The March meeting of the Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood will feature the return of popular storyteller Carol Simon Levin with a new program called “Mothers of Invention.” Levin will tell the stories of women who overcame the combined barriers of gender and race to create inventions that changed our world. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28, at the Shady Rest Country Club, 820 Jerusalem Rd. (at the corner of Plainfield Avenue) in Scotch Plains.

Portraying Lillian Moller Gilbreth, motion study pioneer and the mother of 12 children in the semi-autobiographical novel, Cheaper by the Dozen, Levin will share the stories of overlooked women innovators, including many women of color. From Margaret Knight, known as the 19th century’s “female Edison,” to Hollywood superstar Hedy Lamarr, these “mothers of invention” changed our lives, yet their accomplishments were all too often ignored, discounted or credited to others.

In addition to performing lively historic portrayals, Levin is the author of Remembering the Ladies: From Patriots in Petticoats to Presidential Candidates, which profiles 69 women—well-known and unknown—who worked tirelessly for women’s rights in America. She holds a bachelor’s degree focusing on women’s history and history of technology from Cornell University and a master’s degree in library services from the University of Arizona. She is also the founder of the website tellingherstories.com.

The upcoming meeting is free and all are welcome. Refreshments and fellowship will follow the presentation. For questions, please email Info@HistoricalSocietySPFNJ.org or call 908/322-6700 Extension 230.

CANCELLED Due to Weather

This presentation will be rescheduled for May 23rd.

History and Civil War buffs won’t want to miss this month’s meeting of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Historical Society, when local author William McClintock Jr. will present a fascinating educational program on his great-great-grandfather, Commodore Reigart Bolivar Lowry, a member of the first graduating class of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis and a career naval officer who served in the U.S. Navy from 1840-1880.

The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 28, at the Shady Rest Country Club, 820 Jerusalem Rd. (at the corner of Plainfield Avenue) in Scotch Plains.

McClintock’s presentation, based on his 2021 book, Commodore Reigart Bolivar Lowry, will explore Lowry’s storied career, beginning when he joined the Navy at age 14, and including his active role in many key naval operations of the time. Lowry was on a ship off Fort Sumter when the first shots of the Civil War were fired. He fought in the Mexican-American War and accompanied Commodore Matthew C. Perry when he opened Japan to American trade in 1854. Based on family letters and other documents, McClintock’s thoroughly researched biography goes beyond Lowry’s life to examine the Navy in which he served and the politics and corruption that Lowry and his fellow naval officers encountered as they sought to prevent a captain with less seniority from being promoted ahead of them.

A resident of Scotch Plains since 1981, the author earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Oberlin College, where he began his research on Commodore Lowry and the Navy. He went on to complete a master’s degree in American history from New York University. Mr. McClintock previously served as township mayor and councilman, and is active in the Rotary Club, notably with the Frazee house Restoration Project. Career highlights include serving as an officer at Bankers Trust Company and as Chief Financial Officer at Corporate Annual Reports. In 1993, he formed William McClintock Associates, a political consulting firm that provides targeted consulting and direct mail services. Commodore Reigart Bolivar Lowry is his first book.

The upcoming meeting is free and all are welcome. Refreshments and fellowship will follow the presentation. For questions, please email Info@HistoricalSocietySPFNJ.org or call 908/322-6700 Extension 230.

The Osborn Cannonball House Museum will be open to the public for tours on Sunday, March 5th from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The current exhibits feature mannequins dressed in clothing from the late 18th century through the 19th century.  House tours will be provided by costumed docents. The Museum is located at 1840 Front Street, Scotch Plains, NJ  07076. Admission to the museum is free but donations are always welcome. 

For more information email Info@HistoricalSocietySPFNJ.org or call 908-322-6700 Extension 230.