Small Town History on a Cell Phone

A two-minute call on a cell phone is now a window into local history in Orange, New Jersey, where a new project has created an audio tour/history lesson out of more than 30 recordings of local residents.

1 minute read

October 3, 2009, 5:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg

Signs are scattered throughout town with instructions and a phone number to call to hear place-specific stories and memories from local residents.

"The project is intended to create a sense of pride in a once-thriving industrial community of 33,000 residents that saw a mass exodus of businesses and residents to the suburbs when the construction of Route 280 demolished entire neighborhoods beginning in the 1960s."

"...Since March, nine Orange High School students have interviewed business owners, current and former residents and officials throughout the city and transmitted the interviews to an online message center. Callers can find ear-shaped signs at sites around the city, dial a free local number and punch a code into their cell phone to hear short, first-hand stories about the location."

FULL STORY: 'Murmur' hopes to improve Orange residents' connection with city

Tuesday, September 29, 2009 in The New Jersey Star-Ledger

History / Preservation Social / Demographics Technology New Jersey Orange Local History Audio Tour View More

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