North Jersey History & Genealogy Center

A department of the Morristown & Morris Township Library; the North Jersey History & Genealogy Center collects the stories and records of the region's families, businesses, and communities.

[njhgc]

The July 10, 1926 explosion at Picatinny Arsenal is one of Morris County New Jersey’s worst disasters.

Shortly after 5pm on Saturday July 10, 1926, a lightning strike ignited a fire at one of the buildings holding the 2.5 million pounds of TNT stored at Picatinny Arsenal; the resulting detonation released an amount of energy equivalent to 1/10th the blast of the first atomic bomb.

Craters measuring up to twenty-five feet deep marked the sites where munitions left over from World War I were stored; enough to supply the United States military for one additional year of fighting.

Among the nineteen dead were one Army officer, three Navy officers, one Marine Corps officer, one Navy enlisted man, 11 enlisted Marines, and two civilian women. Included in the military casualties were several men who rushed to extinguish the initial fire and were caught in the first blast. Others who died included those living in civilian housing nearby; had the disaster occurred on a workday, hundreds more would have likely perished.

The force of the explosions obliterated everything within a half-mile of the lightning strike, and every building on the base was either demolished or badly damaged. Property damage on the base alone exceeded $1.2 million (over $22million in 2025 dollars). Hundreds of individuals from nearby towns were left homeless, with many seeking shelter in nearby Morristown.

Survivors initially sought shelter at the Armory (the former Morristown Library and Lyceum) where friends and relatives searched for victims. By July 12th, the United States Hotel became the headquarters for coordinating disaster relief work and was one of the primary shelters for the injured and displaced.

The Red Cross took charge of relief efforts and found beds for additional refugees in nearby churches, the American Legion Hall, and Market Street Mission. Local women stepped in to assist physicians in caring for the injured. Newspaper coverage of the day credited the generosity and selflessness of Morristown residents who volunteered their time, money, and homes to aid those impacted by the disaster.

Extinguishing the fires took days, with debris and live rounds creating their own hazards. Despite the devastation, community members and base personnel were overwhelmingly in favor of rebuilding the facility. The 1926 Picatinny disaster, although tragic, led to important safety reforms concerning the proper storage of munitions, lessons that continue to safeguard facilities across the nation today.

[njhgc]

Ford Mansion: Witness to the American Revolution

The site where General George Washington led the Continental Army through one of the darkest periods of the Revolutionary War was nearly demolished. Instead it became our first National Historic Park and has been preserved to tell the stories of all those who lived and worked there during and after the War.

In the days leading up to a special 250th anniversary reading of the Declaration of Independence at Morristown National Historic Park, we prepared a short history of Ford Mansion, its role in the War for Independence, and how it was preserved to tell the story of those who lived and worked there.

[njhgc]

400 years ago this month, the Dutch West India Company negotiated to purchase Manhattan from the indigenous Lenape. Differing concepts of land ownership aside, it began the era of permanent European settlement on the island.

This 1835 map by William Chapin is one of many depicting historical New York City from our collections.

[njhgc]

When the town of Morris Plains was incorporated 100 years ago, the railroad played a significant role in its growth from a farming community to residential enclave.

This 1915 photo documents construction undertaken by the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Whippany Railroad using a large steam shovel. Two workmen can be seen in the cab preparing to load excavated material into waiting rail cars.

This is one of several photographs depicting historic Morris Plains from the History Center's photograph collection; Many have been scanned and can be found in our online collections.

[njhgc]

Happy 100th, Morris Plains!

Morris Plains NJ was incorporated 100 years ago, following an April 15, 1926 referendum separating it from Hanover Township. Small farms and mills dotted the village during the 1700s, and after the railroad was extended from Morristown in 1848, the town grew rapidly.

Among its many businesses was the George Washington Coffee Co on Hanover Avenue, shown in this 1932 print from our historic photo collections.

The eponymous company was founded in Brooklyn in 1910 and moved to Morris Plains in 1927; it is best known for developing the first mass-produced instant coffee brand.

[njhgc]

Presidents' Day's connection to Morristown NJ

General Washington spent two winters in Morristown, New Jersey during the Revolutionary War. This statue of George Washington, whose birthday is commemorated as Presidents' Day, was unveiled in 1928 at the Morristown National Historic Park, located on the site of his military headquarters at Ford Mansion.

The second photo depicts sculptor Frederick C. Roth, donor Ella Mabel Clark, and Dr. Henry N. Dodge who gave the land for the site's location, on the day of its dedication, Oct 19, 1928.

[njhgc]

Happy Valentine's Day from the History Center! This is one of several mechanical greeting cards from our collections that date back to about 1900.

[njhgc]

Riding the Rock-A-Bye-Baby railroad

The Rockaway Valley Railroad spanned twenty-five miles from White House, New Jersey to Morristown and it operated between 1888 and 1913. The line was primarily built to deliver peach harvests to market from Morris County orchards located near the southern terminus. At peak harvest season, the Railroad shipped as many as seventy carloads of peaches per day.

The railroad’s designer lacked formal civil engineering training and chose to route the line through severe grade changes and curves that led some locals to refer to it as the “Rock-a-Bye-Baby”. Nevertheless, the line served a genuine need for the region’s farmers and the company endeared itself to residents by offering excursions from Morristown to the countryside and providing school children a shortcut on their walk to and from school.

