Hopewell Valley History Project
Preserving Our History
In the recent post about Hopewell School Mascots, we discussed the interesting names of some of our local schools, including Toll Gate (named for the gatekeeper of the toll road) and Bear Tavern (named for a revolutionary-era drinking establishment). But where did the “Timberlane” name came from? Nicole Gianfredi, principal of Timberlane Middle School, kindly … Continue reading The Timberlane School Name
Can you imagine what it would be like in the late 1890s to have local telephone service become available in your town? Now you could call around town to chat with friends or for shopping, and in emergencies you could summon a doctor or report a fire. And soon thereafter you could call to farms … Continue reading Early Telephone Service – 1908 Phone Book
The January updates to the History Project featured Hopewell school mascots, plus historic photos of “railroad trains and flooded bridges.” (See Site Updates for more.) By the numbers, we finished the month with 290 files in the Archives, including 143 documents and 147 maps and aerials. The Image Gallery now has 3195 files, and the … Continue reading January 2023 Update – School Mascots
Bulldogs, Timber Wolves, Bears, Frogs, All-Stars, and Alligators, oh my! These are the mascots of the schools of our Hopewell Valley Regional School District. Some of the schools use official logos that pretty much ignore the mascots, like Bear Tavern and Toll Gate, while others like Central High and Timberlane and Hopewell go all-in on … Continue reading Hopewell School Mascots – and the Frog
Here are two pairs of images of local scenes of railroad trains and flooded bridges, thanks to family photos from two kind contributors. The first pair show a “Bel-Del” Railroad train near Titusville in the 1940s – and the Washington Crossing bridge during the 1955 flood. The second pair shows a Reading Railroad train at … Continue reading Railroad Trains and Flooded Bridges
by Douglas Dixon Here are some of the highlights of the 2022 additions to the History Project site, with links to more information, plus associated documents, maps, photos, and videos. The purpose of the Hopewell Valley History Project is assemble an archive of reference material in local history, shared online in digital and searchable formats … Continue reading Hopewell History Project – 2022 Highlights
The December updates to the History Project featured the Hopewell Creamery, plus a variety of other historic photographs. (See Site Updates for more.) By the numbers, we finished the month with 289 files in the Archives, including 142 documents and 147 maps and aerials. The Image Gallery now has 3187 files, and the Panoramas Collection … Continue reading December 2022 Update – Hopewell Creamery
Happy New Year! In the spirit of the holiday, here are some Hopewell Valley artifacts related to celebrations, including fluid intake and recovery from the same. These span the 1920s into the 1970s, and include organizations and businesses that are still operating today, including the Hopewell Pharmacy and the American Legion. (This is also a … Continue reading Hopewell New Year’s Artifacts
Here are some amazing artifacts of the early railroad service in the Hopewell Valley, courtesy of Rich Anderson and family. And they raise interesting questions … The first railroad to arrive in the area was the Mercer and Somerset (M&S), which started service in 1874 as part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system. The Delaware and … Continue reading Hopewell Valley Railroad Artifacts
Presented by Douglas Dixon, Hopewell Valley History Project Thurs., Oct. 27, 2022 – 7 pm Hopewell Train Station, Railroad Place, Hopewell, NJ Sourland Conservancy Train Station Series Advance registration is required as space is limited – Click Here Join Doug Dixon of the Hopewell Valley History Project to explore how the arrival of train service … Continue reading Now Boarding: Life in 1900s Hopewell With the Arrival of the Railroad
