Funky Spring Weather Days in New Jersey

The weather in New Jersey this spring has been all over the thermometer. Today it is pushing 90 degrees and sunny. Earlier this week I brought out my heavy raincoat, I probably should have used my winter coat but I refused to wear it in May on principal.

Last week we had a couple of foggy days. On May 9th I was walking down the street in Village Park when I saw what appeared to be clouds floating close to the ground. Thanks to cell phones having decent cameras, I snapped a couple of pictures. Not that long ago I would have noticed it, but not had my camera handy.

The next day we were celebrating Mothers Day in Ocean Grove and Asbury Park when the fog rolled in again. This time it made Asbury Park landmarks disappear. As the casino is on Preservation New Jersey's list of ten most endangered historic places, it was eerie to get a glimpse of what it might look like if preservation efforts are not successful.

For the most part, as long as you don't suffer from seasonal allergies, the weather has been lovely. We have had many sunny days with low humidity. The swings, though, remind me of the year I was pregnant with Ashley. I owned five maternity outfits acceptable for work ranging from a heavy sweater and maternity pants to a summery dress. I often wore all five in the same week and was not at all uncomfortable.

The upcoming forecast calls for sun and temperatures in the 90s, then raining and down to 51 degrees by Thursday. The swings add to the challenge of what to wear any given day.

Old Time Baseball

Years ago we saw an old time baseball game. I remember seeing more than one 1860s rule baseball game. After all, this connects two of my interest: history and baseball.

Which is why it surprises me that I have never written a blog post about it. Perhaps I saw my first game before I started writing this blog in 2010. There is a picture of a game we passed in 2015 while on a family bike ride.

The Neshanook Base Ball Club of Flemington plays charity games against local teams, but with a twist: they play using 19th century rules and 19th century equipment. 

The most obvious rule is no one wears a glove. To spare broken bones, balls caught after one bounce are considered out. Here is a comprehensive link to the rules as they did change. We were late because our Trenton Walks tour ran late. I thought I heard them say they were using 1864 rules -- think Civil War era. Stealing is allowed. Three balls for a walk, then everyone on base advances a base even if there is a gap. Batters cannot overrun first base. The umpire stands opposite the batter wearing a top hat and tails. Pitching is underhanded.

It takes awhile for everyone to adjust to the rules - players and fans. When possible, a member of the historic team describes what is happening so we can follow along.

In the end, the Neshanooks won by a score of 13-9. The Lawrenceville Maidenhead team tried hard, but when the away team broke the tie and scored five runs in the top of the ninth, the home team could not fully recover. The Lawrenceville Historical Society sponsored the event and formed the home team. I heard someone say some of the players were Little League coaches. I recognized Michael from the historic society.

It was great fun. Afterwards the local Little League teams joined the players and took batting practice using 19th century bats and balls. Speaking of balls, the same one was used for the entire game, much to the dismay of the little players who wanted a souvenir.

Many of the pictures below were taken from a Facebook post made by the Lawrence Historical Society.

Courtesy of the LHS

Courtesy of the LHS

Courtesy of the LHS

Courtesy of the LHS

A Sign of Old Age?

I knew the contents of the letter before I even opened the envelope from my primary care physician. I knew it wasn't a bill from my appointment two weeks earlier. Or test results from the week earlier. I knew it was a good-bye letter.

This is the fifth such notification I have received in the past 18 months. First, it was the dentist. A man I used to go to church with, who I have been seeing for about a quarter of a century. He was moving away and taking his part of the practice with him.

About a year ago it was my OB/GYN. His retirement was not a surprise because he had already scaled back from doing obstetrics to only regular gynecological appointments. "Let the young doctors handle the middle of the night calls," he said.

Then came the message from my endocrinologist. My Adi. The doctor who talked me off a metaphorical cliff more than once after receiving bloodwork that was less than stellar. She always has a solution of what to try next. She gave so much notice that not only did I have time for a couple of more appointments, a retirement party with over a hundred people planning to attend. She is that well-loved.

Then the eye doctor with an end of the year email saying he was selling the practice. No chance for an in-person good-bye. His staff was surprised how quickly he left. No chance for a retirement party.

