WRITING & RESEARCH
Research is the bread and butter of what I do. The following works represent some of the many interesting people and places I’ve come across in my research–from my beginnings as a college student, to current articles, presentations, and other materials produced for work or my own interest.
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Dressing the Women of the Van Riper-Hopper House (Digital Link)
This is a link to an interactive digital exhibit, created by Tessa Payer and myself in March 2024. At a glance, the exhibit relates each woman who lived at the Van Riper-Hopper House to a historic garment in the Wayne Museum’s collection, showcasing the variations in fashion and dress from roughly 1840 to 1930.
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Women’s Work: The Home Demonstration Agents of Passaic County, New Jersey
This Women’s History Month, we recognize the work performed by members of the Home Demonstration Unit between 1910 and 1930. Across the United States, home demonstration agents hosted educational presentations for the public, on topics such as home economics, nutrition, and modern technology. Their work was pivotal in improving the livelihoods of Passaic County’s rural…
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This Month in Wayne History:The Continental Army Visits Wayne
ON July 1st, 1780, over 8,000 soldiers of the Continental Army arrived at the home of Theunis and Hester Dey in the town of Preakness (today’s Dey Mansion, located on Totowa Road in Wayne). Far from the triumphant military force we see in today’s portrayal of Revolutionary history, the army was a sorry sight to…
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Under the Surface: The Story of Pancake Hollow and the Point View Reservoir
Being neighbors with the reservoir, we at the museum originally dived into our records last year, to uncover Pancake Hollow’s connection with the Van Riper-Hopper family. What we discovered was the story of a town in transition: of an area faced with a crisis of supply and demand, as Northern New Jersey’s sleepy farming communities evolved…
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Rock Bottom: Washington Returns to Preakness, October 9th – November 27th, 1780
THE promises of the summer are far behind Washington as he and his men limp back into Preakness (now Wayne) on October 9th, 1780. Alongside the usual complaints of a lack of food and general provisions, Washington is in the middle of navigating through a maelstrom that threatens to destroy the integrity of the American…