On April 13th, 2002, in Bound Brook, New Jersey, hundreds of people gathered to re-enact the Revolutionary War battle that happened there decades ago. The Battle of Bound Brook took place on April 13th, 1777, where British forces used the element of surprise to attack the Continental Army. Now, in Bound Brook, New Jersey, residents commemorate the day by re-enacting and having a day of “living history” to teach people about the battle.
What makes the 2002 re-enactment stand out was the large crowd the event drew that year, as hundreds of history fans gathered to tour the historic grounds. In The Chronicle, published in Piscataway Township, New Jersey, they shared a few features on the day’s events and participants. Many described that it felt like they were temporarily transported into the 18th century while they toured the grounds, featuring the house, which was used as a headquarters for the Continental Army. Even the local kids got involved, as high school students joined the celebration by creating projects about the battle, and even dressing up to help re-enact the battle!
On April 14th, 1985, The Sunday News Register in Wheeling, West Virginia, published a headline that caught my attention while scrolling through the archives. The article was titled “Good use of pretty rich prayer time is planned. Archbishop serves jail time for drunk driving”, and I was immediately intrigued. Upon further reading, I learned the story of Archbishop John Roach, the former president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, and his drunk driving escapade. Roach was arrested after driving his car into a convenience store, and when police arrived, they found his blood alcohol content was twice the legal limit. Roach pled guilty to the charges, and because it was his first offense, he was sentenced to 48 hours in jail, a $400 fine, mandatory outpatient alcohol abuse programming, and 11 months of probation. He served 10 of the hours immediately following his arrest, and then reported back to the county jail on April 12th to serve the rest of his sentence. He said he planned to use this time to catch up on his readings and prayer, and was grateful to be getting back out of jail in time to make mass that Sunday. He claimed that after this accident, he was pursuing sobriety, and hopefully, this was a one-time mistake that made for an interesting story.
Have you ever sat down for breakfast, ready to devour a stack of pancakes, and wondered when they were first made? Well, the Berea Enterprise may have an answer for you! In an article published on April 15th, 1920, they shared that the history of pancakes traces back to ancient times. They were commonly consumed the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Pancakes were initially made of things like flour, milk, eggs, lard, and more, to use up foods that they couldn’t eat the following day as Lent began. They even shared that those who couldn’t afford to make their own pancakes would wait by the gates of their monasteries, where the monks would hand out pancakes, creating one of the oldest pancake breakfasts. I think this is a fascinating story, and now, next time I eat pancakes, I’ll have an answer to the question of who created my favorite breakfast food.
The typical weather for an April day on the East Coast is usually filled with mild temperatures as we welcome spring. However, in April of 1894, East Coasters woke up to a violent snowstorm. An article published in the Davenport Tribune on April 18th, 1894, described the storm as “the worst storm since the never-to-be-forgotten blizzard of 1888,” which was one of the most severe blizzards in American history. What sets it apart, they say, is the widespread reach of affected areas. The storm wasn’t as strongly condensed in a single area, but it affected a wider range of the coast. The event reported that New York was practically isolated, but not completely cut off from the rest of the world. They go as far as to argue that the blizzard could be because ‘the ocean is terribly angry’, which is one way to try to explain the perplexing weather. I’m not entirely sure that snow counts as ‘April showers’, and I’m sure the ‘May flowers’ weren’t very happy either.
Join me again next week to discover more of history’s hidden gems and timeless tales.
Explore the “Read All About It” archives to read stories that spotlight our partners and their communities, announcements from our team, updates on current projects, and so much more. Discover articles about engagement, outreach, primary sources, community, digitization, education, and other topics of interest. Delve into the happenings in this week in history and take a deep dive into the events and people who helped shape our communities, our nation, and the world.
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