Historic County

Volume 17 • Issue 2 The Spring 2017 Historic County Newsletter Of The PASSAIC COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Bloomingdale • Clifton • Haledon • Hawthorne • Little Falls • North Haledon Passaic • Paterson • Pompton Lakes • Prospect Park • Ringwood • Totowa Wanaque • Wayne • West Milford • Woodland Park WHEN CLIFTON WAS YOUNG A CENTENNIAL TRIBUTE 1917 – 2017 by E. A. Smyk Passaic County Historian Madison Avenue looking toward Main Avenue was a majestic expanse of countryside when photographer Harry Burk, a jockey and groomsman at the old Clifton Race Track, snapped this photo ca. 1901. (Photograph courtesy of Clifton Public Library) A fter decades of study, British historian Thomas Carlyle, renowned in incorporation of Clifton as a distinct entity. Like many births, it was his time for a masterful biography of Frederick the Great, came to the not an easy delivery. Sentiment had been growing among residents conclusion that the essence of history resided in the sum of innumerable sandwiched between Paterson and Passaic to have a distinct community biographies. Carlyle, in crisp, elegant prose, stressed the human dimension, identity. Old Acquackanonk Township, a sprawling area of homes and which lies at the basis of all history. George M. Trevelyan, his latter day farmsteads, would never quite be the same. Residents of what was called colleague, believed that history should be written not only for a select the West Park section of Acquackanonk formed Little Falls Township in academic audience, but rather for intelligent citizens, where it could 1868. West Paterson, (now known as Woodland Park), had formed their “instruct, enlarge and cultivate the human mind.” Carlyle and Trevelyan own borough in 1914. wrote history on a grand scale, but some of what they uncovered had For people residing in what was generally called “Clifton,” the movement its glimmerings in local history. The subject has its share of enthusiastic to incorporate had its share of supporters and opponents. Increasing partisans. When one thinks about it, local history embraces the totality population had much to do with the desire for change. In 1872, the of human experience, a forward momentum of people and events that sparsely populated area of nearly twelve miles had about 169 adults invigorates and defines our notions of family and community. and 108 children. The 1910 census revealed a dramatic increase of This year, the city of Clifton celebrates the centennial of its incorporation, 11,869 persons and a decade later, the population had burgeoned to a joyous event that provides the momentum for delving into the city’s 26,470. Change is a phenomenon that never can be halted, although origins. It was once a place where farms and farming reigned supreme, some sentimentalists like to think they can roll back the clock and stop but with such a large historical canvas spread before us, it would be it from happening. In the glare of reality, we know that time does not appropriate to resurrect some of the events which resulted in the stand still, either for a community or its residents. Continued on page 3 PASSAIC COUNTY HISTORICAL President’s Message SOCIETY Lambert Castle As my tenure as President comes to a close, I am delighted to be able to report that at the time of this writing 3 Valley Road the library and archives are open again for research as of March 23rd. Paterson, NJ 07503-2932 Due to mold, the library had to be closed for the health and safety of our employees and visitors. Several Museum: (973) 247-0085 steps needed to be taken before it could be reopened. In addition to having a condition study done to determine Fax: (973) 881-9434 the extent of the mold, remediation needed to be done to protect our historic collections. Retesting in February confirmed that the problem was eliminated. In addition to those steps, two industrial grade dehumidifiers have E-mail: [email protected] been installed to prevent excessive moisture from collecting in the library in the future. Website: lambertcastle.org The carpet has been cleaned and deodorized, and the final phase of the project will be taking place soon, the Officers damaged floorboards in the rolling shelves will be replaced so that the system can be operated again without Catherine Cavallo difficulty. President Anyone interested in using the library can visit the website or contact Patrick Byrnes our research specialist at Linda Kaplanovich [email protected] for an appointment. Closing the library was a difficult decision, but one that had to be First Vice President made. I know many of my fellow members were inconvenienced and disappointed. Therefore, I would like to take Robert Hazekamp this opportunity to thank everyone for their patience and encourage you all to visit the library and its wonderful Second Vice President resources. Cathy Tonnon Treasurer Catherine Cavallo President Maria Caparelli Secretary Trustees PCHS Archive Update Dorothy Andrusko Andrea DeLucca Although our library and archives have been closed to