Belleville's Bones

Few towns are as fortunate as we for our wealth of tales to be told about headless nightriders, witches, ghosts, screaming spirits and pirates. With Halloween close at hand, it seems just the right time to carefully, reverently open up the dusty, old tome of Second River's ancient legends and re-tell one of it's best stories.

This one dates back to Revolutionary War days and relates to us the fate of a local resident who was accused, either justly or unjustly, of being a spy for the British forces and how, in his own unique way, he is still among us.

Andrew was known to be a good farmer in our fair village back in the days of George Washington's War. He was also known to be a remarkably good listener, listening with focused attention whenever others spoke. A good listener is always welcomed among people who loved to talk and who love to be heard. Because of this trait, Andrew was gladly admitted to many circles. He was an attentive listener whenever a group gathered to discuss the matters of the day, always nodding, smiling agreeably, saying nothing.

Now, it was well known that there were both patriots and loyalists among the villagers, sometimes even families were divided on the issues of war. Sometimes Andrew would hear a thing or two that was not meant for one group or the other to know about. Sometimes it was thought that he listened even when he had not been invited to join a conversation.

The war was a day-to-day affair in the Village of Second River. While great battles may have been fought elsewhere, the war in Second River was a matter of dodging flying lead balls as one went about ones daily chores. Fetching a pail of water at the well was a risky bit of business. A contingent of British troops were arrayed across the Passaic to restrict access to the Schuyler copper mine and to keep an eye on the village since it was such a hot-bed of patriot activity. With these adversaries so close to each other, neither side could resist the opportunity to send a musket ball whizzing across the river when a head would appear.

Though watchmen were posted in the old Dutch Church steeple and sentries guarded the river front, all those folks who were within musket-shot range near the river lived a nervous existence. It was decided that a raid across the river to push back the snipers to a respectful distance was in the best interests of the villagers. The raid was planned in absolute secrecy. It would be a total surprise. In the quiet hours of a moonless night, local members of the Second Essex Regiment slid across the Passaic to root out the hornets nest. Ambush ! The British were waiting. It took the very best military skills of the patriots to scramble back across the river.

"This is an outrage", shouted the local General. "How did they know ?" Someone was needed to blame for this ! Surely it must be someone's fault that this perfect plan didn't work. A soldier, intent upon calming the General's rage suggested that maybe old Andrew, who heard so many things, was to blame. It seemed like a good idea to quickly find a culprit to sooth the General's anger and embarrassment. Another soldier volunteered that Andrew was sometimes thought to be seen listening at window sills to hear what might be going on inside a house. It must be him ! Indeed !

The raiding party rushed to Andrew's farm. They stormed his house. They roused him out of bed. "It wasn't me", protested Andrew after hearing the accusations. "It wasn't me", he said as they dragged him out to the lane. "It wasn't me", he insisted as they conducted a proper military trial right there in the lane before his farmhouse. They took old Andrew to the banks of the Second River by his home and they hanged him right there from a crooked limbed tree. It is said that the last thing old Andrew gurgled while suspended from the hangman's noose was, "It . . . wasn't . . . me !"

They left old Andrew there 'til his bones glistened white as a warning to others who might be tempted to hear too much. But old Andrew had long gone to the otherworld where the Brethren there were quite surprised to see him since he had not been summoned. When pressed for an explanation for his presence, all he could utter in response was, "It wasn't me"!

Now, the Brethren of the otherworld have ways and means generally beyond our ken. They agreed amongst themselves that Andrew's spirit should be returned to Second River to prove his innocence, if he could. Thus it was that on many a night afterwards, frightened villagers reported seeing old Andrew's bones there, letting himself down from the tree and walking about the village, listening wherever he could, intent upon learning who really did spoil the raid on that quiet moonless night.

Now, it's not that the villagers were a superstitious lot but after a number of sightings, they thought it the Christian thing to do to have the bravest among them take down those bones and bury them. And when the sightings continued, they chopped down the tree as well. But still his bones were seen skulking about the village, listening to every conversation.

It is said that Andrew is still here in town, listening as you speak. He may lurk beneath your own window sill, listening to everything you say. Maybe you are a relative of the one who told and spoiled that raid during George Washington's War. You can tell when he is near. His rattling bones sound like hollow wood wind-chimes as he moves and, given his advanced age, he tends to creak a bit. Or, you may see just a glint of light as the moon shines on his polished white bones. And for goodness sake, be careful what you say. You should, at least, be very careful if you go out on Halloween. Old Andrew is not the only ghost from Belleville's past that still lingers in our village.

Visit our website. There are now Post Cards from Belleville available for you.

NJP

Morris Canal

If we reach back, let's say about 177 years, we will find something very exciting happening here in Belleville. It is 1830 and the Morris canal is coming. And, it was going to be routed through Belleville. Folks were beginning to think prosperous thoughts. Five years earlier, the Erie Canal had been completed in New York. It was a commercial success so, naturally, it seemed reasonable to build a canal across New Jersey. The Morris Canal would connect the Delaware and Passaic rivers opening up easy trade routes for enterprising business men who could now ship goods to Philadelphia, Newark, New York or even to the Great Lakes region via the Hudson River and Erie Canal. The canal formed part of a network that would connect Philadelphia to Chicago by a convenient inland waterway and Belleville was on the route.

During an early design stage, it was intended that the canal would end in Belleville. One design had the canal flow into Second River from Bloomfield and then terminate where Second River flows into the Passaic. Belleville would have exploded with commerce ! However, lobbyists from Newark argued that, even though it would make the canal longer and more expensive, their city was the logical terminus. Of course, we know who won the argument. Perhaps it was best, we would have become a major port city if the canal had ended here.

It would be the Soho and Silver Lake sections of town which would benefit most. During construction, labor would be needed to help build it and when complete, labor would be needed to maintain it, handle the mules that pulled the canal barges and to load the barges carrying local goods to market. The canal would enter Belleville from Bloomfield. It would flow alongside the Second River where Montgomery Street in Bloomfield is today, intersect Harrison Street in Belleville, briefly flow alongside Mill Street, then head south toward Silver Lake. The closest point to the lake was where Franklin Avenue intersects Franklin Street. Then it would make its way to Branch Brook Park and through Newark to its final destination, the Passaic River near Newark Bay. Aqueducts would be needed to carry the canal over top of both the Second River and the river flowing from Silver Lake to Second River, both of which were intersected by the route of the canal.

