What starts as a culinary argument becomes a deep, emotional journey through heritage, assimilation, and identity. From Dom DeLuise’s unforgettable Sunday pot scene in Fatso to the first Italian-American woman in 1902 who called her tomato sauce “gravy,” to Chef Boyardee branding his for the non-Italians of Idaho — it’s a story simmered in humor, heart, and history.
We explore how Italian immigrants faced poverty, prejudice, and even violence — including the 1891 New Orleans lynching — yet turned their struggles into strength and their meals into meaning. Through food, they didn’t just survive; they built a culture so rich it became iconic — even imitated.
And when the pot finally settles, this episode reminds us that the real story isn’t about words. It’s about what we’ve built together — a shared American table where struggle becomes tradition, tradition becomes pride, and the argument itself becomes love.
So call it gravy, call it sauce — either way, it’s delicious.
Email- njhistory@gmail.com
Socials- https://linktr.ee/njhistorypodcast
In Edison, New Jersey… two brothers thought they could steal a witch’s grave. Her name was Mary Moore. Locals said if you walked around her tomb three times and spat — she’d appear.
But the Porubsky brothers didn’t stop at a dare. In the 1970s, they pried her headstone loose and took it home… laughing. Days later — one brother was killed in a car accident on Route 27. The other, shaken, destroyed the stone and buried the pieces.
No one ever found them.
And the original marker for Mary Moore — the Witch of Edison — vanished forever. There isn’t much information on the Porubsky brothers…but they were real. Their names still show up in local forums and in the collective and in individual memories.
And they say… if you visit the old Piscatawaytown Burial Ground tonight, and listen closely, you’ll hear her calling them back. and this is The New Jersey History Podcast.
Where Jersey’s past… never really stays buried.
Email me at njhistorypodcast@gmail.com with questions, suggestions, and collaborations.
Follow the socials here https://linktr.ee/njhistorypodcast
It’s October — the season of beer steins and ghost stories. 🍺👻
This week, we raise a stein to New Jersey’s most misunderstood Germans: the Hessians.
Condemned by Jefferson as “foreign mercenaries,” these weren’t free-roaming soldiers for hire — they were Landeskinder of Hesse-Cassel, conscripted by law, shipped across the ocean, and despised on arrival.
In this episode, we dig into:
How Britain rented entire armies from German princes during the Revolution
Why “mercenary” was the wrong word — and why Jefferson knew it
The economics of war: what £450,000 meant in today’s money
The Protestant roots of Hesse-Cassel and its deal with King George III
The Battle of Red Bank (1777) and the discovery of Hessian remains in 2022
How many Hessians stayed behind — in life, and maybe in legend
And a reflection on how every wave of newcomers — Hessians, Irish, Italians, and modern immigrants — have faced the same suspicion, and still helped build this place we call home
Socials: https://linktr.ee/njhistorypodcast
📚 Sources
Declaration of Independence (1776), Thomas Jefferson.
Rodney Atwood, The Hessians: Mercenaries from Hessen-Cassel in the American Revolution (Cambridge, 1980).
Friederike Baer, Hessians: German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War (Oxford, 2022).
Charles W. Ingrao, The Hessian Mercenary State (Cambridge, 1987).
Edward J. Lowell, The Hessians and Other German Auxiliaries (1884).
Johannes Helbig, Die Hessen in Amerika (Cassel, 1867).
Alfred L. Shoemaker, The Pennsylvania Dutch and Their Cookery (1951).
UK National Archives, “British War Expenditures, 1775–1783.”
MeasuringWorth.com (currency conversions, 2024 equivalencies).
In 1730, Mount Holly, New Jersey, held a witch trial. Three hundred people gathered. Neighbors were weighed against a Bible, tossed into a millpond… even accused of making hogs sing psalms. The story spread when a young Benjamin Franklin printed it in his newspaper. But there's a twist...But the belief itself? That didn’t die.
A century later, Jersey farmers still wore charms to ward off witches. By the 1940s, Pine Barrens folklore named Peggy Clevenger — not a witch, but a woman turned into one by rumor. Her name was forever stained so the community could have a bogeyman.
New Jersey’s witch stories...? They never really went away.
