MCHA Presents
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING
A Virtual Lecture Series
- Co-Sponsored by the Monmouth County Library -
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Register below today for FREE Zoom lectures given by Monmouth County's most interesting and well-respected historians! You'll even have the chance to engage in a Q&A at the end!
Browse our upcoming line-up to join us on the specified date at 7 PM:
August 17th, 2023

Dr. Stanley Blair
The Infamous Long Branch Murder of 1860, Solved
The August 8, 1860 New York Times’ front page reported a grisly murder committed behind a hotel in the then-new summer resort of Long Branch, NJ. The newspaper exchange system ensured that the Times’ story was quickly reprinted across the U.S. The perpetrators and victim were unidentified until three years later, when Henry Morford published his account of the perpetrators’ motive, means, and opportunity, as well as the victim’s identity. Join us as we examine the evidence of this historical crime, and Morford’s solution
October 19th, 2023

Dana Howell and Joe Zemla present
A Most Unfortunate Place:
Tragic Shipwrecks at Asbury Park
Today, the Asbury Park boardwalk is a place of sun and fun; a colorful blend of beach umbrellas, world class music, fantastic food and unique shops. Most beachgoers are blissfully unaware, however, of the horrors that filled the this same beach centuries ago. Join us as we revisit the details of the two most famous shipwrecks of the Jersey shore - the New Era and the Morro Castle - both meeting their tragic end in practically same spot, eighty years apart. Both wrecks were plagued with more than simple bad luck, of which there was plenty... conspiracy, greed and mystery were all major players in their historic stories. Don't miss out on this macabre presentation!
November 16th, 2023

Rick Geffken
The Hartshornes of Hathern and other 17th-century Monmouth County English Immigrants
Based on his recent research trip to England, Rick Geffken will discuss the English origins of some of our county's founding families: the Hartshornes, Grovers, Morrises, Corlieses, and Whites. The story of Yaff, an enslaved Black man held for decades by Lewis Morris and William Penn, is featured.