The canal was completed in 1830 and was fully open to traffic by 1832. For the next 60 years, the canal was a great economic lift for the town. Coal came in from the mines in Pennsylvania to power factories that, for the first time, did not have to be located directly on Second River for power. Outgoing were the products of the factories, mills and farms. Ice was harvested from Silver Lake and shipped to Newark and New York. By the 1870's almost every city residence had an "ice box" for food storage. The market was lucrative. Belleville, already economically successful, was now growing even faster.

The canal served other than commercial purposes. What a grand place for ice skating in winter when the waterway was frozen. Summer would find youngsters rafting along the canal or adults rowing canoes on Sundays when there was no barge traffic. The mule paths made great bridal paths for horseback riding or trails for bicycling. A short walk to Berkley Avenue in Bloomfield would reward the hiker with an opportunity to watch the workings of Lock 15E, located there, where the barges were raised or lowered.

Nothing lasts forever. By the 1890's, railroads were replacing the canal for shipping. It took five days to travel from Phillipsburg on the Delaware to Newark via the canal. A steam locomotive could do it in eight hours. It no longer made economic sense to use the canal. By the beginning of the twentieth century the canal had been abandoned by commerce. In 1924 the canal was "officially" abandoned by the State and could be filled-in as local communities might require. It's a pity that the State lacked the foresight to continue to maintain the canal as a recreational facility. If they had, we would still be enjoying it today.

There has never been a shortage of heroes in Belleville when the need arises, even on the spur of the moment. On a delightful first day of Summer in 1907, two young ladies, Josephine Schneider and Lillian Hock, both 15 years old, were passing a leisurely afternoon by sailing toy boats on the canal. Dare-devils that they were, they urged each other to wade across the canal. Step-by-step, down the gradual slope they ventured. Well, we've all heard about sliding down a slippery slope. Before they knew it, the girls were in over their heads, flailing about and screaming for help. A Soho resident, William Hearne, who had been walking along the canal, heard their cries, quickly dove into the canal and rescued Josephine. At the same time, Edward Sibley, himself a young lad of just 13, who had been swimming in the canal nearby, rushed to the scene. The Sibley lad was attempting to rescue Lillian, but the terrified lass sank them both to the bottom with her struggles. She had an iron grip around his neck making his efforts doubly difficult. With perseverance, the lad managed to drag her to shore; a job well done. The two very wet and trembling girls were able to go home. We never learn, though, if the girls ever went playing by the canal again.

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It's time for Christmas shopping! Don't forget to buy a copy of "A Dutch Christmas in Old Second River 1697" at our bookstore. It makes a really nice gift.

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Can't get enough of Belleville's long and colorful history? Visit Mr. Anthony Buccino's site "Old Belleville".

NJP

It's Just A Party 2007

On Thursday, September 13, 2007, the Township of Belleville held its annual block party. All were invited including neighbors from nearby towns. There were large crowds of friendly people, good food, good music, excellent entertainment and so much fun for the kids. Having just researched for my recent book how the original village settlers entertained themselves, I am absolutely certain that every one of the old Dutchmen, their wives and all of their children would have come to this event, thoroughly enjoyed it and helped to show us how to have a good time. It was a really good place to live then and still is now.

For anyone who missed the fun and excitement, here is a display of a few selected photos. I am trying-out a new photo display technique. Click on a small picture at the bottom and it will appear next. Click on the large picture and it will freeze for viewing. Click again and the display will continue. Hope you enjoy it.

There is a new photo display of cherry blossoms caught in a snow storm over at the website. Here is a link to the page, there are eight snowstorm pictures about half-way down the page. Click on each small thumbnail to see the large version.
http://normanprice.com/_wsn/page2.html

Madman Assaults Belleville

On a Tuesday morning in January of 1899, a madman armed with a club assaulted Belleville leaving a trail of injury and ruin. A crowd pursued him but none could stop him until finally, one man subdued him and then rescued him from a lynch mob. This is a story best told by those who saw it happen. Here is a contemporary account :

Belleville, N.J., Tuesday, Jan 31, 1899 - Thomas Reynolds, a brawny laborer, ran wild in Belleville this morning.

Reynolds had been sick for some days at his home on Williams Street. His mother and brother, with whom he lived, noticed that he acted queerly, and determined to keep a close watch on him. About 11 o'clock this morning, he escaped. Arming himself with a club, started for the center of the town.

Reynolds entered John Manning's place, on John Street, where he beat two children into insensibility and smashed the furniture and windows. He started down William Street. Near Bridge Street he struck down Nellie Flanagan, twelve year old daughter of James Flanagan, badly injuring her. A crowd of about a hundred began following him.

Near the Stamar residence, Reynolds struck down Mrs. Coyne, making a deep gash in her head, and beating her black and blue about the body. He continued down William Street, and met Mrs. Cummusky. He struck her on the arm, breaking it. Mrs. Cummusky managed to get away from him before he could harm her more. At the Belleville Building and Loan office, Reynolds smashed the whole store front of plate glass. John Ashworth's store was similarly treated. Reynolds struck wildly at Ashworth, who threw up his arm and kept the blow from descending upon his head. Before Ashworth could grapple with Reynolds the latter had run away.

Peter Truester, a barber of William Street had just left his shop when Reynolds began a fierce attack on him. The barber received several severe knocks on the head before Reynolds turned and ran away.

The crowd increased, stones were hurled at Reynolds without effect. No one would attempt to capture him, none of the town officials were in sight. Reynolds broke the windows in Haggerty's Hotel on the corner of Washington Avenue. He crossed the street to Jaroleman's butcher's store where he smashed in the store front.

Jaroleman ran out to stop him. Reynolds struck at him with the club. Jaroleman is a stalwart man and closed with his antagonist. Reynolds wrenched himself away and continued down the street.

Reynolds went to Bennett's bicycle store, where he broke all the windows. Mrs. Bennett, who was in the store with the children, fainted when she saw him, and the children were badly frightened. Mrs. Mary Hannon, who was standing near by, received a blow on the head which knocked her down.

