It is worthy of special note that the borough has had only six chief executives from 1901 to 1951, each of whom served ably during important periods of the borough's existence. Its first Mayor, Adrian Struyk, who passed away December 12, 1912, just as he was about to begin his seventh term of office, served admirably during the trying years of Prospect Park's infancy when it struggled to establish itself. He fostered the thought for an independent municipality, in which when it was formed he proved his faith by making persona! loans in various emergencies. Water, humanity's greater utility, was installed during his administration. His successor, Lambertus Touw, remained in office until the end of 1920. His four terms were marked as among the most momentous in the history of the nation and of the world, for the conditions attendant on the World War I were precarious. Mayor Touw successfully directed the raising of funds and administration of fuel and food. As has been previously stated obtaining trunk sewer rights for the borough and the installation of the sewer system was the most outstanding achievement of his administration. The Municipal Building and the War Memorial were also erected during his incumbency. Mayor Cornelius Bosland's administration for three terms was identified as a period of adjustment. Both fire companies were given modern equipment, officially recognized and united in the organization of the present Borough Fire Department. A full-time Police Department was established. Also recognition of the advent of the motor age brought to the borough its first concrete roads while he was In office. The program of improvement and development has been carried on steadily since the induction into office of Mayor Hook In 1927. About eighty per cent of our local roads are now permanently paved. Long, faithful service has been given by many office-holders. Frank Breen, whose store was the scene of the meetings chat resulted in the incorporation of the borough, was the first tax collector serving from 1901 to 1911. His successor was Peter Pousma who, prior to his election in 1912, served as clerk to the school board and as a member of the first Board of Council and of the Board of Education. After his death on April 2, 1940, the Board of Council appointed Richard De See, the present incumbent, who had previously served the borough as member of the Board of Education, member of the Board of Adjustment and as Councilman. There have been a few more changes among the assessors, who have included: Andrew J. Hopper, Conrad Veenstra, Jacob Doele, Peter Hofstra, Theodore Bruinsma, Harry Dykstra and Richard Acker. On November 8, 1935 the Prospect Park National Bank was held up during the morning business hours, while a number of residents who were in the bank at this time were lined up against the wall by the desperadoes who made their escape by automobile with about $22,000 in cash. The loss was covered by insurance, and in the next few years the culprits were apprehended and sentenced to long prison terms. In 1936 John Lowe was appointed to the Police Department and became the Chief of Police in September, 1937, when John Bosland resigned this position to become Sergeant of Police. Duke Stelpstra joined the Police Department on January 1, 1937, for full-time service. Recorder Abram Vermeulen resigned his position on April 12, 1937 and was succeeded by Jacob Westerhoff, who held this position until January, 1939, when Henry P. Schoonyoung was appointed Recorder by Mayor Theodore Bruinsma. The title of this position has since been changed to Magistrate with the adoption of the new New Jersey State Constitution. In 1939 the large water tank was placed on the top of Prescott Avenue, as a W.P.A. project at on approximate cost of $8,000 after having been taken down from its original location at the top of North Sixteenth Street hill. This changeover was made to give adequate supply and pressure to the northeastern section of the borough. In 1941 Miss Elizabeth Vermeulen, the first Borough Nurse, resigned to become Mrs. Elizabeth V. Benjamin. Since then this position has been filled in order by the following: Miss Janet Van Hook, Mrs. Helen Vander Crake, Miss Doris Pleune, and since January, 1951, by Miss Ann Minnema, the present Health and School Nurse. In this historical sketch of the Borough we have now reached the preparations for World War II, and the enlistment, registration and drafting of our boys and girls for service. It was during these few years chat the war effort was stressed everywhere and in everything, and food and material conservation and rationing programs were put into effect by local Boards under national programs. Mayor Theodore Bruinsma, who had succeeded Mayor Peter Hook in 1939, had much to do with the formation of the Civilian