History Of Mahwah, NJ
Mahwah Inventors Fitzwilliam Sargent Charles Ellis Three Generations Of Havemeyer 19th Century And Mahwah John Y. Dater Bartholf Farm Early Farms In Township Development Of Railroad Area Of Primitive Skylands A Rising Town Advancements With Time Modern Mahwah History Of Mahwah, NJMahwah InventorsHere are few people who played a very important role in the history of Mahwah, NJ. They participated in many ways. Their life, history, and work are discussed as below:Fitzwilliam SargentFitzwilliam Sargent was born in 1859 and he was named as “father of brake shoe manufacturing”. He has done a tremendous work in improving the structure of railroad brake shoe. He obtained a civil engineering degree and worked for the Mahwah Brake Shoe Company in 1902. He came there and after joining the company he constructed a large house. This house was one of the best examples of his brilliant work as this house was facilitated with all the modern technologies of today including light bulbs.He has done a good work in the history of Mahwah, NJ for the development of railroad industry. The directors of the company built a testing center at his place to keep up the progress. This building was named as Sargent Laboratory. He worked there until his death. He did a lot of effort to improve the railroad system. He developed a system of shoe break in 1934. This was an advanced shoe brake that could be still used without replacing it or a long time. Charles EllisCharles Ellis has a major role in the history of Mahwah, NJ. He started his professional career at the age of 19. There was a famous electrical engineer in New York named Basset Jones; he recommended Charles Ellis an internship. Charles Ellis presented his first one patent when he was 22 years old. Surprisingly, this patent got an award and he was bought by Westinghouse. The patent of the Charles was basically a safety device for doors and elevators. After that Charles worked for the Westinghouse. In 1933, he left this place and went on a trip.Upon returning, he worked for a packaging company, where he used to seal the packages without using the heat. He used the radio frequency to do this, but he kept himself away from manifesting this creation. Three Generations Of HavemeyerIn the history of Mahwah, NJ these three inventors have played a great role.• Theodore A. Havemeyer moved to Mahwah in 1879 and he constructed a farm which nowadays is part of the Ramapo College. He was born in 1839 and joined his family business in 1861. He died after 18 years in 1897. Among his 9 children, two used to live in Mahwah. He studied for one year in Europe and he was among the technical experts in his family. In his life, he also remained attached to various agricultural and scientific societies. He also worked for improving the milk production of the cows and their breeding for different traits. • Henry O. Havemeyer was the son of Theodore Havemeyer. In 1897, he joined the family-owned sugar business after the death of his father. In Brooklyn, he was the president of District Terminal. This was the main gateway for all the railway lines at that time. This way was also used for the transportation of the sugar in Brooklyn. • Henry O. Havemeyer, Jr. did a lot of work for the development and improvement of the railroad system. There was no tunnel under the Hudson River, so the traffic remained hasty all the time. He developed a system for railroad cars by constructing a floating bridge. This task was quite difficult to perform but he did a lot of work to improve this overall system of railroads. 19th Century And MahwahThe history of Mahwah, NJ has witnessed many changes during the 19th century. In 1866, this place experienced the best day on the 1st of the march. Abraham Garrison, along with his assistance performed an operation near Ramapo River and discovered the oil. The former governor of New Jersey and a senator was the trustees of the oil company. The Governor Rodman Price worked for the development of the schools and colleges. He also did a lot of work for the training of the teachers and schools. He conducted a geological survey of the entire state and after the election; he held the post of Governor.Vernon Twp. was born in 1818 and he was a member of a revolutionary family. He moved to the Bergen to complete his education. He joined the navy and in 1846 he succeeded to arrive in a ship. This ship was taking over California. In 1862, he went to Ramapo Valley. In securing the commission of Ramsey Post Office he did a lot of work. He remained active throughout his life, especially in public affairs. John Y. DaterJohn Y. Dater was born in Mahwah and he was basically the treasurer of Mining and Petroleum Company of Ramapo Valley. He joined the family-owned business and started his work in a grist mill. Both Dater and Price emphasized changing the route from Ramapo to Ramsey. Dater laid the foundation of the post office in Ramsey. He started this task at his store in 1855. He also purchased 22 acres of land from Pulis. Pulis got it from Ramsey in 1854. After purchasing the land, dater constructed a store and sleigh factory there. He purchased a house in 1866 after that and a big portion of land around the Cleveland Bridge. This house is now in a very drastic condition. This one is considered among the oldest houses in the history of Mahwah, NJ.An archeological survey was done by the Sewer authorities in the town and they found a locality of a historic site. This survey is of great importance in the history of Mahwah, NJ. According to the local law, it was ensured at that time that any intrusion to the site will be prohibited