Early Hispanic History In Dover
Dover Area Historical Society & Morris County Heritage Commission
In 2000, the members of the Dover Area Historical Society voted to set a goal to document and record the history and experiences of early Hispanic settlers to the Town of Dover. Realizing this has not yet been done, the historical society wanted to conduct oral histories and record the hardships and the joys in making Dover their new home. Knowing many of the early settlers had already, either passed away or moved back to their home country, it became imperative that such a project be given the utmost priority.
The Dover Area Historical Society is a non-profit organization made up of volunteers who are dedicated and concerned in promoting interest in, and the preservation of all matters relating to the history of the Town of Dover, past and present. Society members compile and preserve illustrations, maps, photos and records of the Dover area. They inform the public of its history and traditions through outreach programs to the schools, community groups and the general public, wherever and whenever possible. Today, the Dover Area Historical Society meets the third Tuesday of each month at their Dover History Museum House located at 55 West Blackwell Street; publishes a newsletter four times and year and hosts a well maintained and well established website: www.doverhistoricalsociety.com
While settling into a temporary home in the year 2000, the historical society discovered the opportunity of applying for funding to undertake such a project. Society members soon applied to the Morris County Heritage Commission for a grant. The historical society at the time was also in the midst of struggling to reorganize its outdated by-laws; a new structure of officers; developing budgets; a new mission statement and a host of other internal needs long overdue.
Being awarded a $2000 grant in 2001, the historical society members immediately went to work establishing a committee of members to undertake such a task, including members from Dover's Latino community. The society also reached out to Harold Green of the New Jersey Historical Commission requesting a briefing on how to conduct oral histories. The society also contacted the local newspapers hoping to get the needed publicity in order to attract members of the community to contribute and support the project.
The first of three meetings between members of Dover's Latino community and the historical society was set up on November 28, 2001.
A second meeting was held with Harold Green, Chairman of Historic Research for the New Jersey Historical Commission on January 9, 2002 and were briefed on conducting interviews and handed a packet of information from the state to use as a guide.
A third meeting was held at the offices of the Dover Latino Affairs Committee on March 18, 2002. Hosted by Mr. Edward Lopez, society members were introduced to Olga Jimenez-Wagenheim, Ph.D. Rutgers, Associate Professor and Director of Puerto Rican Studies. She explained the urgent need for such a research of Dover's Latino history and warned of the difficulties in conducting such oral research and completing the assignment. Gaining trust in the community was a main factor in successfully getting complete and accurate information.
Five individuals were selected to be interviewed and two individuals were selected to conduct those interviews. The five individuals were Ismael Acevedo, Maria Agront, Fransisco DeJesus, Angel Mendoza and Felipe Torres. The two selected to conduct the interviews were Virgina Caceres and Joan Bocchino. Four of the five interviews were conducted in Spanish, which added additional difficulties in the translations to English.
Following the interviews, discussions occurred between the historical society and the Latino community on what to do with the final product. Perhaps a written history book on the history of Dover's Latino community or a large display in downtown Dover, or maybe a program in the schools dealing with this historic account, along with other ideas that were tossed around to no avail.
Not until 2011, when the Dover Area Historical Society had developed its own, well maintained website did the idea arise to post these interviews on-line to be available to anyone in the country that would like to share the information.
The Dover Area Historical Society is grateful the Morris County Heritage Commission that has given the society the opportunity to conduct such a project with grant funding, along with the New Jersey Historical Commission for its assistance and to those individuals that helped establish this project from the very beginning; Stan Schoonmaker, Joan Bocchino, Virginia Caceres, Juan Casiano Joel Medina, Robin Kline, Edward Lopez and George Laurie. The Dover Area Historical society is a group of volunteers committed to documenting and preserving Dover's history and undertaking this project was just one example to that commitment.
After reading these transcripts, please feel free to document your own recorded history of personal events and experiences in Dover and submit them to the Dover Area Historical Society for consideration in future documented histories of the life and times of living in Dover, New Jersey.
George Laurie/Museum Curator/Project Coordinator
Dover Area Historical Society
PO Box 609
Dover, New Jersey 07802-0609
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