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Breaking News: History Found in New Jersey!

This Easter, my wife and I shared dinner with my in-laws at the Stage House Tavern in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. Incidentally, the meal and ambiance were excellent. If you’re a resident of the area or simply passing through, enjoy a few drinks or a meal at the Tavern. I doubt that you’ll leave disappointed. However, this is not a restaurant review (I’m not ruling out writing one in the future. Isn’t that the freedom of blogging?).

While walking to the restaurant, we passed by an attractive, wood-framed house dating from the colonial era. A sign noted that the house is the Osborn Cannonball House Museum and it played a (minor) role in the Battle of Short Hills in 1777 during the American Revolution.

Cannonball-House-Line-Drawing-Circa-1750_2

Osborn Cannonball House Museum (Courtesy of The Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood New Jersey)

Following the Battle of Short Hills—little more than a military skirmish—an American artilleryman fired at British troops marching into Scotch Plains. The cannonball struck the Osborn home, hence the name of the museum. The Osborn family were supports of American independence and were prominent in the town before and after the war.

Before my Easter dinner in Scotch Plains, I had never heard of the Osborn Cannonball House Museum. In fact, I had never heard of the Battle of Short Hills. My point is this: history and historical sites are all around us but they are often overlooked. We only need to open our eyes and our imaginations. Seek out and learn about the history of your own town or city. You might be surprised by what you uncover.

Even in New Jersey.

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