Many people are familiar with Thomas Edison’s “invention factory” in Menlo Park, where he patented the phonograph, the light bulb and many more inventions. Yet many other ideas have grown in the Garden State too. New Jerseyans brought sound and music to movies and built the very first drive-in theater. In addition to the first cultivated blueberry, tasty treats like ice cream cones and M&M’s are also Jersey natives. Iconic aspects of American life like Bubble Wrap, the boardwalk, the Band-Aid, and even professional baseball started in New Jersey. Life would be a lot harder without the vacuum cleaner, plastic, air-conditioning, and many other important advances in medicine and surgery that were developed here.

The Historical society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood wants you to come to our first 2025 meeting on Tuesday evening February 25th at 7:30 PM at the Historic Shady Rest Country Club and join author Linda Barth as she explores groundbreaking, useful, fun, and even silly inventions and their New Jersey roots.

Linda Barth has been a fan of New Jersey for a long time. A lifelong resident of the Garden State, Linda has written two books on the D&R Canal and three children’s picture books, Bridgetender’s Boy, Hidden New Jersey, and Alice Paul: Champion of Women’s Rights. She has also authored the book about inventing listed above and New Jersey Originals. With her husband she has published The Millstone Valley Through Time and Somerville Through Time. She has also contributed to the Encyclopedia of New Jersey.

Linda Barth spent 45 years in the Bridgewater-Raritan School District, teaching fourth grade and then substituting after retirement. She is the executive director of the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey and president of the D&R Canal Watch, a friends organization of the D&R Canal State Park.

The Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood is thrilled to have Linda Barth as the speaker for the Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood at our upcoming meeting on Tuesday February 25th. Come to this free, open to the public, meeting and learn more about Where Ideas Grow in The Garden State.The meeting begins at 7:30 PM and is held at the historic Shady Rest Golf & 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.

 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.