Reynolds went to Blake's store. The crowd stoned him. He turned and started back up Washington Avenue. Near William Street, John McGuirk ran up behind him and tried to snatch the club from him, but Reynolds turned and nearly severed McGuirk's thumb with a knife he also carried. He then went to John Street , turned and continued up the hill.

Jay La Faucherie, the son of Justice of the Peace La Faucherie, finally got near enough to make a grab at the fugitive. Reynolds turned and swung his club at La Faucherie, but the latter eluded the blow and leaped upon the madman. There was a short, violent struggle, in which La Faucherie was aided by several men in the crowd, and Reynolds was overmastered. A rope was procured and Reynolds was tied.

Someone said the Flanagan child was dead. There were cries of lynching. Someone brought a rope and tried to put it around Reynold's neck. The cooler heads in the crowd tried to prevent the others from hanging Reynolds, but they were thrust aside and the madman's chances looked slim. A wagon happened to be passing, and La Faucherie and two others suddenly grabbed Reynolds and threw him into it. The horse was whipped up and driven to the jail. Reynolds is now in a padded cell in the county jail.

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The new book, "A Dutch Christmas in Old Second River" is now available at www.normanprice.com

Great Race of '49

There was the rolling roar of noises one always hears when a large crowd has gathered. More than twelve hundred very excited townspeople pressed along the edges of Greylock Parkway on this 11th day of June to watch the Great Race of 1949. The road, closed by police, was temporarily re-named "Greylock Speedway" in honor of the spectacular event about to take place. At the center of attention were 20 of Belleville's elite automotive engineers and racecar drivers, between the ages of 9 and 15, who were about to test their skills in front of this huge, anxious crowd.

Each gravity powered racecar, under the contest rules, was entirely built by the young man who would drive it. Each vehicle had to pass a safety inspection by the race committee, especially the brakes and steering systems !

In addition to the prestige of being the best engineer and fastest driver in town, there were serious prizes on the line. There were two beautiful gold trophies to be awarded to the divisional champions (9-11 year old and 12-15 year old divisions). The champions also received merchandise certificates from a local sporting goods store, awarded by the Belleville BPA. Medals were awarded to first, second and third place finishers in each race. Every participant received a racecar driver pin. In addition, four young lads, selected on the basis of good sportsmanship, would be escorted to a Yankees - Tigers game at Yankee Stadium.

It was now 1:00 pm, time to start. Races started on a raised ramp ensuring that maximum speed was reached as soon as possible. A pair of entrants were poised on the starting ramp, tense, eyes straight ahead. The green flag dropped ... go! They're off ! The crowd was silent, only the sound of chattering wheels and wind sweeping over the hand-made chassis' could be heard as they rushed by at a screaming 20 mph. The checkered flag dropped, and the winner is ...

At the end of the day, it was young Master Keller, whose ole Number 14, crossing the finish line at a sizzling 24 mph, who was declared champion of the 9-11 year olds. Young Mr. Greulich, driving his big Number 5, "Silver Bullet", was named the older division champion. During the day, a hotly contested event between two lads had brought the checkered flags down simultaneously. The race was repeated. The flags dropped simultaneously again. The race was finally decided in heats against the clock. Racing is not without its hazards. One driver lost a wheel half-way through the course. He bailed out. His car careened into the crowd. No spectators were injured but the driver came away with a skinned knee.

Indianapolis may have its "Indy 500", but on this day, Belleville was the proud home of the "Greylock Two-Tenths". Two-tenths of a mile, that was the length of the raceway set out on perfectly hilly Greylock Parkway. The event was organized primarily by the Belleville Times - News however, many town businesses and citizens contributed to its success. It was a wonderful event. It was just one of the many reasons why post-war Belleville was such a really good place in which to grow-up.

A Note To Readers:

The new book, "A Dutch Christmas in Old Second River 1697" has finally arrived from the printer and is now available. Learn about holiday customs and traditions as they were practiced in our town more that 300 years ago. You can find a slideshow of sample pages and a description by clicking this link -

www.normanprice.com

Camp Ro-Li

There was a vision for Belleville. It was a grand vision. Belleville was to become a superior place in which to live and raise children; a model for what living in America should be like. The vision came into being during WWII and was meant to be implemented at the start of the post-war period. It was conceived by the great industrial leaders at Walter Kidde, Wallace & Tiernan and Eastwood Nealley.

During the threatening days of WWII, Belleville was a fine-tuned war machine. It’s fighting men excelled on the battle fronts. Its workers excelled at producing copious quantities of high quality war materials. Its citizens excelled at the tasks of gathering critically scarce materials, raising funds and creating a civil defense program to protect this high-profile- target town. Belleville was to be richly rewarded for its spearhead aggressiveness during the war.

Three five-star Generals of the home front; Walter Kidde, Martin Tiernan and Harry Specht (of Eastwood Nealley) joined forces to create the Belleville Foundation. They provided their prodigious organizing skills and considerable wealth accrued from war contracts for the task of creating this foundation which would launch our town into a post war role-model position to lead America in peace as it was in war. These men developed an eight-point program which would accomplish this goal for the town. It was a program for which they intended to provide the seed money to implement and their personal persuasive skills to ensure its success. One of the highlights of the program was to create as many as possible open space recreation areas for both adults and children. Recognizing the natural human need to avoid confining spaces, they provided the funds and, acting through the town council, commissioned the National Recreation Association to develop a master plan. It was a really good plan.

Although the post war demands of real estate developers blocked much of the plan’s best features, there was one element which was carried out in stellar fashion to demonstrate what might have been if the entire plan had been achieved. It was Camp Ro-Li. The Belleville Foundation purchased a tract of land on the shores of Glen Wild Lake where a summer camp for the town’s children was created. It had been originally known as Camp Demarest, named for the famous Bloomfield resident Charles Demarest. Already a functioning summer camp, it needed few improvements to make it suitable for its new purpose. The Foundation funded the purchase price, remodeling costs and the first two year’s operating expenses after which the administration was given over to the Rotary Club and Lions Club to operate as a joint venture. The name of the camp came from merging these two names ROtary – LIons. It was a wonderful place.

