When it's all said and done history begins at home...

Well just some final muse before I head for Virginia and vacation at Kings Dominion. I have spent the last 6 years working in local history. Be it research or lectures or just small meetings this has become a staple in my life, I cannot imagine life without it. My daughter Shannon has just completed her youth history. I can remember her birth in 1984 and the stress of being a preemie. Her mother waking me at 3AM just having to see her while she rested in the hospital. She was a mild baby, calm and laid back, at six months we had her in Little Italy having dinner practically under Gotti's house, she was so happy. As a toddler she smiled a lot and I loved seeing her spend time with Clara and then Rachael. She always seemed a little wise for her years which gave me a lot of respect for her even as a preteen. She ALWAYS loved music something we share to this day. Looking back I realize she just held her troubles and dealt with them in her own way, I do wish I could have been more helpful with that. As a high school student she soldier through and even in tough situations she held her self together better than many adults twice her age can do. But when I think of Shannon I think music. Instruments, vocals, plays she shined in all of that and took it right with her to college. Her Freshman year was a nightmare having to live alone in a house with no housing available at Monmouth University. She soldiered through again. 5 years of college life with not much love for the students at the school and few friends she graduated, with honors, with a degree in Special Education and Music. Presenting a recital I will never forget for the rest of my life. Yesterday the road came full circle as she received the call she was being hired in East Brunswick as a special ed teacher. You see Shannon is modest and sometimes unsure, but she needs not be. She carried herself with poise and style. She is mature, caring and honest. When she walks into a room she can light it up without effort. She told me she was nervous with so much to do and learn. There is no need for her to be nervous, she is confident and poised, I just need her to see it in herself. Shannon has become everything you can ask in your child, but so much more. She has it all, she just needs to allow herself to see it. Am I bragging? No I tell it like it is. She completed this part of her life I only helped along the way. She will exceed her own expectations and I'll be watching and crying and proud as she does. This child is special and I want the world to know it, we were blessed to have someone like her as a daughter. GO GET EM GURL!

Sometimes things just work out

Much to my delight I received a call from the Cultural and Heritage Commission offering a replacement headstone or even a restoration of the old one. Thomas Titus must be smiling down from the heavens with news like this coming from no where. 9/12 is the date we meet and view the old stone and discuss what to do. I have given this a lot of thought and I have decided I want it all. Since South Brunswick will never pony up any cash for this project I have decided to make a request of my own. I will request a new stone made for his grave and the old one set up right by a iron smith. Once the old one is up and sturdy I want it to be donated to the Cornelius Low house with a sign explaining the history story and where it came from. That way it will be safe for the future and the one on the farm will have a long life. That's what I always wanted so I will ask for this maybe receiving this piece of history will make them receptive to the idea I can only wait and see. Imagine in June I convinced myself to take a what and see attitude and then this happens. HAVE MERCY.....

Holy PULDA Batman

I went out today to see where a possible site for a cemetery of the Buckelews may be. The description lead me to Old Georges Rd in North Brunswick. I drove up first but I found a older gentleman cutting the grass so I opted for a walk up. As I walked the rows of corn I got that good feeling I have not had in a while. The feeling of discovering something new. I really need that ever once and a while to recharge my batteries. So as I walked up the dirt driveway I felt that battery charge hitting me in each step I took. Finally I stopped and he shut off the John Deere. "Hi my name is James and I am a local historian looking for a family plot on this land". Then it hit me square between the eyes, PULDA, it was on the mailbox across the street. This was owned by Toll Brothers it was owned by the Morris Company. There I was back in the Morris saddle again. Gus was very friendly and explained to me Mr. Morris likes for him to continue the upkeep of the farm since the elder Mr. Pulda is primarily incapacitated. He also mentioned the daughters of the other Pulda brother cut him off from Mr. Pulda. He had worked for him and cared for him for many years. One day they moved him to a new nursing home and cut Gus out completely. He had been visiting every Sunday for years. I thanked him and walked onto the property with his blessing. Lord knows I did mention EVA (HAHAHAH). The home stands with everything in tack looks like he will walk home any day. Has a lot of barns, coops, corn crib, outhouses and other structures. A long walk path covered in concord grape vines, I loved that. It's old but still charming, I'll hate to see it go but things look in bad condition once you looked closely. The area where the cemetery may lay, if it is really there, is covered in brush, fruit trees and weeds. There is no way in the world I will be able to examine it till winter when all the growth dies out. It is a daunting task to cover all that overgrown area but I can imagine a cemetery buried in there so deep no knows it is there. How will History Man cut the brush? Will he encounter the evil Morris in his journey? Are there lost souls calling out to him? Stay tuned for this and other questions to be answered, same bat time same bat channel!

