Page:History of West Hoboken NJ.djvu/27

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Still another old building is the one which is used as a stable and store house by Grocer Thomas Hopkins. This old building once stood on the corner of Paterson avenue and Clinton avenue, and was used as a school, church and tavern at different times. It was moved to its present site when Mr. Hopkins erected the present building.

Another old establishment is Cox's feed store on Hackensack Plankroad, near the Boulevard. The present building is 32 years old, but previous to the erection of this building, Cox kept a store on the corner, which was a starting place for all the travelers hereabouts, when a native of this town, living within a half-mile of Cox's corner, would give the direction of reaching his home to strangers, would invariably say:— "I live fifteen minutes north or south, east or west of Cox's corner." There were only two roads leading from this corner, one, the old Weavertown road (now Boulevard), running north and south, and the other the Hackensack Plankroad, running east and west, consequently the direction as above given, would suffice. The store spoken of above was kept by Mr. Geo. Cox (the present owner's father), who purchased the building from Mr. A. Ross, and started his grocery store in the year 1837, 66 years ago, and I do not think there is another place in North Hudson where the same business has been carried on by one family for so many years.

I have an old business card of my grandfather's, printed about 1855, and besides giving his name and that he conducted a florist business, it states his place is fifteen minutes south of Cox's corner.

As to places of amusement they were few and far between. There is one old house which still stands on the northwest corner of Hackensack Plankroad and Palisade avenue (Union Hill side), which, if it could but speak, would tell some jolly tales of the many happy hours spent beneath its hospitable roof by the beaux and belles of those days.

This place was kept by a man named Buck, and was known as "Buck's corner."

It was here that most of the balls and parties were held, and many a cock fight, one of the prevailing sports of those days, was held in this place, and it was also a stopping place or station for the stages that ran to Hoboken at that time. There are some old citizens still living here to-day in whose ears still ring the blast of the stage bugle as it came winding its way up the old high road.