For many years, beginning in 1946, the children of Belleville, ages 8 to 13, could, for a modest fee, spend two weeks at the camp. And what a time they had ! There was swimming (with Red Cross instructors in attendance), boating, hiking, nature exploration, Indian pow-pows, crafts, theater, camp fires, story-telling, barbecues, marshmallow roasts, campfire sing-a-longs at overnight campsites in the woods, treasure hunts, movies, talent shows and just so much more. There were sports including archery, fishing, baseball and volleyball.

Six children would bunk together with a counselor in a wooden cabin by the lake. There were ten cabins in all. The camp was on 5 wooded acres adjacent to a State forest preserve with many nature trails. It had 400 feet of lake frontage with docks, rowboats, canoes, a diving board, areas for both advanced and beginning swimmers and a fishing pier. In addition to the ten cabins, there was a lodge and dining hall, a trading post (for buying life’s necessities such as candy or post cards to send home to mom and dad), craft cabins, nature study cabins and a dispensary with a nurse always in attendance. This camp is remembered so very fondly by those who were there.

It is very likely that there are still quite a few “grown-ups” in town who went to camp there. If the reader has not been there, ask around town; you may hear some pretty wild stories :) .

Your author here present, is unaware of what year the camp ceased operations. It was still there in 1969 and probably through the ‘70s. If any reader here knows when the camp closed, please drop me a line. And, if any reader would like to share their personal recollections of the camp, to be used in a future article here on the Blog, send them along. Be sure to tell me if you want your name mentioned or if you would rather your story be anonymous. Use this e-Mail address : pl90525@yahoo.com

Memorial Day 2007

Memorial Day 2007 - a time proper for remembering the great sacrifices of American veterans who served in battle and, in the opinion of this writer, remembering the massive efforts in Belleville on the home front during WWII. While generalizing about servicemen from all times is a legitimate way to commemorate the day, I believe that narrowing the focus to specific events helps to make it more real. In this essay I want to put you on the streets of town in the early days of WWII to let you look about and see what is going on . . .

It is June 6, 1942. It has been barely 6 months since Pearl Harbor. The nation is at war, New Jersey is at war, Belleville is at war. The war has just become more personal here. The first war casualty from Belleville in an enemy attack had occurred two weeks earlier and was announced in this week’s paper. Harry Fredricks, Jr., 26-year-old naval gunnery crew chief was lost when his ship was sunk by a German U-Boat in the Gulf of Mexico. Another member of his crew, a 17-year-old gunner, was lost when he refused to abandon ship, but stayed at his gun, firing back at the submarine. It was said to be the first time one of our ships was able to return fire on a U-Boat prowling in the gulf.

The Jensen family of Continental Avenue held a picnic – hot dog roast as a send-off party for their son who was leaving to enter the Army Air Corp. The Gimbel family of Joralemon Street were bidding farewell to their son, a BHS graduate, who was returning to the Air Corp after a ten day furlough. The Kants family of Cortlandt Street have just returned from visiting their son, an Army Sargent stationed at Camp Shelby in Mississippi. The DiLeo family of William Street has a son attending Air Corp Officer Training school where the professional abilities of young men were being re-directed to the war effort. The young man had been an attorney for the past 13 years. Spencer Jones, son of the famed Belleville architect, has enlisted in the Army and is now at Camp Shelby in Mississippi.

The Belleville Defense Council Committee Meetings schedule was just announced. There were 16 sub-committees covering every aspect of the town’s defense and home front contribution including; Defense Council, Police Reserves, Fire Reserves, Vulnerability, Public Relations and Education, Transportation and Evacuation, Health and First Aid, Supplies, Demolition – Rescue and Repairs, Communications, Air Raid Precautions, Decontamination, Consumer Interest, Fair Rents, General Commodities, Salvage

Belleville’s Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, already much involved in the war effort, had collected thousands of tin cans from town households for which they were commended by the Belleville Defense Council salvage committee. It was noted that the material contained in 800 cans is enough to provide soldering for an entire bomber.

The Food Fair grocery store at 524 Washington Avenue was, in its weekly ad, encouraging patrons to shop together to save on gas rationing coupons. The Peoples National Bank of 237 Washington Avenue – opposite the Post Office (that’s the old Post Office) is encouraging patrons to pay bills by check to cut down on using gas ration points used in driving to offices where bills are customarily paid in person. New Jersey Bell Telephone was announcing that by order of the War Production Board, manufacturing of telephone equipment was suspended in favor of production of war materials

There were those whose advertising seemed a bit more self serving in what appeared to be attempts to cash-in on the enormous outpouring of patriotism and the general fears about war. A lumber company on Cortlandt street advertised “durability for the crisis”, home remodeling “to strengthen your home for national defense. Call us for estimates”
Acme Supermarket is encouraging customers to “help win the war” by using their own shopping bags to conserve paper. Materials for extinguishing incendiary bombs and fires were being sold at a local store at 60 cents for a five-pound bag.

The U. S. Navy was advertising for enlistments of men, ages 17 to 50, with construction experience. Enlistment period was for the duration of the war.

The Belleville Defense Council was seeking nurses aides to relieve registered nurses from mundane duties and place them at the disposal of the Defense Council.

Seven students from Belleville have just completed Defense Engineering courses at Newark College of Engineering.

The consolidation of Belleville’s and Nutley’s Rationing Boards, disapproved by both towns, would go forward in the interest of co-operation with the Federal government.

The meeting of the American Legion Post at the recreation house was cancelled due to a surprise blackout.

Citizens were asked to keep noise levels down during the day so that defense workers on late night shifts could sleep during the day.

Everyone, absolutely everyone was on a war footing. It has not happened this way, with this level of total involvement since then. Isn’t it nice that our kids didn’t have to grow up in such a threatening environment? Perhaps we should thank American war veterans for that.

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For additional information on Harry Fredricks, Jr., first of Belleville's sons to be killed in the war, visit the page dedicated to him at the BELLEVILLE SONS HONOR ROLL site:

http://www.bellevillesons.com/bel_w2_fredericks_harry.html

White Water on Second River

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Sometimes happenings in the present are just as exciting as events in history. But then, you should get used to the idea that you are part of a living history. Indeed, what shall we write in our own chapter of “The Saga of Second River” ?