Defense Corps in all its branches during his four years as chief executive, in which he was given good cooperation and assistance by the residents of the borough. During Mayor Bruinsma's administration the fire department was brought up to date with the purchase of a fully equipped Mack truck for each of the two local fire companies. He also made a determined effort to economize on all Borough operating costs. In January, 1943, Peter Hook was again returned its Mayor of Prospect Park and, together with Chief of Police John Lowe, members of the American Legion, Civilian Defense Corps and other borough residents, work was started on erecting an Honor Roll on the Municipal Grounds adjoining the Municipal Building on Brown Avenue, for the listing of the names of the local residents on their entry into the service of their country. The Air Raid Alarm System was then put into effect, and many will recall the times during the evening hours when the alarms were sounded and the eerie blackouts which accompanied them. In May, 1944, Harry Dykstra submitted his resignation as Tax Assessor, a position he held by consecutive elections for many years, to accept an appointment as Member of the Passaic County Board of Taxation made by Governor Walter E. Edge. Then Councilman Richard Acker was appointed Tax Assessor by Mayor Peter Hook, and Frank Duvaloois was appointed Councilman to fill the unexpired term of Mr. Acker. In December, 1944, Samuel J. Steen, President of the Board of Adjustment, due to ill health, resigned from this position he had held continuously since the inception of this local hoard. The year 1945 opened with new hope as it was evident that the great World War II was nearing an end, and on May 8, 1945, came the glorious announcement of the cessation of hostilities in the European theatre as V-E Day, which was soon followed with the grand final victory over the Japanese with the radio announcement of V-J Day on August 14, 1945. Our local records show that 715 men and women from Prospect Park had entered the service including the following men who made the supreme sacrifice: Anthony Ratering Walter R. Coombs James G. Greydanus Orie Hartensveld Roy Heringslack Daniel Tremper Julius M. Selitti Leo Van Hoorebeke Kurt Roeser Paul G. Gaire Jacob Faasse Peter Van Der Schelde Bernard Brons Ernest Van Daalen Cornelius Blokland Harry Roeser Walter Maas Henry Stelleman John Verhoeve The flash floods of July, 1945, wrought havoc to the residents along North Fifteenth, Sixteenth and Seventeenth Streets, between Haledon Avenue and Fairview Avenue. This flood came after a heavy three-day rain storm. The flash Hood trapped many persons in their homes. Screams coursed through the streets, yards and in some cases homes. While there was considerable loss of personal property such as furniture, basement equipment and appliances, there was no loss of life. During the height of the storm the flood waters of the Molley Ann's Brook flowed rapidly and wildly overtop of the bridge railing on Haledon Avenue, carrying along chicken coops, sheds and much like material. For some days after the water subsided the Fire Department was kept busy pumping water out of sellars. Here we inject a story on the naming of Molly Ann's Brook. This brook reaches Passaic River at Westside Park In Paterson, which Park was once the home of Dick and Molly Van Houten. Their son, Adrian, was called "Molly's Jan" to distinguish him from other persons having a similar name, and it followed that this brook, coursing through their property alongside of their home got the name of Molly Jan's Brook around 1800, and through the years got to be Molly Ann's Brook. Twenty-two acres of woodland situated at the top of Struyk Avenue extension were given to the Borough by Mr. and Mrs. Peter Hofstra to be used for park and recreation and picnicking grounds. This gracious gift was immediately accepted by Mayor Peter Hook, and the Councilmen on behalf of the Borough of Prospect Park, and the Board of Council then named this area "Hofstra Park" On June 7, 1946, James Rooze passed away. Mr. Rooze had been Street Superintendent for many years and had been a marshal of the borough since 1909. He had been more familiarly known as "Kootje" to everyone over the years that saw much progress come about in the borough, from the time he originally owned and operated the farm and dairy business at the lower end of Planten Avenue at North Sixth Street. Police Chief John Lowe died September 17, 1946, following a lingering illness of some months. Previous to his appointment to the Police Department he had served the Borough as a Councilman and a volunteer fireman. Duke J. Stelpstra, the successor to the office of Chief of Police was appointed to this position by Mayor Hook in January, 1947. Mayor Peter Hook, in February, 