I’ve been a local historian for many years. It started as an offshoot of my family history research, because to truly understand how your ancestors lived their lives, you need to know what life was like during their lifetimes. Maps, photos of buildings, newspaper articles, ephemera — it all contributes to the larger picture of each member of your ancestry.
There is a large, and growing, audience for this sort of thing. I’ve shared some of it on Facebook, in several NJ groups and pages¹, as well as more general history groups², but few have the time or patience to scroll back through years of group posts. It’s time to put it all into one place, the better for anyone interested to find it.
As a separate project, I’m (finally) rebuilding my long-dormant Havemann.com website. I have a ton of information on my ancestry, 95% of which is squirreled away on my PC: Havemann, Conklin, Wingendorff, Head, Hartung, Seiffert… just some of the surnames I’ve researched for over 25 years. I will update it, I promise.
¹ I grew up in Pequannock … Pequannock History … Pequannock Township … Friends of Pequannock Historic District Commission …
² Shorpy … Vintage New York … more as I remember them