02 December 2015

SAVE The DATE - Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2015
Annual Holiday Dinner for Historical Society
See newsletter for details - click graphic in right column.
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20 Nov. 2015 
SAVE The DATE - Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015
Calling All Patriots! Next Historical Society Meeting 
The Historical Preservation Society of Upper Township will hold its next general meeting on November 10, 2015 at 7 pm at the Upper Branch of the Cape May County Library.   
The speakers for the evening will be Henry Heacock and Michael Houdart the co-authors of the booklet “Cape May County Revolutionary War Soldiers and Patriots.”  

They will present the interesting story of Cape May County during the Revolutionary War and the brave Cape May County Patriots in that crucial time in our nation’s history. 

Everyone in attendance will be asked to sign the “Oath of Allegiance” to support the cause of the Colony. The Patriots put their lives on the line by signing this oath. Will you be so brave? 

“I do sincerely profess and swear, I do not hold myself bound by allegiance to the King of Great Britain, so help me God. I do sincerely profess and swear that I do and will bear true faith and allegiance to the government of New Jersey, under the authority of the people, so help me God.” 

Light refreshments and the general membership meeting will follow the presentation. 

All are welcome but NO TORIES ALLOWED!

See 2015 AppleFest Photo Gallery by Joe Landi > Here.

26 Oct. 2015

Museum Committee Update
The Museum Search Committee of the Historic Preservation Society of Upper Township met on Monday, Oct. 26, 2015, at 9 am, to discuss the future direction of the committee.  Mike Houdart, president of the society was present along with Committee Chairperson, Bob Holden and members, Sonia Forry and Doug Longenecker. 

The committee discussed a variety of possibilities for a proposed museum for the township.  The main discussion was about the Old Township Hall in Tuckahoe. It is on the top of the list of proposed sites that the committee will be looking into. Other locations and possibilities were discussed, but at this time, there seems to be no apparent possibilities for a location. 

If anyone in the township has an available piece of property or has a building available which he or she would like to donate to the society for use as a township museum, please contact Bob Holden at 856-506-2153.
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20 Oct. 2015

Veteran's Presentation - Nov. Program
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015 - Details on the November meeting of the Historical Society will be announced in the near future. 

All regular meetings are held in the Upper Cape Library. Refreshments start at 7 pm with the program beginning at 7:30 pm. Guests are always welcome.
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13 Oct. 2015

UT Historical Society program, Oct.13, 2015

05 Oct. 2015

Upper Historical Society Holocaust Presentation Oct. 13th
The general topic of the Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015 meeting of the Historical Preservation Society of Upper Township is The Holocaust, but our speaker, Mr. Robert F. Holden will be taking a slightly different direction in his presentation.

To begin, Mr. Holden will show a series of his slides of the concentration camps which he once visited as a teacher in the Ocean City Intermediate School. Then he will discuss the organization of Auschwitz and Birkenau and how various target groups were both incarcerated and murdered.

The presentation will conclude with a discussion about America’s attitudes and behavior during the Holocaust, focusing on both FDR’s and the American State Department’s responses to the Jewish Refugee issue. (This is certainly timely in light of recent challenges the US and Europe faces with the tremendous number of Syrian Refugees escaping from the terror in their region.)  Both the immigration quota system and the obstinacy of key people in the U.S. State Department led to the deaths of tremendous numbers of Jewish refugees.

Mr. Holden currently teaches Holocaust and Genocide Studies (H-117) at ACCC’s Cape May County campus, where there is a Holocaust Resource Collection open to the public.

As usual, the meeting will be held at the Upper Branch of the Cape May County Library.  Refreshments will be available at 7 pm with the lecture immediately following. The public is cordially invited.
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Click above graphic for printable PDF copy of flier.

29 Aug. 2015

Constitution - Sept. Program
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2015 - The September meeting of the Historical Society will be on the Constitution.  The guest speaker will be Mr. Seth Grossman.

All regular meetings are held in the Upper Township Library. Refreshments start at 7 pm with the program beginning at 7:30. Guests are always welcome.

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Historical Museum Committee Kicks-Off in Upper Township
The Historical Preservation Society of Upper Township has announced the formation of a special committee to explore options for establishing a Historical Museum for the community.

The Township of Upper currently has three historical buildings that are administered by the Historical Society. However, according to Society President Michael Houdart, none of the facilities are suitable for storing and displaying the historical treasures of the Township. Therefore, the Society Board has formed a Museum Committee to explore options for establishing a public museum in Upper Township.

