09/09/2019
On the blue skied, crisp Saturday morning of September 7, 2019, 118 people of all ages participated in the inaugural hike of the “General Philip Kearny Memorial Town Tour” as the kickoff of the Eagle Scout Service Project of Nathaniel Jablonski, a Life Scout and the Troop Guide of Unit 305 in Kearny, and high school junior at St. Peter’s Prep. Scouts from Unit 305 and other Boy and Girl Scout Troops in New Jersey were joined by Mayor Alberto Santos, all members of the Kearny Town Council, the General Philip Kearny Memorial Committee, local organizations, residents, and guests to learn about the culturally-diverse history of the Town of Kearny.
Hikers gathered on the lawn of VFW Post #1302 on Veterans Row on Belgrove Drive in Kearny. The tour’s self-guided 5.1-mile urban hike routing among 12 of Kearny’s historical monuments began at the statue of the Civil War Union Soldier positioned between the VFW and American Legion Post 99. After completing the questions in the tour booklet, participants were presented with a commemorative medal and patch of General Kearny designed specifically for this tour by Jablonski.
The General Philip Kearny Memorial Town Tour is an on-going initiative to help residents and others learn about Kearny’s rich history in an interactive format. A recording of the self-guided historical walking tour can be downloaded through the app available through www.VisitHudson.org. If you or your organization would like to participate in the tour, please email [email protected] for registration information.
Photos courtesy of Barbara Goldberg, Holly Capobianco, and Unit 305.