Many of us will be traveling for Thanksgiving celebration with family and friends so the November 26th Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood program is a timely one. Society president David Bierman and technician extraordinaire member Glenn Mongold will show the short film of Horatio’s Drive. This is the exciting true story of Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson, who on a whim, bet $50 that he could drive a 2 cylinder 20hp Winton Carriage-like automobile from the West Coast San Francisco to the East Coast NYC in 1903.  He hires a young mechanic and chauffeur, Sewall K. Crocker,  as his driving partner. Somewhere near Idaho Horatio buys a bulldog he names “Bud” who has to be outfitted with goggles to protect his sensitive eyes since there is no windshield. Amid many breakdowns and losses, the trio becomes famous. People turn out to meet them on their 63 days, 12 hours trip. Upon completion, Horatio decides not to collect his bet:  having done it to prove a point is satisfaction enough.

David Bierman has been a vivid antique car enthusiast since age 10. His family has been involved with pre-1930 cars since before he was born. He’s a member of numerous pre-1930 Car Clubs and himself owns 4 pre-1930 autos. Glenn Mongold is a movie enthusiast who watches many car shows and who has established a Friday family movie night. He works in a technical field in the custservice field and solves many technical problems at our monthly meetings.

Come to this program on Tuesday evening November 26th to see a movie where you imagine taking a road trip in your vehicle that has a riding lawn mower engine put into a carriage and driving it from the West coast to the East Coast with very few roads available. The meeting starts at 7:30 PM and is held at the Shady Rest Golf Club at 820 Jerusalem Road (at the corner of Plainfield Ave.) in Scotch Plains. Refreshments and fellowship follow the presentation. For questions, please email Info@HistoricalSocietySPFNJ.org or call 908/322-6700 Extension 230.

Breeze Knoll, Westfield, the List family home c. 1970 Photo credit: Rebecca Everett | NJ.com

Just before Halloween the Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood is thrilled to feature New Jersey’s second most notorious crime as its program at its Wednesday, October 23rd meeting. The story of John List killing his family in their Westfield family home is beyond spooky. It is scary. And it happened around Halloween.

JD Solomon, the presenter, is a Westfield resident and retired journalist who gives presentations about historical true crime at senior centers and community organizations in Union County. He is the author of two historical novels. His first, The Tinen Killings, is a thriller about aging Civil War veterans in Philadelphia in 1898. His second, Home News, is a thriller about bootlegging set in his hometown of Bay Shore, NY, in 1928.

This Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood’s monthly program is frightening and alarming to discover why John List killed his family. This upcoming meeting on Wednesday, October 23rd is free and open to the public. The meeting begins at 7:30 PM and is held at the historic Shady Rest Country Club, 820 Jerusalem Road (at the corner of Plainfield Avenue) in Scotch Plains. Refreshments and fellowship follow the presentation. For questions, please email Info@HistoricalSocietySPFNJ.org or call 908/322-6700 Extension 230.