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.

BACK IN TIME: A Snowy Day at Pine Lodge

January 14, 2020 Kristin Beuscher

TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, N.J.—It’s a snowy day in Washington Township in this photo (above) that shows the Pine Lodge, corner of Pascack and Ridgewood Roads, as it looked 90 years […]

This Week in Local History: Burglars Strike All Over Bergen

January 6, 2020 Kristin Beuscher

BERGEN COUNTY, N.J.—At the beginning of 1908, the Pascack and Northern valleys were experiencing a rash of burglaries. The rather brazen criminals targeted homes, businesses—even the Closter National Bank, where […]

BACK IN TIME: Bergen County’s Coldest Day Ever

December 30, 2019 Kristin Beuscher

BERGEN COUNTY—Our current weather forecast would have seemed downright balmy to those who lived through early January 1904. The new year kicked off with a snowstorm in conjunction with a […]

BACK IN TIME: Memoir recalls an Old Tappan Christmas from long ago

December 24, 2019 Kristin Beuscher

OLD TAPPAN, N.J.—May E. Mence Gifford was born in Old Tappan back in 1881, at a time of dirt roads, horses and wagons, years before the first phone came to […]

BACK IN TIME: Christmas in the Kinderkamack Countryside

December 23, 2019 Kristin Beuscher

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 […]

BACK IN TIME: A Century Ago, the Victrola was a Hot Ticket at Christmas

December 23, 2019 Kristin Beuscher

ENGLEWOOD, N.J.—Long before anybody wanted the latest iPhone for Christmas, the Victrola phonograph was a hot ticket during the holiday season of 1919. You could pick one up at the […]

BACK IN TIME: Winter fun at Demarest Duck Pond

December 23, 2019 Kristin Beuscher

Welcome winter! The season officially began Saturday, Dec. 21. Here’s a look back at a winter past, when some local folks made the best of the frigid weather by ice […]

BACK IN TIME: A Tale of Tenafly’s Brand of Aristocracy

December 20, 2019 Kristin Beuscher

For anyone who watched the PBS period drama “Downton Abbey,” the following century-old scenario might conjure up memories of the tragic love story of Lady Sybil and Crawley family chauffeur […]

BACK IN TIME: Down the Lane in Englewood

December 9, 2019 Kristin Beuscher

We go back to the age of tophats and pocket watches for this photograph of the dapper fellows of Englewood’s Bowling Club. Much about this photograph is a mystery. We […]

BACK IN TIME: The Early Days in Northvale

December 9, 2019 Kristin Beuscher

In 1909, the New Jersey Bureau of Labor and Statistics produced a book called “The Industrial Directory of New Jersey.” Intended for businessmen, it had a profile on each town […]

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