Hopewell Valley History Project
Preserving Our History
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
It’s Hopewell Borough’s annual Town-Wide Yard Sale weekend, Saturday and Sunday, June 11 & 12. So as you clear out the attic and browse the sales – this weekend and this summer – please be on the lookout for historic artifacts that we can preserve and share here on the History Project site. Here are … Continue reading Yard Sailing for Local History
This Memorial Day weekend, Hopewell Valley American Legion Post 339 will conduct cemetery and monument services on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at multiple locations in Hopewell Township, Hopewell Borough, and Pennington Borough, respectively (i.e., in the mornings before the borough parades). The Hopewell Valley Veterans Association (HVVA) also will conduct an observance at the Veterans … Continue reading Memorial Day Weekend Veterans Services 2022
The March updates to the History Project featured three videos showing Hopewell parades in 1946, 1947, and 1948. The major new documents are transcribed versions of two special issues of the Hopewell Herald – the 1900 Souvenir Edition and the 1914 Progress Edition – now fully readable and searchable. There also are some fun photos … Continue reading March 2022 Update – Parade Videos
Over the past couple of years we’ve collected and shared an extensive variety of materials covering the history of the Hopewell Valley – documents and pamphlets, maps and aerials, photos and postcards, and more. So now it’s time to add videos! The new Video Gallery is starting out with a collection of links to videos … Continue reading New Hopewell History Video Gallery
It’s difficult to imagine life in Hopewell Township in 1880 – almost century and a half ago. It was an exciting time, since two train lines had been recently built though the township, accelerating the growth of the region. (See the Hopewell Railroads post.) We are blessed with some maps of the area, including details … Continue reading The Villages of Hopewell Township in 1883
The October updates on the Hopewell Valley History Project site focused on the local Hopewell and Pennington train stations, including a trove of over 40 historical photos by Ralph Curcio. Other posts showed examples of how to use historical maps to learn about local properties, such as the additions to St. Michael’s and Weart’s Market … Continue reading October 2021 Update – Train Stations
History is not only about facts, but also about understanding people and their stories, including their lives, organizations, businesses, and towns. And sometimes our predecessors leave us a window into how they see their lives. One unexpected example of this is The Industrial Directory of New Jersey, which was printed by the N. J. Bureau … Continue reading Hopewell Valley Towns in the Early 1900s
How can you begin to investigate the history of your house, or street, or town? When were the buildings built and expanded, and how did the streets develop over time? The best way to get a quick sense of how our towns changed and developed is to look at the maps. And we are blessed … Continue reading Investigating History in Hopewell Maps
The Hopewell Valley is blessed with some wonderful and impressive (and solid) brick buildings. But where did all those bricks came from, especially for construction around 1900, with delivery by horse and wagon? It turns out that the Hopewell Valley area did have some local brickyards, including near Lambertville and in Hopewell Borough. We can … Continue reading Hopewell Valley Brickyards
