HANOVER TOWNSHIP, NJ – As part of Hanover Township’s continuing 350th anniversary celebration, the “Echoes of Liberty” scavenger hunt is now underway, inviting participants to uncover the Township’s Revolutionary-era history while exploring historic sites across Hanover Township this summer.
The free community scavenger hunt challenges participants to solve clues, visit historic locations and answer questions about the people, places and events that helped shape Hanover Township during the Revolutionary era. The scavenger hunt started in July and will continue through August, giving participants the bulk of the summer to complete their passports before being entered into prize drawings.
The activity was developed and spearheaded by Hanover Township resident Michelle Blanchfield, a Scouting America district leader, following discussions with organizers of the Township’s 350th anniversary celebration and the Hanover Township Cultural Arts Committee about creating an activity to engage children and the broader community throughout the yearlong celebration.
As she researched Hanover Township’s history, Blanchfield found herself discovering places and stories she hadn’t known despite living in the Township for 25 years.
“As I was learning about our town that I’ve lived in for 25 years, I was learning things that I didn’t know about my town,” Blanchfield said. “I thought other people didn’t know it either.”
That realization inspired her to propose a community scavenger hunt as part of the Township’s 350th anniversary celebration.
“I came up with this idea of, ‘Hey, why don’t we have people go explore?'” she said. “Maybe they’ve never been to Rochambeau Rock, or maybe they’ve never been to Monroe Hall, or maybe they’ve been there and they didn’t notice the historic sign in front of it.”
Participants use a printed passport containing clues that lead them to Revolutionary-era landmarks throughout Hanover Township. Rather than simply directing people from one address to another, the scavenger hunt encourages participants to read historical markers, observe their surroundings and discover the answers themselves as they work toward completing the passport. Blanchfield said the scavenger hunt is designed to be more than simply visiting historic sites. Participants will use clues to locate Revolutionary-era landmarks, answer questions by reading historical markers and observing their surroundings and discover the stories behind each stop. Some clues identify the destination, while others encourage participants to use observation, historical markers and a little detective work to uncover the answers for themselves.