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| River
Edge
River Edge played a
crucial part in the Revolution when George Washington,
in November 1776, led his army over the Hackensack New
Bridge after the surprise attack by the British at
Fort Lee. At that spot is the Steuben House, a
state historic site that houses the museum of the
Bergen County Historical Society. The
oldest portion of the sandstone house was probably
built in 1713, making this the oldest extant house in
the county, but there had been a gristmill on the site
several years before that. During the Revolution
the house was owned by Jan Zabriskie, a leading
merchant and a Tory. It was confiscated and offered to
Major General Baron von Steuben in gratitude for his
work in training the American troops. The house
had suffered considerable abuse during the war:
because of its strategic location at the bridge it was
used for various military purposes, including serving
as a fort, throughout the Revolution. According
to legend, Steuben declined the offer because he
didn't want to displace the Zabriskies; according to
another, its condition made it undesirable.
The Steuben House has an
idyllic setting, known as New Bridge Landing Historic
Park. There are other buildings in he
park, including the Campbell Christie House, colonials
and stone house moved from New Milford, and restored
as a tavern by the Bergen County Historical Society.
The Demarest House, an early stone house, was also
moved here from New Milford. Once thought to
have been built in the late 1670s by the Huguenot
settler David des Marest, it is more likely a
late-18th-century successor on that site.
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| Saddle
Brook
Saddle Brook was once
part of a larger entity, Saddle River Township, one of
the oldest in Bergen County. Saddle Brook was
once the hub of several Indian trails that led to
Hackensack and Newark. Inns and Hotels sprang up
in the beginning of the century due to the saw mills
in the area.
The towns annual picnic,
which attracts almost 4,000 people, best defines sense
of community in Saddle Brook. 75 local
organizations and companies donate materials and time
to support the event.
The densely populated,
middle-class Bergen County Community works hard to
maintain its sense of community. Saddle Brook
contains a Youth Advisory Board to help organize the
picnic, holiday Christmas tree lighting, and many
sporting events.
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Elmwood Park
We have quite a few relatives you live
in Elmwood Park, including Terry's favorite aunt and
uncle. They moved to New Jersey from Queens a few years
back and feel very much at home in the
community. With a wide spectrum of civic and
recreational organizations and activities, there's
something for everyone in Elmwood Park.
Originally part of Saddle River
Township, Elmwood Park was incorporated in 1916 as the
Borough of East Paterson and officially changed its
name to the Borough of Elmwood Park on January 1,
1973. Since its incorporation,
Elmwood Park has shown considerable growth. Its 1920
census was 2,441. In 1990, its population was over
18,000.
Elmwood
Park's location make it extremely convenient for
commuters. The borough is 10 miles from the
George Washington Bridge and 11 miles from Newark.
Accessibility to the area's major highways link the
town with all parts of the New York metro area.
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Hawthorne
We have quite a few relatives you live
in Elmwood Park, including Terry's favorite aunt and
uncle. They moved to New Jersey from Queens a few years
back and feel very much at home in the
community. With a wide spectrum of civic and
recreational organizations and activities, there's
something for everyone in Elmwood Park.
Originally part of Saddle River
Township, Elmwood Park was incorporated in 1916 as the
Borough of East Paterson and officially changed its
name to the Borough of Elmwood Park on January 1,
1973. Since its incorporation,
Elmwood Park has shown considerable growth. Its 1920
census was 2,441. In 1990, its population was over
18,000.
Elmwood
Park's location make it extremely convenient for
commuters. The borough is 10 miles from the
George Washington Bridge and 11 miles from Newark.
Accessibility to the area's major highways link the
town with all parts of the New York metro area.
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| New
Milford
River Road in New Milford is probably one of the
oldest streets in Bergen County, and one of the least
changed from its original path. It was, and
still is the most direct route from Old Bridge to the
jumping off points to New York City.
When Washington retreated
his continental army via River Road and over New
Bridge, the first invasion of the war came to New
Milford. For five years the New Milford Valley
became the target, with invasion after invasion as
both sides sought to reap the harvests of the rich
land.
The territorial limits of
New Milford are as follows: bounded northerly by the
town of Oradell, easterly by Dumont and Bergenfield,
southerly by the New Bridge Road and the township of
Teaneck, and westerly by the Hackensack River.
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Bogota
At the turn of the century, even
though with a population of less than 400, Bogota
boasted many companies that offered various employment
opportunities. Some of these companies included
The Bogota Building & Loan Association, The Bogota
Water & Light Company, The Riverside Planning
Mill, and The Bogota Paper Company. In April
1898, the Bergen Traction Company was granted a
franchise to run a trolley terminating at River Road.
This trolley connected with Leonia, Englewood, Fort
Lee, and the 125th Street Ferry.
The Borough of Bogota,
bordered to the north and east by Teaneck, to the
south by Ridgefield Park, and to the west by the
Hackensack River, contains several well-kept parks for
recreation and a private swim club. With easy
access to routes 4, 17, 80, and 46, any part of
northern New Jersey is easily accessible from Bogota
and is only 15 miles from New York City.
