The following entries are taken from the Glen Ridge Heritage Book which was published in 1977 as the culminating project of a year-long celebration of America’s Bicentennial. The Glen Ridge Historical Society was founded soon after its publication.
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 […]
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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 […]
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30In the era of the 1950’s, 1960’s and early 1970’s, student demonstrations, civil rights marches and disturbances, and the increasing problems of narcotics use occupied all segments of society and government. Teenagers danced to the new “Rock” music in their bobby sox, men’s shirts and dungarees, the new “look” of the day. In Glen Ridge, too, changes were also occurring under the watchful guidance of Borough officials. In 1950, Mountainside Hospital discontinued ambulance service. The Fire Department raised funds, by […]
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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. One […]
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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. Perhaps the best known Glen Ridge artist is F. Ballard Williams. Internationally known for his landscapes, he received many awards both in the United States and abroad. His work is displayed in major museums in this country. Williams moved to Glen Ridge in 1885. He was commissioned […]
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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. In the early 1800’s, Toney’s Brook was the source of power for a number of mills along its banks. By the late 1890’s, one by one, the mills ceased operations. In 1899, a […]
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Although Glen Ridge is only three miles long and an average width of one half mile, its residents are afforded many advantages not usually found in so small a community. In addition to attractive park areas, within its limited boundaries its citizens are provided with nearly every service needed or desired in a residential community including a large general hospital. Mountainside Hospital is owned and operated by The Mountainside Hospital Association, a non-profit New Jersey corporation established in 1890. The […]
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