Summer25Web - Flipbook - Page 33
Forgotten Victory Vice President, Kevin Vancio, and
Hank Bonnell , owner of Bonnell9s Tavern, in front of
the tavern9s Forgotten Victory Trail Map.
78 cut through the landscape, the fields vanished and traffic replaced wagons. For nearly fifty years, the tavern sat boarded and
silent, its voice nearly lost. In 2026, the nation will mark 250 years
of independence. Bonnell9s Tavern will mark 259 years of survival.
Its future now rests largely in the hands of Hank Bonnell, a direct descendant of the original family and perhaps the only living
descendant in America still connected to a tavern bearing his family9s name. The responsibility is enormous. Restoring and reopening a historic tavern4transforming it into a viable event space
and microbrewery4is costly, risky, and uphill. Yet without this
effort, the building stood on the brink of destruction. This is not
just the Bonnell family9s history. It is Hunterdon9s history. It is
New Jersey9s history. It9s America9s history.
Bonnell9s Tavern now serves as a western anchor of the Forgotten Victory Trail, a corridor of memory stretching from
Newark and Elizabeth through Union, Kenilworth, Millburn,
Springfield, Chatham, Summit, Madison, Morristown, Middlebrook, Pluckemin, Whitehouse, and on to Clinton. A recently installed Forgotten Victory Trail historical kiosk commemorates
this shared history, dedicated with the support of Union Township (Hunterdon County) and Clinton leadership. The trail stands
as a structure of memory and hope, meant to endure.
To learn more visit www.BonnellTavern.com, or learn more
forgotten history at www.ForgottenVictory.com.
THE MAGIC SHOP OLDWICK
Gifts for the home, jewelry, accessories,
fine art, antiques, toys and whimsy
10 a.m. - 5 p.m
Monday - Saturday
Proceeds benefit
Bonnie Brae School
60 Main Street
Oldwick, NJ
908.439.2330
Celebrating 25 Years!
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