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Garfield
Immigrants were originally attracted
to the community of Garfield for its abundance in
employment opportunities in the textile industry which
flourished there at the turn of the century.
These textile factories supplied uniforms for most of
the troops for both World Wars. Immigrants today
follow the ways of the past, flocking to Garfield in
seek of employment. In addition, housing is
inexpensive, attracting immigrants with limited funds.
Recently, big companies
have moved out of the area to make way for small
independent businesses. Garfield has an
advantage of being close to several major highways.
Garfield's crime rate is comparable or even lower than
New Jersey towns of larger populations.
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Hackensack
Situated on the Hackensack River and
once a busy ocean port, Hackensack was first settled
by Dutch traders in the 1640s. The seat of
Bergen County, it was until 1921 officially known as
New Barbadoes. During the Revolution, the
Hackensack green was used as a camping ground for both
Continental and British regiments. The
courthouse complex includes buildings dating from 1910
to 1933. The courthouse is neoclassic, but
the jail has medieval turreting. The
Administrative Building dates from the 1930s.
Also on the green is the
First Reformed Church, built in 1791 and altered in
the mid-19th century. The congregation,
organized in 1686, had its first building by 1696, and
stones from this and the next church are worked into
the present building. Many revolutionary
soldiers are buried in the Graveyard, as is General
Enoch Poor. George Washington and the
marquis de Lafayette attended Poor's funeral. On
the northwest corner of Church St. and Washington Pl.
is the Bank House, built in the 1830s for the first
bank in Bergen County. Traffic makes it hard to
appreciate the green unless you leave your car.
Farther west on Essex St. is the Hackensack Medical
Center, founded in 1888 and in the mid-1990s the
largest in the state.
A big treat in Hackensack
is the New Jersey Naval Museum. There you can
visit the USS Ling, a diesel-electric-powered
World War II submarine commissioned in 1945.
After one patrol run, the Ling was
decommissioned, and from 1962 to 1971 it was used as a
training vessel at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Since
1973, the Ling has been berthed at the
Hackensack River. Renovated, it is open for
tours. Inside the museum are exhibits
dealing with the history and science of submarines;
models, including a working model of a German U-boat;
and submarine-related memorabilia. Outside
are missiles, a mine, and an experimental fiberglass
sail.
Much of Hackensack's
downtown has a 1920s or 1930s flavor. Note the
stone Johnson Free Public Library, built in 1901 and
enlarged in 1915 and 1967; the Oritani Field Club; and
the group of 1930s Sears Roebuck stores, a prototype
of post-World War II shopping centers.
The Hackensack River
county park consists of 30 acres along the river
behind the Riverside Square Mall. Trails go
through a tidal marsh and forested wetlands, and there
are overlooks, bird blinds, and interpretive signs.
At Bergen County
Technical School is a steam engine museum, recognized
by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers as a
regional historical mechanical-engineering
landmark. The collection includes
operating stationary steam engines and steam powered
equipment, and the museum is restoring two steam
locomotives. At midnight on New Years Eve there
is an annual whistle blast.
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| Lodi
The Borough of Lodi,
bordered by Saddle Brook, Rochelle Park and Maywood to
the north, Hackensack to the east, Hasbrouck Heights
to the south, and Garfield to the west, features a
state park, 4 public playgrounds, 2 athletic fields, a
tennis court and a private swimming pool.
Lodi provides easy access
to New York City and the rest of Bergen county via
routes 80 and 46, as well as New Jersey Transit
busses.
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| Maywood
Although located close to
highway access, Maywood is surprisingly
quiet and there is still a touch of hometown feeling
without being isolated from the rest of New Jersey.
Maywoods' founders envisioned a commuter town, with
railroads connecting to ferry services that would
provide easy access to New York City.
Part of Maywood's
old-fashioned charm derives from its beauty from
numerous tree-lined streets. Maywood has been
named a Tree City: trees have been catalogued and the
town makes a conscious effort to preserve and replace
them.
The small downtown
shopping district has mostly small, independently
owned businesses. Maywood has strong volunteer
and community spirit, which, in times of crisis, the
town rallies to raise funds.
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| Rochelle
Park
Rochelle Park, in 1871,
was a small part of a larger Midland Township which
consisted of 2 other areas. Rochelle Park, the
smallest and most urban, was known as Midland Township
before the town's name was changed in 1929 to avoid
confusion. The first post office was established
at the current station on Railroad Avenue and a year
later pipes and telephone wire were laid. By
1927, Rochelle Park even had its own airport.
With the construction of
major highways in the area in the 1930s, Rochelle Park
quickly became a large suburban community within easy
reach of larger cities. Bordered by Paramus to
the north, Maywood to the east, Lodi to the south, and
Saddle Brook to the west, Rochelle Park today is in
close proximity to many shopping areas including the
Garden State Plaza, Paramus Park Mall, and Bergen
Mall. Rochelle Park is also close to New Jersey
Transit lines that go to and from New York City as
well as other parts of Bergen County.
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