, and References St. Michael’s was a major local institution that operated just outside of Hopewell Borough for three quarters of a century (1898 to 1973), to provide support and education for abandoned and neglected children. St. Michael’s was home over the years to thousands of children, over a hundred Sisters of … Continue reading St. Michael’s Orphanage
The April updates to the History Project featured information on Pennington Bicentennial quilts, and new research on St. Michael’s Orphanage. (See Site Updates for more.) By the numbers, we finished the month with 322 files in the Archives, including 160 documents and 162 maps and aerials. The Image Gallery now has 4145 files, and the … Continue reading April 2024 Update – Bicentennial Quilts
As we look forward to the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States, we also are looking back 50 years to the 1976 Bicentennial, and the local quilts that were created to celebrate that event and other related historical anniversaries. (Yes, the 250th also is called the Semiquincentennial – as in half of five times … Continue reading Pennington Bicentennial Quilts
