Before recorded history, the place today called Glen Ridge was known to the Indians. The Yantecaw, a sub-tribe of the Lenni-Lenape, encamped in the vicinity of Brookdale Park on the upper edge of our Borough, while two well-defined Indian trails crossed the area. Washington Street follows the old Nishuane Indian trail, Glen Ridge Avenue and that part of Bloomfield Avenue paralleling the Glen were used by tribes on their journey between the Passaic River and the territory to the west.

In researching the earliest residents of Glen Ridge, the task of gathering information on the man believed to be one of the first residents of the Borough, Abijah Dodd, logically fell to his great-great- great grandson, Howard S. Dodd, Jr., of Inness Place. In preparing the material on his ancestor, Dodd made copious use of one of his family treasures, the Dodd Genealogy, often used during the Bicentennial year in the compilation of historic facts on the community.

ANSON McCLOUD HOUSE – Built in 1856 by Anson McCloud, this house located at 190 Bay Avenue was erected on one acre of land purchased for $167. It is cited on the 1859 H.F. Walling Map of Essex County. An old family tombstone is incorporated into the present backyard patio. The house is currently owned by Mr. and Mrs. Paul G. Bursiek¹...

The highly residential community of Glen Ridge was originally an industrial town marked by a row of mills strung along the valley of Toney’s Brook, an important source of water power. Early in the 1800’s Toney’s Brook was strong enough to deliver some 50-75 horsepower.

The quiet glow of gaslights along the Borough’s streets has become the “trade-mark” for this suburban community. While other towns and cities can boast a greater number of gaslights than the number in Glen Ridge, it is unlikely that any other community is lit almost in its entirety by gaslights. With the exception of a few county owned streets in the Borough, all Glen Ridge streets are lighted in this manner, lighting often sought after by other communities, and becoming more and more rare today because of the shortage of natural gas.

The manner in which a community is created does much to condition its future style and government. This was certainly true in the case of Glen Ridge.

By the early 1890s, it was apparent to men such as A.G. Darwin, Edward S. Wilde and Robert Peele, who were leaders in laying out the Glen Ridge section of Bloomfield, that the “Hill” section was not going to receive its fair share of tax monies. They, as well as other men of high standards and civic pride, felt that a fair portion of the $30,000 annual tax paid to Bloomfield should be returned to the section in the form of more street lamps, paved roads (of the 13.3 miles of streets, only 3.2 were paved) and other much needed improvements. Their civic pride challenged, these men tried in every way to remedy the unfair treatment.

Glen Ridge, which broke away from Bloomfield with the goal of becoming an outstanding residential community, was fortunate in attracting outstanding men who were able to help make that goal possible for themselves and their own families, as well as for future citizens who would follow them into the borough.

Transportation has always been vital to the development of towns and cities.  Without the means of bringing goods and services to its residents, industries and businesses, a community cannot grow and prosper.

Glen Ridge and its neighboring towns were fortunate that early settlers were men of foresight who recognized the need for public and commercial transportation. Because of their perception and initiative, the area has always had some of the best mass transit lines in the state, changed and updated as newer modes became available.  The network of transportation has offered two rail lines, numerous trolley (in the early years) and bus lines, a fine road system and, from 1831 until the mid-1920’s the Morris Canal Waterway.

Some time during his adult life, Clarence Graham was moved by the interest of his nephew to reminisce about boyhood days on Highland Avenue. The Grahams lived in the house at 46 Highland now owned by the Allen Schulz family. The account is suggestive of Booth Tarkington or of “Our Gang,” circa the late 19^th century. Excerpts which give the flavor of the period or are of general interest appear below. Only infrequent and very minor editing has been done for the sake of clarity. Xerox copies of the complete original document may be found in the Glen Ridge Library Historical File.

Aside from the mills, there have been other flourishing businesses in Glen Ridge throughout its history.

An 1890 map shows an “Ink Factory” on Midland Avenue where Carteret Street would eventually go through.  It is believed to have been one of Thomas Edison’s many enterprises, although the Edison National Historic Site has no information on it.  It is known, however, that on July 28, 1890, the Edison Lamp Company conveyed the property to the Edison General Electric Company.  It was known to oldtimers as the “torpedo factory” and is believed to have manufactured railroad flares at one time.  Former Borough Clerk James Brown, whose father was John Brown, the first Police Chief of Glen Ridge and a volunteer fireman, recalls his father’s tales of fighting a fire there which was especially spectacular because of the many highly flammable materials.  By 1906, a map indicates the site as “Ruins.”

