The History Girl

The History Girl 📚 Exploring forgotten stories, historic places & local legends. Then, get up and visit!

Est. 2010 in NJ, now based in NC. ✨ Follow along at thehistorygirl.com for new adventures through time! Advocating for museums, historic sites, and historic preservation, we share relevant history via social media in hopes that the next generation of stewards value and interpret our heritage. So sit back, relax, and learn how the sites we visit and artifacts we uncover weave into the fabric of American history and the overall story of New Jersey.

Today in NJ history: , August 26, 1919, the last working team of horses for the Trenton Fire Department were replaced b...
08/26/2026

Today in NJ history: , August 26, 1919, the last working team of horses for the Trenton Fire Department were replaced by an American LaFrance pumper. The introduction of gas-powered vehicles began in 1909 when a Stanley Steamer was purchased to replace the Chief's horse and wagon. A steam-driven chemical truck was acquired a year later, followed by the first gasoline-driven pumper, a Webb, in 1911.

Today in : , August 26, 1920, eight days after it had been ratified, the 19th Amendment was declared in effect by Secr...
08/26/2026

Today in : , August 26, 1920, eight days after it had been ratified, the 19th Amendment was declared in effect by Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby, giving female citizens the right to vote in all American elections. 's own Alice Paul launched a campaign in 1913 to win the vote. Standing up to President Wilson in front of the White House, she and other protesters held banners reading, "MR. PRESIDENT HOW LONG MUST WOMEN WAIT FOR LIBERTY" "MR. PRESIDENT WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR WOMAN SUFFRAGE" Paul was arrested and sent to a prison psychiatric ward. Finally, after a year of picketing, Wilson announced his support for the amendment and the charges against the picketers were tossed.

Today in : , August 26, 1910, Thomas Edison demonstrates his kinetophone or "speaking pictures" to members of the pres...
08/26/2026

Today in : , August 26, 1910, Thomas Edison demonstrates his kinetophone or "speaking pictures" to members of the press at his West Orange, laboratory.

Enjoy daily historical stories like this? Check out "365 Days of New Jersey History" here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G5HDGZ65

Here is the Quechee Covered Bridge in Quechee, . Originally, this was a 1930s steel stringer with a faux wooden cover...
08/26/2026

Here is the Quechee Covered Bridge in Quechee, . Originally, this was a 1930s steel stringer with a faux wooden cover added in 1970. In 2011, the bridge was heavily damaged by Tropical Storm Irene and rebuilt in 2012. The bridge has two lanes and a pedestrian sidewalk. It crosses the River. So it's not a true covered bridge, but it's the second of two that was photographed on the trip to Vermont.

Did you know? In the 1850s, New Jersey boasted (for a very short time) the largest hotel in the world. The Mount Vernon ...
08/25/2026

Did you know? In the 1850s, New Jersey boasted (for a very short time) the largest hotel in the world. The Mount Vernon Hotel was first occupied in 1853 and capable of holding 2,100 visitors in 432 rooms, unfinished. It was 4 stories high and included four 5 story towers. The dining room could accommodate 3,000 people. Unfortunately a fire eliminated the entire wooden structure in September of 1856 and it was never rebuilt.

Today in : Beginning , August 25, 1781, General George Washington is said to have lodged at the circa 1740 Morrell hom...
08/25/2026

Today in : Beginning , August 25, 1781, General George Washington is said to have lodged at the circa 1740 Morrell homestead located at 63 Main Street in Chatham, for three days beginning August 25, 1781 while his army, estimated at between two and three thousand men, assembled in the outlying fields. The General wrote 17 letters from his stay in this house in Chatham revealing his intention to deceive the British stationed in New York into believing his troops were preparing for an attack. Instead, he marched silently out of Chatham in the early morning hours of August 29, crossing the Delaware River before the British realized he had tricked them. Today, the house is an Italian restaurant.

Today in : Bruce Springsteen's third studio album, Born to Run, was released , August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records.
08/25/2026

Today in : Bruce Springsteen's third studio album, Born to Run, was released , August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records.

Throughout the Delaware & Raritan Canal's existence, mules were used to tow canal boats. Steam powered vessels made thei...
08/25/2026

Throughout the Delaware & Raritan Canal's existence, mules were used to tow canal boats. Steam powered vessels made their way onto the canal but mules continued to be used. In pairs or teams of four, the mules towed loads of up to several hundred tons.

Ghost stories and historic places have always gone hand in hand, whether you believe in the paranormal or simply enjoy t...
08/25/2026

Ghost stories and historic places have always gone hand in hand, whether you believe in the paranormal or simply enjoy the folklore.

During a visit to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, I had the opportunity to join the Gettysburg Paranormal Association for an investigation of the historic Hoffman farmhouse. During the Battle of Gettysburg, the property was reportedly used as a makeshift hospital, with the basement serving as a morgue. Stories also tell of Confederate soldiers being held in a basement room before being released after the battle.

Another story associated with the house dates to the mid-20th century, when a young woman reportedly took her own life after believing her boyfriend had avoided military service and run away with another woman. According to the story, he had actually been away on a secret military assignment.

Whether every story connected to the house can be documented is another question, but they have become part of the folklore surrounding the property.

And as for the footsteps we heard in that basement that night? I still don't have an explanation for those.👻😜

A reconstructed barracks building and palisade wall at Fort James in Historic Jamestowne, . This barracks building, thr...
08/24/2026

A reconstructed barracks building and palisade wall at Fort James in Historic Jamestowne, . This barracks building, through archaeological research, is constructed over top of the original post holes, which aided historians in determining the dimensions and placement of the building. The framing of it is made of modern materials to simulate what once stood there. It is believed that this structure was originally covered in mud plaster and roofed with thatch. To the right is a reconstructed palisade wall for Fort James, also built over the original post holes

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