1947, resigned the position as Chief Executive of Prospect Park to accept an appointment by Governor Driscoll to the position as member of the Passaic County Board of Elections, which he holds to this day. At that time Tice De Jong, the senior member of the Board of Council, was appointed Mayor of the Borough of Prospect Park by his associates, and Richard Egedy was appointed to the vacancy in the Council Board. It was during this year that the entire borough was dressed up with new black and white street name signs to help direct the many visitors and transients coming to Prospect Park. During Mayor De Jong's new term in 194S came the improvement of the Ball Field area of Hofstra Park, the placement of water fountains, picnic tables and benches and the introduction of a gradual though constant program for park and recreational development. In 1949 the program of traffic control and regulation for Haledon Avenue was considered at much length, and a traffic survey disclosed that 15,000 vehicles passed along Haledon Avenue during a given twelve-hour period. This showed the need for additional traffic signals to help stop and stagger the traffic flow sufficiently to allow pedestrians to cross Haledon Avenue and to enable vehicles to enter Haledon Avenue from intersecting streets. These traffic regulations were also deemed necessary because of the establishment of the Temple Hill Branch Post Office on Haledon Avenue at North Eleventh Street. The Board of Council had helped to secure this after many years of effort with the valued assistance of Congressman Gordon Canfield, Postmaster Thomas Kelly of Paterson, and members of the Haledon Board of Council. The year 1950 was marked with the retirement and pensioning of Police Sergeant John Bosland, who had served continuously as Marshal and member of the Police Department since his original appointment in 1901 by the then Mayor, Adrian Struyk. And with the close of 1950, and the arrival of 1951, with fifty years of experience of life of development. Prospect Park has an unofficial population of 5,250. For its first 50 years Prospect Park's advancement went slowly. The past 25 years have seen many changes in the borough. Among those changes were the expansion of the Prospect Park National Bank from a relatively small community bank to one of the largest banks in the state; the acquisition of the Cornish Wire plant on North Street by the Haband Company. This firm is now one of the largest mail order houses in the country. The formation of the Manchester Regional School District which transferred pupils from Hawthorne High School to their own regional high school advanced Prospect Park educationally. In the area of recreation, the development of Hofstra Park, at no cost to the community, is the envy of neighboring towns. Religion has always played an important part in the lives of the citizens of Prospect Park and the past 25 years saw the erection of one of the most beautiful house of worship in Passaic County. St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church is a beacon of light which shines throughout the community. With the church comes St. Paul's School, an educational facility for elementary students. Recognizing the importance of spiritual comfort and advice, the borough council in 1951 appointed the first two fire chaplains. They were the Rev. Aart Van Houten, who serves to this day, and the late Msgr. Joseph O'Sullivan of St. Paul's R.C. Church. The year 1952 was the year of the President Eisenhower landslide and citizens turned out enmasse to elect the popular war hero. Out of a registration of 2,993, there were 2,687 votes cast, with over 80 per cent going to Eisenhower. Mayor Tice De Jong was reelected with 2,184 votes. April, 1953, saw the end of Mayor De Jong's service to Prospect Park. Moving to Hawthorne, he resigned, after 25 years of service, 19 as a councilman and six as mayor. Councilman Daniel Hook was chosen as the new mayor. "Mayor Dan" as he was called, would continue to serve for 30 years as councilman and mayor. During his term as mayor, which continued throughout the 1960s, the community remained fairly stable, with little changes. Voters in 1954 reaffirmed their allegiance to the Scriptural truths of the Bible in a special election conducted in May of that year. On the ballot were two questions. The one would permit Bingo and the other Raffles. Both questions were trounced by a seven-to-one majority. Throughout the years approximately half of the students in the borough attended private or parochial schools. This was a boon to taxpayers and resulted in comparatively low tax rates. The Eastern Christian School Association in the early 1950s consolidated five schools into one school system. One of the schools to consolidate was the Eastern Academy on North Eighth Street. Until