JUNE 2018 BULLETIN Historical Society of Rockaway Township PO Box 100, Hibernia, NJ 07842 Email: rockawayhistory@verizon.net Website: http://www.rockawaytownship.org/163/historical-society Dear Members, facebook.com/historicalsocietyofrockawaytownship There was a wonderful turnout at last month s screening of the mines and miners of Mt Hope. We were pleasantly surprised and honored to have two former miners in attendance and after the meeting they answered questions and shared their experiences in working at the mines. On June 4 th we are having our annual elections and a short presentation by member George Bruno on the hobby of metal detecting. Don t forget this meeting will be at the Senior Citizens Building on Mt Hope Rd. If you can t attend, please make sure to follow instructions on voting via email. Construction is continuing at the Ford-Faesch House and I hoping to open the house to members in August in lieu of a general meeting. Let s hope for dry weather so the work can finish in a timely manner. Replace with Spring version of FF Summer 2018 Upcoming Events June 4 th HSRT Annual Meeting and Elections. Plus short presentation by member George Bruno on metal detecting. 7 pm Seniors Building, 19 Mt Hope Rd July 2 nd HSRT Monthly Meeting. Cancelled due to the holiday. August 6 th HSRT Monthly Meeting Possibly at the FFH ***All meetings are held at the Rockaway Twp. Municipal Court Room 65 Mt. Hope Rd at 7pm unless indicated otherwise**** Jean Licker President
Work is progressing. Future door opening and porch of West Wing. Main floor of West Wing West Wing basement. Kitchen chimney
Rockaway Township Recreational Hot Spots June Spotlights Lake Denmark When the Merritt Park Hotel opened in 1887 it was envisioned as a great sports complex (see 1890 ad at left) The hotel above actually was the 2 nd version of three totalall burned down by 1932. the Lake Denmark property was sold to Picatinny in 1943. 1901 During Annie Oakley s residency in NJ, she was a frequent guest and contestant at Lake Denmark sponsored shooting events. She won every time. Don t Miss PAHS Lake Denmark Program Wed. June 27 th at RT Courtroom- 7pm
June Brides of RT Local family history tells of Faesch s manager, Frederick Fichter, heartbroken at his first wife s death, finding love again and incentive to stay at Mount Hope, marrying in the Ford-Faesch parlor. Dover Advance Thursday June 28, 1906 Mt. Hope the Scene of Pretty Home Wedding The old colonial mansion at Mount Hope was the scene of a pretty home wedding on Monday when Miss Mamie Maher was wedded to Harry Kennedy, formerly connected with the Wharton Furnaces but now the general manager of the Federal Company of Chicago. The ceremony was performed by the bride s brother, Rev. P.A. Maher of Jersey City assisted by the Rev. Father Fergusson of the Saint Bernard s Church. In 1920, Fox Films released Bride 13, a 15-episode serial which recounted the cliff-hanging exploits of a decoy bride out to rescue twelve other kidnapped brides including her sister. 51 scenes were filmed at the Mount Hope Mine and surrounding area.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Do you have free time you to spare? The Society still has many boxes of newspapers to clip, and we would welcome assistance from anyone willing to help. We have been having a blast going through the papers, revisiting the past and it is fun to meet fellow history buffs in a small setting. Scissors and gloves will be supplied. We will be holding these clipping sessions at the Rockaway Township Library in the small meeting room downstairs. Dates and times: Thursday June 7 th 1-3 pm Wednesday June 20 th 2-4 pm If you have any questions please email Jean at jcl72@aol.com
The Gazebo Grand Opening was thirty years ago, on May 30, 1988. This addition to Park Lake has become home to concerts, weddings, memorial services and is the place to go for photos with your classmates before the prom.
HSRT 2018-2019 Slate of Officers Any current member in good standing (a member in good standing is defined as someone who has been a member for at least 6 months and is current on their membership dues) is eligible to vote. Voting Instructions: Members Present at the Annual June Membership Meeting: Members present will vote via Secret Ballot (we will present the slate and provide a paper ballot on which members can check "YES" or "NO"). Everyone voting will enter their anonymous, folded vote into a box, to be counted. Members That Cannot Attend the Annual June Membership Meeting: Members that can t attend but would like to vote can reply to lisagenovese@gmail.com. Reply "YES" if you approve the 2018 2019 Slate of Officers. Reply "NO" if you do NOT approve the 2018 2019 Slate of Officers. Your vote will be written on an anonymous paper ballot and included in the box to be counted with the other votes at the meeting. All replies MUST be received by no later than Sunday, June 3rd at 5:00 P.M. in order to be included at the Annual June Membership Meeting. Annual June Membership Meeting & Elections Date: Monday, June 4th, 2018 7:00 P.M. Location: Senior Building 19 Mt. Hope Road Rockaway, NJ 07866