| Author | Message | ||
     Librarylady |
Images of America - South Orange, published by Arcadia Press and written by resident Naoma Welk is now available for purchase at Rx Counter and other book venues. Come enjoy 126 pages of incredible photos and wonderful history for only $20. | ||
| Librarylady |
The SOPL has autographed copies of the book for sale . Come pick one up! | ||
| NCJanow(akaLibraryLady) Citizen Username: Librarylady Post Number: 1122 Registered: 5-2001 |
There are gift wrapped copies of Images of America- SOUTH ORANGE available at the South Orange Library. They make a terrific holiday gift for your favorite S/MOler or S/Mol wannabee. Only $20 NCJ aka LibraryLady On a coffee break..or something like it. | ||
| kathy Citizen Username: Kathy Post Number: 687 Registered: 5-2001 |
This book makes me crazy because there a few total clinkers in it. For instance, look at the picture of Columbia High School: the picture is of the current building, but the text describes the old high school in South Orange. How could the author not have known the difference?? | ||
| NCJanow(akaLibraryLady) Citizen Username: Librarylady Post Number: 1123 Registered: 5-2001 |
Kathy, Maybe a few, but the the total book really is wonderful. I think the problem with the photo you are referring to is in the editing (the last line in the caption does refer to the "new building"). Admittedly,this one caption is confusing. But I am sure you support the fund raising efforts of the Montrose Historical Society. Hopefully, your slight criticism won't turn anyone off if they planned on purchasing the book! BTW, via eBay, the SOPL was finally able to obtain a copy of the Images of America -MAPLEWOOD. It is located in Reference. I am not a member of any Historical Society and this post is informational only, not offically by the SOPL. NCJ aka LibraryLady On a coffee break..or something like it. | ||
| kathy Citizen Username: Kathy Post Number: 689 Registered: 5-2001 |
Just for the record, the Images of South Orange book was sponsored by the Montrose Park Historic District Association. There is also a South Orange Historical and Preservation Society which concerns itself with issues throughout South Orange. | ||
| Guesswho Citizen Username: Guesswho Post Number: 91 Registered: 9-2003 |
Actually, I thought the South Orange Historical and Preservation Society (which seems to be in competition with the Montrose Group) ONLY concerns itself with the OLD STONE HOUSE. End of story! | ||
| kathy Citizen Username: Kathy Post Number: 691 Registered: 5-2001 |
The South Orange Historical and Preservation Society concerns itself with many things besides the Old Stone House. For instance, they are responsible for the listings on the State and National Registers of Historic Places of not just the Old Stone House but also the South Orange Fire House. They are in the process of creating an archive in the library's Connett Building. They have consulted with the Village on plans for the downtown and Irvington Avenue. | ||
| Josh M. Citizen Username: Jmaxlaw Post Number: 23 Registered: 3-2004 |
As someone who grew up in an area outside of Montrose... I was a bit disapointed in the book. It barely acknowledged that other areas of town existed. How about a history of the Woodside sub-division? How about more than one or two pages on the Newstead section? The book is a wonderful history of what was once Montrose Park... but it is really not a representitive history of the Village. | ||
| kathy Citizen Username: Kathy Post Number: 851 Registered: 5-2001 |
I would have to agree. And where is the neighborhood you referred to as Woodside? I don't think that I've heard that term associated with a part of South Orange. | ||
| LibraryLady(ncjanow) Citizen Username: Librarylady Post Number: 1350 Registered: 5-2001  |
Ther is a big rock at the top of Forest on Wyoming inscribed with the word "Woodside". I asume it refers to the lower Wyoming Avenue. | ||
| Josh M. Citizen Username: Jmaxlaw Post Number: 24 Registered: 3-2004 |
Exactly-- as to the Woodside Rock off of Forest. I never really called it Woodside... but there must be a reason the rock has the name on it. Perhaps that could've been the subject of one picture and caption, as opposed to 35 pictures of Carleton B. Riker, Jr. as a child... no offense to Mr. Riker or his family. My point stands, and I think it is enhanced by these latest posts: there are other historical parts of South Orange outside Montrose. | ||
| Jersey_Boy Citizen Username: Jersey_boy Post Number: 1414 Registered: 1-2006  |
She's working on a sequel. J.B. | ||
| Steve Weintraub Citizen Username: Stevew Post Number: 36 Registered: 4-2006 |
..which is going to press in a matter of days! | ||
| Dennis J O'Neill Citizen Username: Plungy Post Number: 62 Registered: 6-2005 |
There is somewhere a 1969 soft cover South Orange centenial commemorative book with many old SO photos. I remember in the 80's when we were just getting the SO historical society formulated a few of us were examining this book and found that one of the photos, some men sitting on the porch of a small clap board office building. There was a real estate sign by the door. When viewed with a magnifiing glass the name Luther Milligan was visible. Luther Milligan was, I suspect, an englishman who was an early SO devoloper in the 1870's. I know he built 115 and 111 Second st. as well as 152 Prospect and some homes on Milligan pl. His homes usually display the batten-board design above the 2nd floor at the gable. The Old guy I bought my house on 2nd street from once told me that the early developers started out with numbered streets, First, Second, Third ect. expecting the area to someday be a metropolous like NYC. He also told me that the "old man on the hill" Abidja Tillou, a local millionaire provided much of the mortgages for early home builders in SO. On his death he donated his land for recreational use by the citizens of SO. The area where the pool is now. An ink drawing of the house at 152 propect is featured in a real estate ad in an 1870's SO bulletin describing SO as the "Switzerland of America". | ||
