"Woodcliff Borough"
"If that Wooodcliff Borough bill goes through there will be nothing left of North Bergen Township but graveyards and meadows"
-Emil Walschied (1908)
It is hard to image a North Bergen different from the one we know. I have a different idea of North Bergen than my father and he had a different view from his father at one time. Nonetheless, what if the North Bergen most of us recognize on a map never existed? What if the town that starts on 5th Street and ends on 91st Street never came to be? This was almost the case at the turn of the 20th century. One neighborhood eagerly tried to secede from the town and form its own borough. The post will reflect on the establishment of Woodcliff Borough, the town that almost was.
Woodcliff Station, Woodcliff on Hudson, North Bergen
Courtesy of Lenny DiBrango
The Woodcliff section of North Bergen is perhaps the most picturesque part of town, as a life long 67th Street resident, it pains me to admit that! This is a neighborhood untouched by the industrialization that once spread throughout Hudson County. A place where you could find a four or five bedroom homes, with two or three bathrooms was not uncommon. Steeples from houses of worship dot the skyline. Ornate buildings once dominated the main street of Broadway. Tree lined streets and a sweeping vista of the Hudson River awaiting at the end of every street. Woodcliff till this day seems like a world away for some North Bergen residents and at one point itself tried to be a world away from North Bergen.
Woodcliff as seen from the corner of 75th Street and Hudson Avenue
Courtesy of Lenny DiBrango
Prior to the "Woodcliff Bill" reaching Trenton, than mayor James Nolan tried to hold the town together. On a meeting at Town Hall a few weeks before the bill would be put in motion, former Assessor Joseph Kennel took the floor and deemed the bill an "injustice to the township." Kennel continued, "they are not satisfied with having Woodcliff of itself being formed into a borough, but they also want the Hudson water front also, a valuable asset." Kennel then claimed the land lost would be valued around $4.5 million dollars ($116 million today). This message was ecohed by the township committee, lead by Mayor Nolan, supported by Committeemen Frederick Sternkopf and Charmian Charles Dietz. The town then appointed Committeeman Anton Markert, a Woodcliff resident, Town Clerk Patrick Brady and town attorney Emil Walschield to "take whatever steps may be necessary to prevent the borough bill from becoming law."
Woodcliff, 75th and Broadway
Courtesy of Christopher Soto
On February 11th a public hearing was held by the House Committee on Towns and Boroughs. There both sides clashed. The delegation from Woodcliff lead by F.B. Meyers and Clarence Meeks fought for a quick passing of the bill. The towns representation equally argued their case. The dispute became so heated that the Committee was forced to postpone the hearing until February 18th. In the following days the President of the Woodcliff Improvement Association, George Ritter, went on the attack. He claimed the creation of the new borough was accomplished with the bill reaching Trenton. Ritter even took it to the next level by calling out the former Assessor Joseph Kennel as being a tool for the town's Committee. This debate was the talk of not only the town, but the county and the state. As both sides prepared their arguments for Trenton an unsettling nervousness overtook North Bergen. One resident is reported as saying, "If Woodcliff gets away from us we will make a big kick to become a part of Union Hill (Present day Union City). We couldn't run the township on what Woodcliff would leave us and we couldn't get a better show anywhere than in Union Hill." The stage was now set and North Bergen's continuance as a town a mystery.
Proposed new Woodcliff Borough (1908)
Couresty of the Jersey Journal Archives
Tuesday February 18th, 1908 the "Woodcliff Borough" bill was the first item on their agenda for the House Boroughs Committee. The Committee gave it a one hour hearing before the session even opened in hopes of quickly resolving the bill. Residents and representatives of Woodcliff and North Bergen alike claimed that an hour is not enough time to explain their grievances with the township or the latter, the bill. The bill, written by Assemblymen Oscar Louis Aur der Heide of West New York (and future mayor of said town), in short, claimed the residents of Woodcliff had been neglected by the town. It argued the town government was "too slow and unprogressive for a growing and prosperous community like Woodcliff." The bill goes on to explain a distance felt by the Woodcliff residents from the town as a whole. This was reflected through taxes, residents of the area believed they were being taxed unjustly. The Woodcliff section of North Bergen reported to have been taxed roughly $4.5 million dollars in 1907 (Roughly $116 million in 2018). They also projected this number to go up as the area become more developed. Another major aspect that peaked the interest of Woodcliff residents, it was the idea of having a separate government from North Bergen which would enable them to micromanage the resorts and amusements at Little Coney Island, a park which was a thorn in the side of Woodcliff residents to say the least, but at the same time a major source of income. That said Assemblyman Auf der Heide's bill went unread by those in Trenton, but was still sponsored by Assemblyman Charles Otto of Union Hill.
