Our 33Rnd Annual Edition Page 2 This Is Westfield Our 33Rd Annual Edition 2005
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Our 33rnd annual Edition Page 2 This Is Westfield Our 33rd Annual Edition 2005 This Is Westfield - “A Salute to the History of the Town” Eighteen Tiles The eighteen ceramic tiles de- picted throughout this publi- cation adorn the underpass of the Westfield Train Station. Artist Ms. Stacey Farley in 1998, a former Westfielder, created them as part of the station renovation. Working with photographs from the Westfield Historical Society archives, the murals illus- trate the period of growth and progress in Westfield from 1864 to the 1920s, ushered in primarily by the arrival of the railroad. Cover Design The cover was rendered by Horace Corbin from a photo- graph taken by Lauren Pass of the murial on the wall of the new Commerce Bank office in Westfield. The murial is a com- puter colorization from a pho- tograph in the archives of the Westfield Historical Society of Broad Street at the turn of the previous century. 2005 This Is Westfield Our 33rd Annual Edition Page 3 Contents Page Page Publisher’s Note 4 Intrigue in Sleepy Suburbia 36 Westfield Became a Town 7 Sports 42 Parks/Recreation 12 This Chamber of Commerce 47 Nutshell History 13 Rescue Squad 52 The Arts 14 Westfield Historical Society 55 Schools 18 Is Clubs & Organizations 55 United Fund & Charities 26 Fire Department 56 Houses of Worship 29 Westfield Police Department 57 President George W. Bush 33 Town Government 58 Tombstone History 34 Downtown Westfield Corporation 61 Rated ★★★★★ by BauerFinancial, Inc. This Is Westfield Checking Products 33rd Annual Edition A special section of Free Personal Checking The Westfield Leader Money Market Checking P.O. Box 250 e offer a wide 251 North Avenue West Premium Money Market Account Westfield, NJ 07091 W Town Super Checking Account range of products and goleader.com (908) 232-4407 [email protected] Savings Products services to both individuals Horace Corbin, Publisher David Corbin, Asst. Publisher Statement Savings- Fred Lecomte, Marketing and businesses, but Betsey Burgdorf, Features Editor Piggybank Savings Michelle LePoidevin, Arts Michael Bartiromo, Graphics CDs our specialty is personal Photography Regular IRAs Ben Corbin, Patrick Connor attention. Call, click or Brooks Crandall Roth IRAs Staff Contributors Lauren Pass, Robert Connelly, Karen Hinds, visit—we’ll make your Suzette Stalker, Don Williams and Paul Peyton Loan Products banking a breeze. Home Equity Lines of Credit Home Equity Loans Residential Mortgages Ad Populos, Non Construction Lines of Credit Aditus, Pervenimus Commercial Mortgages Serving the town since 1890 Auto Loans Personal Loans A Special Thanks Other Services to Town Bank Visa® Check Card 520 South Avenue 44 Elm Street the Westfield Westfield, NJ 07090 Westfield, NJ 07090 Historical Society 24-Hour ATM 908.301.0800 908.518.9333 Curator Stan Lipson Trust and Investment Services Ed Menke Ralph Jones. FAST Banking www.townbank.com Page 4 This Is Westfield Our 33rd Annual Edition 2005 Publisher’s Note It Is a Real Romance, This Story of Westfield Mayors Note By Horace Corbin serious consequences. The Westfield Historical Society has an Our people are strong today and well posi- important opportunity for the community tioned to lead and live in the future. We have Mayor McDermott Salutes Residents this year – converting the Reeve house to a the benefit of learning from our predecessors. public museum. It will be a challenge to take Lest we find the look back too amusing, the gift willed from Edgar Reeve, to decide remember that someone 100 years from now Who Work to Help Westfield Thrive on the scope of the project, and to obtain the may be amused by our plight (we hope). By MAYOR GREGORY S. McDERMOTT families to call Westfield their home. financial wherewithal (see page 55). To this The intent of this publication was well Specially Written for This Is Westfield Strong and vital communities like purpose, we dedicate our 33rd Annual Edi- stated in 1923 by Thomas Jones, Editor, and Westfield is a community in which Westfield don’t just happen. They are cul- tion of This Is Westfield. Mrs. Walter J. Lee, Sr., Pub- ordinary people do extraordinary things tivated, maintained and encour- Our writers strove to interest lisher of The Westfield Leader, each and every day. aged by concerned individu- and entertain the reader with a which follows. There is, in fact, a tradition of mix of Westfield history and “…It is our belief that, if the als who are willing to make public service in this community today’s information. We trust you reader will study the different it happen. And there are that dates back to our town’s find it so. Buoyed by this, it is angles from which the story of so many here in Westfield settler days. hoped that the townspeople get Westfield is related by the con- who make it happen not Some three hundred years ago, behind the history museum tributors and those old residents just for our community, Westfield’s first act of business as project. who have been interviewed or but also for our neigh- a newly-incorporated township in Clearly, the measure of a com- who have reviewed the events of bors throughout the state. munity is the mettle of its people. earlier days, they will have prof- 1794 was to commit to raising I salute Westfield’s History records this. How do we ited exceedingly and be better $100 for the support of the poor. Horace Corbin many exceptional residents as a people measure up compared prepared to do their part in the Westfield residents have al- and thank all of the indi- to our predecessors? What’s our prognosis? work of civic progress and expansion which ways cared about each other and viduals and organizations that Many physical changes have occurred is ahead of us. It is a real romance, this story about the welfare of the town in which work tirelessly to support our over the last 250 years. We’ve traveled from of Westfield…” they lived. It is one of the many character- town, to ensure its continued prosperity and muddy roads and wooden plank sidewalks I have a personal goal and welcome your istics that distinguish our town. onto paved and bustling thoroughfares. Kero- help. We have about 100 years of microfilm to better the world around us. Thanks to the service, dedication and sene beacons, assisted by moonlight, have of The Westfield Leader. I intend to convert It is truly the people of this town that the talent of outstanding Westfield resi- been replaced by bright electric streetlights. this to electronic format and make it public make Westfield Westfield. We’ve organized into names: from The on the Internet. From present day to 1997, dents, our town has matured into one of West Fields of Elizabeth to denominations, this already exists at www.goleader.com. As the most successful communities in the state. We have established a premier down- Reprinted from 2001 which include Scotch Plains, Fanwood, a test, we’ve successfully converted the first This Is Westfield Plainfield, Mountainside and Garwood. In- half of 1967 – only 99 more years to go! It town with a wide range of businesses, stead of taxing our horses to improve our can be done in a few months and at about retail stores and restaurants. Mayor Gregory McDermott was roads, we now have license plates for our $300 per year of microfilm. Our top-notch school system, high qual- elected and took office in 2001, re- elected in 2003 and serves to this horsepower. An errant step back in bygone There are many to thank for this edition – ity of living, community spirit and enthusi- day with term expiring at the end of days may have resulted in a slippery and Betsey Burgdorf, Lauren Pass, our interns asm attract new residents to Westfield each the year. Mr. McDermott was first odiferous landing for our shoe. An errant and the regular staff. Most of all, thank you and every year and inspire generations of elected to the Town Council in 1998. step today into busy traffic can have far more and our advertisers. 9 Times Out of 10, Where You Eat Isn’t Critical. 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In the same issue of the news- porates The Town Of Westfield.” The ads on paper, another columnist took the opposing NJOMS #2050 the same page of the paper were great.