Westfield Historical Society Presents: Appalachian Trail Adventure

By Westfield Historical Society

Did you know that 72 miles of the 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Trail run right through the top of New Jersey? Come find out more about this unique asset in our state, and the Trail overall, at a Westfield Historical Society program on Friday, September 11 at 7:30 PM.

Barbara Burton, Westfield Historical Society member, has recently walked the length of the Trail in New Jersey and has researched some of the interesting aspects of the history and development of the Trail, commonly referred to as the AT. Burton will present photos of the AT in New Jersey and will discuss some of the physical and social aspects of it. Over the years, the AT has produced its own lore, including “Trail magic” which helps walkers along the way.

Burton is currently Part Time Lecturer in the School of Communications & Information at

Rutgers University and completed a Ph.D degree from that school in May. She worked in the information industry for many years, including twenty years at Dow Jones & Co, but always maintained a love of history which began in the 4th grade at Tamaques School in Westfield with teacher Margaret Bunnell. She is a Westfield Historical Society volunteer and is active in other community organizations.

The presentation will be held in the Community Room of the Westfield Municipal Building at 425 E Broad Street Westfield. Light refreshments, including trail mix, will be served. The program is free and open to the public but there is a suggested contribution of $5 per person to help offset costs.

For more information, please call the Westfield Historical Society at 908-654-1794 or contact info@westfieldhistoricalsociety.org. There will be a moment of silence at the beginning of the program for attendees to remember and reflect on the attacks of September 11, 2001.