Historic Places in South Jersey

Historic Places in South Jersey - Places to Go and Things to Do

A discussion of things to do and places to go, with the purpose
of sharing, and encouraging exploration of South Jersey.

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Bits and Pieces: Camden Co. Historical Soc. News etc.

If you are not a member of the Camden County Historical Society, you wouldn't be getting their newsletter:  the Communicator, so, as I am a member, I am happy to pass on some of their news.  First of all, their current theme is The Great War, of course, World War I.

This was of great interest to me a couple of years ago.  In fact, I attended a series of lectures on the subject at Camden County College, that was possibly the best series of lectures I have ever attended, or, in my  maturity, I am better able to enjoy such things than I was before.  Each lecturer was a profoundly knowledgeable and interesting young man.  I had, previously, encountered some very disappointing courses there on subjects that should have been interesting, some I found myself re-writing at home on my own because they had been so poorly done, such as the series I took on Dickens, one of my lifelong favorite  authors.  I've got to be honest here, the professor, emeritus, was tired, chair bound, no longer interested in his own subject. we were all respectful of his age, but you have to know when to stop  Some people remain dynamic and passionate into their old age, others are worn out and should move over for younger minds.

Enough of the ranting.  The Communicator offered a very interesting account of Camden County and the Great War, a photo of John Albert Overland, first Camden Marine to die for ins country and his father's response to this sacrifice.  There were photos and descriptions of major battles as well a references to reference works that can be found at CCHS Library if you want further information.

EVENTS:  1.Living Hisory Presenttion on Henry "Bo" Brown and the underground Railroad Sunday, Feb. 19th at 1:00 p.m.
2.Paranormal Unveiling, Thurs. Mar. 9, at 7:00 p.m. 
3.Pilot Emory Conrad Malick Lecture, Sunday Mar 26, at 1:00 (1st licensed African American Pilot)
4.World War I Exhibit Opening, April 9th at 1:00 p.m. in new Camden County Room on the upper floor of Pomona Hall (newly restored)

BIG EVENT:  Lines on the Pines Festival will br held Sunday, March 12, at 11:00 to 4:00 at the Renault Winery, 72 N Bremen Ave., Egg Harbor City, NJ (CCHS will have a table there) Admission is free.  

There was an update on the Historic Hugg-Harrison House ongoing preservation battle.

The CCHS library is open Wed. through Friday 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sunday 12 to 3 and the new Library Director is Bonny Beth Elwell, a brilliant young genealogist, South Jersey Historian and author.  She has been president of the Salem County Genealogy Society, for a number of years with some very energetic programming for that group, and she has been author of a long-standing admired column called Ancestor's Attic in the Elmer News, as well as Arcadia author of Upper Pittsgrove, Elmer, and Pittsgrove, available at amazon.com.  Bonny Beth Elwell, along with all her accomplishments is a brilliant, charming, warm and helpful person.  I am delighted to see her career branching outwards and upwards and happy to have her in my home county, Camden.

THE LOST CITY OF THE MONKEY GOD;  If, like me, you are an adventure reader, you will love this book.  The author, Douglas Preston, takes you on a well-written and suspenseful journey into the Mosquitia Jungle of Honduras in search of the White City.  It reminded me of so many of my closer to home forays in search of lost places, rambles along the mud beaches of the Delaware Bay now near Greenwich in search of Native American projectile points (arrow heads) or along Timber Creek in search of the Lost Fort Hudson, fur trading post of the Dutch and Lenni Lenape, or in search of the Lost Fort Elfsborg, Swedish fort of which only a road name remains.  I believe you can find that adventure resides right in your own backyard.  Look at the discovery of the Dinosaur Foulkii in Haddonfield off Maple Avenue.  

I have had as much joy in finding glowing green remnants of the glass factories of the pines as if it were a gold nugget from an Amazonian tributary (without the snake bite and flesh eating bacterial infection from insects!)

Happy Trails!  Maybe I'll see you at a CCHS lecture or at Lines on the Pines!
Jo Ann

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