Programs
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The Hopewell Valley Historical Society regularly sponsors community programs on local history, often in partnership with the Hopewell Museum and the Pennington Library. These programs typically are free and open to the public.
Upcoming:
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Note on Internet Webinars: These upcoming programs are presented as online webinars, typically using the Zoom video conferencing application. You can use Zoom to view these presentations live on a computer, or on a mobile tablet or even a smartphone. (You also can use Zoom for videoconferencing, using a camera with your device to send your own video and audio, but you don't need these features just to view the presentations.) See Using Zoom on the Pennington Library site for more information on setting up Zoom.
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Historic Hopewell Postcard Honoring Carol Meszaros
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April 2021 - The Hopewell Valley Historical Society (HVHS) has joined with the Washington Crossing Card Collectors Club (WC4) to produce a historic postcard celebrating the life of Carol Meszaros for her dedicated service over the past half century as a volunteer and board member for both organizations.
The postcard is from the collection of Bob and Carol Meszaros, and shows the canal bridge in Titusville in c. 1907, with the hand annotation "P.R.R. Station and Canal Bridge, Titusville, N. J." The card is being distributed to the members of the two organizations, and is available for free at multiple locations throughout the Hopewell Valley, including the Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library, the Pennington Public Library, the Hopewell Public Library, Hopewell Borough Hall, and the Titusville Post Office. Please enjoy this snapshot of local history, and feel free to use the postcard to write a note to share with family and friends. |
Carol and Bob Meszaros
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History of the Bottling Industry of Central N. J. - 1840 Through Prohibition
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Wed., May 19, 2021 - 7 pm ET
Internet Webinar via GotoMeeting Registration Required -> Register here (through the Mercer County Library) Note: The MCL uses GoToMeeting for video webinars - see GoToMeeting Installation Instructions (PDF) Jerry Pevahouse will talk about the local bottling and brewing business. This includes the history of local immigration and the contributions of early German and Irish immigrants, then later Italian, Eastern European and Jewish immigrants. Many became prominent local businessmen. Jerry will also discuss the bottling business which evolved over a hundred-year period from a low tech to a high tech industry.
Artist, photographer, and collector Jerry Pevahouse ran a computer consulting company, Cranbury Micro Support, Inc. of Cranbury, NJ from 1990 until 2018. Jerry was a Museum curator for the Cranbury Historical Society, and researched Cranbury’s Civil War history which is now part of the N. J. State Archives reference collection. He is a long-time collector of antique bottles, and has comprehensively researched the history of the bottling industry of Trenton, N. J. Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society and The Hopewell Museum with the Hopewell Branch of the Mercer County Library. |
Jerry Pevahouse
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The Mercer & Somerset Story - and the Frog War
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Wed., May 26, 2021 - 7 pm ET
Internet Webinar via Zoom Registration Required -> Register here (through the Pennington Public Library) John Kilbride will present the history and legacy of the Mercer & Somerset Railroad, an obscure, rural, central New Jersey line that became famous not for its trains, but for its fate as a Pennsylvania Railroad proxy in the 1876 “Frog War.” John will cover the history of the line, its role in the Hopewell skirmish, and its decline and abandonment in 1881.
Although the M&S was abandoned more than a century and a quarter ago, John will show examples of numerous portions of its right of way through the Hopewell Valley, and several surviving structures which remain as its legacy. Now retired from a 34-year (Amtrak) railroad career, John Kilbride is the moderator of the Camden & Amboy Railroad Historians and Railroads of Trenton Facebook groups, and has been studying the C&A since moving to New Jersey in 1979. Kilbride remains interested in historical research and writing on railroad topics, including a just-published article on a unique passenger train for a national publication, and contributing several photos to a Midwest railroad-themed book. Presently, he has started research on a book focusing on the electrification of the Long Island Railroad, and another on N. J.'s Camden & Amboy (C&A) Railroad. He is also involved with the “Save The (Princeton) Dinky” group, and advising local historians on specific historical aspects of both the C&A and the Pennsylvania Railroad in New Jersey. A frequent speaker in the Tri-State area, Kilbride is able to provide programs on a variety of railroad topics, from the C&A up to more contemporary themes. He seeks to travel by train whenever possible!!! This event is part of Hopewell Valley Heritage Week, May 22 - 31, 2021, celebrating the rich heritage of the Hopewell Valley with a full week of events. Co-sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, The Hopewell Museum, the Hopewell Public Library, and the Pennington Public Library. |
The Daily Graphic, New York, Mon., Jan. 10, 1876, courtesy New York Public Library
John Kilbride
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