The latest letter came this week. Two weeks ago, I complained to her that most of my medical team was retiring. She didn't bat an eye or give me a hint that she was next. In hindsight, I'm surprised she ordered bloodwork since she won't be around to read it.

The hunt is on for new members for what I call Team Jacquie. The OB/GYN was part of a larger practice, so I've tried someone else. I don't even remember her name. The eye doctor sold to someone who has all my paper records. May as well try there. The dentist sold to someone. When I make my appointment, I know what building to go to, but there is such a revolving door since he retired, I have not bothered to get to know the names of the hygienists or dentists. If I wasn't so lazy, I'd find someone new. Same is true of the PCP.

Adi is going to be the hardest one to replace. She ran a solo practice. Did not take insurance, but the trade-off was very long appointments for what I would have to pay towards a deductible anyway. She always answered texts and emails with a smile and no extra fees. I wish her all the best, because I know she wishes all of us all the best. 

Time to find doctors younger than I am. Doctors who plan to keep working a couple of more decades. Hopefully ones who are just as compassionate as the ones they are replacing.

The Recent UK Election

A couple of weeks ago Don and I saw "Cable Street: A New Musical" off-Broadway at 59e59. The show is about the 1936 uprising against Oswald Mosely and the fascists in a working-class London neighborhood. It is the kind of show that lends itself to talking about politics. It is easy to assume that everyone in the audience is either pro-democracy or at least smart enough not to disagree with the message that fascism is bad, democracy is good.

We got to talking to a British couple at the small theater. Their daughter, Lu, is the costume designer for Cable Street. I've taken to following her on Instagram, where I am learning just how much goes into deciding what actors should wear on stage.

After the show the mum said she is worried about the May 7th election and asked if we could send good thoughts. I asked who she wanted to win, and she replied with "anyone but the Reform party." If you followed the UK elections, you know the Reform party won many seats ousting members of the Labour and Conservative parties. Technically there are 13 parties represented in their government, but these were the main two. From the little bit of research I did, the Reform party is akin to our MAGA party.

I sent Lu a message to pass on to her mum. I'm here for her. I am also disheartened to hear these candidates have their grip on her country. Unlike the well-meaning people who tried to console me as I was crying in Australia in November 2024, I won't even pretend it will all be fine. I've seen how destructive the opposition can be, and how hard it will be to get on the other side of it.

May saner heads prevail soon.

May we learn from the past and do better faster.

Walk Through Bordentown's History

Today marked Trenton Walk's 72nd walk. Over 1,000 people have participated, walking over 2,131 people miles, or the distance from Trenton to Green Pike, Utah. With nearly 50 participants, this was one of their more popular walks.

Becky and Tim shared the spotlight with John Podolsky, the chair of the trails committee.

Bordentown, as most everyone reading this knows, is not in Trenton. Nor is it even in Mercer County, NJ. About four thousand people live in this historic town that is  less than one square mile. Bordentown City was settled in 1682, and incorporated as a borough in 1825. Famous residents include Thomas Paine, Napoleon Bonaparte's brother Joseph, Francis Hopkins (signer of the Declaration of Independence), and nurse Clara Barton. It has a rich history mostly due to its location as an 18th century stop between Philadelphia and New York City. Our talk was only going to cover a small part of the history. Two hours were slated for the talk, but we only covered half of the walk in that time. We should schedule a time to finish up the tour, especially since it was so popular.

We gathered at the parking lot for the Bordentown Light Rail Station. Don used to commute on this line when he rode his bike from home to the Comcast office in Mount Laurel. It was a nice way to break up his over 30 mile commute, especially since bicycles are allowed on the cars.

We walked to the other side of the parking lot where we saw two examples of rail lines that show the evolution of the Camden-Amboy rail line, colloquially called the C&A. Built in 1831 it was the oldest rail line in New Jersey, and the third oldest in the country. This website describes the history of the rail line.

I saw sleeper stones, which reminded me of a talk I heard in 2024 at the Archaeological Society of New Jersey meeting in Perth Amboy.