the consolidation movement, the school had been a high school, with its separate board of directors. The Eastern Christian School Association consolidation movement saw the construction of a new private high school in North Haledon and the local school on North Eighth Street becoming a Junior High School, educating students in grades seven and eight. Approximately 245 students are educated in the school. Advances in medicine brought changes in the state health laws and these in turn were reflected in the community. Prior to 1955, it was a common sight to find, nailed to door posts, such signs as "Whooping Cough - Measles - Chicken Pox - Mumps" and other minor child diseases. The signs nailed to doors were discontinued in 1955. In April, 1958, Edwin C. Jennings resigned as Tax Assessor, to be replaced by Bert Nawyn, who was appointed by Mayor Daniel Hook. Realizing that Prospect Park could not remain a sending district for high school students to Hawthorne High School, the Board of Education in 1958 formed a committee which combined with committees of Haledon and North Haledon to determine the best solution for the education of high school students. This committee's report resulted in the formation of the Manchester Regional High School District. The high school was constructed in the early 1960s on Church Street in Haledon with an entrance from Brown Avenue in Prospect Park. The building was expanded in the 1970s and presently has an enrollment of 1,000 students. The decision of the three communities to band together, thus forming one high school education district, was an example of the foresight used by the pioneering fathers of the borough. Leaders in the move were Jacob Struyk, first secretary of the Manchester Board of Trustees, and Cornelius Groendyk, Few disasters ever struck the borough as did hurricane "Donna". The year 1950, September 19, and the results were devastating. Hurricane "Donna" came roaring into town, knocking down trees, wires, signs, and ripping roofs off the buildings. Volunteer firemen worked around the clock clearing the streets from debris and fallen tree limbs. Power at the municipal building was cut off for 28 hours. Volunteers manned posts throughout the town to call in the alarm, less there be a fire. Firemen and citizens remained on a continuous alert for 48 hours. The Police alarm system and the fire alarm system were both knocked out. One of the leading pioneers of the community, Peter Hofstra, passed away in April, 1961. Mr. Hofstra was an attorney who served the borough in many different functions, including counsel. He was a founder of the Prospect Park National Bank and an outstanding leader. Mr. Hofstra was succeeded as borough attorney by Herman Jeffer. In quick succession, the borough during the 1960s had three tax collectors. Richard De See was replaced by James C. Littel. Mr. Littel served for little over a year and resigned. He was replaced by Donald Van Heemst, who continues to hold that post to this day. Also, during this period of time, in quick succession, the municipal courts had three magistrates. Judge Henry Schoonjongen died of a heart attack and was succeeded by John Hamersma, who had a law office on Haledon Avenue. Mr. Hamersma, who was president of Eastern Christian School Association, died of a heart attack in February, 1963, and was succeeded in March of that year by Vincent Pernetti of North Haledon. James Evers of Hawthorne, presently serves as magistrate. Cognizant of the need for stricter control of fire ordinances and housing density requirements, thee council in 1965 established the borough's first Fire Prevention Bureau, Named were Peter Borduin and Peter Breen. Both continue to serve in this post. Also in 1965, the Borough received a bequest of $5,000 from the estate of the late Cora Hofstra, to be used for the purchase of recreational equipment for Hofstra Park. During the 1960s many ordinances, designed for the comfort and well being of residents, were adopted. Among these was the "marking dog" ordinance which required all dogs to be leashed and made dog owners responsible for the noise created by their pets. All full-time borough employees began receiving full medical and surgical insurance, plus hospitalization, in 1966. In 1966, Dr. Peter G. Berkhout died. A family physician, he was a familiar person in the community, on call 24 hours a day. The fine building which housed his office, constructed in 1899 on the corner of Hopper Street and Haledon Avenue, was later demolished to make way for a parking area, at the Prospect Park National Bank location. Benches were placed at the Municipal Building in 1969, forming a mini-park, for senior citizens. In October, 1969, Ralph V. Martin was appointed municipal judge; and a year later Anthony Ver Hage was named police chief, succeeding