EMERSON, N.J.—German-born Daniel and Christina Heck first moved to Kinderkamack, later renamed Emerson, in 1869 and bought the land consisting of an old house, barn, outbuildings and 63 acres of pastures, fields and woods from Stephen Lozier. That same year Daniel Heck built a new family homestead. Located at present-day Main Street, these grounds are now the site of the ShopRite strip mall on Old Hook Road.
Of Daniel and Christina’s three sons (Henry, George and John), it was John who stayed at the house in Kinderkamack. He built up a painting business with his father, in addition to farming the land. John and wife Maggie raised their own family of five children in the Heck homestead. The land stayed in the Heck family until 1967 and the house was torn down.
Louise Heck, a daughter of John and Maggie, penned a memoir before her death in 1977, writing about everyday life during a bygone era at the family farm. One of the most charming passages, and one perfect to share this week, is Louise’s account of her family’s Christmas celebrations.
A tree was cut down from the woods, brought to the house, and nailed firmly to a wooden base, which was covered with a piece of green cloth. The tree was trimmed with strings of popcorn, which we made, small candles were pinched on the branches, and we had a few store ornaments which were carefully saved from year to year.
Christmas morning there was some gift under the tree for each one. After singing a Christmas carol, Bible reading and prayer, we opened what ‘Santa’ had brought for us. [My sister] May and I usually found a doll of some kind; often it was a rag doll Mother had made and dressed. When we grew older I remember a beautiful one with a sweet china head, and Mother made clothes for it to make it prettier. Later on we had dolls that went to sleep and said ‘Mama’ if we squeezed it in the right place. The boys and men got a belt, tie, shirt, knife—something quite simple. Mother and Grandma got a pair of mittens each had knitted for the other, or a few yards of material for a dress. Sugar and salt came in muslin bags; feed for the animals came in bags of heavier material; these were all carefully washed and the writing bleached out, and made into undershirts for us; the heavier material was made into dish towels.
We exchanged birthday and Christmas gifts with Uncle Harry and his family, Uncle George and his family, and with Mother’s father and mother and Aunt Louisa and Uncle John, who were living at home. We were always very excited as our folks packed the boxes sent to the above mentioned families, but were even more excited when their packages were received. However, no packages were opened until Christmas morning.”
—The Memoir of M. Louise Heck
Heck’s memoir is available on the Borough of Emerson’s website, emersonnj.org.