Honoring Generations Who Paved the Way

‘Nuestra Historia’ exhibit helps expand the scope of Dover’s immigrant story.

Before Oct. 2, you could climb three flights of stairs in the home of the Dover Area Historical Society and learn part of the town’s proud story. After Oct. 3, at the top of the steps, the freshest installation shines a brighter light on the story, inspiring cultural pride and memories of nearly 90 years of Latino influence on the town.

“I was six months old when we moved here from Puerto Rico in 1956,” Ramon Rivera says to Luis Martinez, as he stares at the permanent installation of curated photos, videos, and artifacts that dot the walls in the room that captures Nuestra Historia: The Latino Legacy in Dover.

Rivera and Martinez were among friends, neighbors, and organizers who were viewing the exhibit, sharing the joy of inclusion. “This building here, on the right-hand side of the grocery store at 11 Essex Street, is where we used to live,” Rivera says. “We were just down the street from the hamburger shop. It’s wild to see these pictures. Luis is the man, still today. You must be in so many of these.”

Ed Lopez, program coordinator at Dover College Promise, pointed to a screen on the wall showing Dover: 300 Years, a student-led documentary project in partnership with IDEA Cultural, which tells the story of Dover’s ethnic history. Like so many basking in the glow of the well-lit space that looks out over Blackwell Street, he was happily looking back and forward, sharing a sense of inclusion and ownership in the evolving story of Dover.

“It’s our space now for that particular era, so we are excited about that,” Lopez says. “That collection of photos and videos begins the story with the Puerto Ricans in the early 1940s, as they were the first to arrive. People can use this space to get the whole experience.”

“Nuestra Historia” is a growing collaboration between Dover College Promise, the Dover Area Historical Society, and County College of Morris that unites students, community, business leaders, and volunteers in recognizing the roots, contributions, and cultural influences of the town’s Latino community. 

Roberto F. Gonzalez, an education specialist at CCM and Dover College Promise, played a prominent role in working with Lopez and the students to make the installation.

“He and I are history nerds and superpassionate about community,” he says. “We had this idea and, when Linda Mullin told us the historical society had space for us to do whatever we wanted in here, we wasted no time in making it happen. At Dover College Program, we stress a lot on knowing where you come from and validating the sacrifices of the people who came before you… students responded to something that gives them a sense that they belong in this world.”

Now, everyone can learn more about the whole Dover experience. Experience it all by visiting the Dover Area Historical Society at 55 W. Blackwell St.