Walter P. Springer

In 1702 a group of Newark colonists purchased a 14,000 acres of land from the Lenape Indians. Comprising most of today's northern Essex County, this tract was known as "The Horse Neck," due to its unique shape. Decades later title disputes by the original English Proprietors led to the 1740's "The Horse Neck Riots" - one of the earliest Colonial American challenges to British authority.

In 1798, the bulk of the Horse Neck Tract separated from Newark to become the "Township of Caldwell" consisting of what is today Verona, Cedar Grove, Fairfield and the Caldwells. The construction of the "Big Road," Bloomfield Avenue, from Newark through Bloomfield and Montclair, brought more people and more commerce to Caldwell in the early 1800's.

Caldwell was a major farming area, and by the 1850's, it had also become a major commercial link, supplying food and other merchandise from western New Jersey to Newark and other cities in the east. The arrival of the railroad in 1891 further linked the area to major population centers both east and west.

Yet even as its commercial role in the area expanded, Caldwell was becoming a popular summer destination for city residents looking to escape summer heat and enjoy the clean air, pure water and beautiful scenic mountain views of the area. Known as "The Denver of the East," Caldwell's farming and commerce economy was further enhanced by this seasonal business. Many Boarding Houses, most famously the grand Monomonock Inn, were built around 1900 to accommodate summer residents.

As the area's population grew, Caldwell split into three boroughs at the turn of the century:

Caldwell was incorporated as a borough in 1892, and today it remains a mix of commercial and residential. Bloomfield Avenue is still the "Big Road" and the heart of the area's commerce. Near Bloomfield Avenue are more tightly packed houses, numerous condominium complexes, and rental apartments.

The grandest homes are in The Cedars, in the southwest along Essex County's Grover Cleveland Park, where lots are tree lined, streets are winding, and there are few sidewalks. Nearly all of the houses here were custom-built in the 1920's and 1930's and many were summer dwellings for New York‘s wealthy businessmen.

Among Caldwell's historical landmarks is the First Presbyterian Church, established in 1779. Grover Cleveland, who served as both 22d and 24th President, was born in this church's manse in 1837 when his father, the Rev. Richard E. Cleveland, was the pastor, and that house, at 207 Bloomfield Avenue, is today a national historic site and a museum.

The borough of North Caldwell was incorporated in 1898. Unlike its more commercial sister town, North Caldwell was always bucolic, and when first incorporated, consisted primarily of farms. Today the sole vestige of this legacy is the 28-acre Matarazzo Farm on Mountain Avenue, which is the only farm left in the Caldwells, and one of only two farms remaining in Essex County.

North Caldwell has retained its serene, country feel, although now it is primarily a wealthy suburb of professional and business families - a haven of beautiful homes on hilly, wooded roads, with no traffic lights and few sidewalks.

North Caldwell has few stores, and most residents shop in the surrounding communities, either along Bloomfield Avenue in Caldwell or at one of three malls within a 10 mile radius: Willowbrook, Short Hills, and Livingston.

And one more thing...although several Northern Jersey communities have a Soprano connection of some sort, only North Caldwell can boast of being home to the Sopranos Home. All exterior and some interior shots of the Soprano residence were filmed on location at a private home in North Caldwell.

The borough of West Caldwell was incorporated in 1904 from the towns of Franklin and Westville and initially consisted of 3,175 acres and 410 people. Much of Westville was owned by the Crane and Harrison families, and was also largely farmland. Franklin, on the other hand, was the principal business center of Caldwell Township and had an economy supported by not just farms, but stores, factories, a cider mill and distillery. Today West Caldwell remains a lovely residential suburb with numerous recreational areas and parks. The largest is the 18-acre Grover Cleveland Park, with bicycle and jogging trails, a pond for fishing in the spring and ice skating in winter, as well as a softball diamond and four tennis courts.

West Caldwell is home to Caldwell College, a four year co-ed Roman Catholic institution, as well as to the West Essex campus of Essex County College.