A storm struck the village last week causing flooding in a number of places. Your author here present, with camera in hand, was there to record the images of the white-water rapids on Second River. Can you imagine that ? White water rapids on Second River ? Our quiet, ankle-deep, mill stream surged into a raging torrent with the roar of rushing water, crashing waves, rapids, swirls, and water up to the edge and in some places over, the banks ! It was not something you see very often.

There were some moments of concern as the water reached the top of the banks. There are some homes nearby between Washington Avenue and Bridge Street which were at risk. And, there were all those new cherry blossom trees newly planted along the walkway by the north bank. The water overflowed just west of Bridge Street because the culvert there isn’t large enough for the rush of water to pass through, but otherwise the banks held.

Things were worse over by the Rutan area and on Fairway Avenue where the Third River overflowed causing damage. Also, the Passaic River rose and flooded Main Street on the north end by the Post Office Annex and the old Kidde site on up to the Kingsland Street Bridge. That episode made the TV evening news where it was said that flood water swamped the vehicles in the Post Office parking lot. Most unfortunate was the drowning of an elderly fellow on Main Street who, it appears , was unable to escape the rising water and rushing currents, a moment which has saddened us all.

Has any reader here ever wondered why Main Street is not the “main street” in town ? Well, we have just seen only a small sample of why that is so. About a hundred years ago, the Passaic River flooded, completely swamping all the homes, mansions and businesses there. Afterwards, Main Street was rebuilt and business went on as usual. But a couple of years later, the river raged again; this time even worse. There are photos in the archives of the extensive flooding on that occasion. This time, the good folks of town got the hint and “Main Street” was moved to the higher ground on Washington Avenue which has ever since been our “main street.”

New Cherry Blossom Trees

Work in progress.

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Here is an opportunity for readers of this Blog to witness our village history as it is happening. This is the first time since 1937, yes, that’s 70 years ago, that such a massive planting of new cherry blossom trees has been undertaken. There will be 2,000 new trees planted in Branch Brook Park over the next three years; a large number of those to be along Second River. This is the first installment.

Back in 1937, when the display was first created, 3,400 trees were planted. For long afterwards we fancied ourselves as the “Cherry Blossom Capital of America” which is really quite true. However, these trees have a thirty-year life span and re-planting programs have ranged from sporadic to non-existent. Thus, last time a count was taken, two years ago, there were but 1,100 trees remaining.

Every citizen of the village should be well pleased to know that, upon completion of the current program, the tree count will have been restored to historic numbers and we shall resume our place at the center of national attention. Yes, our display has been and will now again be larger than our nearest competitor, Washington D.C.

Peter Stryker

. . . The Reverend Peter Stryker of Second River . . .

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It would seem that we have not been good keepers of our village history, thus little remains of the early written record and even less in the way of images of our earliest citizens. What I have uncovered, and wish to share with you, is an engraving of The Reverend Peter Stryker, Pastor of the Second River Dutch Reformed Church as he appeared in 1794. This is one of the earliest images of a citizen of our village.

Rev. Stryker was the spiritual leader of the community from October of 1794 until October of 1809. Originally, Rev. Stryker was pastor of the church in Staten Island. Of such good repute was he, that the villagers were determined to bring him to Second River. In 1790, the community prevailed upon Mr. Abraham Speer to make the journey to Staten Island with the intent of inducing Rev. Stryker to move here. This first attempt was unsuccessful. But our villagers were a resolute people who in 1794 renewed their efforts and were this time successful.

Among his many accomplishments during fifteen years in the community, Rev. Stryker was the first to give his sermons in the English language; previously Dutch was the language of common use. His abilities were fully tested when he became responsible for the rebuilding of the church structure. On the 22nd of May in 1804 a violent tornado tore down the steeple and left the building unfit for use. The villagers were a frugal people but prosperous so that by 1807, under the guidance of Rev. Stryker, a new church building was completed.

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It was during his tenure, in June of 1797, that the grand old Village of Second River was renamed and became the Town of Belleville. And so it was that the Rev. Peter Stryker was a leading citizen of both the old village and the new town. The War for Independence had ended more than a decade ago; both the town and the church had recovered from its effects. Now it seemed that things could only get better; and they did.

However, in 1809, the good Reverend choose to answer the call of another church. He became pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Amboy. Much beloved was he in our community and much dismayed were the good folks here at his leaving. The villagers persisted in persuading him to return. Next year, in 1810, he acquiesced, returning to Second River for an additional two years. In 1812, for reasons of health, he retired. In a manuscript left by one of his sons, it is said that he was advised by his physicians to “take a long journey on horseback.” In our last view of the Reverend Peter Stryker, we see him riding off into the sunset, seeking peace of mind.

Second River’s First Born

In a town as old as this one, it can be a real challenge to determine who was the first person born here. Records are sparse when they exist at all. In fact, for the first twenty-three years of the settlement’s existence, there were no records kept here at all. Yes, this is work for a hard-nosed historian-detective . . . ahem . . . ok., I have a candidate to offer.

The historical evidence that has been uncovered at present, favors a first settlement date of 1674 for our village. A detailed explanation of the settlement date is a topic for another essay, but it has to do with the terms and conditions of the treaty ending the Third Anglo-Dutch War. However, the Dutch Reformed Church, keeper of vital records in the 17th century, was founded in Second River in 1697. For those years in between, records of vital statistics were kept in Bergen (Jersey City). This is where the good folks of The Village of Second River, Dutch as they were, had to go to receive Divine Rites in those days. It is from scouring these ancient records that we find our candidate. Future historian-detectives may one day demonstrate otherwise, but for now I offer you this one:

It’s a Girl !

Elisabeth Merselis was born in The Village of Second River on March 3, 1682. Her parents were Merselis Pierterse and Pieterje van der voorst. She was baptized in the church at Bergen on April 18, 1682. The witnesses were Pieter Merselis and Hillitje Jans.

