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Located in northeastern New Jersey some twenty minutes from Manhattan, Wood-Ridge was incorporated in 1894. Once a place of farms and woods, the borough was transformed first in the 1920s by Sunshine City, a thousand-house development, and then in the mid-1900s by the renowned airplane-engine manufacturer Curtiss-Wright Corporation, which built its headquarters here. Wood-Ridge highlights early landowners-among them the Brandenburgs and the Brinkerhoffs-and later people of accomplishment, including Grace Castagnetta, Frank Lovejoy, and Frankie Muniz. It also looks ahead to the proposed redevelopment of Westmont Station.

Woodbridge Volume II continues and expands the photographic history of New Jersey's oldest township. Woodbridge, first settled in 1665,was chartered four years later by Phillip Carteret, the English governor of the Province of New Jersey. Today, the Township of Woodbridge comprises the communities of Avenel, Colonia, Fords, Hopelawn, Iselin, Keasbey, Port Reading, Sewaren, and Woodbridge, all of which have a combined population exceeding ninety thousand. Through over two hundred vintage images combined with insightful and informative captions, you will experience an unforgettable journey into Woodbridge's past. View such events as the 1951 Pennsylvania Railroad train wreck, in which eighty-four people lost their lives, the heroic attempt of resident Captain Kurt Carlsen to rescue his sinking merchant ship, Woodbridge's three-hundredth anniversary celebration in 1969, and other memorable milestones in this community's past. Meet local leaders, members of the armed forces, sports figures, and "just plain folks" of all ages who have contributed to the life of this vibrant municipality.

Comprised of ten distinct communities, Woodbridge Township, New Jersey nevertheless has a unified identity with historic roots reaching back more than 330 years. Originally populated by Native Americans, the Dutch claimed the area in the early seventeenth century before the English established the religious, political, and educational heritage that Woodbridge boasts today. In the 1800s, the township flourished under the leadership of residents who provided strong social ties and entrepreneurs who developed the clay and brick companies as well as the once popular Boynton Beach resort in Sewaren. Dedicated citizens continued their commitment to Woodbridge's progress and prosperity through the years.

Woodbridge: New Jersey's Oldest Township takes readers on a trip through an ever-changing community. Vintage photographs, maps, and a lively narrative reveal the heroic actions of citizens such as Janet Pike Gage, who raised the town's first liberty pole, and Reverend Azel Roe, the minister who defied the British during the Revolutionary War. Readers accompany the town's growth through the rise and fall of the clay and brick industries that once defined the local economy from 1825 to the onset of the Great Depression. Voted "All-America City" in 1964 by the National Municipal League, the community continues to uphold the legacy of the people who made it such a great place to live and work. Woodbridge: New Jersey's Oldest Township is a memorable tribute to this tradition.

Woodbury possesses a rich heritage that reads like the story of America. Established in 1683 by Quakers seeking religious freedom, the community was occupied for three days by British troops under Gen. Charles Cornwallis during the Revolutionary War. In 1787, Woodbury became the county seat of Gloucester County, and it remains so to this day. It was home to Capt. James Lawrence, who coined the phrase "Don't give up the ship" during the War of 1812. Woodbury features views of the lavish homes built by prominent residents, scenes of the 1904 train wreck, and never-before-published images of the Broad Street business district in the mid-1900s.

From its idyllic rural origins to the buildup of small-town commerce and today's modern suburb, Wyckoff and its hidden history are revealed through the vintage photographs included in this volume.

In 1770, the first Wyckoff settlers were deeded land in what was to become Franklin Township. Spawning several other towns, such as Ramsey, Ho-Ho-Kus, Oakland, and Franklin Lakes, Franklin Township was renamed Wyckoff in 1926. Wyckoff has evolved from its early rural Dutch heritage to a thriving community. Today, Wyckoff is a blend of old and new, and a strong sense of history persists in the area. With views of historic stone houses, early businesses, and community activities and festivities, Wyckoff creates a sense of what nineteenth- and twentieth-century life was like in the township. Early settlers with names like Quackenbush, Terhune, Van Houten, Ackerman, Pulis, and Van Blarcom still have descendants living here. Longtime residents will remember local landmarks such as Appert Field, Turtle Pond, Harned's Store, Zabriskie Field, and Lemmerman Farm. Evidenced by the many houses of worship, volunteer organizations, and long-running celebrations like the Memorial Day parade, Wyckoff has maintained its rustic charm and community pride while growing into a popular northern New Jersey locale.