Previous to the chartering of our town, the voting population were compelled to journey to one or the other of the following places to register their vote. To New Durham, the Five Corners in Jersey City, and sometimes to Seeley's hotel in North Bergen, there being no polling places nearer our town than the places above mentioned. When those in authority would designate the Five Corners as the polling place, it meant quite a journey to people living here, especially when you consider that in those days we had no rail transit falicities whatever, and people had to walk or else go by horse and wagon.
It would be a pleasant sight to look upon to see some of our present citizens trudging their way to one of these voting places, more especially those who to-day need a coach to carry them a few blocks, to exercise one of the highest privileges accorded to the citizens of this Grand Republic, the right of suffrage.
After the incorporation of the township the first polling place was established in Garry Van Vorst's hostelry on Paterson avenue, corner Clinton avenue, for spring elections, and the fall elections were held at Mrs. C. H. Piebe's hotel on Palisade avenue and the Hillside road.
The first street improvement made under the direction of the Township Committee was the grading of Washington street, which was done in the year 1868.
In the minutes of the Township Committee of April 25, 1870, I find a motion directing the street committee "to hire constables to remove the fences placed across Clinton avenue, below Paterson avenue," and on May 11, 1870, we find that "Mr. John Syms reported that a fine spring existed near Union street and Clinton avenue, and advised the placing of a public pump there." It is not recorded whether the Township Committee placed a pump here or not, but I might mention that a pump similar to the one suggested by Mr. Syms existed on Paterson avenue, where the people, who did not boast of a well of their own, were in the habit of procuring their supply of drinking water.
For the benefit of those people now living on Malone street, who only know that street as it exists to-day, let me state that on April 23, 1872, Mr. Herman Brusing informed the Township Committee that "the natural water course on Malone street was obstructed on account of a drove of cattle destroying its banks."
At this time another water course wended its way through the "commons" in a northeasterly direction, and passed on,
