The History Chick

Send a text “Because they treated him like a beast of burden…”  Those were the words of Antoine LeBlanc as he awaited the gallows in Morristown, New Jersey. In this episode, The History Chick takes you through one of the strangest murders and executions in NJ history. From LeBlanc’s desperate search for fortune to the brutal killings at the Sayre farm, his capture at the Mosquito Tavern, and even...

Send a text In 1910, 10-year-old Marie Smith disappeared just 600 feet from her home in Asbury Park, New Jersey. What followed wasn’t just a tragic murder — it exposed the racial tensions, investigative failures, and dark underbelly of a resort town trying to maintain its pristine image. Join host Lesley Schierenbeck (aka The History Chick ) as she unpacks one of the most shocking — and nearly for...

Send a text We're back in action! And just in time for Summerween! We're kicking off these sweltering days with a true crime story that is sure to leave you shuckin' for more!  Join Lesley Schierenbeck this week as she delves into the true crime story of the Summer Solstice Murder of 1901 - which happened in Tuckerton, New Jersey. Hear about how one clammer's fate brought an oy...

Send a text Join me this week as Heirloom Historical is back in action - with live interviews from the 2024 New Jersey Decoy Collectors Annual Show! Listen and find out more about decoy carving, what makes it a unique American Folk Art, and how to get started in collecting or carving your own bird! If you want to join the Facebook Group:  CLICK HERE Thanks for listening! Want to walk the very stre...

Send a text Join us this week as we 'Hang Ten!' and learn about the "Queen of the Waves" here in Asbury Park! If you want to know more about Emma, check out this   new book! Thanks for listening! Want to walk the very streets where this chilling story unfolded? Join me on one of my History Chick Tours in Asbury Park, NJ. Visit historychicktours.com for upcoming dates and ticket...

Send a text Decoys—it's not just a man's world anymore! Join us this week for our very first guest, Nancee Jo Luciani, who will discuss how she broke into the field of decoy carving and ultimately made her mark! If you want to support Nancee Jo's Art, please check out her craft page: The Painted Parrot Or, check out other female carvers by buying the book: Tradition From A Woman&apo...

Send a text A shipwreck survivor. A (legal) witch. A patriotic rebel at 74. These are just some of the baddies that you'll learn about here in this episode as we delve into the histories of New Jersey's most tenacious ladies of the colonial period! Join us this month as we celebrate women's history!  Thanks for listening! Want to walk the very streets where this chilling story unfol...

Send a text Nestled along the Maurice River is the now-sleepy community of Shell-Pile, New Jersey - once the world's Oyster Capital! Come find out about the African Americans that made this community thrive! If you want, check out the Smithsonian Article !  Thanks for listening! Want to walk the very streets where this chilling story unfolded? Join me on one of my History Chick Tours in Asbur...

Send a text Join us this week as we stroll down Springwood Avenue in Asbury Park to take listeners back to a time when Ike & Tina, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and other jazz, blues, and R&B greats would serenade audiences in many of the nightclubs that were a part of the culture and Black community. Want to read more about Asbury? | Check out Daniel Wolff's Book Want to get involv...

Send a text Did you know that New Jersey was home to over a dozen all-Black towns?  Well, it's true! Come learn about one of the longest-lasting all-Black towns here in the Garden State, Whitesboro! The Colored American Whitesboro Concerned Citizens Thanks for listening! Want to walk the very streets where this chilling story unfolded? Join me on one of my History Chick Tours in Asbury Park,...

Send a text Hey, thanks for listening to Heirloom Historical! You can email Me!  heirloomhistorical@gmail.com   Learn about the rich history of enslavement here in New Jersey!  Touted as a "Northern State" doesn't mean that enslavement stopped - in fact, we still had over 400 people enslaved after the Civil War was over! Learn more in this episode, and check out the book list below:...

Send a text Have you ever wanted to sip some white wine - guzzle a gallon of coffee like our beloved Teddy Roosevelt?  Well join me this week as we venture into the world of NYC and see where Roosevelt would have wined, dined, and danced the night away at three hot spots, in addition to his birthplace!   Bonus! You'll hear about when TR came to OG! That's right! Ocean Grove! Thanks for l...

Send a text 5? 7? Who cares!?!? There were at least 5 Presidents that came and summered in (even if it was a short stop - McKinley, I'm lookin at you!) Long Branch, New Jersey. Known back then as "the Branch" we'll take a look at the chapel's building, its famous congregants, and the future of the building thanks to historic preservation. If you want to help out the Church...

Send a text Which witch is which? This episode delves into the folklore and legend of the Pine Barren's own Peggy Clevenger. A supposed shape-shifter and mason jar fixer, find out what lore lies behind the abandoned town of Pasadena in the Pine Barrens. Want to read more? Check these books out ... John Mc Phee's Pine Barrens   Henry Charlton Beck's Tales and Towns of Northern New Je...

Send a text Welcome to Heirloom Historical! Each week, we uncover some little unknown historical tidbits about New Jersey History and Americana Folklore!  Join Lesley Schierenbeck, your host, and she uncovers some of the nuances that make Jersey, and America epic!  Have a burning question? Got a yearnin' burn to learn more about something and want to see it featured? Email us! heirloomhistori...

Send a text He's known affectionately to us as the "Brush Daddy."   Today we investigate the life of  James A. Bradley, the founder of Asbury Park, New Jersey.  Join us on this first episode for a look into Bradley's life, his business, and the reasoning behind starting the "City by the Sea."  The three books I mentioned about the history of Asbury Park can be purchas...