HISTORY OF HILLSDALE: PART II
Township Of Hillsdale – The Years 1900 to 1923
HILLSDALE – In the previous issue of this newspaper, the first segment of
a four-part series presenting a condensed History of Hillsdale dealt with the
history of the community from Colonial days to the turn of the 20th century.
This week’s segment will review the period from 1900, which was just two
years after the incorporation of The Township of Hillsdale on March 25, 1898,
through 1922. This period includes World War I and the entire era during which
Hillsdale was governed as a township. Hillsdale adopted its present borough
form of government April 24, 1923.
During the period 1900 through 1922, the growth of Hillsdale Township
remained slow. The character of the town was still rural with farming the principal
occupation for those of its residents who did not commute to jobs in the large
nearby cities of New York, Jersey City and Paterson. Local storekeepers,
businessmen, and officials of the railroad were the main community leaders who
ran the town.
COMMUNITY SERVICES
The most noteworthy characteristic of the two decades under
consideration was the evolution of community services and utilities which are
today taken for granted. The era saw the birth of the fire and police departments,
modern roads, the coming of electric lights and the telephone, water mains and
fire hydrants, new and larger schools, organizations such as the Boy Scouts and
the establishment of town parks.
One of the last land alignments in the Pascack Valley took place in 1906
when “all that territory in Hillsdale Township east of Demarest Avenue – Cedar
Lane and an imaginary line due north – and the northeast part of Westwood
(then known as Eastwood)” was formed into River Vale Township, leaving the
boundaries of Hillsdale as they are today. Eugene E. Rich was mayor of the town
in that year. From 1900 until March 1901, the township committee met in a room
over Abram C. Hering’s store on Broadway which is now the building housing the
Westwood – Pascack Valley Board of Realtors. In the latter year the meeting
place was shifted to Hillsdale Manor on north Broadway (since demolished)
where it remained until May 7, 1907 when meetings were held in Fireman’s Hall
– the present borough hall.
Railroad and Summit Avenues (now Broadway) received the first
macadam in the town in 1902. Special elections in 1907 and 1908 authorized the
issuance of a total of $45,000 in bonds to macadamize all accepted streets in the
town. The state matched the sum in aid. The importance placed upon roads at
the time is shown by the fact that 232 of the town’s 240 eligible voters in the first
election approved the bond issue. In 1910 the County Freeholders replaced the
iron bridge on Broadway connecting with Westwood and a second connection
through Hopper Street which is now Kinderkamack Road.
A public meeting April 7, 1900 petitioned the township committee to
appropriate $200 to improve the present Memorial Park. In 1908 trees, plants
and flowers were planted in the park and William Hozenthaler was assigned as
park caretaker in 1921. In the same year the town purchased a flagpole for the
park, and an Honor Roll Committee was appointed to honor World War I
servicemen. A huge boulder was brought to Hillsdale on a railroad flatcar. In an
attempt to transfer it to the park, the boulder fell of the transfer vehicle. Several
meetings were held on the problem. It was decided it was too costly to attempt to
move the boulder, so it remains today where it fell just behind the present bus
shelter on Broadway.
It was decided in 1922 to erect the present granite monument in the park.
PUBLIC UTILITIES ARE INSTALLED
The Union Electric Company was granted a franchise on May 19, 1900 to
erect poles and wires for electric lights in Hillsdale due to a proposal by Genest
M. Ottignon. In February 1901, the Bergen County Gas & Electric Company, an
outgrowth of the former company, was granted a franchise to lay gas mains and
erect electric lights in the town. Both companies were later absorbed by the
present Public Service Gas and Electric Company.
In 1902 the sum of $2000 was voted by the town “for the electric lightning
of public streets, to replace oil lamps, 32 candlepower lights to be placed on
various streets in the township.”
A franchise was granted for the NY and NJ Telephone Co. on May 7, 1900
to erect poles and string telephone wires in the town. The first telephone was
installed in the home of Thomas C. Demarest on Broadway supervised by
Edmund L. Greenin, a local township committeeman. The telephone company
later became the present-day NJ Bell Telephone Company.
Mr. Greenin in 1903 was appointed by the Township Committee to secure
water for Hillsdale, and on Sept. 9, 1903 a water franchise was granted to the
Hackensack Water Company. Two miles of water mains and 24 fire hydrants
were installed shortly thereafter.
The post office in 1898 was housed in the back of a store owned by John
F. Winters (the Leddy building) who was postmaster. In 1913, John W. Kinmouth
became postmaster and the first wood frame post office was built.
POLICE DEPT. TAKES FORM
Protection of public property and law enforcement in Hillsdale was
maintained by constables elected annually until Feb. 4, 1908 at which time Albert
W. Rawson and Christian Dies were appointed “special officers” to assist the
constables. They held office until July 1913.
Early town records show that the township clerk was authorized May 6,
1901 to purchase a pair of handcuffs for the constable and a second pair on June
2, 1902. The first traffic ordinance was passed June 4, 1900 “prohibiting bicycle
riding on the paths upon the roadsides,” and on May 5, 1902 a speed limit of
eight miles per hour through the township was established for motorcycles, autos
and bicycles. On July 2, 1906, the constables were ordered to enforce the state
auto laws.
The Bergen County Detective Assn. (later to become the New Jersey
Rangers Detective Assn.) was organized Sept. 10, 1912 with its headquarters on
Summit Avenue (Broadway), Hillsdale. At one time the group numbered 20 men
called “pursuers.” The Rawson twins of Hillsdale Albert W. and Alpheus E.
became famous as early “lawmen” in the Rangers whose trustees were all
Hillsdale residents.
Charles E. McCleary, who owned a butcher shop on Summit Avenue, was
appointed as the first uniformed Special Police Officer July 7, 1913 at a salary of
$5.00 per week. He served until the summer of 1915 and was followed by
various other special police officers until 1921.
