It’s Woodcliff Lake today, but back when this photo (above) was snapped more than 110 years ago, it was just Woodcliff.
The image comes from a postcard, and the version we found was mailed back in 1907 (that round blotch on the tracks is a postmark). At the time, the reservoir was brand new.
In 2020, few would disagree that the views afforded by the reservoir are some of the most lovely in the Pascack Valley. However, this wasn’t always the case. In the early 20th century, that point was up for debate.
In 1903, the 400 residents of Woodcliff were a people divided. A proposal by the Hackensack Water Company to build a large reservoir by damming the Pascack Brook alarmed many farmers, who disliked the growth and change they saw in neighboring towns.
In the end, it came down to politics. Republican Mayor Reed, opposed to the reservoir, was being succeeded by Democrat John Ackerman, who was in favor of its construction. Ackerman helped the Hackensack Water Company to secure the land it needed.
In response, the opposition formed the Citizens Association headed up by Reed. Many believed that Woodcliff was not receiving fair compensation from the water company, which would make millions of dollars selling the water.
Just as the population was divided, so, too, was the governing body. A vote on whether to proceed with the reservoir’s construction resulted in a 3–3 deadlock among council members. It was up to Mayor Ackerman to cast the tie-breaking vote. Of course, he voted in favor of a reservoir.
One newspaper, the Hackensack Republican, wasn’t shy about voicing its stance in its Feb. 2, 1904 edition: “When the reservoir is built and the stagnant water converts Woodcliff into a summer resort with malaria as its leading allurement, every citizen will make a bequest to place a wreath of roses upon the grave of Mayor Ackerman.”
The reservoir was completed by the spring of 1904 through the labors of 200 men, mostly Italian immigrants, using hand shovels and horse-drawn wagons. With this new body of water having transformed the landscape of the town, the name of the borough was changed from Woodcliff to Woodcliff Lake.
The Hackensack Water Company later became United Water, which in turn became Suez. That company continues to own and operate the reservoir.