Duke Stelpstra, who retired. Long known for its excellence in fighting fires, the Fire Department in 1972 received a new fire truck, costing $44,550. The truck was housed in the Fairview Avenue firehouse, which was completely renovated and refurbished by the firemen. It was in this year that Warren Brothers, Inc., who acquired the quarry operation from James Vander Made, made initial overtures to the council for a land swap which would give the quarry people access to land to be used for quarrying and provide the community, in turn, with one of the most spacious parks in the area. When Hofstra Park was given for borough use, a stipulation in the deed stated that the land remained the property of the Hofstra heirs and that, should the recreational use of the land ever be discontinued, the property would revert to the Hofstra heirs. Since the property was not legally owned by the borough, all negotiations for the land swap was conducted between the Warren Brothers firm and the Hofstra heirs. The result was that the Hofstra heirs exchanged 10 acres of land, formerly the Hofstra Park, for 14 acres from Warren Brothers. Included in the arrangements was that Warren Brothers would provide $250,000 of improvements in the park and would maintain the park, including grounds maintenance, as long as the quarry operations were existent. When completed the park will contain: 1. A regulation Pee Wee League field. 2. A regulation Little League field. 3. The improvement of existing baseball field facilities to major league standards. 4. Relation of the Police Pistol Range. 5. Two tennis courts. 6. A paved basketball court. 7. A new picnic area with playground facilities for younger children. 8. A memorial and observation area dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. Peter Hofstra. 9. Additional restroom facilities adjacent to the new picnic area. 10. A stone and timber shelter adjacent to the picnic area. 11. A paved roadway traversing the entire park facility, plus selected parking areas in close proximity to the proposed new facilities, one of these areas floodable for winter ice skating. In 1973 Judge Ralph V. Martin, who had succeeded Vincent Pernetti, resigned to assume the new position of Passaic County District Court Judge. He was replaced by James Evers. It was the Saturday before Labor Day, 1973, that the borough had one of its most spectacular fires in years. The Prospect Park Laundry and Cleaning Co. on North 11th Street burned to the ground. The night blaze sent flames leaping into the sky, 100 feet upward. Tragedy struck the community on March 4, 1975, when Mayor John Trommelen died of a heart attack. Mayor Trommelen had just visited the polling booth to cast his vote in an election and was on his way back to work when he was stricken, while driving his car. A 30-day period of mourning was proclaimed by Acting Mayor Robert Adams. Mayor Trommelen served for over 30 years in municipal government. He was devoted to his task as mayor of the community and could always be counted upon to seek out what was best for the residents of the borough. Municipal government must continue and Councilman Nicholas De Graf was elected by the council to fill the vacant mayor's chair. Mayor De Graf went on in November, 1975, to win election in his own right, at the polls for the unexpired term. Former Board of Education president Edwin C. Breeman was appointed to fill out Mayor De Graf's unexpired term on the borough council. In the latter part of 1975, flood insurance was made available for residents living on the lower part of North 17th Street, a flood prone area. Of note also, is that Richard Zuidema, former councilman and a 75-year resident of the community, celebrated his 100th birthday on Sept. 19. Congratulatory telegrams were received from President Gerald Ford, Rep. Robert A. Roe, and the borough council. While Prospect Park remains a predominately community of Dutch heritage, changes have been evident in the past 25 years. New ethnic groups are moving into the community and many of these are from the Arabian countries. These new residents take pride in their properties and many houses in the community, allowed to lapse into disrepair, have been modernized and rehabilitated upon purchase. Prospect Park still has many of the fine traditions which have singled it out as a model community. Sunday observance is adhered to with no commercial activity permitted on that day. There are no licenses to sell intoxicating liquores. The public school system excels in educating the student and private schools in the community also have excellent records. Prospect Park is a tightly-knit community... a town where people care for their neighbors. May the next 25 years which will culminate in the borough's centennial, find these attributes still existent. |