The Old Meeks Mansion Woodcliff, North Bergen
Site located present day near the Boulvard East/Bullsferry Road fork
Courtesy Antinette Ninivaggi Gust
That Tuesday, a total of 105 North Bergenites argued at the State House. It could been seen that day the the bill regarding Woodcliff would not be simply solved. The debate over the bill lasted several more weeks. The reason? Chairman Guy Flakes of the House Committee on Towns and Boroughs favored the bill and passed it on to a second and third reading. However successful the bill was on blind faith, it was strongly dissected by North Bergen's representation. Walschield and Markert pointed out the bill conveniently left out the debt the area accumulated, roughly $300,000 ($7.9 million in 2018), as well as a lack of public school buildings and safety. However, as sound as the argument was, after a trying three months at the State House, the "Woodcliff Borough" bill passed on April 3rd, 1908.
April 3, 1908 Headline
Couresty of the Jersey Journal Archives
The Woodcliff Borough's approval was submitted and pending Governor John Franklin Fort stamp and a vote by the residents of North Bergen. That said Woodcliff Borough was now on the rise. A new park was being created within its boundaries and one of the largest companies in North Hudson resided within the borough. It even caught the eye of New Yorkers who looked to move to "the country." Now, I know what your thinking... I grew up in North Bergen... I've never heard of Woodcliff Borough... this history guy is making all this up! Well here's what happens, the bill gets hung up in political red tape for a year. During this time former opposition leaders Emil Walscheid and Patrick Brady switch sides and now push for the bill to be approved with support from County Clerk John Rotherham and Health Commissioner John Marnell. Meanwhile, Assemblyman Otto of Union Hill wants nothing to do with the bill stating "I am still against the Woodcliff bill which I introduced before I knew as much about the matter as I do now." Also during this time Samuel Renner, a prominent Woodcliff resident threatened to have North Bergen's officials "Lexowed." The term "Lexowed" referred to the Lexow Committe headed by Clarence Lexow. The Committee was given the task of investigating corruption in the New York City Police Department in 1895. Nevertheless, we have officials switching sides, residents making accusations of corruption, a prominent Woodcliff resident, Clarence Meeks, meeting with the Governor and New Jersey Democrats & Republicans arguing over the right for a town to exist, all while the fate of a town hangs in limbo.
April 19, 1909 Headline
Couresty of the Jersey Journal Archives
The Woodcliff Borugh saga comes to an anticlimactic ending. I wish it could have ended with a North Bergen mayor's speech defending the rights of the town. With a land side vote by the residents of North Bergen to keep the town as a whole. But no, the bill simply died on the Senate floor. With Assemblyman Otto never knowing what the bill was about and no longer wishing to support it all those in the Senate saw it as worthless. Proponents of the bill desperately tried to revive it but there attempts were futile. The "Woodcliff Borough" bill was always perceived as short coming, however it was only lasting because of the support behind it. The Woodcliff Land Improvement Company would ultimately collapse and the town would be united as one. It is interesting to note that this would not be the last time North Bergen would face the creation of Woodcliff Borough. It again gained momentum around the end of World War I for the same reasons as above but quickly lost drive. After this a wave of consolidation took over and created the towns of Hudson County we know today. Many local heroes and villains were created during the debate over Woodcliff Borough, a debate that has been forgotten to history.
Sources:
(1908) North Bergen Will Oppose Borough Bill, The Evening Jersey Journal, February 7th, page 2
(1908) What About This Proposed Borough of Woodcliff, The Evening Jersey Journal, February 10th, page 12
(1908) Woodcliff Fight on Before House, The Evening Jersey Journal, February 11, page 5
(1908) Fight Over New Borough Gets Warm, The Evening Jersey Journal, February 12, page 4
(1908) Why Would Woodcliff Leave North Bergen, The Evening Jersey Journal, Febrary 15, page 6
(1908) Woodcliff up in Trenton To-Morrow, The Evening Jersey Journal, February 17, page 7
(1908) Woodcliff Day at Trenton, The Evening Jersey Journal, February 18, page 4
(1908) Topics of Interest From State House, The Evening Jersey Journal, February 21, page 10
(1908) Woodcliff Bill Passes The House, The Evening Jersey Journal, March, 3, page 1
(1908) Woodcliff Borough Bill Passes Senate, The Evening Jersey Journal, April 3, page 6
(1909) Walscheid Pushes Woodcliff Bill, The Evening Jersey Journal, March 17, page 6
(1909) Woodcliff Bill Still Pigeonhiled, The Evening Jersey Journal, April 7, page 6
(1909) Couldn't Revise Woodcliff Bill, The Evening Jersey Journal, April 19, page 6
-Emil Walschied (1908)
It is hard to image a North Bergen different from the one we know. I have a different idea of North Bergen than my father and he had a different view from his father at one time. Nonetheless, what if the North Bergen most of us recognize on a map never existed? What if the town that starts on 5th Street and ends on 91st Street never came to be? This was almost the case at the turn of the 20th century. One neighborhood eagerly tried to secede from the town and form its own borough. The post will reflect on the establishment of Woodcliff Borough, the town that almost was.