The three boroughs, though separate, are linked in a multitude of ways. They share not only a name but many services, including recreation programs schools, libraries, a senior citizens center, and police dispatch service. They also share Camp Wyanokie in West Milford, NJ, which was gifted to the towns of Caldwell, Fairfield, North Caldwell, Roseland and West Caldwell in 1972. Set in 150 acres of forest, the camp surrounds a five acre lake, and is an all-season ecological wonderland, offering an opportunity enjoy nature at its finest. Find out more about Northern New Jersey living and the Caldwells @ www.homesandlandnnj.com

Local lore has it that Denville was named for a "den" of wild animals living in the area, but the more likely origin of the name is to honor of one of the early settlers, Daniel Denton. As with much of the region, the Native American tribe of Lenape Indians were the first known inhabitants here. Dutch and English settlers began arriving in the early 17th century, and by the 18th century, several forges and mills were established in what is now Denville along the Rockaway and Denbrook Rivers. Communities associated with the forges and mills began to emerge, and early developers of Denville, such as A.B Crane & Co., were intrinsic in shaping the residential and lake communities.

The town was officially incorporated on April 14, 1913 from portions of Rockaway Township, and grew rapidly in the post WWII years to become one of Northern New Jersey's most thriving of communities.

Transportation has always been key to Denville's role in the area. The Lenape Indians had traveled the Minisink Trail here for many centuries and this trail was the route Dutch and English settlers used to explore the region once they arrived. Today, much of Route 10 and Mount Pleasant Turnpike follow this ancient Minisink Trail.

Denville is known as the "Hub of Morris County" for its location along major transportation routes at the center of the county. In addition to Route 10, three other major highways - Route 53, US Route 46, and Interstate 80 pass through the township. Denville is also central to two of the area's busiest commuter rail lines because NJT's Morristown Line and Montclair-Boonton Line both converge at the Denville Train Station.

Denville has eleven named lakes within its township limits. The four major residential lake communities are Cedar Lake, Indian Lake, Rock Ridge, and Lake Arrowhead. Some of the other minor lakes serve as summer communities to seasonal residents while others are available for recreational use to private club members and/or to the public. Part of the The Tourne County Park is also located in Denville.

In 1988, as part of the town's 75th anniversary celebration, a time capsule was buried containing "artifacts" from that era. Celebrity residents of Denville include Babe Ruth, who owned a vacation home in Cedar Lake, and Bill Bradley, former pro basketball player and U.S. Senator. Soprano fans may also remember that Tony and Christopher were rushed to St. Clare's Hospital in Denville after their accident in the ‘Kennedy and Heidi' episode.

Most residents of Denville today live in the non-lake communities in town, including Bald Hill, Union Hill, Beacon Hill, and Denville Farms communities, among others. With its beautiful parks, bustling downtown, great schools, lakes and community activities, Denville is considered one of the best places to in North Jersey to raise a family. For more information and listed properties in Denville go to www.homesandlandnnj.com www.thedenvillehub.com and www.denville-nj.com

Home Search Northern New Jersey Clifton (Members Only) (edit/delete)

Only 15 miles from New York City, Clifton is perfectly situated for commuting via train or bus, and perfectly situated to access most of northern New Jersey because it is connected to five major highways - Routes 3, 19, 21, 46 and the Garden State Parkway.

Clifton is a vibrant mix of residential and commercial. Relatively low taxes and affordable housing make Clifton a magnet for young and first time home buyers. Although there are some stately homes in Clifton, it is largely a town of modest single and two family homes, town-house complexes, condos and rental apartments. Much of the housing stock is from the 1940's through the 1960's.

Shopping opportunities abound in Clifton on Routes 3 and 46, along with many thriving small businesses on Clifton Avenue, Main Avenue, and Allwood Road. A diverse population mix gives parts of Clifton a particularly international flavor, reflected in the many ethnic eateries on Clifton's commercial streets.

The city has 28 parks, the largest of which is the 36-acre Main Memorial Park, which has baseball diamonds, tennis courts, and a pond. The four-acre Morris Canal Park contains part of the 102-mile historical canal built in the early 1800's to link the Delaware River with the Hudson River at Jersey City.