Passengers traveled from Philadelphia across the Delaware River and continued on their journey via rail. Horses were used to pull the original railcars before switching over to the John Bull locomotive from England. The original path was a straight line that would have gone through Joseph Bonaparte's property. He used his influence, and skills as a lawyer, to have it rerouted through Yardville and then to Perth Amboy to cross the Raritan River on another boat to travel to New York City. The case went to the Supreme Court where he argued eminent domain could not be used by a private company to maximize profits. The case set a legal precedence. Even with the detour, the railroad cut the trip from two days to five hours. Built on a stage coach path up Park Street (then called the New York Turnpike) in Bordentown, it was the original Northeast Corridor.

The original John Bull engine is at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. Over time the historic line was abandoned. Only the section from Bordentown to Yardville remained open until recently as a freight line. There is talk about turning these 13.4 miles into a rail to trail path, which would be added to an existing line and be able to connect six municipalities between Bordentown and Hightstown. Hamilton and Robbinsville are negotiating with the railroad for the land.

We then walked downhill to the Bordentown Beach, which was created from excavated materials from when the rail line created the I-295 bridge in the early 1990's. This spot is easily identified on a map of New Jersey as the narrowest point in the state. This is the southernmost point of the Abbot Marshlands, which we continued to on our walk after walking up to Prince Street.

This is the conflux of three waterways: the Delaware River, Crosswicks Creek, and a canal. Though it looked calm, there can be eight foot swells between low and high tide. Today it is a popular place to launch boats, one of only three places in the area. There is no membership required.

The Delaware River Heritage Trailhead starts here. Our walk leaders would like it to tie into the John Bull Trail.   

We huffed and puffed up the hill to Prince Street, which is where Farnsworth Landing used to be located. The landing was where the ferry used to land (before the Bordentown Beach was created). It is the highest point in the area giving great visibility. This is where Bordentown began. Before Thomas Farnsworth discovered this treasure in 1682, it was where the Lenape people lived happily. It was deemed to be a friendly, safe place.

At the end of Prince Street is the Thomas Paine Park. Yes, Thomas Paine of Common Sense, of "these are the times that try mens souls" owned property in Bordentown. Though he did not live there, this is the only property he owned in the United States, hence the locals claim him as their own.

His friend, Joseph Kirkbride, owned and operated the ferry service to Philadelphia and orchestrated the Battle of the Kegs in 1778 which inspired Francis Hopkinson to write the song The Battle of the Kegs to the tune of Yankee Doodle Dandy. Much of Bordentown was destroyed by the British in retaliation to the embarrassment. For more details, read the link I provided about Joseph Kirkbride. It is an interesting rabbit hole.

After passing Dave and Scottie's house, we walked down to the Yacht Club, and
took the railroad tracks to the Abbott Marsh. This is the mouth of the1830s canal that was hand dug. This took us to Hamilton, NJ in Mercer County. I find it fascinating that the canal and railroad system was built at the same time in this area by competing companies. The railroad had one major advantage over the canals: they were not stopped by winter.

Despite being so close to the rail line and I-95, the Abbott Marsh is an oasis with lots of different birds, flora, and fauna. The land was created by filling in the canal. Lock #1 to Trenton was here. This was a feeder canal that came off the Delaware River and travelled to Bulls Island north of Lambertville.  Boats travelled through seven locks, and were raised 57 feet along the way. Water was brought from upstream. The entire system had 14 total locks and rose 115 feet. The initial width of each lock was 120 feet long and 20 feet wide. It was soon extended to 220 feet to allow two boats to be raised at once. Coal was the biggest item transported on the canal during its heyday. The system lasted 90 years until 1932. The lease was written that if it was inactive for three years the land would return to the state. It became a 70-mile long state park.  

Bordentown's portion of the former canal is not in great shape. It is much better just a little further north in Trenton because that water is sold.

Back across the railroad tracks we passed through the Riverview Studios property. The owner met us and permitted us a bathroom break. He told us about his documentary film business focusing on public TV, marketing, and promoting non-profits. I was glad he came outside because I was under the erroneous perception that it was an art studio for sculptors and painters.

A member of our group prompted the owner to share the fundraising he does to raise money to send women from Gambia and Uganda to school. He runs music nights to fund his nonprofit: Parker Mother and Child. Paraphrasing what he said, "I can't send afford to send women to school in the United States, but I can in Africa. I can make a difference in their lives." I hope Don and I can attend one of his events this summer. 