The Museum Committee held a kick-off meeting on Friday, Aug. 28, 2015 in Marmora and plans for scheduling future work sessions will be announced in the near future.
Robert Holden has agreed to serve as committee chair and the initial members are Ralph Cooper, Sonia Forry, Michael Houdart, and Doug Longenecker. 

Township residents interested in helping on the Museum Committee are encouraged to contact the Historical Society via email UpperTwpHistory@yahoo.com or leave a voice mail message @ (609) 390-5656.  (HPSUT - PSA dated 28 Aug. 2015)

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Summer Break - No Society meetings in July or August.

02 June 2015

Click here for latest newsletter: Summer 2015 - Click Here.

June History Gathering at Friends Meeting House - Seaville

The Historical Preservation Society of Upper Township’s next meeting will be quite unique. On Tuesday, June 9, 2015, 6:30 pm, all members and visitors have been invited to the Friends Meeting House on Route 9 in Seaville. (Please note the time and location change - for this June meeting.)

The meeting will be conducted there in what is the oldest Quaker Meeting House in the state. Ms. Diane Metz will give a presentation on the history of the house and the Friends Meeting story. Ms. Metz will be in period dress. We are privileged to be invited to this historic site.

Seaville Friends Meeting is the oldest continuously used Quaker Meetinghouse in New Jersey.
The Meeting, under the auspices of The Philadelphia Yearly Meeting was originally organized in 1702. Those early Friends usually met in fellow Friends’ homes, since a meetinghouse was not available.

Constructed in 1716, (although this date cannot be accurately verified) the Meetinghouse was originally located in the Beesley’s Point area (exact location unknown) with another located in Somers Point.
Friends may have come together for worship by boat coming back and forth across the bay to worship together.

The Meetinghouse was built out of wood by local shipbuilders (predominantly of oak, cedar, and pine with a cedar shake roof); which is a bit unusual, as most Meetinghouses had been built from stone or brick. In fact carpenters’ scribe marks can still be seen in the Meetings’ wooden benches.

The building was disassembled and moved to its present location in the 1720’s. How it arrived at this present location can only be speculated, but it is likely to have been arduously rolled on log rollers, dragged by horses down the road from Beesley’s Point to Seaville. Meetinghouses, if they have windows at all, will generally have them placed high or very small in size so that worshippers sitting in meeting cannot see outside an be distracted by the outside world.  ##

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15 May 2015

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04 May 2015

ALICE PAUL - Leader - Woman’s Rights Movement

The Historical Preservation Society of Upper Township will hold its next general meeting on Tuesday, May 12, 2015 at 7 pm at the Upper Branch of the Cape May County Library.

The speaker for the evening will be Sonia Forry a long time member of the Society who will give a presentation on Alice Paul and the Woman’s Suffrage Movement. Few individuals have had as much impact on American history as has Alice Paul. Her life symbolizes the long struggle for justice in the United States and around the world. Her vision was the ordinary notion that women and men should be equal partners in society. 

Alice Paul was the architect of some of the most outstanding political achievements on behalf of women in the 20th century. Born on January 11, 1885 to Quaker parents in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, Alice Paul dedicated her life to the single cause of securing equal rights for all women. Paul preferred to lobby Congress for an amendment to the Constitution. Paul and her colleagues went on to found the National Woman's Party to pursue their tactics.  

After the 19th Amendment passed in 1920, Paul and the National Women’s Party focused their attention on the Equal Rights Amendment. This amendment would guarantee women protection from discrimination. Paul spent the rest of her life advocating for this and other women’s issues. She died in 1977. 

Light refreshments and the general membership meeting will follow the presentation.
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17 Mar. 2015

The Historical Society's annual covered dish dinner, held Mar. 10, 2015 included a special archival presentation.  Judy Rodgers, left, and Carol Foster, from the Corbin City Historical Society presented, as a donation, the Tuckahoe Concert Band drum. Michael Houdart, center, President of the Historical Preservation Society of Upper Township, accepted the donation.
- Photo by Ralph Cooper, Historical Preserv. Society, Upper Twp.

   Historical Concert Band
   Drum Returns to Tuckahoe  
On the evening of March 10, 2015, the Historical Preservation Society held their annual Show & Tell "Pot Luck" dinner. Members brought their favorite side dishes and the Board of Trustees provided the main course. After dinner, members and guests had the opportunity of presenting an antique and explaining the history of the item. There were many interesting items presented.

