Hawthorne

Don Everett Smith Jr.

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2006
• Print ISBN: 9780738538044
• eBook ISBN: 9781439616178
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

Hawthornne residents can boast of the areas role in the American Revolution remember all who served during wartime, and trace countless families who have lived here for generations. Hawthorne captures the history of this north Jersey borough, home of General Lafayettes local headquarters, whicH today houses the town offices. It echoes old-timers memories of days spent hiding and playing in Hawthornes high hills and then running down the steep slopes to the Passaic River for a swim.

Five

MUNICIPAL SERVICES

When Hawthorne became a borough in 1898, it was already plagued with a variety of municipal problems. According to a book celebrating Hawthorne’s 50th anniversary, “few of the existing streets were paved; police protection was demanded; new streets were requested; telephone service, electric service, transportation facilities and sidewalks were desired. Each day brought more pressing demands from the borough citizens.” Soon, the process of attending to these problems was under way. “By the end of the first year every phase of municipal problems had been faced and considered.”

Between 1898 and 1911, the mayor was elected by the people. Thanks to Walsh Act of New Jersey, the town adopted a commission form of government and elected three commissioners. One of those three were chosen to be the mayor. In 1911, the first commissioners were Reuben MacFarlance, Sylvester Utter, and Arthur Rhodes.

Hawthorne was governed this way until the late 20th century, when the town voted to elect a mayor rather than continue with the three commissioner system.

Members of Hawthorne Fire Company No. 1 pose with a hand crank pump in the early 1900s. The two children on the right wanted to be included in the picture.

Morningstar-Paisley Inc. traces its routes back to the 1850s. With companies all over the world, it once specialized in manufacturing the adhesive used for the packing industry. It worked with starches, dextrines, processed gums, adhesives, and specialty chemicals. In 1967, however, an explosion occurred at the plant and 11 people were killed and 8 were taken to the hospital. The Morningstar-Paisley managers were cleared of responsibility for the explosion and fire by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Industry, and immediately afterward, the company began to discuss rebuilding.

This devastation was left behind as flames gutted the brick building of Morningstar-Paisley. All anyone could do, like the man on the right, is watch the flames burn. Even today, people still talk about the fire and the destruction.

This view, of the same side of the Morningstar-Paisley building as is seen above, shows how high the flames reached. The woman in the photograph can only stand and watch as the fire burned on. Hawthorne firefighters were able to prevent the flames from spreading to other buildings.

A person walks across the railroad tracks as the smoking remains of the Morningstar-Paisley building show the fire is slowly coming to an end. Many of the residents who were around at the time still recall the fire and say it was one of the worst in the borough’s history.

Helmeted workers begin to sift through the wreckage of the Morningstar-Paisley fire. In front of the bulldozer, a German shepherd named Silver walks with his master, 51-year-old Bill Short, who was visiting Manhattan from Quebec, Canada. Short brought Silver to Hawthorne to help locate anyone trapped during the explosion. The dog later found the bodies of three men.

A fire official heads toward the side of the Morningstar-Paisley building that has not been damaged by the fire. Many of the neighbors were in no hurry for the company to rebuild and start work again.

A Paterson newspaper reported that nearby cars, truck...

Table of contents

• Dedication
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• FOREWORD
• INTRODUCTION
• One - MANCHESTER AND EARLY HAWTHORNE
• Two - RESIDENTS
• Three - GOFFLE
• Four - SACRED PLACES
• Five - MUNICIPAL SERVICES
• Six - KNOWLEDGE AND EDUCATION
• Seven - INDUSTRY AND TRAVEL
• Eight - FROM THE ROAD
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• BIBLIOGRAPHY
• ABOUT THE AUTHOR