We hear of her again when, at the age of nineteen, she marries Adriaen A. Post at Bergen Dutch Reformed Church. The ceremony was held on April 21, 1701. At this time she moved to Bergen where her husband lived. We further learn that she had five children; Garret, Claertje, Adriaen, Marcelus and Elisabeth.

It seems that we just missed her 325th birthday. Perhaps next year we can celebrate Elisabeth Merselis Day on March 3rd !

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Have you visited Cherry Blossom Village yet ? -
http://cherryblossomvillage.blogspot.com/

Flying "Billie" Walsh

There was a Miss Wilma Walsh, better known to her friends as ‘Billie’ who, back in 1929, was a teacher at Belleville High School. But Billie was different than most other teachers, Billie had earned her pilots license. That was no small thing in those pioneer days of flying. Her ‘home base’ as a pilot was old Roosevelt Field in Garden City, Long Island. It was there where she got her flight training and with 60 hours of solo time to her credit, she received her ‘wings’, a coveted pilot’s license.

Roosevelt Airfield was named in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt's son, Quentin Roosevelt, who was killed in air combat during World War I. It was the takeoff point for many flights that were important in the history of aviation. Charles Lindbergh's 1927 solo transatlantic flight originated at Roosevelt Field. It was also used by other pioneering aviators, including Amelia Earhart and Wiley Post. Miss Walsh was in good company. At its peak in the 1930s, Roosevelt Field was America’s busiest civilian airfield.

Billie was as proficient at flying amphibian aircraft as she was at piloting land based aircraft. To her credit, she was the first pilot to successfully land a sea plane at the marine base at Newark Metropolitan Airport.

While vacationing in Europe in the summer of ’29, this resident of Van Houten Street, regarded as a very pretty aviatrix, flew as a passenger on such pioneer airlines as Imperial English Airways and Royal Dutch Airways. Her favorite personal aircraft was the high-powered, sporty ‘Bird CK’, an open cockpit biplane.

Here’s a 1929 photo of Miss Walsh with her own plane

Here’s a modern photo of a fully restored biplane, of the kind she piloted, a Bird CK

Hey !

Hey ! So many young people and not a few older folks have adopted this as an every day greeting when they mean ‘hello’. For this I commend them. It brings us back, full circle, to the old language of this place. The old language is not English. No, it’s not even Dutch as some who know their town’s history might have guessed since the village was first settled by the Dutch. Indeed, the old language is ten times older than that, it is Lenape. The Lenni Lenape people were here since a time long out of memory and beyond the reach of history. They were here for even longer that some of us old history buffs first thought. We knew there was a race of wooly mammoth hunters who frequented the area as the ice age receded but we thought those hunters preceded the Lenape. However, certain findings among the archaeological artifacts have shown us that the Lenape WERE the mammoth hunters. They were here in what we call our town even before most of our own civilizations ever came into existence. So, isn’t it proper that we should honor these ‘grandfather people’, as they called themselves, by saying ‘Hey!’ when we meet. What does ‘Hey’ mean, you may ask. In Lenape, it means ‘hello’. My goodness, isn’t that ironic.

Want to have a little fun ? In this multi-cultural society we live in where we don’t really understand each other anyway, next time you stop in at Dunkin Donuts try saying this : “mili kapi” (pronounce it -MAY-lee KUP-ee).
See what you get ! By the way, it means, “give me coffee”. Or, if it’s lunchtime, you might say to your companions of the moment, “mitsitam” (may SEE tum). Which, of course, means “Let’s eat”. They will be dazzled by your wealth of knowledge, or maybe ask you what you’ve been smoking. Should you come upon a fellow who appears to be experiencing an evil moment you may say to him, “kulamulsi huch?” (koo la MA see huch), and if he doesn’t take a swing at you, you may have time to explain that it means “Are you o.k.?”

It is such a very old language, this Jersey-speak is, this language of the Lenape. You will be doing history and future generations a great favor if you remember just two or three phrases of this ancient tongue, just to help keep it alive. It would be a pity if a language handed down since the ice age is forgotten. And besides, it’s the old language of your hometown.

Well, for now, let me just say, Lapìch knewel !

A Saturday Night Date

It’s Saturday night in old Belleville, April 29, 1925. You are a hard-working young fellow who just got paid. Your pocket is full of money, maybe as much as $10.00 if you have a really good job. You have a date with one of the cutest girls in town and you want to make a good impression on her. You pick her up at her house and help her into your Model-T roadster then head over to the malt shop where you treat her to an ice cream sundae, an extravagant expenditure that will cost you 25¢ each. While there, you convince her that it’s a great night to go to the Alpha Theater on Washington Avenue near Williams Street. A lot of your friends will be there, it’s a popular place. There is a great movie playing called “Romance and Rustlers” with none other than World Champion cowboy Yakima Canutt in the starring role.

The movie sounds pretty exciting. “Bud Kane, a young cowboy, saves his employer's daughter, Ruth Larrabee from a bolting horse. The two fall in love, and Ruth is heartbroken when Bud's hat band is found near the hideout of a gang of rustlers. Assumed to be a member of the gang, Bud is ordered off the spread by his boss. In an attempt to catch the real rustler, Bud is picked up by ranch foreman and held prisoner until the arrival of the sheriff. Ruth, meanwhile, has discovered that the foreman is actually the real gang leader. Confronted with the truth, the foreman attempts an escape, but the freed Bud catches up with him, and the crooked foreman is handed over to the sheriff. “ ... Wow, sensational !

There will also be several on-stage vaudeville acts, usually consisting of a stand-up comic, a song-and-dance routine, perhaps a dramatic performance or maybe a musician or perhaps even a hypnotist to mystify the ladies. Admission will be 10¢ each and worth it because it will please your date.

Afterwards, a quiet dinner for two at one of the local restaurants, there’s a nice one at the corner of Main and Rutgers right across from the Dutch church. A three course meal will cost you around a dollar apiece which is not so bad as it will give you some time to talk about the movie, laugh again at the comic’s jokes and re-hash the gossip you heard from the friends you met at the Alpha.