and it will be preserved. The areas where the mill exists have many other historic sites as well. There are remnants of mill building, dams and other dam constructions apparatus. Bartholf FarmThe Bartholf Farm was also a family owned business. It was divided into many portions among many offspring. It was a huge area and covers more than 1000 acres of land. A lot of changes have been done since then. It was used for raising and breeding the horses and poultry animals. Thousands of birds were kept there. Everything from firewood place to summer cooking area has changed now.The Bartholf Farm has seen many changes in the history of Mahwah, NJ. Horses were used earlier and the servants got 3 dollars for this service. Women of the house were very hard working and in berry picking season, they used to work all day long. The money was kept with utmost care under the grounds. Peter Bartholf, a blacksmith who used to stand all the day at the corner of the street to run his shop has now been replaced with a driveway. Bartholf purchased a lot of timber to construct a timberland. It was expected that the power will be reached to the farm by the poles supplied by the mill. Bartholf died in 1800. Hopper Van House cemetery has a grave marker for him. Early Farms In TownshipThe evolution of the farms has a special place in the history of Mahwah, NJ. There were many farms in Chapel Road at the begging of the century. The main market was located on the Main Street but it was later relocated due to overfilled traffic conditions. The western side of the Campgaw Road had a farm owned by the John Vermeulen. The eastern side of the Chapel road also had a long property owned by the Bogart.The Pulls Ave. the southern part also featured a property that was owned by the Jenny Blauvelt. Later it was sold to another party. The Myers Farm that has a special place in the history of Mahwah, NJ was located on Campgaw Road. Blandina Bayard, who is considered the first settler as a Hopper in the town had a market for his reaped crops. He also sold dairy products and cattle there. His farm was the only place to fulfill the requirements of his family. After fulfilling the needs of his family he used the excessive products for trading. It was very difficult at that time to transport the goods from one part to another. The conditions of the paths were very miserable and the river was a bad option to go because of the too much distance. Development Of RailroadThe Ramapo ironwork and NY Railway gave a good opportunity to the farmers to transport their goods via new iron horse. George Allen was appointed as Chief Engineer of the Hudson River Railroad system. His main task was to build a railroad system from the New York State line to Mahwah. The facility began in 1848 when several tracks were constructed to connect the Mahwah with the New Jersey city. It was one of the best advancements in the history of Mahwah, NJ. It gave a tremendous opportunity to the farmers, local businessman and the traders to export their goods without spending much on time and money.Later the water connections were developed to speed up the process and to provide more opportunities for the traders of different cities and towns. These waterways provided the greatest opportunities and flexibility along the Hudson River. This phase has a great role in the history of Mahwah, NJ. The development of the Mahwah improved not only by shipment of the goods but coal and oil industry contributed a lot to the development of the town. It was mainly because of the development of the railroad system which brought prosperity to the Mahwah. The farmers and the buyers came close and it started a new era of improvement for the Mahwah. The homes were built, lands were developed and cultivated with modern techniques and ultimately it changed the entire landscape of the town. Area Of Primitive SkylandsDuring the 18th century, the area where there is modern Skylands was mainly used for the production of the wood. The area was mainly occupied by the small hills but the minor patches of the land allowed the farmers to grow their crops. It was located mainly along the Wanaque Valley Road. In 1880, 1200 acres of land was bought by the council and they established several small properties there. A part of this property now holds the modern location of Skylands.In the 20th century, Clarence Lewis bought this property. He started living there. He was a rich man who got the retirement at the age of 53. He purchased a property on the northern side of Ramapo River and extended his property. He built up a large property to live but he was unaware that he only had to live for 30 years more. The Skylands was the property of him. There are many stories circulating regarding the construction of the Skylands but none seems to be true. He used to live here and developed the interest in gardening. Some of his statuary work has been preserved. He also offered his garden for the NY botanical garden site but they were interested in getting a large donation. He refused to do that. Later he offered his property for the building of Shelton College. He offered a very reasonable price but tried to hold the management of the college. They didn’t respond him very well and the college went destitute. Inventors and designers offered to purchase this place and carved very well there but later Robert Roe purchased 250 acres of the land. During the ownership of the college, the garden was neglected badly and it ruined the appearance of the site. The restoration work was started to enhance the looks and to preserve the beauty of the place. It was the dream of the Lewis to extend