Courtesy of Lenny DiBrango
The Woodcliff section of North Bergen is perhaps the most picturesque part of town, as a life long 67th Street resident, it pains me to admit that! This is a neighborhood untouched by the industrialization that once spread throughout Hudson County. A place where you could find a four or five bedroom homes, with two or three bathrooms was not uncommon. Steeples from houses of worship dot the skyline. Ornate buildings once dominated the main street of Broadway. Tree lined streets and a sweeping vista of the Hudson River awaiting at the end of every street. Woodcliff till this day seems like a world away for some North Bergen residents and at one point itself tried to be a world away from North Bergen.
Courtesy of Lenny DiBrango
Prior to the "Woodcliff Bill" reaching Trenton, than mayor James Nolan tried to hold the town together. On a meeting at Town Hall a few weeks before the bill would be put in motion, former Assessor Joseph Kennel took the floor and deemed the bill an "injustice to the township." Kennel continued, "they are not satisfied with having Woodcliff of itself being formed into a borough, but they also want the Hudson water front also, a valuable asset." Kennel then claimed the land lost would be valued around $4.5 million dollars ($116 million today). This message was ecohed by the township committee, lead by Mayor Nolan, supported by Committeemen Frederick Sternkopf and Charmian Charles Dietz. The town then appointed Committeeman Anton Markert, a Woodcliff resident, Town Clerk Patrick Brady and town attorney Emil Walschield to "take whatever steps may be necessary to prevent the borough bill from becoming law."
Courtesy of Christopher Soto
On February 11th a public hearing was held by the House Committee on Towns and Boroughs. There both sides clashed. The delegation from Woodcliff lead by F.B. Meyers and Clarence Meeks fought for a quick passing of the bill. The towns representation equally argued their case. The dispute became so heated that the Committee was forced to postpone the hearing until February 18th. In the following days the President of the Woodcliff Improvement Association, George Ritter, went on the attack. He claimed the creation of the new borough was accomplished with the bill reaching Trenton. Ritter even took it to the next level by calling out the former Assessor Joseph Kennel as being a tool for the town's Committee. This debate was the talk of not only the town, but the county and the state. As both sides prepared their arguments for Trenton an unsettling nervousness overtook North Bergen. One resident is reported as saying, "If Woodcliff gets away from us we will make a big kick to become a part of Union Hill (Present day Union City). We couldn't run the township on what Woodcliff would leave us and we couldn't get a better show anywhere than in Union Hill." The stage was now set and North Bergen's continuance as a town a mystery.
Couresty of the Jersey Journal Archives
Tuesday February 18th, 1908 the "Woodcliff Borough" bill was the first item on their agenda for the House Boroughs Committee. The Committee gave it a one hour hearing before the session even opened in hopes of quickly resolving the bill. Residents and representatives of Woodcliff and North Bergen alike claimed that an hour is not enough time to explain their grievances with the township or the latter, the bill. The bill, written by Assemblymen Oscar Louis Aur der Heide of West New York (and future mayor of said town), in short, claimed the residents of Woodcliff had been neglected by the town. It argued the town government was "too slow and unprogressive for a growing and prosperous community like Woodcliff." The bill goes on to explain a distance felt by the Woodcliff residents from the town as a whole. This was reflected through taxes, residents of the area believed they were being taxed unjustly. The Woodcliff section of North Bergen reported to have been taxed roughly $4.5 million dollars in 1907 (Roughly $116 million in 2018). They also projected this number to go up as the area become more developed. Another major aspect that peaked the interest of Woodcliff residents, it was the idea of having a separate government from North Bergen which would enable them to micromanage the resorts and amusements at Little Coney Island, a park which was a thorn in the side of Woodcliff residents to say the least, but at the same time a major source of income. That said Assemblyman Auf der Heide's bill went unread by those in Trenton, but was still sponsored by Assemblyman Charles Otto of Union Hill.
