Prior to about 1882, residents of the Glen Ridge section of Bloomfield obtained their water from wells, flowering springs and catchment devices for the collection and storage of rain water running from the roofs of buildings.

For a number of years after the founding of the Borough in 1895, Glen Ridge was in litigation with Bloomfield.  One area of discussion was the new community’s system of water supply.  The Orange Water Company which supplied Bloomfield and Glen Ridge refused to change its contract with Bloomfield and negotiate a separate contract with the Borough.  The matter was finally settled in 1898 with Glen Ridge receiving its own contract for water.

The Glen Ridge Library grew, appropriately, out of a genuine love of books generating from a small group of thirteen women who met in 1890 to form a reading club, known from its first meeting as the “Clio”.  Miss Henrietta Northall, in whose home the group met, and Miss Abbie Fuller were its leaders.  From the beginning, their aim was the formation of a town library.  However, during the first two years of the work toward their goal, the library was a private collection put together by the club members and housed in a room provided in Miss Northall’s home, the old Gallagher family homestead on Clark Street.

Trees line the shady streets and enhance the verdant yards and parks of Glen Ridge.  While most of the stately elms have been destroyed by Dutch elm blight, there are over 450 oak trees in the Borough as well as innumerable maple trees of all types, trees whose vibrant foliage turns the community into a blaze of color each autumn. In addition, there are hundreds of other trees of all types, including the flowering dogwoods, magnolias, cherry and mimosa.

Many talented persons in the fields of art, literature, drama, dance and music have made their homes in Glen Ridge.  The community also abounds with people in the publishing, newspaper and radio-television fields.

Situated on elevated land between Montclair and Bloomfield, Glen Ridge enjoys several topographical advantages.  Deriving its name from the ridge and from the wooded glen through which Toney’s Brook flows, the community benefits from cooling breezes and a lovely park-like setting in the center of the town.