The township Historical Society is continuing to grow its membership and is inviting local residents to become involved in projects that help the Society to live up to its mission of preserving and promoting the history of the historic township.
In a recent letter to its members, the Board of Trustees of the Society outlined some of its achievements during 2021, including an increase in its membership bringing it to more than 100 members.
Tom Valenti, president of the Society praised the work of the Board of Trustees in promoting its highly popular Speaker Series which is offered both in person and online and in 2021 included nine different presentations from historians and authors.
The Society also began the digitization of the Middletown High School yearbooks, which are now available for view online, and added several entries to the interactive land development map which is also on the website.
With a revenue increase of 65 per cent, the president reported the Society had received a grant from the Monmouth County Historical Society as well as several community sponsorships by local organizations. The Society also accepted donations of numerous historical items for its archive and fielded many queries concerning genealogical and historical matters about Middletown, its families and early settlers. The Society has also successfully renewed its efforts to catalog its archives and make the list available to the public.
Persons wishing to becoming members, or giving a membership to a newcomer in the area, can visit the website at MiddletownHistory@gmail.com, or write the Society at PO Box 180, Middletown, NJ 07748. Memberships vary from $10 for a general level membership to $100 for a benefactor membership. Checks should be made payable to the Middletown Township Historical Society, which is a NJ non-profit corporation and a 501 (c)3 corporation.
Valenti noted the Society also welcomes donations of items relevant to the town’s history and assures donors of the preservation and care of all donations. Community sponsorships are open to all local companies or organizations who support the preservation of local history.