A peach blight in 1904 killed many of the region’s peach trees and subsequent attempts to revamp the railroad’s business model were unsuccessful. By 1913, the business struggled to meet payroll and its final trip concluded on October 18, 1913. Morris County hikers can still traverse portions of the original RVRR route along stretches of Patriot’s Path near Morristown and the Rockabye Meadow Preserve in Peapack Gladstone.

The History Center recently preserved a small group of the railroad's surviving records. A finding aid to the collection, including additional detail's on the company's founding and legacy, can be found here.

[njhgc]

This hand-drawn illustration depicts a section of farmland that in 1855 became Evergreen Cemetery in Morristown New Jersey. With its majestic view of Mount Washington, and the town center less than a mile away, the land was seen by its founders as an ideal location for both the town's deceased, as well as for the living to enjoy nature in quiet contemplation.

Read more about Evergreen's 170-year-old history here.

[njhgc]

The first edition of Morristown New Jersey's Daily Record newspaper was published 125 years ago by the husband and wife team of Ernest and Mary Tomlinson. When the Trenton-based journalists first proposed creating a daily newspaper, they were warned that the area would only support a weekly publication.

Nevertheless, the Daily Record quickly turned a profit and the small operation soon moved from it's small wood-frame home into the larger stone building capable of producing 4,000 papers a day. Four generations of Tomlinson's kept Morris County residents informed of local news and events before selling the successful newspaper in 1989.

[njhgc]

On this day in 1860, Rev William McNulty, who was the chaplain of St. Elizabeth's Convent, oversaw the construction of St. Joseph's Church in Mendham to serve the needs of the area's Catholic residents.

This souvenir booklet from the History Center's collection was produced in 1920 to celebrate the Church's sixtieth anniversary, and it includes photographs of the building's distinctive Carpenter Gothic architectural elements.

[njhgc]

Today is V-E Day

On May 8, 1945, President Truman declared Victory in Europe Day as Nazi Germany unconditionally surrendered to Allied forces. Acknowledging the sacrifices made by those in service, Truman noted that "This is a solemn but a glorious hour."

The Daily Record newspaper described the mood in Morristown, New Jersey as one of subdued gratitude and reverence, in part because of ongoing hostilities with Japan but also the losses suffered by all who made victory possible. Church bells rang in town and held services of thanks and remembrance, and city leaders urged taverns to close for one hour out of respect, while schools sent students home for the day.

As if to reinforce the mixed emotions of the day, a map illustrating the rise and fall of Hitler's regime was situated beside the newspaper's daily Casualty List of local servicemen, with the subheadings: Killed, Missing, Prisoner, Wounded. One asterisk hopefully corrected: "Once listed as missing now safe."

[njhgc]

The first National Historic Park

America survived here! Every year in May, historical organizations celebrate Preservation Month to promote historic places and draw attention to how they benefit their communities.

The Morristown National Historic Park was the site of General Washington's 1779 winter encampment where the Continental Army survived one of the coldest winters on record to continue their fight against British forces. Ford Mansion and nearby Jockey Hollow were preserved as America's first National Historic Park thanks to the efforts of the Washington Association and local preservationists.

A museum and research archive exist at Ford's Mansion where Washington and his officers headquartered, and the Hollow regularly hosts reenactments of the troops who persevered there. Both are popular heritage tourism destinations that contribute to Morris County's economy.

Pictured above is an engraving of Jacob and Theodosia Ford's Mansion from an 1839 book by Jared Sparks, as well as a 1929 photo taken by Frederick Curtiss -- both are from the History Center's collections. You can learn more about the site here, including how to visit in person.

[njhgc]

Recipes From the Past: Army Edition

Cooking on a budget is a topic of conversation in every home, so we were curious what recipes our frugal forbearers enjoyed. According to the 1896 Manual for Army Cooks, offal was well-known to officers and soldiers alike, who sometimes ate Kidney Soup, Beef Heart & Tongue, and Fried Liver.

Delivering nourishing meals that remind troops of home and not wasting ingredients remain important factors when developing menus for the armed forces, even as tastes change over time. Have you tried any of these recipes from the past?

[njhgc]

The three-hundred-year history of iron mining in Morris County, NJ

Morris County's abandoned mines have created all manner of chaos for commuters this year when sections of highway above have collapsed into sinkholes.

Most passing through this portion of Interstate 80 don't realize that iron production in the Wharton and Rockaway region began in the early 1700s and produced material vital to the Revolutionary War. Several mines remained active until the late 1800s and early 1900s.

This recent article traces the history of one family's iron mine in Rockaway and how two major highways cut through their nearby home in nearby downtown Parsippany.

[njhgc]

Update regarding flood and closure of History Center's reading room

On January 22, 2025, a burst pipe affected several floors of the Morristown & Morris Township Library, which remained closed for days while staff evaluated the collections and repairs were made to the building.

Although our archivists and librarians acted quickly to move most of the History Center's collections out of harms way, it took three weeks to reopen the reading room due to the resulting conservation and repair work described in the following update.

[njhgc]

These postcards are tame by today's standards but when printed in 1896 and 1910, public displays of affection were reprehensible to most Americans. 

A gentle caress or furtive kiss may be tolerated amongst close friends or family but never between unmarried couples. Those who flaunted social etiquette risked damaging their respectability, which could result in the loss of one's friends and even the ability to earn a living.

Enjoy a proper Valentine's Day!