Resources for New Jersey Researchers

New to the Garden State or just dying to know why that town is called Ho-Ho-Kus? We’ve got the resources for you!

Native Land Digital. Explore the various tribes that lived throughout not just modern-day United States, but the world.

NJ Historical Society. The NJ Historical Society Research Library contains manuscripts, rare books, photographs, pamphlets, and other materials relating to NJ history, ranging form the colonial era to the 20th century.

NJ State Archives. A valuable resource for those researching their family history. The archives hold birth and marriage records, census records, land records, military records dating as far back to Colonial Wars, court records and more.

NJ Digital Highway. This completely digital resource includes historical maps; an open repository of digital information on the NJ environment drawn from state governmental organizations, research centers, and academic institutions; and a peer reviewed journal of original scholarship on all aspects of NJ history.

The Origins of New Jersey Place Names. Ever wondered how Montclair, Newark, or even Ho-Ho-Kus got their names? Wonder no further!

The Scarlet and Black Project is a historical exploration of the experiences of two disenfranchised populations, African Americans and Native Americans, at Rutgers University. The digital archives includes original newspaper articles, birth records of enslaved children, and manumission records.

“Steal Away Steal Away”: A Guide to New Jersey’s Underground Railroad. Published by the NJ Historical Commission, this guide provides detailed information on the history of the Underground Railroad and the sites in New Jersey that enslaved individuals used on their way to freedom.

MHC Blog Posts. MHC staff members, board members, and researchers constantly find new and exciting information related to the history of Montclair. Be sure to check this page for new articles!

Queer Newark Oral History Project. QNOHP is working to tell its community's stories in the words of its trailblazers and legends, by collecting audio-recorded oral history interviews. This website features interviews, primary-source documents, as well as a repository of published work on LGBTQ Newark by academic researchers and community members.

Krueger-Scott Oral History Collection. Krueger-Scott is the largest collection of oral history interviews conducted with African-American residents of Newark who came to the city during the Great Migration, as well as those whose local roots stretch back generations. The faculty, staff and graduate students at Rutgers University-Newark who have worked on the collection in collaboration with local cultural institutions are proud to have helped preserve, archive, and make public these remarkable oral narratives that describe an as yet unwritten history of twentieth century African-American life.

History at Home Programs. Starting in 2020, the Montclair History Center began a regular virtual lecture series that covered a range of topics relating to Montclair and NJ history. Check out the MHC YouTube channel here. Below are some video highlights:

1. The Morris Canal Greenway.

2. Black Soldiers in the Revolutionary Battle of Red Bank.

3. The Toll of the Garden State Parkway.

Finding Aids. The Montclair History Center now offers online finding aids that will guide those interested in our library’s holdings from home! The finding aids list available archival materials, books, maps, newspapers, and more. If you find something you’d like to see, contact our staff at mail@montclairhistory.org or call 973-744-1796. Of particular interest to New Jersey researchers is:

1. Newspaper and Prints. This collection includes a combination of historic magazines, newspapers, photographs, prints and posters.