Editor's Notebook: Patch Celebrates its 100th Site Launch

A century ago, South Orange residents groused about carriage traffic on Scotland Road, kept and rode horses in their large Montrose yards, and wondered if the land at the rise of South Orange Ave. was habitable. One hundred Patches ago, South Orange had to see the Rahway greenway, Zayda's was still on Irvington Ave., and Downtown after Sundown concerts were only an idea. What a difference a hundred makes.

With the launch of the Morristown Patch, Patch achieves the 100 mark today. The first Patch sites, South Orange, Maplewood, and Millburn, launched together in February of 2009. Cotton Delo, then editor of South Orange Patch, looked back at the journey. She recalled attending Seton Hall's University Dayand standing behind a table decorated with a homemade sign and logo.

Eighteen months and 97 Patches later, sites stretch from east to west, and north to south. There are Patch sites in nine states, from California to Virginia. Locally, Patch sites thrive in West Orange, Montclair, Livingston, the Caldwells, with more county coverage to come. 

My "Patchwork," as I think of it, began in March, 2009, with a first story about the Irish in South Orange. That story launched a weekly local history column. And that column brought me correspondence from all over the world, as readers sent queries and stories to fill in the landscape of our shared local history.

Writing local history also brought me to George McCoy, which is a wonderful example of the power of Patch. Writing about World War I veterans, a resident brought the name George McCoy to my attention. McCoy served and died in France, but his name didn't appear on the town memorial. Months of internet and old-fashioned book research later, Girl Scout troop 880 and Congressman Bill Pascrell joined town dignitaries to see McCoy's name inscribed on the memorial.

As Patch moves forward into triple digits, I'm confident that our local sites will continue to tell the stories, past and present, that matter to this community. From budget meetings to block parties, from capital expenses to concerts in the park, we're there.

I'm grateful to the writers and photographers who share their talents and ideas with the community. I'm further grateful to our readers, who stop me in the street and grocery store to pass along news tips and feedback. Thank you, times 100.