Hiasvtoernics BY LORI DRAZ
Leading Ladies of History
In this month when we celebrate women who make a difference, we will
look at three women who are keeping history alive. There are so many
more including Roberta Van Anda, Muriel Smith, Gilda Rogers and Laura
Atwell, to name a few. We also applaud all volunteers, historic society
members, docents, researchers, authors and homeowners who care for so
many properties.
Linda Bricker, president of the Monmouth
County Historic Association (MCHA), works to
make history engaging, relevant and accessible.
She has led the effort to digitize the association’s
vast 30,000 artifact collection for eMuseum
visitors and spearheaded several contemporary
exhibitions including “Tracking Sandy” and the
current “Springsteen: His Hometown.”
Now the Monmouth County Historical
Association has invited everyone to become
historians by sharing their stories, photos and
images through the “Remembering COVID-19” project. History is being
made every day.
Bricker wishes everyone will engage with the MCHA properties.
She is a co-creator of the popular Tavernfest, held annually at the MCHA’s
Tavern Museum at the Allen House, also the site of the recently established
Reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 4. The working hearth
programs at MCHA’s Covenhoven House are also special.
“I grew up in Hudson, Ohio in a c.1870 home in the historic village,
complete with its village square and very active Heritage Association,”
Bricker said. “Village homeowners carefully cared for their houses and
researched stories of the original homeowners which brought the history
of this interesting town to life for me. My understanding of experiential
Colonial Williamsburg. Later, I worked at the Chicago History Museum,
creating living history programs. Eventually I moved with my husband
and four children to New Jersey. My community volunteer work led me to
leadership in the MCHA where I have proudly served as president for the
and their properties. I believe we all have a civic and ethical duty to
preserve and protect these buildings and artifacts for future generations.
Our preservation of history shows care for the community and provides
hope for the future.”
Lillian Burry has served on the Board of
Chosen Freeholders since 2006. In 2008, she
in county history to be elected to this position.
Burry was mayor of Colts Neck, and
Matawan Borough Council. She currently serves
on the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization
Planning Authority. She has secured 400 acres
of open space and recreational facilities for the
10 MAY 2020 | TheJournalNJ.com
county and spearheaded the Veteran’s Community Center.
She has been named person of the year by the Latino-American
Council, the Fraternal Order of the Police, the Conservation Foundation, the
Agricultural Commission, Marine Corps League and Historic Association.
She received the 2012 Spinnaker Award and was the Grand Marshall of the
“Open Space Pace (Save the Horse).”
“History is not just some dead, worn relic to be dusted off on special
occasions and then returned to honored obscurity,” Burry said. “History
is a living thing that gives substance and meaning to the present and a
pathway into the future.
“My father, a native-born Florentine whose heritage dates back to
DaVinci, Michelangelo, and Medici, often said, ‘You can’t know where you
are going, if you don’t know where you have been.’ –
“Historic preservation is so important because visions dim, memories
fade and recollections differ. It is the tangible things we preserve that
provide an honest and enduring record.
“I think of the Mt Mitchell’s Sept. 11, 2001 Eagle monument and
buildings 53 and 24; Battery Lewis at Hartshorne Woods Park with the
WWII gun barrel; Avenue of Memories on Ft Monmouth; the 14 sites in
Colts Neck from Laird Applejack Distillery, the Colts Neck Inn, Joshua Huddy
homestead, Conover and Probasco farmsteads; just to name a few.
“With every act of preservation, we add a
new thread to the fabric of our civic lives that
binds us together into one vital, enduring and
timeless community.”
Christine Giordano Hanlon, Esq. is the
county clerk for Monmouth County. Hanlon
is responsible for the preservation of historic
records relating to real property in the county
as well as millions of important government
documents. She is also currently the presidentelect
for the Monmouth County Bar Association,
vice president for the Monmouth County SPCA
and is a trustee for the Boy Scouts of America Monmouth Council. Hanlon
lives in Ocean Township with her husband and four children.
tirelessly to preserve, index and provide secure storage for millions of
county historical records dating back to the 1600s.
everyone to enjoy,” Hanlon said. “I am proud to serve as the county clerk for
the County of Monmouth, which is often referred to as the ‘Keeper of the
Records.’ I have always had a keen interest in history, and one of my favorite
duties as county clerk is preserving and protecting our rich history.
“Each year, we host the Monmouth County Archives and History Day
which attracts more than 300 attendees, including historians, archivists and
the public, to celebrate our local history. I have also incorporated student
photography and essay contests to engage our younger generation to
cherish our history.
“I have made our services and records more readily available
for historians and researchers through MonmouthCountyClerk.com,
publishing videos, and using Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts to
educate the public about Monmouth’s history.
“To better protect our precious collections, I am also continuing to
invest in modern technology to streamline and improve the preservation
process so that generations to come can enjoy and learn from these
historical records.”
“I encourage you to learn more about our Monmouth County Archives
Division online at MonmouthCountyClerk.com/Archives or by visiting
us in the lower level of the Monmouth County Library Headquarters in
Lillian Burry
Christine Giordano Hanlon
Linda Bricker
/TheJournalNJ.com
/MonmouthCountyClerk.com
/Archives