A group of children are on a tour of the Black Creek Native American Site, learning about the land, the first people who inhabited it, their primitive tools, the indigenous plants and trees on the site, and the landscape and environment from 8,000 B.C. The Society provides educational tours of the Black Creek Site for individuals and for groups.

“Teachers affect eternity; they can never tell where their influence stops.”

--Henry B. Adams

An eighth grade student in Glen Meadow Middle School in Vernon takes a closer look at artifacts from the Black Creek Site during one of our programs in township schools.

Our Hands-On Programs

Many Vernon youngsters have benefitted from our hands-on programs, from learning about Vernon’s Native American sites, what it was like in a one-room schoolhouse, how to make ink, making corn husk dolls, clearing hiking trails on the Black Creek Site and many other educational programs. During the Summer of 2008, we did our first archaeological dig with about 20 students. Since then, we have done a number of archaeology studies with students from the tri-state area.

Interested persons should contact the

Vernon Township Historical Society

Boy Scouts Troop 283 assists Anthony Flores in his Eagle Scout Community Service Project. Under the Historical Society’s direction, Anthony organized a group of scouts and helped clear the walking trails at the Black Creek Site, cutting down the invasive vines that were choking the forest and killing the trees. The group cleared vines from 10 acres of Cedar and Black Walnut trees.

Anthony -- with a little help from his friends...

Emilie Dupont teaches the children how to grind corn using a stone mortar and pestle and how to make Indian corn husk dolls.

Chatham High School students and their teacher came to Black Creek for an archaeology study in June 2008.

Chatham High School students learn about Indian artifacts.

The Historical Society had a nice treat when Vernon Cub Scout Pack 183 came to visit our headquarters and look at our museum. We did a slide show for them of Vernon history and of the Lenape Indians. These young men were very enthusiastic and very smart, and they asked a lot of great questions. Educating our students and our community is what we enjoy best at the Historical Society. This Cub Scout visit was by appointment. We are open the first Sunday of every month from 1-3 and also by special appointment anytime.

“Give the pupils something to do and ...

thinking and learning naturally results.”

--John Dewey