August 6, 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.

Old Tappan's two-room schoolhouse, along with teachers, principal, and the student body, in 1900.

Remembering Old Tappan’s little schoolhouse

August 29, 2025 Kristin Beuscher

OLD TAPPAN—Thirty-one students, two teachers, and a principal—this comprised the entirety of Old Tappan’s two-room wooden schoolhouse in 1900. The school stood on Old Tappan Road near Leonard Drive, […]

The District 20 schoolhouse and student body circa 1890. This school stood at Piermont Avenue and Rivervale Road in what is now River Vale, serving a rural community of fewer than 200.

The three lives of River Vale’s one-room schoolhouse

August 29, 2025 Kristin Beuscher

RIVER VALE—Long before anyone talked about recycling or sustainability, the people of River Vale simply refused to waste a good building. What today might be described as adaptive reuse was […]

When corn became contraband

August 25, 2025 Kristin Beuscher

PASCACK VALLEY—In summer 1930, transporting an ear of corn into New Jersey was a serious offense. Caught smuggling the crop? You faced a fine of $500—a nearly $10,000 chunk of […]

Onlookers fill Bergen Street as firefighters douse flames in the Bergen Building, March 10, 1911.

Englewood’s Bergen Building has withstood time (and fire)

August 8, 2025 Kristin Beuscher

ENGLEWOOD—It was August 1900 when the first shovels hit the dirt at Engle and Bergen streets, marking the beginning of the Bergen Building. A three-story brick structure would soon rise […]

Depot Square, 1895: a borough on the rise

August 2, 2025 Kristin Beuscher

PARK RIDGE—This week we go back 130 years with a snapshot of local life in the last decade of the 19th century. You are looking at downtown Park Ridge in […]

A view in Hillsdale in the 1930s. This angle looks west on Hillsdale Avenue (toward the downtown) from Magnolia Avenue. The Methodist church in its original location is on the far left. That site is now a parking lot. The area on the right is now a baseball field.

The Man Outside the Window

July 21, 2025 Kristin Beuscher

HILLSDALE, N.J.—This week we go back to summer 1930, when the people of Hillsdale were as frustrated as they were frightened. For six weeks the borough was plagued by a […]

A dollar ride to summer: Laurel Lake and Pascack Pool

July 14, 2025 Kristin Beuscher

THE PASCACK VALLEY—In summer 1952, Park Ridge taxi drivers likely were brushing sand from their seats after every run. The company was offering a special promotion: $1 would get your […]

In news articles of the 1920s, this section of open space in downtown Westwood was often referred to as Center Park. With the new station built there, in the 1930s it became Station Plaza Park. On Memorial Day in 1949, it was renamed Veterans Memorial Park.

Across the dirt road: A long-ago scene in downtown Westwood

July 11, 2025 Kristin Beuscher

WESTWOOD, N.J.—Photographed from across an (unpaved) Washington Avenue, this is the park in downtown Westwood as it looked around 1910. Of course, minus the leafy canopy, walkways, bandstand, and war […]

The brief ride of a would-be horse thief

July 4, 2025 Kristin Beuscher

ENGLEWOOD, N.J.—In 2025 it’s common to see police reports about stolen luxury cars. Go back 115 years, however, and it was horse thievery that had Northern Valley residents worried. In […]

The Washington Villa succeeded El Chuchuracho in 1936, but this image gives a sense of the building's appearance.

‘The hottest spot in Jersey’ (for a minute)

July 3, 2025 Kristin Beuscher

TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, N.J.—Maybe the 450 people who lived in the Township of Washington in 1935 just weren’t ready for a place as exotic sounding as El Chuchuracho. This self-proclaimed […]

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