Judy Rodgers and Carol Foster from the Corbin City Historical Society presented as a donation, the Tuckahoe Concert Band drum. This drum is very old and in relatively good condition for its age. Rodgers and Foster felt that the drum was a part of Tuckahoe history and that the drum belonged in Upper Township.

The Tuckahoe Concert Band drum was located in the home of Marvin Young of Tuckahoe. After a burglary at the Young property, Judy Rodgers of Corbin City was asked to look after his house on Route 50, when she noticed the drum in a second floor room. Judy knew that the drum was an historical artifact and she wanted to protect it. With the consent of Mr. Young, the drum was taken to the Corbin City Municipal building for safe storage until it could be determined what to do with it.

According to the book “Tuckahoe Remembered” by Edwin Robinson, a man from Tuckahoe named Mason Ingersoll owned the drum and he had the nickname of “Spoodle” for an unknown reason. The Ingersolls had a long history of living in Tuckahoe and Mason played the bass drum in the Tuckahoe Concert Band in the 1920’s and 30’s. This band led local parades on the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, etc., and played in the band-stand in the local school yard. Historical records noted that he was an icon in the community during those days and "Spoodle" was said to be quite a character. Everyone loved Spoodle.
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Upcoming Events:
Next Monthly Meeting: Tuesday, April 14, 2015, 7 pm
Program: Formation of Tuckahoe National Bank
Presenter: Bill Brown.  Bill met with us for Veteran's Day last year when we honored the local WWII veterans. He was the president of the Tuckahoe National Bank for many years.
Meeting Location: Upper Branch Library

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Tuesday, Mar. 10, 2015 - Annual Covered Dish Super and "Show and Tell" at the First Methodist Church, Tuckahoe, 6 pm.  This our first meeting of the year. Bring something of historical interest for us all to see.
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Friday, Mar. 20, 2015 - Tentative date - Kindergarten Day at the Friendship School in Palermo.

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  Click Here to Review Society's 2014 Activities
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13 Jan. 2015
The Historical Preservation Society of Upper Township has set the dates of our two main events for 2015.
They are:
- Strawberry Festival, Saturday, May 30, 2015
             Rain date of Sunday May 31.

- AppleFest, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2015.
            Rain date of Sunday Oct. 18.

We hope you will include them in your annual calendars.

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Society's 2014 Holiday Dinner Photos - (PDF file) Click Here.

For latest newsletter: Winter 2015 - Click Here.

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Membership Dues / Renewals:
Consider renewing/signing up today for the HPSUT 2015 membership year.  See the Membership Page for dues levels.

Friendly Reminder:
The first general meeting of the year, Tuesday, March 10, 2015, will be the annual Covered Dish Supper and Show and Tell. It will be held at the Tuckahoe Methodist Church, starting at 6 pm. Guests are welcome at all our public meetings!

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Information You Can Use

Our Timeline:
2015 marks the 217th anniversary of the Township and the 37th anniversary of the Historical Preservation Society of Upper Township. 

Membership Dues / Renewals:
Consider renewing/signing up today for the HPSOUT 2015 membership year.  See the Membership Page for dues levels. Or print our handy application form.

WANTED!
The Historical Preservation Society of Upper Township is seeking information, interesting stories, old books, letters, post cards, documents, objects and other items relating to the history of our township.  Please help to preserve our past for our future generations.  Thank You!

Newsletter
Attention all members with email addresses:
Please include your email address when you renew your membership. It is quicker and easier to notify you by email if there is a new event or a change in plans.  Also the newsletter is in color and looks much better on the screen. Thank you.   Marj Bixby, newsletter editor.
See online copy on Newsletter Page.
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 Share your memories and artifacts: 

Photos by R. J. Cooper, October 2013
Train Stories of Cape May County
Historical Preservation Society of Upper Twp. meeting, Tues. Oct. 8, 2013
Railroad Memories - See Facebook photo gallery - here.

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  www.UpperTwpHistory.org

Follow Upper Twp. History on Facebook

See Priors

What's New Page - 2014

What's New Page - 2013

What's New Page - 2012

What's New Page - 2011

 What's New Page - 2010-2009

 
Last Page Posting Date ~~ Sunday, February 28, 2016