One of the distinctive features of life in Glen Ridge is the political system which for 63 years has been dominated by the Civic Conference Committee.  At one level, the CCC is simple to define:  it is a method of selecting candidates for public office based on merit rather than political affiliation.  In other words, it is meant to be a non-partisan system which avoids factionalism and political infighting in a small community.  CCC delegates are apt to describe the process as follows:  “The office seeks the man, rather than the man seeking the office.”

Since the creation of Glen Ridge in 1895, 24 of its citizens have taken their turn serving in the post of Mayor.  At the outset it was decided that elected officials in Glen Ridge would not be paid any salary or stipend.  Instead, trust was placed in a motivation of public service to attract citizens already successful in their chosen careers who would be willing to contribute the time necessary to holding office.

Glen Ridge was incorporated on February 13, 1895 after separating from Bloomfield Township.  From the time of its inception, the dedicated citizens serving on the governing body of the municipality have strived to provide complete and efficiently-run services to residents of the Borough.

The Glen Ridge Fire Department was founded on May 14, 1895 and was made up of 13 volunteer firemen. While the Department was preparing itself to serve the Borough, the town of Bloomfield continued to render fire protection to Glen Ridge.

Shortly after the founding of the Borough in 1895, the police department was formed with a total staff of three policemen.  The three marshalls were soon reduced by one as Marshall Thomas Cullen was dismissed from the department a little over one month after his appointment.  According to the records, Officer Cullen patrolled the Borough one day in a state of “exuberance” which led him to make indiscriminate arrests of citizens.  The influx of startled “prisoners” led to his immediate discharge although he claimed he was the victim of “knockout drops” administered by a mysterious individual.

Each year this day of remembrance brings the citizens of Glen Ridge together for an early morning parade and service to honor their war dead as well as the living who have served.  As the years pass, the emphasis of the celebration has been determined by the history of the times.  It has varied from the commemoration of the World War I monument in 1922, with its background of the flag-bedecked High School building, to the full blown Bi-centennial parade, with floats, in 1976.  Every year adds a colorful picture to the Borough book of memorable events.

Over the years, Borough residents, both young and old seem to have been strongly oriented to sports.  Historical records show a women’s golf team in 1905 and the famous Men’s Club sported its own bowling alley.  Skiing and skating at the Country Club were popular pastimes.  Tennis, a favored sport of the early days has become increasingly popular in recent years.  Paddle tennis courts erected at the corner of Belleville and Sherman Avenues in the early 1970’s are constantly in use.

THE COUNTRY CLUB – Fourteen charter members began the formation of the Glen Ridge Country Club, which has grown and flourished in the Borough for over 60 years.  Though in its first days it was centered solely around golf, it has become a family club of varied sports and activities today.  Its membership, from the original few, has grown to over 800.

“To insure good schools” was one of the goals of the leaders of the movement to separate Glen Ridge from Bloomfield, and in the ensuring 81 years, the citizens of the Borough have worked fervently toward the success of that goal.

In 1895, many of those living “along the Ridge” felt that the schools should be built nearer to their homes, but residents in other parts of Bloomfield were reluctant to vote the necessary tax monies.  According to former Borough Clerk, James A. Brown in a speech made in 1939, “One of the reasons that led to our separation from Bloomfield was the lack of a school in this section; our children attended either the school on Liberty Street east of Broad Street, or the school at Broad Street and Belleville Avenue.”

Throughout the early 1940’s, Glen Ridge residents responded to the tensions of World War II with a full scale civil defense effort. Police and Fire Auxiliaries were organized. Under the direction of the Civil Defense Unit, air raid wardens and public works crews were recruited, and a control center was set up in the basement of the Municipal Building. Homeowners were urged to set aside basement areas stocked with food and water in the event of a bombing.  At least one underground bomb shelter, built by a Ridgewood Avenue resident, is still in existence.   Blackout drills were held at regular intervals, and factory whistles and fire bells in the area were tested one day a week in the event they might be needed to sound air raid alarms.