Three Centuries of Morristown in 90 Minutes

Today's Morristown is full of a lot of different things–, , , ... did we forget to mention ?

All kidding aside, many people every day flock to the county seat of Morris for its vibrant nightlife, its over 100 restaurants running the gamut of culinary desires (including ) and as a profitable business center (including almost every you could possibly have an account with). But, did you know what is now known as Morristown once was almost entirely covered by forests teeming with the Lenni Lenape indians and, later, a small but thriving Colonial culture? Given Morristown's deeply historical past, these may be nothing new.

But, did you know the donut hole and donut we now know as Morristown and Morris Township was all Morristown until 1865? Or that a public outcry over the spectacle of a hanging on the Green that drew 5,000 people led to the practice being halted in the public sphere? Or that , when built, looked far different than what we see today, because the fashion of the day was to cover homes in stucco? 

These little factoids, anecdotes and a ton of history are in store for those who check out one of Morris County Tourism Bureau's walking tours, offered all summer.

On Saturday, June 18, Mark Texel, historian and director of the Morris County Park Commission’s Historic Sites Division, led a group of about 15 folks through "Morristown in Three Centuries," the program's regular Saturday morning tour. Participants got a taste of Morristown life in the 1700s, when George Washington camped here; in the 1800s, when famed illustrator Thomas Nast moved to Macculloch Avenue; in the 1900s, when the magnificent took 24 years to be constructed.

Besides "Morristown in Three Centuries," which runs every Saturday morning (except July 2) through Aug. 13, the walking tour series has several other historical tours on tap this summer, including "Trial of the 19th Century: Antoine LeBlanc," on June 25 and July 30; Historic Churches of Morristown, on July 16 and Aug. 13; and the sold-out tour of The Seeing Eye training ground, in Morris Township, on July 23.

Tickets are $10 and tours begin at 10 a.m. from the Morris Tourism Bureau office unless otherwise noted. For more information about the Historical Walking Tour series, visit the website.