May 11, 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.

Elizabeth Campbell's strawberry baskets, part of the collection of the Pascack Historical Society. The region's farming families wove these splint baskets by hand in winter as they looked to June’s strawberry harvest.

Stories From the Strawberry Patch

June 23, 2025 Kristin Beuscher

PARK RIDGE, N.J.—These charming strawberry baskets were owned by Elizabeth Campbell (1850-1931) during her childhood in Park Ridge. Years ago, Bergen County was famous for its strawberry harvests that were […]

Greatest Generation gets shopping center downtown

June 21, 2025 Kristin Beuscher

As a sidebar to Michael Olohan and John Snyder’s front page report in this issue, “Township Theatre says it’s closing,” we turned to Pascack Historical Society President Kristin Beuscher for […]

Mittag & Volger fronted Park Avenue in Park Ridge where Veterans Park is today. The massive factory stretched south along the train tracks, about where the Park Ridge Crossing condominiums stand now. In the early 20th century this firm was the world’s largest manufacturer of typewriter ribbon. Collection of the Pascack Historical Society.

Roof With a View: Park Ridge and Woodcliff in 1905

June 5, 2025 Kristin Beuscher

PARK RIDGE, N.J.—The Woodcliff Reservoir was a recent addition to the landscape when our featured photograph was captured 120 years ago this week: June 10, 1905. The rooftops in the […]

Class of 1965 graduates stage a playful photograph for the 1965 yearbook.

The kids of ’65 have got ‘Miles to Go’ — and they’re on their way

June 1, 2025 Kristin Beuscher

DEMAREST, N.J.—With high school commencements right around the corner, here’s a look at a graduation photo going back 60 years, to the class of 1965. This one comes from Northern […]

Charles Latterman's livery stable in Park Ridge, where horses were rented and boarded. The building was on Broadway, facing the railroad tracks.

From horses to Harleys in Park Ridge

June 1, 2025 Kristin Beuscher

PARK RIDGE, N.J.—Talk about keeping up with the times! At the turn of the last century, most people who were traveling to the Pascack Valley from outside the region were […]

The Westwood G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic), organized on Dec. 10, 1885, became Westwood’s third major fraternal institution following the introduction of rail service through present-day Westwood on March 5, 1870.

Post No. 101: When Civil War veterans marched here at home

May 19, 2025 Pascack Press

By Joseph Oettinger Jr.SPECIAL TO PASCACK PRESS WESTWOOD, N.J.—After the organizations of the Westwood Cornet Band (December 1873) and the Westwood Odd Fellows (circa March 1882), the Westwood G.A.R. (Grand […]

Photographed 120 years ago this week—on May 20, 1905—two boys stand outside Montvale's School No. 1 at Summit Avenue and Spring Valley Road. When the school opened in 1899, only 400 people lived in Montvale.

Montvale’s tale of two schoolhouses

May 18, 2025 Kristin Beuscher

MONTVALE, N.J.—At the turn of the 20th century, Montvale ended up with two identical schoolhouses less than 2 miles apart. Here is how it happened. Montvale had become a separate […]

The Hillsdale Manor railroad station in 1910, on the east side of the tracks, south of Parkview Drive. The station was in use for 50 years before it was torn down in the 1940s.

Hillsdale’s Gilded Age suburb

May 9, 2025 Kristin Beuscher

HILLSDALE, N.J.—Hillsdale’s railroad station at Broadway and Hillsdale Avenue is a focal point of the community, an important piece of local history, and a landmark that even appears on the […]

Gently rolling River Vale as seen from Abram C. Holdrum’s farm in 1899. He owned more than 160 acres west of the Hackensack River.

Roaming the Open Landscape of Old River Vale

May 1, 2025 Kristin Beuscher

RIVER VALE, N.J.—The warmest week so far this year. Pasture is growing rapidly, potatoes about all planted, oats coming up. Warm rain is needed. The wheat and rye are looking […]

Farmland was giving way to front yards in the Pascack Valley at the turn of the 20th century. Park Ridge was described as a commuter’s paradise when this view was captured around 1905 from the top of the Mittag & Volger typewriter ribbon factory. These houses still stand on South Maple Avenue, although then it was called Elizabeth Street.

‘Swampless!’ Selling suburbia in the early 20th century

April 26, 2025 Kristin Beuscher

PASCACK VALLEY AREA, Bergen County, N.J.—By the dawn of the 1900s, the Pascack Valley was well on its way toward shedding its rural roots and becoming a suburb as we […]

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