A
hard
working…read moretown
Mount Holly, New Jersey got it start way back in 1677 when Walter Reeves acquired or perhaps stole the land from the indigenous Lenape natives.
It was named Northampton by 1688 and was a farming and agricultural community because that's what people did back then.
Over the years, decades, and centuries the little town grew until by the 19th century it was a vigorous and thriving mill and factory town. Goods were manufactured and shipped all over the world.
Lots of German and Irish immigrants ended up here to work hard in the mills and start families. The town kept growing and developed a reputation for making fine products.
Wars came and went, floods happened, some mills shut down and others opened. People were born and others died. Time pasted peacefully for the town and for the most part it's people were happy and healthy.
Then in the 1950's the mills and factories started shutting down, put out of business by foreign manufacturers that could produce the same items at less cost. People began moving out of the town to find other places to work.
People were born and others died. Like most towns Mt Holly has it's share of famous or distinguished people that started life here.
James Abert, the explorer, Paul Doguereal, the pianist, France Harris, a football player, Geraldine Little, the poet, John Woolman, anti-slavery advocate, Barbara Parks, children's writer and Sonja Verdell Olson all first got their taste of life in Mount Holly.
In the 70's the malls out in the suburbs started springing up and put further economical strain on the town because the local businesses started disappearing.
Since then the town has struggled at times but manage to stay alive. The population continues to decrease but new incentives have revived some of the stores and businesses in the center of the town.
Today Mount Holly is a fascinating place that makes no attempt to hide it's old mill origins. Some cool murals and paintings on walls, pleasant little restaurants and historic houses. Nice festivals and art and crafts shows and always, very, very nice, honest and hard working people.
A town with a prosperous past, peaceful present and of course an uncertain future. Always was and always will be a hard working small town that is never afraid to show what it was and what it is. Never anything pretentious or phony.
A town where people live, love and work. A lovely place to visit and probably a better place to live. A town where very special people are born and very special people die.