Email: njhistorypodcast@gmail.com
Forget Salem — New Jersey had its own witch scares. In 1668, East Jersey passed its witch laws, setting the stage for paranoia in the colonies. We’ll dive into Abigail Sharp’s trial, the infamous capital laws, and why that verse from Exodus — “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” — carried so much weight. Along the way, we’ll detour across the Atlantic, where King James VI of Scotland (later James I of England) convinced himself witches conjured storms to sink his honeymoon fleet, even sitting in at the North Berwick trials.
But here’s the twist: this wasn’t really about broomsticks and cauldrons. It was about fear, idolatry, and power — and the danger of putting yourself at the center, no matter who gets hurt. It’s witchcraft, Jersey-style: part scripture, part superstition, and still a warning that echoes today.
Follow me on the socials: https://linktr.ee/njhistorypodcast
Email me at: njhistorypodcast@gmail.com
This is only a shadow of what’s to come… every story you hear tonight will unfold in its own episode. Think of this as a trick-or-treat sampler — each legend gets its own full episode, waiting just around the corner.
Here's the preview:
👹 In the Pine Barrens, the Jersey Devil spreads its wings.
⚓ Off our shores, ghost pirates guard their treasure with chains and lanterns.
🚢 At Asbury Park, the dead of the Morro Castle still stumble from the surf.
⚔️ On the Delaware, Confederate POWs still roam the shores. In Trenton, Princeton, and Monmouth, Hessian and Patriot soldiers march through the fog of 1776.
🔮 In Mount Holly, witches still whisper from the trials that condemned them.
🏭 And in our old industrial villages, soot-stained workers never came home.
Email me: njhistorypodcast@gmail.com
Follow me on the socials: https://linktr.ee/njhistorypodcast
Summary
This episode of the New Jersey History Podcast explores the rich history of the Kruger Scott Mansion in Newark, detailing its rise as a symbol of wealth and industry under Gottfried Krueger, its transformation into a center for black entrepreneurship under Louise Scott, and its subsequent decline and rebirth as a community hub. The conversation reflects on the broader themes of immigration, urban decline, and preserving cultural heritage.
Email me at: njhistorypodcast@gmail.com
Follow the socials: https://linktr.ee/njhistorypodcast
⚓ Captain Kidd’s Ghost & Dem Bones 👻
In 1701, Captain William Kidd was executed in London — but his legend washed ashore in New Jersey. From Sandy Hook to Barnegat Bay, stories tell of buried treasure, storm-born curses, and a skeletal ghost crew known as Dem Bones.
Join The New Jersey History Podcast as we unravel Kidd’s true history, his lost map and locked box, the grief of his wife left behind, and the chilling tales of his lantern-lit hauntings along the shore.
🌊 Was treasure buried in our sands?
👻 Do storms rise to protect it?
🔗 And why does Kidd never walk the night alone?
Discover where history and haunting meet on the Garden State’s pirate coast.
Link to Bobby Bass' Hoist the Colours
Welcome to the new listeners, especially those from TikTok. And to the old listeners, here is a refresher on what the podcast is about.
Feel free ot email me at njhistorypodcast@gmail.com
Links: https://linktr.ee/njhistorypodcast
This is the concluding episode of our summer series, "The Gilded Age: Jersey Shore, 1892." Join me as I break down the history behind the story and separate some fact from fiction.
Please be sure to listen to the end, where I discuss where we are going as Spooky Season approaches.
Follow me on the socials: https://linktr.ee/njhistorypodcast
Feel free to email me at njhistorypodcast@gmail.com
Show notes links:
Segregation in Asbury Park:
Boater Hat: https://tinyurl.com/Boater-Hats
The Asbury Park Baby Parade:https://tinyurl.com/1904-AP-Baby-Parade; https://tinyurl.com/Asbury-Baby-Parade-Photos
1892 Automobile: https://tinyurl.com/1892-Benz; https://tinyurl.com/1892-Car-Driving
History of Zeppoles: https://tinyurl.com/Zeppole-history
Zeppole photos: https://tinyurl.com/Zeppole-pics
Clams Casino: https://tinyurl.com/Clams-Casino-AP
George Tilyou: https://tinyurl.com/George-Tilyou
Tillie: https://tinyurl.com/Tillie-AP
KKK in Asbury Park: https://tinyurl.com/KKK-NJ
This is the first half of Part 6 of The Gilded Age: Jersey Shore, 1892. Due to the episode's length, I have divided this part into two episodes: one focusing on fiction and the other on history.