By now it is getting close to your date’s curfew hour but you figure that your speedy roadster, at a racy 25 miles per hour, will get you up to Riviera Park at the north end of town in time for a couple of dances in the ballroom, maybe a ride on the carousel and a soda before you take her home. It was an expensive night. When you add in 10¢ each for the park admission, another 10¢ each for the carousel and 30¢ for two sodas plus 10¢ a gallon for gas for your roadster, you probably spent $3.50 on the evening. But, it’s o.k. because she thinks you’re as rich as Rockefeller and she let you kiss her good-night. Hey, you can always earn another $10.00 next week.

Lost In The Woods

Here is an interesting article I found in a sixty-eight year old newspaper about a young child who had become lost in the “woods” in the derelict remains of old Hillside Pleasure Park. The amusement park, one of the largest to have ever been built in New Jersey, had closed in 1927. By 1939 most traces of it were raised leaving only untended undergrowth on the site; the “woods”. In this article the reporter appears to be magnifying a minor incident into a great adventure, never-the-less, what we see is that feelings of nostalgia and fond memories of the old park were not far below the surface of the public’s collective memory.


Dateline - Thursday, September 21, 1939

LOST IN WOODS, CHILD REVIVES OLD THRILLS.

Once Was The Time Hillside Park Caused Chills

It has been years since Riviera Park held any terror for most folks who are willing to say they remember that far back to the days when it was old Hillside Park.
In those halcyon days of yore the Indians and cowboys and girls engaged in some hectic battles while a stage coach robbery helped add the thrills that made the youngsters’ hair stand on end. There was a nickelodeon “way out west in Belleville” and canoes on the “lake,” with wild animals in cages up in the woods. There the balloon tugged at it’s ropes eager to be aloft with its daredevil parachute jumpers, as a climax to the show.
And, shucks, come to think of it, boys were scared as youngsters in “them thar hills” as they shinnied over the fences into the woods.
All this came back this morning as a reporter glanced over the police blotter to see how the bluecoats had been earning their pay during the week.
Here is what appeared: “Mrs. O’Brian, 143 Linden Avenue, reported her three-year-old daughter, Patricia, lost in the woods in Riviera Park. She was found in Bremond Street.”
Golly, they were hair raising days when the lads jumped over the fence, and they, too, got lost in the woods --- real woods, then.

A Dutch Christmas in Belleville

A Dutch Christmas in Belleville

Christmas has been celebrated in Belleville, the Village of Second River, for 331 years. Only a handful of other places in America can boast of more. The village was, of course, settled by the Dutch so their holiday celebrations were a continuation of those they remembered in Holland. Three centuries ago the holiday season began on December 5th.

December 5th was St. Nicholas Eve, the time for presents and the beginning of a month-long holiday season. All youngsters eagerly waited the coming of Sinterklaas who would arrive in the harbor in a great sailing ship richly laden with gifts and goodies .... and a switch. It was believed by all Dutch children that Sinterklaas was the Bishop of Spain who brought with him a magical flying horse which he needed in order to visit all in a single night. He did have some help, a small Moorish fellow known as ‘Black Pete’ who was his elf. Indeed, Sinterklaas is always seen with the great white flying steed and Black Pete.

Instead of leaving cookies and milk, as might be done today, children left their shoes outside the door filled with tasty hay for the magic horse. They all knew this happy verse by heart:

Look, yonder comes the schooner,
All the way from Spain.
There stands good St. Nicholas,
Coming back again.
Frisking up and down the deck,
See his horsie go !
How prettily the pennants
Flutter to and fro !
Black Pete, he smiles upon us,
With gifts his bags are rich,
Who’s good, shall have some goodies,
Who’s naughty, gets a switch !

Christmas Day, December 25th , was a solemn religious holiday, very un-like today. However, the holiday season did not end then but continued on until Twelfth Night Eve on January 5th. Here was a day of exuberant merrymaking ! The Dutch settlers of Second River were hard working pioneers, but surely they did enjoy merrymaking and they enjoyed their winter holidays at least as much as we.

Vrolijk Kerstfeest !

Remembering the Victory Ship Walter Kidde

Memorial Day 2005 has come now upon us. Customarily, we pause in our merry-making just long enough to remember, in a passing thought, heroes past and present. It is a good exercise; that is, remembering heroes. We owe our life-style to them. Ordinary folks they were who found themselves in extraordinary circumstances and, when called upon, did extraordinary things.

We owe much to many. Sometimes however, to make it more real, I like to narrow my focus. In this year’s remembering I would like to raise my glass in tribute to the crew of an old WWII Victory Class ship, named after one of Belleville’s great captains of industry, the S.S. Walter Kidde. She is a part of our town’s history by virtue of her name. Walter Kidde put as much energy and creative genius into the battle of the home front as any General did in those other battles. Kidde’s army was all those folks who toiled in the plant on Main Street adding to Belleville’s prodigious output of war materials. The government, in naming this particular Victory Ship, acknowledged his contribution as well as the contribution of the tireless work force of our town.

The Victory Ship Walter Kidde, 455 feet long and 62 feet wide, sleek and fast, capable of 17 knots when at maximum power, could outrun a U-Boat. In your mind’s eye, place yourself on her deck for a moment in those dark waters of war. She was armed with a 5-inch gun aft for use against submarines, a bow-mounted 3-inch anti-aircraft gun and eight 20 mm cannon. With this minimum of firepower, her crew was expected to defend the 10,850 tons of tanks, jeeps or aircraft that she could carry. In wartime she was manned by a crew of 62 merchant sailors and 28 U. S. Navy Armed-Guard personnel who operated the guns and communications equipment.

There were 534 Victory class ships built for the war effort making it difficult to learn the history of just one of them but we do get two “snap-shots in time” of the Walter Kidde. We know she was built in Baltimore, launched in 1944, and was at war during the last two years of WWII. We also know she survived the war to become a peace-time merchant ship, re-named the Yorkman, with the Calmar Line.

So, this Memorial Day I shall raise a glass of good scotch to the gallant crew of the Victory Ship Walter Kidde and reflect upon their bravery. I would like to think that her crew knew they were on a good ship named after an industrial leader in a town of dedicated people.

Here you can see a photo of the Walter Kidde in civilian garb courtesy of Armed-Guard.com.

