October 10, 2026

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.

The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Montvale, on Summit Avenue east of Spring Valley Road, as it appeared around 1900. A stable behind the church allowed congregants to leave their horses during services. Montvale was then a farming community of about 400 residents. Today, the roughly 140-year-old structure serves as a private residence.

Bees drove congregation from Montvale church

June 14, 2026 Kristin Beuscher

“The congregation of the Upper Montvale Church was driven out by a swarm of bees last night when the regular weekly prayer meeting was being held, and the services had […]

The Westwood Reformed Church, founded in 1886, was constructed the following year on the site of an earlier chapel at Third and Park avenues. This image dates to the early 1900s, not long after the church had been wired for electric light. It was quite an exciting moment when the lights were turned on for the first time during the Sunday evening service on Sept. 28, 1902.

Westwood’s Parkside Community Church at 140

June 7, 2026 Kristin Beuscher

WESTWOOD, N.J.—Standing outside the Parkside Community Church building at the corner of Third and Park avenues, one would never guess that this contemporary house of worship has a 140-year history. […]

‘THAT GOOD GULF GASOLINE’: Park Street in Montvale circa 1930.

An unchanged corner of Montvale

May 16, 2026 Kristin Beuscher

MONTVALE, N.J. Montvale sure has changed over the past 95 years. The population has grown from about 1,200 to 8,500. With that growth, acres of farmland and forest became homes […]

Westwood’s Casino theater operated out of a former carriage shop at Broadway and Irvington Street in the 1910s. Those were the silent movie days—and the silver screen captivated the locals. Westwood suffragists also hosted rallies here as they campaigned for women’s right to vote. Imagine the speeches made within those walls!

Silent films and suffrage rallies: The Casino theater in Westwood

April 18, 2026 Kristin Beuscher

WESTWOOD—If you lived in the Pascack Valley 90 years ago, and you had 15 cents to spare, Westwood’s Casino theater was one option for a Saturday evening out. This early […]

In 1935, owner Jerry Sexton sold the company to Rockland Coaches. Spring Valley Motor Coach Co. was later absorbed into Red & Tan Lines.Miss Spring Valley, launched in April 1926, made daily runs to Times Square with local stops in Montvale, Park Ridge, Woodcliff Lake, Westwood and Hillsdale. This photograph was taken on Broadway in Westwood, with the railroad tracks just visible in the background.

Motoring to NYC Roaring Twenties-style

April 6, 2026 Kristin Beuscher

A century ago, Pascack Valley residents gained a new option for getting into New York City. In April 1926, New York & New Jersey Motor Coach Co. opened an express […]

A late 1920s postcard from the Pascack Historical Society’s collection shows the newly built Masonic Temple on Kinderkamack Road.

History sealed in stone: Masonry’s humble beginnings at Pascack

March 29, 2026 Kristin Beuscher

PARK RIDGE—“This Saturday, April 3, is likely to be an occasion long remembered in Park Ridge and vicinity, as the one on which the Masonic Temple cornerstone is to be […]

A view east on Ridgewood Road gives an idea of what the Township of Washington looked like in the 1930s. The intersection in the foreground is Fern Street; a right turn would lead to Bergen Avenue. The side streets in this neighborhood had been mapped out, but no houses had yet been built on them.

He built a house inside a tent

March 20, 2026 Kristin Beuscher

PASCACK VALLEY—“STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN in the Pascack Valley,” began the Westwood Chronicle in 1936. “When a newspaperman finds himself in a tight spot and wonders what he’s going to use to fill […]

This grave is among the oldest in the cemetery that lies just north of the Pascack Reformed Church in Park Ridge. It belongs to Peter G. Haring, who, along with his wife Elizabeth, was a founding member of this church in 1813. He was also a veteran of the American Revolution.

A patriot’s grave in the Pascack Cemetery

March 17, 2026 Kristin Beuscher

A modest grave marker stands nestled in the Pascack Cemetery as traffic zips by on Pascack Road. The top has broken off, the stone is a bit askew, and the inscription […]

A 1902 map shows the Leslie Post Office on Westwood Avenue, just north of the Hackensack River. The River Vale–Old Tappan border area was known as Leslie at the turn of the 20th century.

Leslie: A forgotten name on the Pascack Valley map

March 8, 2026 Kristin Beuscher

A section of River Vale was once known as Leslie. It was named for Leon M. Leslie (1862–1937) — landowner, postmaster and inventor. Born in Ohio, Leslie spent his early […]

Mildenberger has gone from butcher’s apron to suit and bow tie in order to make his rounds.

The butchers of West Clinton Market

March 3, 2026 Kristin Beuscher

TENAFLY—If you lived in Tenafly over a century ago, no doubt you would have been familiar with the two men pictured on this page. In this photo at right, from […]

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