Bethel reclaims itself

Well Monroe has a problem on it's hands now. Word is some artifacts have shown up at the site of the new high school. If they are from the historic village building will not happen on this land. I do feel for the township in that I'm sure they felt this was a perfect location and I don't believe anyone except for Rich Walling was sure anything would be found out there. The history gods sure have a strange way of showing themselves but it must be respected. I hope that all parties involved can find a way to work through this whole mess, kind of glad I am not in this one it could get really ugly... :-)

Into the woods

Finally a new search for me to embark upon:

April 3 1795 Will of John Burkerlew Middlesex County NJ-

her husbands "Negro man" Pompey was to become the property of wife Mary Buckerlew. If Pompey lived to become unfit for service he was to live with any of John's sons, and all of the sons were to contribute equally towards maintaining Pompey while he lived"

Now I need to find the cemetery this family is buried in. Pompey's burial site as well. Worse yet this find may be the only thing to save the house from destruction. I love a challenge and yes I'll bet that cemetery is still out there somewhere covered up and forgotten. All I need is a address and off I go. YEEEEEEE HAAAAA!!!!!!!

Tough summer to rest your mind

The news has become a three ring circus. Vick dog fighting, dumb-a%#. Hurricane Dean. Merv Griffin, Mrs Astor and Leona Helmsley in one week? For the record Mrs. Astor was the last true lady of a long gone era. A New York treasure who spent her life and millions giving to people in need. God bless you my lady :-) Buildings still burning near ground zero yikes. Bridges falling. What the heck is going on? I'll become a hermit if this keeps up!

Victory in Dayton

Looks like the present danger has been avoided in Dayton. No warehouse at this point. It is a pleasure to see one refused after so many have been built. Now we can only wait and see if they pull "a Morris' and come up with some other madcap idea for the land. Guess the council decided those voting seniors would let it be known how they felt at the polls!!! Good show!

Sadness abounds

Lately I have not been up to the blog. Twister in Brooklyn, bridge collapse in Minnesota, senseless executions in Newark have left me flat. My exercise has been increasing, my health improving yet I feel sad so much lately. All of these incidents make it hard to enjoy the summer. When this streak of craziness subsides I'll be ready to talk again.

Tough times in the east

What terrible storms today even a possible 2 twisters in Brooklyn. This is oddly violent weather for these parts. I hope it calms down for a while. I saw row houses with roofs torn off. I hope nothing historic was effected there are many historic buildings throughout Brooklyn. Let's hope for the best...

The EVA message is spreading

Well well well. For two years the EVA has been kicking and screaming about warehouses in South Brunswick's eastern side. Today an email pops up into my inbox suggesting Dayton citizens start to unite in order to stop warehouses coming into OUR side of town. Well there's a fine how do you do for you. People just sat by and watched it happen when EVA was fighting. Hardly anyone from other sections even moved when told about the history of the farm. It takes a warehouse in YOUR backyard to ignite some passion. I am proud to have been in this fight when it was raging in the eastern village and I will be involved when it rages in my town of Dayton, heck pretty soon we will have warehouses coming into all 5 of our villages and then everyone will want to join the fight. This must be the true meaning of not in my backyard!

Here is a sample (Yea Baby..Yea!)

"Some of our members helped to create Friends of Southern Middlesex County in order to fight the construction of warehouses near residential areas. Below is information that they are sending about the proposed construction. If you live near Friendship Road, Wetherill, Debra Drive, and Hay press, please read as this immediately impacts you. "

Here is more! Careful James the excitement is running over!

Warehouse Sprawl Effects Us All

"More than 75 residents from the Dayton area of South Brunswick have joined together to form the “Friends of Southern Middlesex County.” This group was formed in response to the last minute notification that the Matrix Development Corporation had submitted a proposal to build a 744,000 sq. ft warehouse on the corner of Route 130 and Friendship Road, as well as three additional warehouse complexes further down Friendship Road. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Matrix planned to build additional complexes south of Friendship Road, a Fed Ex Distribution Center on Stults Road, along with additional warehouses in that vicinity.

The Friends of Southern Middlesex County oppose the “building out of South Brunswick with warehouses” because of the negative impact it will have on quality of life in their immediate neighborhood, as well as the significant negative impact it will have on all of the citizens in South Brunswick and the surrounding areas."

"This is like Deja Vu, all over again!"
Yogi Berra

Horror in Minnesota

My heart goes out to all those touched in Minnesota what a horrific event...

It's a lonely world out there

I read a very sad story in the paper today about a man living alone in central NJ. His neighbors thought he had fallen so the EMS came to check on him. Once in the house they found it covered in urine and feces from a huge array of cats. The animals were moved and the poor mans house had to be condemned. How lonely this man must have been and most likely had no one to care about him. When I see people being so rude and nasty as they seem so much to be these days, I want to tell them to have some kindness and take it easy. I do not want to end up like that man, that means you have to keep people in your life that care about you and your well being. That takes some kindness from time to time. If I could only bottle it and make people drink. O well that's what dreams are for.