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Morristown Muster
October 2016 Newsletter


Thank you for subscribing to Morristown National Historical Park's e-newsletter. We are pleased to keep you connected to your national park.
Fall Foliage is Upon Us!

It's that time of year again where the leaves begin to change and we are blessed with a gorgeous array of colors.

We encourage our visitors to take advantage of the cooler temperatures and beautiful fall foliage. There are over 25 miles of hiking trails in the Jockey Hollow Encampment Area of the park. 

Need a trail map? Download one here or purchase one in our Jockey Hollow Visitor Center for just $1.00.
Unveiling Ceremony for Newly Restored Stark's Brigade Monument & New Wayside Exhibits
Friday, October 14 at 11:00 am

We are pleased to announce the completion of the restoration of the historic Stark's Brigade Monument, as well as the installation of new wayside interpretive exhibits about the brigade and monument. 

As part of the park's on-going celebration of the National Park Service's Centennial, an unveiling ceremony and ranger-led interpretive program will be held at  11 am Friday, October 14, 2016  at the monument site. The public is encouraged to attend.

Ghostly Revelations at the Ford Mansion
Saturday, October 15, 10:00 am 
Washington's Headquarters Museum

The Ford Mansion recently underwent a paranormal research study by Gordon Ward, a well-respected investigator of ghosts and hauntings as well as an author on the topic.  This program, in collaboration with the Morris County Tourism Bureau, will include audio recordings, developing theories, and information collected from his study of the Ford Mansion.

After the study's results are presented, program participants may tour the Ford Mansion with park rangers and spend the day at the park. Cost is $20 per person and includes free park admission for the day. Free parking is available in two lots adjacent to the park and also along Washington Place.

For tickets and more information, visit the Morris County Tourism Bureau's event webpage.
Legends and Myths of Morristown, New Jersey
Saturday, October 15, 5:30 pm 
Wick House 

The month of October is filled with talk of myths, legends, and strange events. Such tales can be found everywhere in the state of New Jersey and even in Morristown. 

Join us for a campfire program to investigate some of these tales and discover if they are pure myth or if there is some truth to these stories.
Please dress for the weather and feel free to bring chairs or blankets to sit on around the campfire.

Rain location: Jockey Hollow Visitor Center 
Author Mark Lender on his book, Fatal Sunday
Sunday, October 16, 2:00 pm 
Washington's Headquarters Museum

As part of its 2016 National Park Service Centennial celebrations, the North Jersey American Revolution Round Table (NJARRT) and the National Park Service welcomes author Mark E. Lender to the Washington's Headquarters Museum for an illustrated talk on his book,  Fatal Sunday: George Washington, the Monmouth Campaign, and the Politics of Battle.

Historians have long considered the Battle of Monmouth one of the most complicated engagements of the American Revolution. Monmouth was critical to the success of the Revolution, as authors Mark E. Lender and Garry W. Stone argue in this new book.

The talk will be at 2:00 pm in the Washington's Headquarters Museum auditorium and admission to the program is FREE. Book sales and signing will follow the program.
Visiting the Dead

October is the perfect time to tour the historic graveyard at Morristown's Presbyterian Church located on the Green. Fall foliage, crisp air, and tombstones ranging from the 1730s to 1850s all add to the experience, creating the impression of an open-air museum. It exhibits history, art, and even a bit of poetry in the form of epitaphs.

Many prominent figures in local and New Jersey state history are interred there. Jacob Ford Jr., a militia colonel who died in 1777, is buried in a family plot that includes his wife Theodosia and father Jacob Sr. Theodosia Ford allowed General Washington to use her home as his headquarters during the Hard Winter of 1779-80. Silas Condict, who served in the Continental Congress and helped draft New Jersey's first constitution, was also laid to rest in the cemetery. Other noted people buried there include: Jacob Arnold, a tavern keeper, John Jacob Faesch, an ironmaster, Timothy Johnes Jr., a doctor, and John Doughty, a general who briefly commanded the United States Army after the Revolutionary War.

The gravestones at the Presbyterian Cemetery feature a variety of popular period motifs such as Death's Heads, Angels, and Weeping Willow Trees. Other decorative motifs include: an hourglass signifying the brevity of life on earth, three flowers to represent the Trinity, and a shell, a metaphor for "The Resurrection of Life Everlasting." The 1742 gravestone of Abigail Goble depicts the arm of God reaching down from a cloud holding an ax, which is used to chop down the Tree of Life. 

For a real challenge, see if you can find the carver's name at the bottom of the gravestone. Most gravestones were not signed, but the Presbyterian Cemetery has stones carved by David Jeffries of Woodbridge, Jonathan Hand Osborne of Scotch Plains, and Amos Wilcox of New Providence. 

If you're a fan of poetry, the epitaphs can provide a stark lesson on mortality:

Stranger stop and cast an eye,
As you are now, so once was I,
My glass is run, and yours is running,
Remember Death and Judgment coming.

Have a great autumn and Happy Halloween! 
Feel free to contact us with any questions regarding the park or our ranger programs. We can be reached at 973-539-2016 ext.210. Come out and Find Your Park! 

Sincerely,

Morristown National Historical Park | 973-539-2016 ext.210 morr_interpretation@nps.gov | http://www.nps.gov/morr
30 Washington Place
Morristown, NJ 07960