walk-in researchers, PCHS staff, volunteers and interns Edwina Hibel have still been tirelessly working with our archival holdings. Collections newly processed include: William Liess Marie Mahler Passaic County Numismatic Club / 1991.072 Helen Mault This collection consists of documents collected by the Passaic County Numismatic Club. It includes many Phil Mezzina handwritten lists and notebooks cataloging their meetings, finances, members and committees. Walter Nacnodovitz Barbara Novak The Paterson Y.M.C.A. / 1995.24.114.3 Michael Rubin Covering 1892-1896, the entire collection reflects requests from the President, J. W. Cleveland to the Vivian Semeraro Treasurer, Edo J. Merselis for payments to the various vendors associated with work being done on the new Robert Vermeulen Y.M.C.A. building, the former Cooke Mansion. There are also requests for payments to The First National Honorary Life Bank of Paterson for payments on existing loans associated with the construction of the new building. Trustees Norman Robertson First Congregational Church, Paterson, NJ / 1998.5.1 Edward A. Smyk This collection contains a variety of materials including letters of dismissal and reception, marriage records, Honorary Trustee financial documents, bills, minutes of the meetings, bonds, membership lists, commemorative programs, Hazel Spiegelberger ledgers and correspondence. Staff Heather Garside John C. Ploch Collection / 2003.20 Director and Curator The papers of the late John C. Ploch, dated 1896 – 1915, include a certificate of transfer for a bull, one Dorothy Decker lease agreement, and 35 tax receipts that span 1900-1915, all for properties located in Acquackanonk Janet Wasti Township (now Clifton), NJ. Administrative Assistants Henrietta Weiss, Head Docent Reid Family Papers / 2016.040 William Collins, Docent This collection contains various business and financial documents, as well as some personal items such Patrick Byrnes as stock transactions. Customer correspondence are among the more personal items included in the Library Research Specialist collection, and John Reid’s negative book. Also included is a day log belonging to Dr. Alexander Reid recording Boris Von Faust service rendered and charges for his dental services. Digitization Specialist Lambert Castle, a picturesque 1892 Victorian mansion For more information on these and other collections in our holdings, located on the Garret Mountain Reserve, is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Castle is operated and please visit the finding aids page on our website at www.lambertcastle.org/finding_aids.html managed by the Passaic County Historical Society, or contact our library at [email protected] a not-for-profit 501(c) educational institution. 2 What was Clifton like prior to April 24, 1917, the day voters went to the Vanderhoef-Westervelt house in Weasel Brook Park, (situated in the their polling stations and voted the city into existence? The locale was appropriately named Dutch Hill section), a unit of the county’s park mostly sun-kissed farmland, and for those who lived off the fruit of their system. The site had also been a working grist mill. When the Passaic labor, it was a hard life from any perspective. Much can be said about County Park Commission purchased the property, on May 20, 1931 from the interconnection between the farmer and his land. Ploughed and Cent and Maria Martin (the last private owners) the grist mill had long cultivated, the acreage provided a living, but it also nourished in those been gone, but the eighteenth century house, with its mellow brownstone tillers of the soil a fierce sense of independence and self-reliance. Indeed, walls, had managed to withstand time’s onslaughts in structurally sound the history of farming in Clifton would be a sizeable book in itself, but a condition. representative example of how such qualities became embedded can be For more than eighty years, the farmstead had found a solid niche in seen in the life experiences of the Piaget clan. One of Clifton’s streets the affections of the local Daughters of the American Revolution chapter, and Dutch Hill Neighborhood Association. The fortunes of the house have varied, but after years of decline, the Passaic County Freeholders have earmarked funds to restore the house in keeping with their improvements for Weasel Brook Park. In this leafy setting, a tiny slice of Clifton’s pioneering past still exists for the enjoyment of present and future generations. Farming hereabouts was still vigorous as the nineteenth century faded into the twentieth. Clifton was one of the towns which helped supply the citizens of Paterson and Passaic with fresh produce. In 1903, The Morris Ezorsky farm on Hazel Street, 1906. The land, now the Daughters of Miriam Center, was bisected by the Garden State Parkway. (Photograph courtesy of Clifton Public Library) honors their memory. The founder came from Paterson in the early 1800s. Odd as it may seem, originally he plied his trade as a watchmaker.

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