The City of Clifton was established in 1917, but its existence goes back over two centuries prior. Dutch Settlers purchased a tract of land which included modern day Clifton from the Leni Lenape Indians in 1679, and this tract was incorporated as Acquackanonk Township in 1683. Primarily farmland through the 1800's, Clifton became industrialized in the 1900's when it was the northern new jersey home to numerous factories including several large silk mills.

Although much of the industry is now gone, much of the history remains. Clifton's history can be seen in many places including the Botany District (a restored Victorian era neighborhood), the Athenia section, the Hamilton House Museum, and the Clifton Municipal Complex and Clifton Arts Center housed in renovated brick barns built in the early twentieth century and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Just across the Paterson border is historic Lambert Castle, built by silk tycoon Catholina Lambert in 1892 in the style of castles he had visited in England. A museum since 1926, it is on both the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places.

Clifton also epitomizes much that is distinctive about northern New Jersey popular culture, including its share of notable diners and hot-dog joints. Many scenes from The Sopranoswere filmed in Clifton, including Main Memorial Park, and Clifton High School. The golf scenes were filmed at the Upper Montclair Country Club which is located in Clifton, and which has also been home to tournaments including the NFL Golf Classic, and most recently the LPGA Sybase® Classic presented by Shop-Rite.

For more home search information about Clifton, go to: www.homesandlandnnj.com - www.cliftonnj.org - www.cliftononline.com - www.cliftonhistory.org

Only 15 miles from New York City, Clifton is perfectly situated for commuting via train or bus, and perfectly situated to access most of northern New Jersey because it is connected to five major highways - Routes 3, 19, 21, 46 and the Garden State Parkway.

Clifton is a vibrant mix of residential and commercial. Relatively low taxes and affordable housing make Clifton a magnet for young and first time home buyers. Although there are some stately homes in Clifton, it is largely a town of modest single and two family homes, town-house complexes, condos and rental apartments. Much of the housing stock is from the 1940's through the 1960's.

Shopping opportunities abound in Clifton on Routes 3 and 46, along with many thriving small businesses on Clifton Avenue, Main Avenue, and Allwood Road. A diverse population mix gives parts of Clifton a particularly international flavor, reflected in the many ethnic eateries on Clifton's commercial streets.

The city has 28 parks, the largest of which is the 36-acre Main Memorial Park, which has baseball diamonds, tennis courts, and a pond. The four-acre Morris Canal Park contains part of the 102-mile historical canal built in the early 1800's to link the Delaware River with the Hudson River at Jersey City.

The City of Clifton was established in 1917, but its existence goes back over two centuries prior. Dutch Settlers purchased a tract of land which included modern day Clifton from the Leni Lenape Indians in 1679, and this tract was incorporated as Acquackanonk Township in 1683. Primarily farmland through the 1800's, Clifton became industrialized in the 1900's when it was the northern new jersey home to numerous factories including several large silk mills.

Although much of the industry is now gone, much of the history remains. Clifton's history can be seen in many places including the Botany District (a restored Victorian era neighborhood), the Athenia section, the Hamilton House Museum, and the Clifton Municipal Complex and Clifton Arts Center housed in renovated brick barns built in the early twentieth century and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Just across the Paterson border is historic Lambert Castle, built by silk tycoon Catholina Lambert in 1892 in the style of castles he had visited in England. A museum since 1926, it is on both the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places.

Clifton also epitomizes much that is distinctive about northern New Jersey popular culture, including its share of notable diners and hot-dog joints. Many scenes from The Sopranoswere filmed in Clifton, including Main Memorial Park, and Clifton High School. The golf scenes were filmed at the Upper Montclair Country Club which is located in Clifton, and which has also been home to tournaments including the NFL Golf Classic, and most recently the LPGA Sybase® Classic presented by Shop-Rite.

For more home search information about Clifton, go to: www.homesandlandnnj.com - www.cliftonnj.org - www.cliftononline.com - www.cliftonhistory.org