"Wetherbee Place"
by G. M. Hopkins & Co.
Former Wetherby property located along what will become 76th Street
Courtesy of Historic Map Works LLC
Today, some younger North Bergen residents may know the names of their neighborhoods simply as "uptown", "midtown" or "downtown." While older residents may still refer to parts of town as Hudson Heights, the Racetrack, Woodcliff or Bergenwood. Very rarely will we hear older residents refer to New Durham, Homestead or Weavertown. Yet the idea that there was a neighborhood lost to history was interesting to me. So where was this Wetherbee Park, where did the name come from and more importantly, what happened to it?
by G. M. Hopkins and Co.
Courtesy of Historic Map Works LLC
The answer to Wetherbee Park's location was is simple. It would have bound, by the current streets, to the north by 76th Street (Hamilton Avenue), the south by 74th Street (Wetherbee Place), the west by Hudson Boulevard (Kennedy Boulevard) and the east by Bergenline Avenue. The name itself is derived from Wetherbee Place, which was taken from the former owners of the entire property, the Wetherby Family who originally purchased the property in 1858. At the time of its establishment, the turn of the 20th century, homes were scattered along Wetherbee Place (74th Street). The remaining area was mainly farmland until 1896 when it was sold by Catherine Wetherbee and subsequently subloted then auctioned off between 1900 and 1905 with bids starting at $1000 ($28,000 today). After the original auction, some homes were built on 1st & 2nd Avenues. Below you will find an original listing of the residents of Wetherbee Place:
- Gustave Schultze, a German immigrant & steamboat pilot, and wife Amanda
- Joseph Byrne, a plumber born in New York City, and his wife Pauline
- John Nissen, an upholsterer from New York, his wife Christina and their 5 children
- Daniel Daily, an Irish immigrant & farmer, and wife Mary
- Patrick McDonald, a carpenter from Canada, his wife Katherine and their 7 children
- Anthony Bedling, an Austrian immigrant and machinist, his wife Antonia and their 4 children
- George Kramer, a lumberman, his wife Frieda and their 3 children
- Edward Hunke, a German immigrant & bank cashier, his wife Katherine and their 9 children and his mother-in-law Francesca Koukal
- John O'Donnell, an electrician from New York, his wife Anna and so Edward.
- Ignace Zidlick, a German immigrant & organ builder, his wife Mary and their 7 children.
There were also two farm hands, Chistian Breda and Antonio Denero, living with the street's most well-to-do family: The Hohnecker Family.
Hohnecker's Dairy circa 1910
Courtesy or Lenny DiBrango
Around the turn of the 20th century German immigrant Frederick Hohnecker moved his family from New York City; wife Mathilda, their children; Frieda, Henry, Frederick, Arthur & Herbert and business to North Bergen's Wetherbee Place. The original Hohnecker's Dairy was a humble one-story frame building, which housed his family and a barn for his cattle, as well as his production. Hohnecker himself would deliver milk with his one horse-drawn wagon. As their business grew they saw the area of Wetherbee Park come and go. They moved their production facilities to Sherburne Four Corners, New York in 1921, however kept their office and distribution center right there on 74th street. Hohnecker's Dairy was the first business established on Wetherbee Place, and saw the area grow and change. The Hohneckers saw Wetherbee Place change it's name into 30th Street then finally to 74th Street as well as the development of housing along the avenues between 74th & 76th Streets. The elder Frederick Hohnecker oversaw all of this as he himself lived on 74th Street until his passing in 1946.
Hohnecker's Dairy circa 1930
Courtesy of Lenny DiBrango
Wetherbee Park became lost to history for several reasons. First the street name change made from Wetherbee to 30th Street will play a role in this. Next, would be the over encompassing naming of the Racetrack Section. Finally, time. There are a few neighborhoods lost to time: Bergenwood Park, Van Glahnville, Buen Vista, Tyler Park, and to some extent the aforementioned New Durham, Homestead and Weavertown. Our town has been ever evolving since the first settlers arrived and will continue to transform into the future. Nonetheless, it is important that we try to preserve our history, as the great William Murtagh, first keeper of the National Register of Historic Places once said,
"It has been said that, at it’s best, preservation engages the past in a conversation with the present over a a mutual concern for the future."
"WETHERBEE PARK NORTH BERGEN, N.J."
Currently 74th Street and 2nd Avenue looking toward 76th Street
Currently 74th Street and 2nd Avenue looking toward 76th Street
Courtesy of Lenny DiBrango
This row of buildings at 74th and 2nd still exists. If you Google Street View you can see them. The store front has been renovated but you can tell it's the same structure.
ReplyDeleteThis row of buildings at 74th and 2nd still exists. If you Google Street View you can see them. The store front has been renovated but you can tell it's the same structure.
ReplyDelete