September 6, 2025

Back in Time

Kristin Beuscher, columnist and president of the Pascack Historical Society, takes readers on a journey back in time through the Pascack Valley and Northern Valley’s rich history. Her “Back In Time” column offers a glimpse into the bygone days of these communities, shedding light on the lives of the people and the places that have shaped the area. With a keen eye for detail and a deep appreciation for local heritage, Kristin brings to life stories of the past, helping residents connect with their roots and gain a greater appreciation for the unique history of their towns.

School daze: When the insults flew

September 3, 2022 Kristin Beuscher

PARK RIDGE—If you think small-town politics is bad today, you should have seen Park Ridge of the late 19th century. The coming of the railroad in 1870 had brought a […]

Beloved Woodcliff Schoolhouse still building on success

August 28, 2022 Kristin Beuscher

WOODCLIFF LAKE—Last week we featured the old St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Montvale, sometimes called the Old Stone Church, designed in 1895 by Woodcliff architect Samuel Burrage Reed. With school […]

Mayor’s wife, town marshal square off at the church

August 21, 2022 Kristin Beuscher

MONTVALE—This week 125 years ago, Montvale’s first lady faced down the town marshal. He threatened to take her church organ; she threatened to shoot him. Here is that story. The […]

Cooling off, late-19th-century style

August 14, 2022 Kristin Beuscher

WESTWOOD—While the recent heat and humidity in the Pascack Valley has been pretty brutal, let’s all take a moment to be grateful for a couple of things: first, the fact […]

Back in Time: Farmers flock to Westwood at Thanksgiving

November 20, 2021 Kristin Beuscher

WESTWOOD—This week we go back a century to a much different Pascack Valley — one in which a good portion of the land was still occupied by farms and the […]

Celebrating our vets: Enlisted men of Westwood High, 1945

November 8, 2021 Kristin Beuscher

WESTWOOD—The Westwood High School yearbook for 1944–1945 featured this page of students who, having reached enlistment age prior to graduation, had already joined the military during World War II. On […]

BACK IN TIME: A Vintage View Into Downtown Tenafly

March 6, 2020 Kristin Beuscher

We go back to the winter of 1957 for this vintage view into downtown Tenafly. The photographer is looking north on West Railroad Avenue from the train tracks. The railroad […]

BACK IN TIME: Eggerts Kept Gas Station, Lunch Stop

February 17, 2020 Kristin Beuscher

TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, N.J.—A large house stands there today, but in the 1930s the property at 5 Ridgewood Road in the Township of Washington was home to Eggert’s Service Station. […]

This Week in History: Closter Factory Worker Turns Fugitive

February 17, 2020 Kristin Beuscher

CLOSTER, N.J.—Few have heard of it today, but the United States Bronze Powder Works was at one time the largest industry and employer in the Northern Valley. The company operated […]

BACK IN TIME: Tenafly’s Library Opened This Week in 1910

February 17, 2020 Kristin Beuscher

TENAFL, N.J.—With a modest collection of books to their credit and some space set aside on the third floor of the local grammar school, the Tenafly Library got started 110 […]

© 2025 The Press Group. All rights reserved. All content on this website—including articles, photos, headlines, layout, and design—is the intellectual and commercial property of The Press Group and is protected under U.S. copyright law. We welcome links to our content and the sharing of brief excerpts with clear credit and a link back. However, automated scraping, aggregation, or wholesale reproduction of our material—whether by bots, feeds, or human means—is strictly prohibited without our express written permission. These practices harm our business and violate copyright protections. To request permission or report an error, email PascackPress@ThePressGroup.net. The Press Group assumes no responsibility for typographical errors or for your experience with advertisers or third-party partners.