 Silly me thought this place would have little books. Nope. It was a breakfast place! Of course! Welcome to Newark Airport.
This is a promise to bring fun, historical content soon! By the way, Newark Airport in New Jersey is 97 years old!! Yet it looks brand spanking new after years of renovations. #writerlife #newarkairportoddities #morecontenttocome #RockSolidHistory
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 #RockSolidHistory from #FrauncesTavern in Manhattan to continue with #PresidentsDay and #GeneralGeorgeWashington.
There is a piece of wood in the tavern’s museum. It seems unimportant at first, until you realize what this tree probably saw during its lifetime. During New Amsterdam and Dutch rule, this little tree was born. The area the tree lived in was called Bowling Green. It was a public gathering place at the southern tip of Manhattan that held a lot of significance. First, it was a meeting place for the Dutch. Then, when the British took over rule, Bowling Green became a parade ground and stately garden. A statue of King George III was also installed. Later, this statue was removed during the American Revolution, led by General George Washington, for army supplies. A note tied to this piece of wood in the museum reads: “This tree stood for over 240 years in what is now known as Bowling Green Park, New York City (opposite the present Customs House) being removed by the Department of Public Parks on October 21, 1919 when it was cut down. The rings of the trunk showed that it was over 200 years old so that it was probably standing during the days of the Dutch occupation of New Amsterdam. Within 200 feet formerly stood the statue of King George Third torn down by the populace and molded into lead bullets for the Continental soldiers in the early days of 1776.” --Edwin Irvine Haines, 41 Broad Street, New York. The army was nothing of not thrifty. And this tree saw a lot! #BowlingGreenHistory #BowlingGreenNYC #FrauncesTavern #FrauncesTavernHistory #oldtreehistory #BowlingGreenTree #NewAmsterdam  #RockSolidHistory from #FrauncesTavern in Manhattan to continue with #PresidentsDay and #BlackHistoryMonth!
The tavern, the oldest building in #NYC and one-time headquarters of the Executive Branch of the newly formed U.S. government, has a museum on its top floors. One exhibit focuses on the Birch Trials. Following the American Revolution, it seems that Black individuals on the island were not allowed to vacate with the British, even if they were Loyalists, or British sympathizers. It is estimated only about 15% of the 3,000 Black individuals caught in this situation were in fact brought by the British and fought for the British. It left these individuals with no place to call home. They were not wanted by the British. They were not wanted by the Americans. What to do? The Birch Trials were then held in 1783, likely in the Long Room. Luckily for some who were slaves owned by Americans, they were granted passage on ships to Nova Scotia, regardless of ownership. In a way, it granted all of these Black people freedom. Their names were inscribed in “The Book of Negroes,” an important way for many to trace their ancestry today, and an important part of Black History in the U.S. Racism and enslavement in America were escaped. Hopefully they led better lives in Nova Scotia. #BirchTrials #BookofNegroes #RevolutionaryWarHistory #FrauncesTavernMuseum #NYCBlackHistory #FrauncesTavern #SamuelBirch #NovaScotiaBlackHistory  #RockSolidHistory from Washington Square Park in Manhattan! Here lies the iconic Washington Square Arch honoring the U.S.A.’s first president George Washington.
Built in 1890 with Tuckahoe marble and Roman designs, it was finished and dedicated on May 4, 1895 to coincide with the anniversary of the inauguration of the first president. The initial arch featured eagles, trophy panels, and spandrel figures of peace, war, fame and prosperity. Two marble statues of Washington were later added in 1916 and 1918. What many may not know is that there is a copper time capsule concealed in the cornerstone. Also, traffic used to go in and around the arch until it was sectioned off into this park. #NYCHistory #WashingtonSquarePark #WashingtonSquare #GeorgeWashingtonStatues #WashingtonSquareArch #NYCParkHistory #GetOutdoorsNYC #RomanArchinNYC #PresidentsDay2026  #RockSolidHistory from #HawthorneNJ and #BlairstownNJ for #Fridaythe13th!
Many of my ardent #followers know that I am a fan of the movie “Friday the 13th” mostly because it was filmed in Blairstown and Hope, NJ. But what you may not know is that a Friday the 13th prequel was partly filmed in my hometown of Hawthorne! I missed the actual filming in the summer, but I did see an empty storefront gussied up for the series, “Crystal Lake.” One of my favorite actresses, Linda Cardellini, will play Pamela Voorhees, the mother of Jason Voorhees. I CAN’T WAIT! Crystal Lake was also filmed in Boonton, Clifton, and Roseland. The series is supposed to be released this year on the Peacock platform. #NJFilmLocations #NJFilmHistory #LindaCardellini #CrystalLake #CrystalLakeSeries #ScaryMovieHistory  #RockSolidHistory and #SavetheDate from Hawthorne, NJ!
Ahead of the official materials from #HawthornePublicSchools, I wanted to let folks know about the 2nd annual Multicultural Night at Hawthorne Hight School on the night of February 25. This night will be a fun exploration of different cultures in Hawthorne. I will personally focus on how our local parks were formed, and continue to be formed, by local culture. The event, geared to elementary students, will also feature dances in the high school’s auditorium. Many presenters bring food, so come with an empty stomach. Doors for the whole event open at 6:00 pm. See you there! #HawthorneMulticulturalNight #HawthorneNJHappenings #HawthorneNJforKids #GetOutdoorsNJ #NorthernNJCulture  #RockSolidHistory and #MovieMonday from Serendipity 3 in Manhattan!
Feel like some hot chocolate? Well, this iconic restaurant, founded in 1954 and stars in the 2001 film “Serendipity,” has hot chocolate for sure. But it is best known for its frozen hot chocolate. Since it was a cold day, I chose the cinnamon bun hot chocolate. Yum. #HistoryisFun #CulinaryHistory #HistoryisTasty #Serendipity3 #FuninManhattan  #RockSolidHistory from #WestMilford, NJ, specifically the #HighlandsTrail!
This multi-state trail runs for 150 miles in New Jersey until it connects to New York in West Milford. According to the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, it “showcases the natural beauty of the Highlands Region and connects local communities with the incredible recreational opportunities in their own backyards.” Not far from where I hiked from Long Pond Iron Works, there is a trail that goes along Monksville Reservoir. It looks to be an old road, perhaps a mining road. However, Monksville used to be a real town, but it is now submerged underwater due to the damming up of the Wanaque River in 1987. Today, this area provides drinking water to half of the residents of New Jersey, so the preservation of this land and this trail is super important. It’s also gorgeous in the cold weather! #GetOutdoorsNJ #WinterHikingNJ #WestMilfordNJ #PassaicCountyNatureGems #PassaicCountyParks #SeePassaicCounty #MonksvilleReservoir #LongPondIronWorks  #RockSolidHistory from #FranklinLakes, NJ!
While we are deep in winter, I want to remind folks that hiking is a lot of fun in the snow! Today I am talking about the Franklin Lakes Preserve, which was renamed the G. Thomas Donch Nature Preserve to honor the former mayor who played a big part in getting this land preserved. The road leading to it was also renamed Russ Schroeder Way to honor the councilman who was also instrumental in creating this lovely park. Both the park’s name changes occurred in October 2024 by the borough of Franklin Lakes. You can walk a wide trail or a smaller reservoir-view trail. Both trails eventually intersect and narrow as they abut High Mountain Road and Ewing Ave. Many water birds, wildlife, and native plants shine along the way. #FranklinLakesPreserve #GThomasDonchNaturePreserve # RussSchroederWay #GetOutdoorsNJ #WinterHikingNJ #FranklinLakesNJ #BergenCountyNatureGems |
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July 2025
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