History of West Hoboken N.J.
——BY——  WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY  Lehne & Drescher LEHNE & DRESCHER INDEX. CHAPTER I. CHAPTER II. CHAPTER III. CHAPTER IV. CHAPTER V. CHAPTER VI. CHAPTER VII. CHAPTER VIII. CHAPTER IX. CHAPTER X. CHAPTER XI. CHAPTER XII. CHAPTER XIII. |
VIEWS IN TOWN PARK.
PREFACE. MY DEAR READER:— At one time there existed in this town an organization which styled itself the "Firemen's Monument Association of West Hoboken." This association was composed of delegates from each one of our Town Fire Companies, and I was one who represented Protection H. and L. Co. No. 3. The object of the aforesaid association was to raise funds with which to erect a monument in our Town Park to the memory of our deceased Firemen. Various ways and means were tried to collect enough funds for this object, but somehow or other our efforts were not always crowned with the success necessary to infuse enough life in the members to "push along" the scheme, and interest in the object began to lag. One evening at a meeting, a motion was made to hold a Fair, and in connection therewith to issue a souvenir history of the Fire Department and the town in general; and also to publish various interesting views of our town in this souvenir. I immediately volunteered to write up a sketch of the town's career, and the next day I began in earnest on the work. At first I meant only to write a short sketch, but gradually I kept on adding more and more, until I had quite a history, which I was certain would be the means of piling up large amounts of cash for the monument. When, as usual, the meetings of the Monument Association became smaller and smaller, until we could not muster together a quorum, it was seen that nothing could save the organization, and to settle it once for all we disbanded. This left me with the history on my hands. I had spent so much time on it that it seemed like a pity to let it lie unprinted in my desk, and I resolved that I would publish it myself, and accordingly I made arrangements with my friend Lehne to furnish the illustrations. It is in this manner that I have come before you in the role of a writer, and aside from the interest I take in our old town, I submit the following pages to you. First, because West Hoboken was at one time part of one of the oldest settlements in America. Second, because no record of facts concerning the early settlement of this town has ever been printed, and I am of the opinion that such record and facts will make interesting reading for our old residents, as well as for the numerous new-comers who have settled in our midst during the past fifteen years. I have spared neither time nor effort in making the story interesting and truthful, and as to dates and facts, I can assure my readers of their absolute correctness. I believe I can truthfully say that no book of this particular kind has ever been published which contains so many illustrations as this one does; and I feel it my duty to bestow much praise on the person who attended to this matter—Mr. Charles F. Lehne. In the first chapter you will perceive I deal mostly with facts concerning the county; this I had to do to establish the chain of events from the very beginning of the discovery of the county of which our town was then a part. As regards the history of our churches, I may say that some will appear much longer than others; this can be explained by stating that some church organizations are more than half a century old, and consequently their history must be longer than others which are but a few years old; and this same rule will apply to our Fire Companies. I do not wish to be accused of plagiarism consequently I will say that my authorities, for a large part of the first chapter of this history, was Charles Winfield's "History of Hudson County," and also his "Land Titles of Hudson County," and in regards the churches, I had frequent reference to Taylor's "History of the Clasis of Bergen." The ministers and priests of our churches very kindly furnished me with all the information that I requested of them, and I take this method of offering them my sincere thanks, and of also offering my thanks to the numerous kind citizens of our town who generously gave me any information which I requested of them. Trusting that the reader may find the following pages interesting, and that they may bring back fond remembrances to such old-time citizens who may happen to read them, I am Yours truly, January 1st, 1903. |
 GEO. B. BERGKAMP.
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This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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