Site located present day near the Boulvard East/Bullsferry Road fork
Courtesy Antinette Ninivaggi Gust
That Tuesday, a total of 105 North Bergenites argued at the State House. It could been seen that day the the bill regarding Woodcliff would not be simply solved. The debate over the bill lasted several more weeks. The reason? Chairman Guy Flakes of the House Committee on Towns and Boroughs favored the bill and passed it on to a second and third reading. However successful the bill was on blind faith, it was strongly dissected by North Bergen's representation. Walschield and Markert pointed out the bill conveniently left out the debt the area accumulated, roughly $300,000 ($7.9 million in 2018), as well as a lack of public school buildings and safety. However, as sound as the argument was, after a trying three months at the State House, the "Woodcliff Borough" bill passed on April 3rd, 1908.
Couresty of the Jersey Journal Archives
The Woodcliff Borough's approval was submitted and pending Governor John Franklin Fort stamp and a vote by the residents of North Bergen. That said Woodcliff Borough was now on the rise. A new park was being created within its boundaries and one of the largest companies in North Hudson resided within the borough. It even caught the eye of New Yorkers who looked to move to "the country." Now, I know what your thinking... I grew up in North Bergen... I've never heard of Woodcliff Borough... this history guy is making all this up! Well here's what happens, the bill gets hung up in political red tape for a year. During this time former opposition leaders Emil Walscheid and Patrick Brady switch sides and now push for the bill to be approved with support from County Clerk John Rotherham and Health Commissioner John Marnell. Meanwhile, Assemblyman Otto of Union Hill wants nothing to do with the bill stating "I am still against the Woodcliff bill which I introduced before I knew as much about the matter as I do now." Also during this time Samuel Renner, a prominent Woodcliff resident threatened to have North Bergen's officials "Lexowed." The term "Lexowed" referred to the Lexow Committe headed by Clarence Lexow. The Committee was given the task of investigating corruption in the New York City Police Department in 1895. Nevertheless, we have officials switching sides, residents making accusations of corruption, a prominent Woodcliff resident, Clarence Meeks, meeting with the Governor and New Jersey Democrats & Republicans arguing over the right for a town to exist, all while the fate of a town hangs in limbo.
Couresty of the Jersey Journal Archives
The Woodcliff Borugh saga comes to an anticlimactic ending. I wish it could have ended with a North Bergen mayor's speech defending the rights of the town. With a land side vote by the residents of North Bergen to keep the town as a whole. But no, the bill simply died on the Senate floor. With Assemblyman Otto never knowing what the bill was about and no longer wishing to support it all those in the Senate saw it as worthless. Proponents of the bill desperately tried to revive it but there attempts were futile. The "Woodcliff Borough" bill was always perceived as short coming, however it was only lasting because of the support behind it. The Woodcliff Land Improvement Company would ultimately collapse and the town would be united as one. It is interesting to note that this would not be the last time North Bergen would face the creation of Woodcliff Borough. It again gained momentum around the end of World War I for the same reasons as above but quickly lost drive. After this a wave of consolidation took over and created the towns of Hudson County we know today. Many local heroes and villains were created during the debate over Woodcliff Borough, a debate that has been forgotten to history.
Sources:
(1908) North Bergen Will Oppose Borough Bill, The Evening Jersey Journal, February 7th, page 2
(1908) What About This Proposed Borough of Woodcliff, The Evening Jersey Journal, February 10th, page 12
(1908) Woodcliff Fight on Before House, The Evening Jersey Journal, February 11, page 5
(1908) Fight Over New Borough Gets Warm, The Evening Jersey Journal, February 12, page 4
(1908) Why Would Woodcliff Leave North Bergen, The Evening Jersey Journal, Febrary 15, page 6
(1908) Woodcliff up in Trenton To-Morrow, The Evening Jersey Journal, February 17, page 7
(1908) Woodcliff Day at Trenton, The Evening Jersey Journal, February 18, page 4
(1908) Topics of Interest From State House, The Evening Jersey Journal, February 21, page 10
(1908) Woodcliff Bill Passes The House, The Evening Jersey Journal, March, 3, page 1
(1908) Woodcliff Borough Bill Passes Senate, The Evening Jersey Journal, April 3, page 6
(1909) Walscheid Pushes Woodcliff Bill, The Evening Jersey Journal, March 17, page 6
(1909) Woodcliff Bill Still Pigeonhiled, The Evening Jersey Journal, April 7, page 6
(1909) Couldn't Revise Woodcliff Bill, The Evening Jersey Journal, April 19, page 6
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