his property from Skylands to Ramapo. It came true after his death. Each year a lot of work is done to enhance the beauty of this historic place. The developers and the gardeners work hard to maintain its beauty. This place has a special place in the history of Mahwah, NJ. A Rising TownThe invention of Dater forced him to shift his building. He moved to the maple street. He owned two places there. One was dedicated for a general store while the other was a butcher shop. Later a candy shop was opened between the places of Dater. This shop was run by John Guatelli. A floor of the building was rent out at that time and the emergence of the real estate services arose from here. On later stages, a sports club opened here. The main purpose of the club was to offer the sports activities to the local player and to polish their skills. This era was of great importance in the history of Mahwah, NJ.Later on, movies were screened at a big hall in the building. It provides the entertainment at a small level. Dater did other advancements to run his business and to develop his skills. He had played a great role in the history of Mahwah, NJ. He operated a steam engine in his shop. The main purpose of the engine was to run a newspaper and get the printing facilities on the spot. He used his money to run many of trolley lines spread throughout the state. Advancements With TimeA lot of advancements took place with the passage of time in the history of Mahwah, NJ after the publication of the newspaper. This newspaper also played a major role in the development of the town because it helped the people to remain in touch with the local news and the ads in the town. Mahwah and Waldwick came to the shop on regular basis. The post office was located in the Pulis store and a drug store was opened in the area.Some people played a major role in the history of Mahwah, NJ for the development of the town and Mahwah and Havemeyer are among those people. The old valentine house featured the first bank of the town in 1909. Its first president was a carpenter. An electric trolley was constructed on Main Street. It passed through from Suffern to Paterson. Ramsey became a town with most of the amenities of modern times. From doctors, engineers to drug stores and banking facilities, all facilities were provided there. A large number of advancements were made after that, but at that time people of Ramsey enjoyed the best time of their lives. The Ramsey was given the status of the township. The first drug store with all the amenities and drinks was opened there. Then there were a number of facilities which were provided on the Main Street including food stores, grocery stores, drug stores, shoemakers, ice-cream makers and lunchrooms. A journal room was also there with all the printing facilities. The railroad became the busiest spot in the town. Daily there were more than 700 commuters who used to travel. Freight was also transported and during the holiday season, it became very difficult for the people to travel because of the congested area. In 1976, the Mahwah started organizing the tennis tournaments. In 1955, Ford Motor Company started its operations in the town. It was considered one of the largest motor companies in the entire United States. There were many other companies that played a major role in the history of Mahwah, NJ regarding developmental projects. Foundry Company contributed a lot in raising the economy of the country. The American Broke Shoe company is also among those companies who participated a lot in raising the overall economy of the state. Due to severe industrial development, the amount of the dumped hazardous waste into the rivers increased. It created a panic situation and to control the overall situation and to protect the environment, EPA was made responsible for all the activities. The main function of the Environmental Protection Agency was to ensure the safe disposal of the waste, clean the dumping sites and to ensure the good air quality of the town. With the passage of time, much advancement was made regarding duties of the EPA. Modern MahwahMahwah is a place that is ranked among the best places to live. The history of Mahwah, NJ shows that it has seen many stages of development and the changes. The advancements are being made continuously but the city has now completely changed from its past version. The public transport system, railroad system, roads, highways, shopping centers, recreational spots, playgrounds and a much more have developed here.To generate the economy and to make the place livable for the tourist many projects were started. A lot of investment was made in recreational projects. Many manmade lakes and reservations were made. Now Mahwah is a place with a lot of countries and state parks. Ramapo Reservation, Campgaw Reservation, and Darlington Country Park are among the top recreational spots of the country. Some of the historic sites are still there. These sites are preserved in the best way to save the history of Mahwah, NJ. The museums, gardens and historic buildings all are conserved to retain the great history of the place. Some of those places are open to the public while on the other hand; some places are not accessible by local people. Only students or researchers are allowed on specific days of the week. The seminars and arranged here and lectures are delivered to educate the people. They come here to know about the unique history of Mahwah, NJ and those people who have done a lot for the development of the place. Their role is great, their inventions and patents are incredible and they will be remembered in the history of Mahwah, NJ. |