Instead of walking up the hill we came down, we climbed approximately 50 steep stairs to the iris park and sculpture garden. The wild animal statues in the park were created by Seward Johnson.

I split off from the group to hang out with Dave and Scottie, and, of course, Buddy.

Mullica Hills Library Presentation

In 2023 and 2024 I have been digging at Red Bank National Park's Fort Mercer, directly across the Delaware River from Fort Mifflin. I tend to not think too much about the history of the site when I'm on an archaeological dig. Instead, I am living in the moment, following the protocols of the dig site, getting excited about the finds, and just having fun. It is not until later when I have a chance to step back and understand the history, and how these finds are connected to the greater picture. Sometimes the finds confirm the narrative. Sometimes it uncovers something completely unexpected.

Earlier in the week when I  automatically turned NPR on in my car, I hear the familiar voices of Jen and Wade talking about Fort Mercer. It was a treat listening to 250 year old history unfold as I drove to Planet Fitness. All felt right with the world.

I had already planned to drive to Mullica Hills Library to hear Jen talk about the history of Red Bank. Jen's day job is a college professor. She gave her presentation with the confidence of someone who captures the attention of teenagers and young adults. She spoke to the silent, mostly geriatric standing room only crowd as if she was giving a TED Talk on a topic she knew as well as she knows her own. Perhaps better.

The stories from Red Bank were divided into four parts:

• Pacifists
• Erasures
• Lost Mass Burial
• Violence Recorded

As Jen was speaking, I had flashbacks to her sharing these stories with me either in 2023 or 2024. The words were not new to me. What was new was that I brought a pen and my notebook and took notes. Someone asked me if I was with the local paper. A common question when I'm taking notes.

Part one: Pacifists

The site was owned by the Whitall Family. Conservative Quakers and, therefore, pacifists, they were not at all pleased to learn their bucolic farm overlooking the Delaware River was being commandeered for the Revolutionary War. Jen did a much better job describing the scene. How the site was self sufficient for the family, including their nine children, and dozen indentured servants when in the spring of 1777 their property was seized.

Soldiers cut down their fruit trees and took whatever they wanted. All the Whitalls wanted was to lay low and wait the war out unscathed. In September 1777 Philadelphia fell to the British and the Whitall property was ideally located to fight them.

The Battle of Fort Mercer took place on October 22, 1777. It was over in 45 minutes, and killed 110 Hessian soldiers. It was chaos. The home was turned into a field hospital. Everything the family built was destroyed over a war they were doing their best to hide from.

I can't imagine how they felt, how they survived.

On October 22, 1777 the war came to their property. The battle lasted a mere 45 minutes, killing 110 Hessians and a few Patriots. Hundreds more were inured. Whitall House became a field hospital.

Part two: Erasure

To me this it the most fascinating part of the story. As the famous line in Hamilton goes, "who lives, who dies, who tells your story." In the 1840s and 1850s there is a move to reimagine the Battle of Fort Mercer. The wife, Ann Cooper Whitall is rumored to have stayed behind to tend to the wounded. 

The more frustrating part of the history that was whitewashed was that the Black soldiers who fought for the Patriots were forgotten. The second and third Rhode Island regiments were fully integrated -- a rarity for the era. After fighting in Red Bank, they marched to Valley Forge where General George Washington segregate them. Their participation was all but forgotten.

William Cooper Nell, a prominent African-American journalist and abolitionist, said in his 1855 book The Colored Patriots of the American Revolution that "people are forgetting our history." In 1861 to celebrate Emancipation Day in Great Britain (which happened in 1834--decades before it happened in 1862 in the United States), the famous African-American congregation of Mother Bethel AME Church in Philadelphia organized a group outing to Red Bank. In that time period people were romanticizing the Revolutionary War and were visiting the sites of battles. This battle was part of what Dr. Jen referred to as vernacular history. a term I hope to use more often. The church brought their children to Red Bank to "celebrate colored American patriotic achievements."

She used two other phrases I noted, but did not define: mobilization of memory and memory as resistance.

Red Bank Battlefield Park was a mess when the Sons of the American Revolution, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), and the Gloucester County Historical Society banded together to form it on land given by the State of New Jersey in 1906. This was the start of the Gloucester Parks Commission.