In this episode, the trio arrives in Asbury Park, where a significant plot twist and genre realignment occur. I like the direction this episode has taken, and I plan to explore it further.
Edgar, Caesar, and Reginald van Driesen encounter a famous person who can help Reginald, and whom Reginald may also assist. The boys experience the boardwalk and all of its sights, smells, and tastes.
In this episode, we see foreshadowing of Asbury Park's future, "death," and rebirth.
See Episode 11: Asbury Park: July 4, 1970 https://open.spotify.com/episode/5CJOtlbXvjCZwiGvDws6US?si=fPsRFcbTSwqGhbpCCn3oSA
Follow me on the socials here: https://linktr.ee/njhistorypodcast
Links to the history will be shared in the next episode.
In this, the fifth episode in our Jersey Shore Summer Series, we continue the story of Edgar, the 12-year-old boy living at the Jersey Shore, in 1892. We explore his life through a fictional story, and then break down the nuances of life during the Gilded Age at the Jersey Shore.
Follow my socials, which can be found here: https://linktr.ee/njhistorypodcast
Here are some links to interesting items from the story:
Human hair watch chain/memento mori- https://tinyurl.com/human-hair-watch-chain
Coal chute-
https://tinyurl.com/victorian-house-coal-chute
Fruitcake from the Nuns of New Skete-
Join me for the fourth installment of our summer series, The Gilded Age: Jersey Shore, 1892. Follow Edgar, a 12-year-old boy, as he brings us on a trip through everyday life at the Jersey Shore in the summer of 1892. A recent murder has his mother on edge, and he is trying desperately to earn enough money to go to Asbury Park. Joined by his friend, Caesar, and an unknown companion, we will see Edgar experience the Gilded Age as he saw it.
Chute Fire Escape: https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/15ogmi/fire_escape_from_the_late_1800s/
Bivalve:
I’m excited to start a new series on my podcast- The New Jersey History Podcast. I’m launching “Eating History,” where I take a time period, and for a week, eat food from that time. I’ll meal prep one meal form the time period, and record it. The first week is “Eating Historically: Foods Jesus Would Have Eaten.” Please let me know what you think, and follow my podcast- the links are in my Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/njhistorypodcast
Max Miller’s “Tasting History”
https://youtube.com/@tastinghistory?feature=shared
Hometown Ghost Stories
https://youtu.be/9yIhn6JR97E?feature=shared
Join me on a tour of some of the real-life places in our fictional story.
I rediscovered this book while reviewing materials for our summer fiction series, "The Gilded Age: Jersey Shore, 1892." This book was one of the required readings for my New Jersey History class at Monmouth University, where I earned my Master’s degree. I later used this book when I taught New Jersey History, and now I’m sharing it with you.
Daniel Wolff examines 130 years of Asbury Park's rich and turbulent history by focusing on the "4th of July" celebrations in the years 1870, 1883, 1892, 1903, 1924, 1941, 1956, 1970, 1978, and 2001. This engaging yet thought-provoking read explores broader themes in American history through the lens of one Jersey Shore town.
I wanted to check in with an update. Episode 4 of The Gilded Age: Jersey Shore, 1892 is almost ready- I got pretty deep in the weeds, and felt the need to clean it up a bit. There will be one more episode after the next one, for a total of five in the series. Then we'll discuss Gilded Age homes of New Jersey, and there will be a guest appearance from a very frightening person who may have ties to NJ. Spooky season is approaching, so please message me with some ideas on how to approach that, and look out for video shorts on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
As we approach the nation's 250th birthday, keep an eye out for a series of short episodes titled "Your Hometown Revolution." I invite listeners to submit the names of their towns. In each episode, I will discuss the town's history and highlight the nearest Revolutionary War site.
