Picatinny Arsenal newspaper acquisition and updated Morris School District records

One aspect of preserving New Jersey history involves identifying weaknesses in our collections. While reviewing materials related to the state’s military history, Archivist Jeff Moy noted a lack of detailed information on Picatinny Arsenal, which is one of Morris County’s most active and consequential installations. He contacted the base’s Engineering Historian, Jeff Ranu who graciously agreed to share copies of their newspapers, The Picatinny News and The Barrage that date from 1947 to 1958.

Published for the benefit of active duty military and civilian personnel, the bi-weekly newspaper reported on various aspects of work life at Picatinny. It is a good source of information for genealogists with family who once worked at the facility, as well as those studying American military history. The digitized issues of the Picatinny News and the Barrage are available online, and we will include additional years as they are made available to us.

Several of the History Center’s manuscript collections originate from active organizations who periodically transfer recently created records. Assistant Archivist, Katelyn Leffler processed a group of new additions to the Morris School District collection. The records contain nearly two centuries of information on education in Morris Township and Morristown including  documentation on the Board of Education, district schools, Morristown High School, as well as photographs and audiovisual material.

The Morris School District Records date from 1817 to 2013 and comprise 33.5 linear feet in over 60 boxes; the finding aid to the collection may be found here. Those interested in reviewing the collection should contact History Center staff in advance to make an appointment.