In 1905 Eugene Gregory write an op ed excited that this new park would finally be able to tell the story of the Black soldiers. He wrote a letter to the governor of New Jersey. In June 1906 the park was dedicated without a word about the Black soldiers. A Hessian, Col. Carl Ulrich von Donop, was mentioned on a plaque, but not the forgotten soldiers.

In 1927 a new display was created honoring the 150th anniversary of the battle. Charles Lindbergh flew over the event. One of the best finds was a small toy plane found during a dig. I think my find of a hand holding a flag (which is not necessarily from this day) is the best find, but I am partial.

Frank Stewart wrote THE official guidebook of The History of the Battle of Red Bank in 1927. It was still considered the most authoritative guide until the 1990's. In it he said of the rumors that African-Americans served at the Battle of Red Bank, they were "swarthy-complected Frenchmen." Whatever that means. 

Another find from the archaeological site was a pin found with the words Patriotic Order of the Sons of the American Revolution. Whitewashing. The only Patriots were white and male. The 1920s were a dicey time in Red Bank history, the KKK was active in nearby Woodbury.

Part three: Mass Hessian Burial

My friend, Dan, was there when the Hessians were found. As Jen has repeatedly said, she never would have invited the public if they had any idea they would find dead bodies. As is the case on most dig sites (at least anecdotally), the best finds happen in the last hour of the last day. I'll spare the details of what they found. Just imagine a battle and imagine the other side did the cleaning up. The state forensic archaeologists were brought in to make sure they were old bones (finding a musket ball lodged in a leg bone was the big clue it was old). Some DNA samples were taken, but no direct ancestors have have located (at least not yet). 

Part four: Evidence Recorded

John Burlingame recorded the battle on one side of a powder horn. It was hidden in plain sight for many years as he recorded a scene from Valley Forge on the other side of the powder horn. That side was on display at Valley Forge. It is currently part of a private collection. Picture at the end of this post.

Click HERE to register to hear Jen's talk via Zoom at the Genealogical Society of New Jersey.

A couple of exciting things are happening this summer at Red Bank.

Public archaeology is back! Register HERE. 

The powder horn will be making a one day appearance at Red Bank on June 24th. Visit their website for more details. 

New signage is coming this fall which will talk about the role of Black soldiers, and identifying Red Bank as a part of New Jersey's Black Heritage Trail.

* Mistakes in this post are due to my poor note taking and not Jen's research skills.

May Day "Workers over Billionairs" Protest

I am tired of protesting. 

I am tired of following the news and learning about how everyday a certain someone and his goons have sunk to a new low. This week was accusing Democrats of hate speech and being the reason behind the "assassination attempt" at the White House Correspondents Dinner followed by the gutting of the Voter Rights Act.

I am so ready for a change in administration and for us to start rebuilding instead of tearing apart. We cannot survive another three years of all this.

The May Day protests were to encourage people to not go to school or work, and not to purchase anything. Unlike the No Kings Day protests, standing up with signs was not the main focus on May 1. Still, about 40 of us gathered for an hour on the I-95 overpass of Route 206. Nationally over 500 events were created, plus more internationally representing 93 unions in 41 countries. May 1 is a big holiday on the global stage. It is a day off in France and in other countries.

I used my "Be Strong and of Good Courage" sign from before. Seems to fit most situations.

The forty protestors in Lawrenceville were all my basic demographic (WASP), skewing older than me. They seem to be a nice group of people dedicated to wanting to do something, anything to stop feeling helpless.

So we gather and stand. We talk about what Heather Cox Richardson, Joanne Freeman, and others have to say.

I met Beth who is in charge of the Lawrence Community Activists. I complimented her on always starting her messages with hope. We need hope. We need to know we are making a difference. I hope she knows her hard work is appreciated. We look as non-threatening as they come.

As the weather warms it will become easier to keep protesting. It was nice being able to walk to the protest wearing capris and an RBG t-shirt. However, I also recognize that this time of year life gets even busier. As I told one woman who apologized for not getting out in months because she had knee surgery and needed time to recover, individually we can't do it all, but together we can.

Without hope it is hard to keep going. Let's try to keep hope strong.