History of Lyndhurst
Leni Lenape Native Americans called this area Mighgecticock Hackensack and Passaic Rivers both Native American named.
Capt Stanford purchased the land in 1668 named it New Barbados (Bergen County) Trusted this section to Major Nathaniel Kingsland
Oct 1st 1678 Dutch seized this area Governor Anthony Colve named this area Achter Kol pronounced (Acre Kol).
1685 Kingsland reacquires, leaves land in his will to his children. Names the area of present day Kearny, Harrison, North Arlington and Lyndhurst New Barbados Neck.
1724 Arent Schuyler arrives he begins copper mining and farming. Col. Peter Schuyler’s farm (Peterborough) and a second farm (Kennedy) which was sold and later renamed Lodi.
1779 Van Winkle House (Masonic Lodge built), oldest house in Lyndhurst
The principle business were copper, farming and brick making. This area had good material for making bricks.
1840 know as Lodi and added to Bergen County, Harrison and Kearny broke away and Hudson County formed.
1852 Union Township was formed. This included Rutherford, East Rutherford, Lyndhurst, Kingsland, (the area east of Ridge Road to Fern Ave then to Riverside) and North Arlington.
1860’s The Tourist boom begins. Valley Brook Race Course was built by Jas Watson (owns the Van Winkle house) and William Travers. People vacation here from NYC. Boiling Springs + many springs in Lyndhurst, swimming in the Passaic, several hotels are built on Park and Riverside Ave. A trolley runs from the Rutherford train station straight down Park Ave to the foot of Valley Brook Ave. (race track entrance)
Early 1900’s race track closes. Housing boom begins. William Burke company (father and son) built many houses and structures in Lyndhurst. Sacred Heart
Church being one. They partnered with a realtor that sold empty lots and Burke built the houses for the customer (Sears catalog house plans)
November 1916 Current boarders formed, Kingsland and (Lyndhurst) merge. Residents go to the polls and choose between Lyndhurst, Ridgehurst, and Kingshurst. At this time the Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown was built and a popular pattern of china was named Lyndhurst. Did that influence the town? Lord Lyndhurst of Lyndhurst England (long since passed away) have a connection? He is known to visit here at least once, as a guest of Travers. William Travers (now passed) Wall Street friends and connections built the Lyndhurst Mansion and attended parties at the Van Winkle House. Belmont, Jerome, etc. That would be my guess as to the origin. Many of them still owned land here.
January 11th 1917 Kingsland Explosion. In the area of Medieval Times, The Canadian Car and Foundry made ammunition for the Russian government for WWI. America was not in the war yet. A German saboteur named Theodore Wosniack started a fire at the plant. The resulting fire was a total loss. Shells shot all the way to Secaucus and Nutley. There was no loss of life because of Tessie McNamara, a switchboard operator, called all 30 buildings and told everyone to evacuate. The people of Kingsland huddled in their cellars.
1920 – present: Big industry will come and go. Harrington McKee Bicycles, Leslie Co. United Cork Company etc. Becomes the commuter town it is today.
1930’s depression: The soil was good in Lyndhurst. Many people were able to grow their own food and a community garden was established near what is now Stop + Shop.
1940’s – 50’s Big population boom (like other towns in America). Many returning veterans use the 50/20 bill (GI Bill) to get an education, marry and settle in Lyndhurst, many from Jersey City.
Route 3 opened in 1945
Steel industry comes to Lyndhurst. Benedict Miller, Reliance Steel, and Frasse Steel
1950 Town Little League established
Late 60’s – 70’s Meadowlands development begins.