| Maryann Citizen Username: Maryann Post Number: 20 Registered: 2-2006 |
Dennis, I always enjoy reading these postings about the history of South Orange and Maplewood. But, you need to know there is a lot of misinformation floating around about how Cameron Field came to be. And, while I hate to contradict the former owner of your home, the land known as Cameron Field wasn't donated by Mr.Tillou. Originally called "The Old Tompkins Tract", it was purchased for $8,600 by the Cameron Field Association sometime between 1909 and 1912. That money was contributed by villagers who wanted to create a memorial in honor the Rev. Lewis Cameron who died on Oct. 30, 1909. It seems that during his years as pastor at the Church of St. Andrew and the Holy Communion, Rev. Cameron had tried unsuccessfully to establish ballfields and a playground for the children of South Orange. The Cameron Field Association did that in his memory and then donated Cameron Field to the Village of South Orange with a deed restriction that said it was to be used in perpetuity for recreational purposes only. On July 7th I posted a brief history of how Cameron Field came into existence. If you're interested in reading it, it's under the thread called "Pool Property". Dennis, I think Mr. Tillou may have been more than a millionaire. I think he may have been a political figure in the village, too. Maybe he served as a Village Trustee at one time? | ||
| Dennis J O'Neill Citizen Username: Plungy Post Number: 65 Registered: 6-2005 |
Thanks for the clarification Maryann. Ironically, one of the buildings we unsuccessfully tried to save in those early days was the St. Andrews & Holy Communion Parsonage house. I am sure that this Rev. Cameron must have called this place home at one time. The Beautifull 1860's building was on the NW corner of Ridgewood and SO ave. and created a density problem for the developer of the Village Green condos. Even though it was not even visable from that property. We attended many Planning commitee meetings and in the end the trustees voted to demolish the building. They did allow us to go in an photograph the building which was very unique and had many interesting features. I think Tom Ricciardi must still have them and has since moved to West Jersey. | ||
| Kevin Supporter Username: Kevin Post Number: 815 Registered: 2-2002 |
Dennis: Think there might be a way to get some scans of the photos that you refer to of the St. Andrews & Holy Communion Parsonage house? Those would be neat to have archived here on the site. -Kevin | ||
| Dennis J O'Neill Citizen Username: Plungy Post Number: 66 Registered: 6-2005 |
I can try to contact my former neighbor Tom. He taught photograpy for 20 years at Columbia so his photos were pretty great. Our kids still hang out together. I'll see what I can do. He took many other photos for posterity including the 18th century farm house that Dr. Berlin tore down to build his office at 2nd and prospect. | ||
| Dennis J O'Neill Citizen Username: Plungy Post Number: 67 Registered: 6-2005 |
Tom says that some of these photos may have been given to Main Street South Orange and may still be in thier possession. Also the NJ historical society may have been given some stuff. Sadly, many artifacts, negatives, original photos ect. fell into the hands of an early member who had some mental problems and were lost with his eventual deterioration. Some poor quality carbon copies may be all that remain. | ||
| Pizzaz Supporter Username: Pizzaz Post Number: 4117 Registered: 11-2001  |
Dennis, I remember that house very well. I don't know why they had to knock it down. The home should have been preserved. | ||
| Dennis J O'Neill Citizen Username: Plungy Post Number: 68 Registered: 6-2005 |
It could have been easily done Pizzaz. However the attitude of most of those in power at the time, incredibly, was if it's old get rid of it. Tear up the headstones of the village founders and throw them in the garbage! You who are involved in the historic society today are fortunate that there is some awareness of the value of preservation. | ||
| Veritas Ultimo Citizen Username: Veritas_ultimo Post Number: 55 Registered: 12-2005 |
If N. Welk is working on a sequel to include more areas outside of Montrose, then she should include the advertisement from the 1873 South Orange Chronicle which declares South Orange to be acclaimed the "Switzerland of America" for its healthy air. The ad includes an engraving of two buildings still standing on Prospect Street. These are the Our Lady of Sorrows (new) Convent and the house next to it at the corner of Prospect and Third. I believe that a number of photos put together by a then Columbia teacher,Thomas Ricciardi, for the early South Orange Historical Society were printed out by him and hang in Village Hall, including the "Switzerland of America" ad. |
