Editor's Notebook: Introducing Scott Egelberg and a "Next to Newark" Project

Dear readers, residents and friends,

I’m pleased to tell you that I’m putting South Orange Patch in the capable hands of Scott Egelberg for the next several weeks.

While this is a medical leave for me, I’m choosing to focus on a project that deserves attention. In August, I was thrilled to receive the Joseph P. Mahoney Research Award from the New Jersey Catholic Historical Commission.   My project, entitled “Next to Newark: South Orange’s Irish and Italian Immigrants,” looks at the experiences of late 19^th and early 20^th-century immigrants to our community, and the impact of that movement on families and on South Orange.

The urban immigrant narrative is familiar to many of us, whether through family stories, fiction or memoir. We’ve seen urban first generations spread to the ‘burbs and beyond as years pass. However, the story is a little different in a “first-ring” suburb, or “exurb,” such as South Orange. We were once part of Newark, and many immigrants came here directly and stayed through the generations. Yes, the families moved up – often literally up the hill – and around town, but many names on ship manifests of the past century remain on monuments and even email lists in South Orange and Maplewood today.

This project embraces both South Orange and Maplewood, which is a pleasure for me, and it looks at a big historical movement on a small scale.

While I have studies and statistics of immigration, the richest source of material comes from all of you, the attics in your homes, and even house sales on your block. I have been gathering photos, address books, old letters and all kinds of materials that tell the stories of locals’ lives. I am grateful for memories shares and materials you have lent and given to me. If you have anything more, whether weird old photo albums found in the garage, or a scrapbook going cheap at a house sale, please let me know: marciaw@patch.com

And if my project speaks to your family experience, I’d like to know that too. As I have asked since the first day I wrote for Patch, tell me your stories of South Orange.

Thank you and take care.

Marcia Worth