Finally, look for "Hometown Ghost Stories," a great podcast and YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@HometownGhostStories) that focuses on the local history and hauntings of various places around the world. I highly recommend this show not just for its quality, but also for the camaraderie it fosters. They can be found wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, and on YouTube. They have a clan and a commune for you to join.
Their links:
https://open.spotify.com/show/1MPtXILaIU1rs8w3cW2RjV?si=bd47ef7c35fd4aab
https://www.youtube.com/@HometownGhostStories
My socials:
In this episode, we continue our look into the Jersey Shore in the summer of 1892 during the Gilded Age. Join me as we journey back to that summer and uncover the complexities of one of America’s most captivating periods, revealed through the everyday experiences of twelve-year-old Edgar.
Scroll to the end of the show notes to see a cute little tidbit- a Google Doc I made with pictures of what we talked about in the episode, along with lkinks foir further study.
I'd like to thank the Somerset County Historical Society for inviting me to have a table at their membership drive. Please visit them here: https://somersethistorynj.org/ and follow them on social media.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions or suggestions.
https://linktr.ee/njhistorypodcast
Link to my church, which is the church building Edgar attends in the story: https://jscalvary.com/
Check out these podcasts:
The Bowery Boys
https://open.spotify.com/show/650cE9vAUPRdsrudpphATR?si=af50887a55b34482
(Gilded Age-specific episodes):
Gilded Age Golden Girls
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6rCDXgIo7zkxMN648bHBcM?si=wFfGraTZS5eALeqlFTNmbg
Gilded Age Mansions of Fifth Avenue
https://open.spotify.com/episode/51uqYRhwQz8MmpxlkSssPj?si=r5ygCVwBR-adGsYM48BH-w
Children of the Gilded Age https://open.spotify.com/episode/6YVnuiWyaQrKK53sJu2KE4?si=KuMRVxWbTiKeCgJPsAcLHw
The Gilded Gentleman
https://open.spotify.com/show/3I3o4Qg8WZxbjw6FEOyL4c?si=68e831acb9444602
Bridget Cleary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8wdetx3TPs
Lore- Episode 11: Black Stockings
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7mQb1ChEOFzHdQN9RUAGm8?si=um9IsLerQy6315R4655Fsw
"Rock of Ages"
Bing Crosby-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xyd9weHGa-k
Johnny Cash-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52-bym-GRPY&list=RD52-bym-GRPY&start_radio=1
This is a link to a Google Doc, where you can see pictures of some of what we discussed, as well as the links to where I found the information.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mAMMXYgCDJgYTt5XgV3VeXhYHSCku2EjGDJsnm-Cxtk/edit?usp=sharing
Be sure to listen closely to the short intro I added after the main episode was recorded. If you can, watch the TV series Ghosts, and add HBO's The Gilded Age to your watchlist- I am obsessed!
In Part 2 of our fiction series, we meet up again with Edgar, the boy living at the Jersey Shore in 1892. Listen to the story, and stay for an explanation of the details that highlight life in the 1890s.
I'll have a table at the Somerset County Historical Society Membership Drive on Saturday, August 2. It is at Raritan Valley Community College, starting at 1 PM. Check out my Instagram for details.
As always, feel free to email me:
https://linktr.ee/njhistorypodcast
Join me as we explore the beach practices of the Jersey Shore during the Gilded Age. As highlighted in a promotional piece for HBO's "The Gilded Age," “Fashion did not take a holiday during the summers in the Gilded Age. Indeed, seaside resorts were just as likely as any other venue to showcase one's style…”
Check out my new new friends, The Bowery Boys, on Spotify. Look for their episodes on Gilded Age New York:
https://open.spotify.com/show/650cE9vAUPRdsrudpphATR?si=7624bb66b13b4cc3
Have a look at The Gilded Age Society on Instagram and Facebook:
https://www.instagram.com/thegildedagesociety/
https://www.facebook.com/thegildedagesocietypage
Visit lehighvalleylive's "The Vintage Jersey Shore"
https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/news/2016/05/nj_beach_life_through_the_deca.html
YouTube is https://www.youtube.com/@Kyle_NJHistory
Follow me on Instagram at njhistorypodcasat
Email me at njhistorypodcast@gmail.com