John G. Ackerman was appointed the first recorder in May 1917 at a
salary of $50.00 per year. He resigned in June and Theodore I. Haubner was
appointed to complete his three-year term.
The first regular police department began to take form in January 1921
when eleven special police officers were sworn in with John Hartleib named
acting chief. The town purchased badges and clubs and ordered the acting chief
to submit monthly reports to the township committee. Fred Walker took over as
acting chief from H.E. Hering in 1922.
FIREMEN ORGANIZE
In April 1902 the Hillsdale Fire Association was organized at a meeting
held over the railroad station. John H. Riley was elected president; J.W. Banta,
recording secretary; E.F. Taylor, financial secretary; and O.S. Trall, treasurer.
The association was incorporated in 1903. In March 1912, an active “Fire Dept.”
was created within the association for members who wished to be active firemen
with others remaining as social members.
The association was designated the “Bona-fide Official Fire Dept. of the
Township of Hillsdale” March 20, 1914 and Henry J. Werner was named the first
chief.
Prior to this reorganization, the Fire Association held its first fair in August
1902 with the Ladies Auxiliary and raised the money to purchase a hose reel and
pump pulled on a wagon by ropes. Enough money was raised by various events
to buy a horse drawn rig and build the fire headquarters which is now the present
borough hall in 1906. Hook & Ladder Co. #1 carried a 40-foot ladder and hose in
the rig pulled by horses rented at Calvin Gardenier’s stables on Park Street. In
1907 a horse drawn hose cart was acquired. The horse hose vehicle was
replaced by the first auto, a Mathieson, in 1914. By 1918 the town had three fire
trucks and had replaced all the horse drawn vehicles. On July 8, 1921, the
association donated the trucks to the town.
The Hillsdale Fire Patrol was formed with 35 members March 14, 1917.
The men had authority to arrest violators of the law at a fire. The patrol later
became Chemical Co. #1.
After several mergers of the different fire companies, the Hillsdale Fire
Dept. was established by town ordinance July 8, 1921 under Chief A. Bachman.
J.E. Butenschoen was chief in 1922 the year in which the newly formed eightmember
Hillsdale Women’s Fire Dept. attracted the attention of three NY daily
newspapers.
The local fire department gained prominence in county and state firemanic
circles from an early date. On Sept. 18, 1915, the Hillsdale firemen set a new
world’s record at the Ho-Ho-Kus Fair Grounds by laying and coupling 150 feet of
hose to a hydrant from running start in 41 seconds. In 1916, Hillsdale broke their
own record by performing the same feat in 37 seconds.
The NJ and NY Volunteer Firemen’s Assn. of today was conceived in
Hillsdale in 1915 when Henry J. Werner was elected its first president. The
department has been a member of the NJ State Firemen’s Assn. since 1916. The
Hillsdale Exempt Firemen’s Assn. was organized Sept. 23, 1918 with T.C.
Demarest its first president. The NJ State Exempt Firemen’s Association held its
convention in Hillsdale in Jun 1922.
The Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Hillsdale Fire Assn. was organized in 1902
with Mrs. John Riley as chairman. It was reorganized in 1906 with 32 members
and Mrs. M. Clausen as president. The group assisted the firemen at many social
functions and carnivals and assisted the men in fund-raising projects.
SCHOOLS – CHURCHES
The nucleus of what is now the George G. White School on Magnolia
Avenue was built as 12 rooms in 1921. High school students from Hillsdale
attended schools in Park Ridge and Westwood. In school elections prior to 1920
it was necessary to have two ballot boxes, one for election of board members
and one for appropriations because women taxpayers were permitted to vote for
appropriates but not for board members. Nominations for board members were
made from the floor with the names placed on a blackboard and the voters
making their choice from the names listed.
The Hillsdale PTA was organized in 1922 with 73 members as the result
of a petition drawn up by Mrs. Della Fox.
An addition to the Hillsdale Methodist Church, then across from the street
from the present church, was built in 1911. William Blauvelt served as treasurer
of the church school from 1904 until 1944.
The parish house of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church then located on Cross
Street was used extensively during World War I by the Red Cross for making
dressings and bandages. Miss Minette Bell became the first church organist in
1905.
THE BOY SCOUTS
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church sponsored Hillsdale’s first Boy Scout Troop
in 1916. The Rev. A.R. McWilliams was scoutmaster of Troop #1 with J. Harry
Huser and Rollings Webster as assistance scoutmasters.
Two additional Scout troops were sponsored in June 1920 by a group of
citizens including Henry J. Werner, John G. Hansen and Fred D. Day. Walter M.
Dwyer and Edward Singleton became scoutmasters of the new troops which later
were known as Troops 52 and 81.
Girl Scouts, Cubs and Brownies were not organized in Hillsdale until
several years later.
LOCAL ACTIVITIES IN WORLD WAR I
Hillsdale’s participation in home activities during the two-year period of
World War I was typical of many rural communities
The “Hillsdale Loyal League” was recognized by the Township Committee
with 53 members April 17, 1917. The unit was led by H.I. Knickerbocker and
members were sworn in as “special police.” An additional 20 members were
added by the end of the year.
The ground was re-designated as the “Hillsdale Home Guard” in January
1918, and 25 rifles were purchased after a special election July 5, 1918. A
request for ammunition and bayonets was denied, and the rifles were disposed of
in 1919 when the unit was disbanded.
Local citizens were busy during the war years with Red Cross work, scrap
drives and other activities supporting the war effort.
In 1919 returning veterans organized American Legion Post 162 with
Charles Riley as commander of 10 charter members. On July 4, 1920 the first
colors were donated to the post by Hillsdale Fire Assn.