Clinton Township Newsletter

3 j u l y 2 0 2 4 from CarolBeder ' s I have to admit, sometimes I'm the worst at remembering all of the great events listed in this publication. It's a case of the shoemaker's kids going without shoes. As I work on each issue I think to myself, "Oh, that sounds like fun! And that sounds interesting too... and that as well!" But, since I'm always working about two months ahead of those events, by the time they happen I'm mentally onto the next season until someone asks me the day after an event if I attended it and enjoyed it. For example, In May I had every intention of attending Henry Bonnell's talk about the tavern he inherited, Bonnell's Tavern. Henry is the eighth generation of Bonnells to own this local historic gem. In 1775, the officers of the Hunterdon County Militia Regiment were elected at the tavern, and the tavern became their headquarters. Unfortunately for those of us who treasure historic sites, the Department of Transportation didn't feel as nostalgic about it and, in 1957, went and built 78, a major highway, alongside it. I could explain more but our wonderful reporter, Rachel Sprague, has taken the time to sit down with Hank to find out more about Bonnell's Tavern, its ongoing renovation, and the exciting things to come. You can read about it in Clinton3Q on page 16 of this issue! Speaking of local history, I found the archive online of a wonderful book about Hunterdon County, written in 1881 by James Snell, and you can check it out here: https://archive.org/details/cu31924104752518/mode/2up. At 864 pages long, it's not a quick read, but it is fascinating to think of our bucolic county when it was new to the (non-native) settlers. Check it out! I've often thought that if copies of this publication somehow survive into the next century or so, whether it be the printed version (I have several in my attic!) or the online version (who knows what will survive online in the decades to come?) – CTNL might be an interesting time capsule, showing future residents of our beautiful county was life was like way-back-when, in the early 2000s. The older I get the faster the years seem to fly, so the next century doesn't seem that far off. I won't be here to see it, but perhaps my future grandchildren(?) will. (No pressure, kids!) The first line of this book reads, "The design of this work is to give the two counties treated an impartial, faithful chronicle of their past from the date of the earliest settlement down to recent times." I made that emphasis to point out the fact that, for the author, 1881 was "recent times" – and this was written 143 years ago. If he could see our lovely county as it is today, what would he think? I would hope that he'd be pleased, and I'm sure he'd be amazed. We still have so much to treasure here. I'm encouraged by the fact that our residents and politicians fight so hard to preserve our ethereal open spaces and many historic places while allowing this county to advance in an enlightened fashion. I can only hope that if we could magically visit Hunterdon County 143 years from now, we'd be pleased with its condition. While our country is celebrating its independence (we're getting close to the 250-year mark!) our county is still one of the most desirable places to live, in my book! Happy 4th of July! –Julie Flynn DAYS TO KEEP IN MIND • July 1-July 3, 1863: The Battle of Gettysburg, seen by many as the most important fight during the Civil War Tues July 2 World UFO Day Tues July 2 National Wildland Firefighter Day • July 2, 1964: Civil Rights Act passed by President Lyndon Johnson, banned employers from discriminating against anyone based on race, religion, color, national origin, or sex, and outlawed segregation in public places and schools. Thurs July 4 Independence Day Fri July 5 National Workaholics Day (go home early!) Sun July 7 World Chocolate Day Fri July 12 Malala Day Mon July 15 National "Give Something Away" Day • July 19-July 20, 1848: Seneca Falls Convention (aka the Woman's Rights Convention) held in New York, fought for equal religious, social, and civil rights of women. • July 29, 1958: President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act into law, creating NASA.

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