Open Space

What I remember most about early childhood, in the late ‘40s and early ‘50s, in Belleville
is open space. There were endless places to run, to play, to feel the freedom of open space. Back yards were un-fenced, and as long as you didn’t trample the neighbors petunias, you were free to run about. Back yards, back then, were filled with fruits and flowers. I remember a plentiful supply of raspberries, strawberries, mulberries, grapes, apples, pears and more. Wow, talk about fast food ! How about just reaching out and finding food right in the middle of what ever game occupied us at the moment.

Back yards were not the only open space. I lived in the shadow of Soho hospital, right across the street from the “hospital grounds” with it’s acres and acres of green, open space. It was un-fenced in those early days, and easy to go to. There were fields for games and slopes for sleigh riding. You could actually see long distances.

There were an assortment of wooded properties scattered about the neighborhood. Opportunities for more freedom, they were. Of course you were not supposed to play on these private properties, but when you knew there were Indians hiding behind the trees, you just had to go in there with your cap-gun and chase them out.

Perhaps best of all were the safaris we would take into the “swamp”. Today it is called the Rutan Estates but then it was many acres of marshy land by the third river where we went hunting with our hand-made sling-shots. Many a wild critter lived in great peril while we stalked them in those woods.

Yes, open space, but so little of it is left today. So much of it has given way to “progress” as the developers mistakenly call it. Younger people today often ask us older folks what was so terrific about the “good old days”, anyway. It’s a difficult question to answer, because there is almost nothing to compare it to in today’s world so that they might understand. I grew up on sun-soaked grassy fields and they have grown up on concrete and small, confining back yards. What can I say, I grew up before progress happened. Really, open space is better.

A Grand Old Name

The place-name given by folks to their hometown reveals much about the character of the land they have chosen to settle. While one might wonder about such places as Flushing, NY or Ashland, PA, there is nothing to puzzle over when folks call their home “Beautiful Village” …. Belleville. It may seem strange for a moment that these Dutch settlers gave a French name to their home in English speaking America. Yet, it speaks of their expectations, tells us that they believed they would become world renowned and so chose a name in the then international language, French. It is an old name by American standards, but not the oldest name given to this place.

If the old mastodon hunters, who ambled along what we now dare to call Main Street, ever had a name for this place, we shall never know it; although it may well have been a combination of a raised eyebrow coupled with an agreeable grunt that meant “nice place, huh?”

The Lenape, who lived here longer than any race of man, gave to the larger general area the name “Pahsayek” (Passaic) which meant “The Valley”, a name which survives as that of our bordering river as well as a town and county north of here. The eastern section of town is still known as “The Valley”. Most, but not all, Lenape names for near-by places have been erased from the map and from our collective memory. The Third River is still called the Yantacaw on some maps. Yantacaw is a Lenape word meaning “Dancing Place”. It is no mystery why that name was given. From the place where the Yantacaw flows into the Passaic and on south to Center Street was sacred Lenape land where the annual Thanksgiving rites were held since time immemorial. It was not just the locals, but all Lenape would make the yearly pilgrimage to this sacred power place. The north end of it was, of course, the dancing place. This may seem to be a bit of Nutley’s history and perhaps it is, but one must consider that Nutley was once Nut Lea, was once Franklin, was once the north end of Belleville (until 1874) which was once Second River. So, in the end it is also a part of Second River’s history.

The name Second River is, at it’s roots, a simple and descriptive cartographer’s term applied by Henry Hudson’s survey crew as they explored the Passaic River basin in 1609. The first white man to set eyes upon the site of what would be our town was either Henry Hudson himself or Robert Juet, his first officer. Juet kept a meticulous journal of the voyage, however, he neglected to mention which of them was supervising the surveying party that day. So, we must make do with wondering which of them “discovered” our town site. They jotted names down on their map as they slowly worked their way up the Passaic in a long boat, sounding the bottom as they went, First River, Second River, Third River.

As a side bar, yes, there is a First River. It flows ignobly through the storm sewers of Newark. You can still see it sometimes gushing, sometimes trickling out of an old pipe into the lower Passaic. It’s a pitiful sight.

The name Second River stuck to this area from the time of Hudson’s third voyage in 1609, through the settlement period of the late 1600’s, through both the Dutch and English colonial periods and on through the Revolutionary War. The name “Village of Second River” is seen on George Washington’s military campaign maps.

Place-names are not forever. It confuses history and confounds historians but, people change place-names. True, it tends to cast the shadow of obscurity over a long tradition of events and the accomplishments of a people but it happens with some frequency. And so it was that the good folks of the Village of Second River, discontent that their town was named after the local stream, wanting a more noble sounding name, decided to change the name of their village. On the 24th day of June in 1797, Second River became the Village of Washington.

It is unlikely that anything of historical importance ever happened in the Village of Washington because, two days later, the good folks of Washington, discontent with the name of their town, changed it. On the 26th day of June in 1797 the Town became known as Belleville.

Today, 208 years later, the name still stands. I guess the good folks of Belleville are content living in their Beautiful Village.

Introduction

I live on ancient land. Yes, I know, dirt is old and all land is ancient. Still, this land is ancient in a special sense. Mastodon hunters once dwelt here. Lenapes, called the ‘grandfather people’ by their peers, made a home for uncounted generations on this land where I cut my grass. A Revolutionary War skirmish, the Battle of Second River, was fought a short walk from here where I sit writing. Birthplace of the American industrial revolution, this town’s factories poured copious quantities of war materials as well as fighting men into the victorious battles for freedom during World War II. Today, this town sits in the dawn light of the twenty-first century, worn, hard-used, waiting for it’s people to cause it to blossom again. I believe it will, it is good land.

I feel an attachment to this place. I have been here a long time. I was brought here as an infant in the late ‘40s by my parents who lived their entire adult lives here. I have always lived here, went to school here, raised a family here and sent my children to school here. At an early age, while still in school, I became fascinated with the history of this village which, by American standards, is very old. For the decades since, I have soaked-up the history, legends and wonders of this place once known as the Village of Second River, now known as Belleville. It is a thing worth sharing.

This is but a tiny corner of cyber-space, but I should like to put it to some good use by sharing with those who may stumble into it what I have discovered about this ancient land along with what I have experienced while growing-up here. Perhaps you will find it interesting.


To be continued ….