WESTWOOD—When former Mayor Harry Goodwin came up on the wrong side of an election wager in 1929, he had to give his friend a ride down Westwood Avenue in a wheelbarrow.
Believe it or not, at one time this was a rather common type of wager. In the early 20th century, many newspaper articles reported on political bets where the loser had to wheel the winner down the main street of the town in a wheelbarrow.
The man doing the wheeling, Goodwin, had moved to Westwood in the early 1900s and was among its more active citizens. He served as mayor of the borough, 1910–1911. He was a real estate developer, and the Goodwin Park section was named for him. His choice for mayor in 1929 was attorney J.F. Bratt.
The man getting a ride is Don Dutcher, a reporter for the North Bergen Weekly. The newspaper was published out of Westwood, with an office on Broadway. His choice for mayor was Edwin Ringrose, a sitting councilman who owned his own brokerage.
Ringrose won by 70 votes.
Spectators gathered on Westwood Avenue at the appointed time to witness the fulfillment of the wager and throw confetti at the rider. As the pair reached a point opposite the window of the defeated candidate, Goodwin had his passenger alight and tip his hat before they continued to the end of the block.
The moment was captured in the wonderful photograph above. In the background is Palmer’s Drug Store, which was at 55 Westwood Ave. That storefront is now Linwood Optical, and the building looks just about the same.
One of the major campaign issues in Westwood in 1929 was whether the Pascack Theater should be permitted to show movies on Sundays.
Pascack’s Political Past
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to check out the Pascack Historical Society’s exhibit “Pascack’s Political Past: A century of election memorabilia.” The display highlights the museum’s archive of political relics dating back to the mid-1800s, as well as some remarkable stories of elections from our region’s past. Visitors will see ballots and voting boxes dating to the 19th century, campaign memorabilia, political flyers and photographs, and learn about local polling places of yesteryear. It is available for viewing every Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. through November. Museum admission is free. The Pascack Historical Society is at 19 Ridge Ave., Park Ridge.
Voyage through history with talk on Pilgrims and Mayflower
We celebrate Thanksgiving every November, but do you really know why?
As the holiday approaches, join the Pascack Historical Society on Sunday, Nov. 10 as they welcome guest speaker Joel Farkas for his fascinating program, “The Pilgrims and the Mayflower: From Sea to Shining Sea.” The event starts at 2 p.m. in the Society’s lecture hall, 19 Ridge Ave. in Park Ridge.
This lecture will answer all of your questions, including: Who were the Pilgrims and why did they sail on the Mayflower? What was life like aboard the ship? What’s the real story behind Thanksgiving? What does Henry VIII have to do with any of this? And…what’s with the turkey? It will be a journey to remember and you will leave with a new understanding of this holiday and its traditions.
The program is free for Pascack Historical Society members, as well as children and students. For all others, a $5 donation toward museum upkeep is requested at the door. There will be complimentary refreshments.
Seating is limited, so please plan to arrive promptly. The museum will be open for browsing before the talk, and this is a great time to view the current exhibit, “Pascack’s Political Past: A century of election memorabilia,” before it comes down at the end of November.
Farkas, who lectures on a variety of history topics, is a retired former docent for the National Park Service at Washington’s Headquarters (The Ford Mansion) in Morristown. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University and a former officer in the United States Army. For more about him, visit revolutionarywarlectures.com.
For information about the museum, visit pascackhistoricalsociety.org, call (201) 573-0307, or find the Pascack Historical Society on Facebook.