News and Events
The Society hosts a variety of events and programs
throughout the year, all free to the public.
Our annual Local History Day is held annually at
the Metuchen Library, and smaller neighborhood history days in Edison whenever possible. In addition, we host walking and cemetery tours, field
trips, and invite speakers to present on a wide range of history topics.
Previous Programs
The Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington is perhaps the single most significant stretch of railroad in the country, connecting dozens of cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City. The line carries thousands of passengers daily on a line formed from a patchwork of some of the earliest railroads in America.
DeFeo has studied railroads since growing up in Metuchen alongside the Northeast Corridor. He is editor of Railfanning.org and founder of The DeFeo Groupe. The images in this book come from some of the many libraries, museums, and organizations dedicated to preserving railroad history, the archives of Railfanning.org, and the author’s personal collection.
Click HERE to buy the book
Click HERE to view the video of the program
Local History Day 2020
MEHS Summer 2019 Field Trip to the Drake House in Plainfield. August 25, 2019.
News
Our April 7, 2018 program on the History of North Edison was a great success. We had 107 people attend, and it was broadcast on Edison Cable TV.
***Society releases new postcard book about Metuchen & Edison. Our first full color book! Greetings from Metuchen & Edison
***Previous Events and News
Secrets of the Piscatawaytown Burial Ground, presented by Michael Gall and Walter Stochel, Saturday May 9, 2015 at 2pm, St. James Church, 2136 Woodbridge Avenue, Edison
In November 2014 the Metuchen-Edison Historical Society began a survey and study of the Piscatawaytown Burial Ground. The cemetery was established in the1690s and over the years there have been various recordings of the graves, but none since 1978. Using GPS technology, every grave existing in 2014 has been recorded and mapped. In addition, the various lists of graves have been combined into one database that will be placed on the MEHS website and a list of Veteran burials has been created. This program will shed new light on who is buried there, the history of the burial ground, and how to use the new maps and lists to find graves. Afterward, a walking tour of the cemetery will be conducted. For more information contact: Walter R. Stochel Jr. 732-906-0529 wstochel@earthlink.net. Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission, Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders through a grant provided by New Jersey Historical Commission a division of Dept. of State.
Middlesex Country History Fair, Sunday, May 31, 2015, 10am to 4pm - FREE
The Society will be participating in the Middlesex Country Cultural & Heritage Commission’s History Fair at the East Jersey Olde Towne Village located in Johnson Park in Piscataway. This event will feature a variety of living history demonstrations including blacksmithing, furniture making, chair caning, decorative arts, and more.
Our table at the Fair.
Rev. War reinactors visit our table.
NEWS: Society wins special award at the Metuchen Country Fair on October 18, 2014 with its "At the Movies" booth.
NEWS: Short Hills Battlefield listed on the National Register 5-9-2014!! Click here for details.
NEWS: Nannygoats the First Decade now available! Click here for details.
NEWS: Edison Tower Restoration Continues. Completion early 2015! (Photo: November 2013)
NEWS: South Edison History Day a Success. More than 50 people attended South Edison History Day on June 8, 2013. MEHS displayed items from our collections, and did a 40 minute presentation on the history of that part of the community.
NEWS: Edison Tower Restoration begins. 10/14/12
A new scaffold is being installed for the restoration work.
NEWS: EXIT 10 by Tom Cheche now available see our MEHS History Store item # 24. Click Here
NEWS: Society Website now has 16 Oral History Transcripts available on line at our "From the Archives" section of the Website. Memories of Metuchen & Edison from the 1880s to the 1990's. Click Here
Society President Fred Wolke welcomes author Bill Bowman to our October 2010 meeting. Bill did a talk about a 1980's murder in Metuchen, and the book he wrote called Murderer of the Year.
Contact Walter Stochel :
info@metuchen-edisonhistsoc.org
Short Hills Battlefield Report
Architectural Walking Tour of Metuchen
The Society gets a major grant, click here for more information.