Newark Library Exhibit Will Spotlight 350 Years of Jersey History

A celebration of New Jersey’s 350th anniversary will be held at the Newark Public Library Jan. 18.

“350 Years of New Jersey State History in Music and Story,” at 11 am, takes a folkloric look at the history of the Garden State, beginning with the area’s original inhabitants, the Native American Lenape tribe, to the Dutch settlers of the Colonial era, to the Industrial Revolution and right through to the present day.

Award-winning children’s author Trinka Hakes Noble will be on hand to talk about her books, including her most recent, The Legend of the Jersey Devil, and The People of Twelve Thousand Winters, the story of 10-year-old Walking Turtle, a Lenni Lenape Native American who lives with his family in a small village alongside the Passaic River in the early 1600s before Europeans settled on America’s shores.

Also, the Navesink Maritime Heritage Association will provide a summary of their program presented in 2013 “Searching for Land and Religious Freedom in Monmouth County: a Symposium on Land and Sea.” A Revolutionary era honor guard will be on hand as George Washington greets all guests.  This is your opportunity to pose with our first President for a photograph.

The events serve as the run-up to the opening of “This is New Jersey: 350 Years of Garden State History” at 1 pm.  Titled after a book by John T. Cunningham, the historian and prolific author who died in 2012, the exhibit includes excerpts from his writings. Curator Thomas Ankner and special collections librarian Nadine Sergejeff will lead tours of the exhibit which features photographs and maps from the Newark Public Library's Charles F. Cummings New Jersey Information Center and works of art from the Special Collections Division.

Elizabeth Del Tufo, longtime Newark resident, popular city tour guide, and President of Newark’s Preservation and Landmarks Committee, will speak at 2:00 p.m.  Following her talk, the New Jersey Center for the Book will showcase twelve award-winning public library programs they have selected for 2014 that will salute the state’s 350th anniversary.

All of the events will take place at Newark’s Main Library,  5 Washington St., and are free and open to the public.  For more information call 973-733-7800.