R Ri Gcwood Upper- I L Ou Und 25 Mil\ 1:1D~R
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Upper- I ~l ou und 25 mil\ 1:1d~r"itidgcwood,. r Ri gcwood lOHl Lower-.Ccntcr-,,., 1•1,~gc und· Towns up RIDGEWOOD BERGEN COUNTY NE\\l TERSEY PAST and PRESENT IAL .:. ;.\ l&I~ -0 Vl ~,..,,~~=~'=~: 2: Wo PUBLISHED BY CITIZENS SEMI-CENTENNIAL ASSOCIATION RIDGEWOOD, N. J. DECEMBER 31, 1916 COPYRIGHT BY CITIZl!NS SEMl•CENTENNIAL ASSOCIATION FOREWORD URING the early part of l!Jl(j a number of citizens recognizing D the historic importance of the year in connection with the life of Ridgewood, brought to the attention of the Village authorities and the Independence Day .Association, the idea of including in the usual celebration on Independence Day, the formal opening of the new station impro,·cmcnts and the Fiftieth .Anniversary of the adoption of the nu me-Ridgewood. '.l'hc Independence Duy .Association, therefore, called a meeting of the citizens, which developed the fact tlrnt the station improvements would not be completed by Independence Day. .As a result, the Citizens Semi-Centennial .Association was incor porated to arrange for a proper celebration dming the fall of the year. Committees were formed and plans developed to make the affair an epoch in the history of the community. On account of the prevalence of infantile paralysis in the adjacent communities and the clangm· of its being brought into the Village, it was necessary to abandon the plans. 'l'hc .Association felt, howc,·c1·, that the event should not pass with out some recognition of a permanent charactc1· and, as a result, it was clcciclccl to enlarge upon the plans previously contemplated for a souvenir booklet of the occasion, with a consequent increase in the labor and time required in its preparation. 'l'his book is dedicated, therefore, to the present and future residents of om· comnmnity in commemoration of the Fiftieth .Anniversary of the adoption of the name Ridgewood, and is intended not only for the citizen who would know something of Ridgewood's past, but also for those who arc interested in its present life and welfare. 'l'hc .Association is indebted to the Historical Committee for the story of om· comnnmity's life which it contains, to the Publicity Committee for the fitting manner in which it is published, and to its members, who through their generosity have made the publication possible. Crr1ZliNS Siim-CiiN'rENNIAL .AssocIA'l'ION• .NO'n:.-For list of of1icr.rs nml mcmlwrs of nssocintion, sec ..Appendix. PREFACE S directed by the general committee of the Citizens' Semi-Centen A nial .Association, the Historical and Publicity Committees herein present the story of Ridgcwood's past and present life. The l1istory of many communities of our present day discloses the story of a development that would not be complete without recording therein tl1e place taken by each section-some older, otl1crs younger which now compose tl1cir component parts, including those also which, due to governmental changes, no longer form a part of a particular territory. While this is also true of tl1e present municipality of Ridgewood, Bergen County, N. J., in a book of this kind it is impracticable to tell in detail the story of each section, although, in tl1e pages wliich follow, their relationship from the earliest times of the community will be found interwoven with its l1istory. Our object has been to show not only a record, !1S complete as pos sible, of Ridgewood's past, but also its present life, and in a manner that besides being of historical interest will be of practical value to those of the present and future wl10 are interested in our community. With this object in view, the Historical Committee has spared no effort in seeking out and obtaining the necessary facts, including tl1e solicitation of contributed articles from those of our citizens who arc uctive in a particular phase of our community life. Tl1cse articles, some of which appear practically as contributed, while others liavc been modified only as necessity demanded to adapt them to the general plan and scope of the booklet, were fumisl1cd by tl!e following persons: Dericr, :Mrs. ,le L. ::llillikcn, J?. W. De Yoe, J. \Yillnr<I )foloney, :II. J. Dimock, F. A. Ockford, Dr. George :If. Doremus, Jmlµ-c Cornelius l'nrsons, J. D. Drinker, W. W. Rouclcrc, Iln1·ry Grnydon. Snmncl D. Sowtcr, E. ~r. Hnight, \Y. II. Vnil, C. \Vnldc111nr Hopper, Dr. ,John D. Vnn Neste, Rev. ,J. A. llowlnncl, :Miss Cnroline E. Vroom, Dr. W. L. Kevscr )? L \\'tttson, Frederick V. 0 Le Rol:, Ifow;ml R. White, R 'l'. ::lfttier, Willimn IT. White, "IInn. Geo1'gc U. ::l[nrinus, John A. \Villnrd, Dr. H. S. To these and to F. H: Bogert, i\Iiss Florence De L. Bunce, H. ,J. Carroll, 1\Irs. Jos. "\V. Edwards, J. R. Eschclrnan, T. J. Foster, Hon. D . .A. Garber, Robert Groves, Dr. .A. G. Hopper, .A. T. Hubschmitt, I. E. Hutton, l\Iiss Irene C. Kelly, D. W. La Fctra, T. W. i\Ici\Iullen, Wilbur Morris, H. S. Patten, H. C. Penna!, Peter Pulis, .A. B. Stearns, T. V. Terhune, H . .A. Tice, Dr. W . .A. Tracy, Carl i\L Vail, W.W. Wilsey and vii Geo. R; Young, us well us the citizens in general who have aitlc<l in the work, tl1c llistoricul Committee takes this opportunity of acknowledging its indebtedness uncl expressing its appreciation of the assistance re ceived. To the following publications and articles and to others less exten sively consulted, the Historical Committee also wishes to acknowledge its indebtedness us sources of information relating to the various periods, subjects and phases of its work: .Address by Rev. William II. Vroom, D.D.-Dedicatiou of Tablet, Reformed Church of Paramus, July 4, 1914. .Addresses o.E Judge Din-id D. Zabriskie relating to the history of Ridgewood and vicinity. .All the Days of l\Iy Lifc.-.An .Autobiography by .Amelia E. Barr. .Annual Reports of the Village of Ridgewood . .Appraisal of the property of the Bergen .Aqueduct Company and Bergen "\Yater Company, by E. D. Winters, 1915 . .Archives of the State of New Jersey. .Atlas of Bergen County, N. J., by A. I-I. Walker and C. C. Pease, 1876. Between the Ocean and 'rhc Lakes, The Story of the Eric, by E. II. Mott, 1899. Genealogical llistory 9f Hudson and Bergen Counties, N. J., by C. B. llarvcy, 1900. llistoric llouscs of Bergen County. by B. G. .Allbee. History of Bergen and Passaic Counties, N. ,T., by "'W. "\V. Clayton, 1882. History of Bergen County, N. J., by J. l\I. Van Valen, 1900. History of the Classis of Paramus of the Reformed Church in America, 1902. History of tlle County of Hudson, New Jersey, by C. II. Winfield, 1874. History of Ridgewood, by George Edgar Knowlton. Itinerary of General Washington, by W. S. Baker. Official Programs.-Indcpcndcncc Day Association of Ridgewood. Papers and Proceedings, '!'he Bergen County Historical Society. Prog1·am.-250th Anniversary of tlic Founding of tlic Village of Bergen, 1660. · Public Papers of George Clinton, First Governor of New York. Ridgewood, New Jersey, by C. H. Dunn, 1898. Ridgewood, N. J., by Henry P. Pl1clps, 1912. Ridgewood Guide, hy Baxter ancl Brcuseh, 1896. Ridgewood of Yesteryear, by Judge Cornelius Doremus. Ridgewood 's History, by Harold A. Cl1ecl. The Architectural Record. Tl1c Citizens' Book, Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, 1916. The Improvement of Ridgewood, N. ,T. Report by Chas. l\T. Robin- son to Board of Trade, 1!)08. 'i'he Pageant of Ridgewood, N. ,T., June 19, 1915. The Ridgewood Herald. · The Ridgewood News. viii If the results of our efforts furnish a source of information of value to those who seek it and nlso stimulate a devotion to our community's welfare, we will feel our mission lws been fulfilled. HISTORICAL CommTTEE nrc11.111n T. \\'u.sos, Ohnirmn11 Fr1111k ,\. Jlnxter IM,eccn W. Unwes Im. W. Triwell ,John JI. \\'nrd ,J11tli:e Dn,·iil D. Zabriskie Everett L. Znbriskir Punr,ICI'l'Y CO:\DIITTJIB 11. \\'. C.1Hr.1m, Ch,,irm,111 \V. F. Sc1DIIUi, l"frc~l'lwiruwn F. A. Dinrnck n. G. Smith C. C. )lill'S W. S. )Joor,• C. II. Gr,•en D. R Dnsenhrrr,· ,\. If. Gnrnble \\'. \\'. \\'ilsi•~· E. R Lillr n. D. Hilton • .JL It L<'Hoy Ridgewood, Bergen CountJ·, N. J., December 31, l!llG. ix CONTENTS P.-\GE FOIU,\\'ORD V PREFACE vii CIIA[Yl'(m I-GEXEHAL IIISTOH[CAL Dl~VELOP;\rnNT . lntlian Occupalion Early Settlers 2 Colonial 1',•rirnl . S Hevolutiouary War 4 1782 lo 18115 • !l Civil War . 11! Birth uf Hi,lgcwurnl JU CIIAl'Tlm 11-GENElL\L DESCHllYJ'l()N AND NATUHAL FEA'l'UHES IS ~~e. IB Locution . 18 Appearance 18 Suil 10 Climatic Cunclitiuus . 19 Hoads mul llighways 10 Plaut Lile !!I! Trees of Ridgewood • 27 llircl Lile ol Hiclgewoo<l . SI CIIAIY!'Elt IJI-Cl\'JL OHGANIZA'l'IONS AND AD;\IINJSTHA'l;JON OF PUBLIC AFl•',\IHS :J7 l'ulilical Di•.-isious 37 ltclaliun Between Villuge, County and Stnle. 38 Hidgcwoud's li'orm u( Go\·crnmcnl ·H Township Commillel~ . ·H Village Trustees 41! Village Commissioners 44 The ;\luyor . ·lG Department of l'uhlic Affairs and l'nhlic Sufcly 46 Police Dcpart111c1;t ·. · -16 Vire Dcpurt111ent 48 Jlourd ol llcnllh. 52 Sluu.lc 'l'rcc Commission 55 Building C~nunillcc 58 Dcpurliucnt of Jtc,•cnuc nnd l 1'innncc 58 Depurtmcnt of l'ublic Improvements, l'nrkll nnd l'uhlic Property 50 Advisory Board 61 xi CONTENTS P.\Gt= Administmlinn or ,J usticc 02 Cuurt or Common Plc11s 02 District Court O:J Hccnrdcr's Court 65 ll11r or ltidgcwoorl ti5 CII,\l'TER IV-EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTJOXS AKD Tlll, J'UBLIC LI IIIL\RY Hi Public Schools 07 l'rimtc Schools 7-l Public Libmry 77 CII,\PTER V-RELIGIOUS INTERESTS 78 Ilcformc1l Church or Paramus .