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History of Montclair
The story of Montclair as a settled community begins with the
founding of Newark by English people from Connecticut in 1666. The lands of
the Newark settlement extended westward to First Mountain, and having acquired
acreage at "the foot of the mountain," Azariah Crane, his wife Mary Treat Crane,
and their son Nathaniel, built a home in 1694 near the present intersection
of Orange Road and Myrtle Avenue. Other pioneers arrived soon after, and the
frontier settlement of Cranetown came into being in what is now the southern
part of Montclair.
Harris, F.H. and Love, J.J.H., an Historical Sketch of Montclair, 1881 Prepared for national centennial, 1876
Knox, Charles E., Montclair Township in History of Hudson and Essex Counties,
vol. II, 1884.
Whittemore, Henry, History of Montclair Township, 1894.
Adams, W.I. Lincoln, Montclair in the Municipalities of Essex County, vol. II, 1925. Montclair Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, the Story of Montclair, 1930.
Historical Sketch by J. Walker McSpadden.
Goodell, Edwin B., Montclair, the Evolution of a Suburban Town, 1934.
Alloway, David N., and Arny, Mary Travis, A Goodly Heritage, 1963, NJ Tercentennial. Centennial Publicity Committee, Montclair, the First Hundred Years, 1968.
Jones, Mary Lee & Abraham, Kay, editors, this is Montclair, League of Women
Voters, 1989.
Montclair 125th Anniversary Book Committee, Montclair, 1868-1993., 1994.
Cacioppo, Richard K., the Glory of Montclair, 1995.
Haycock, Virginia, Montclair, Yesterday: The History of Montclair, Montclair
Public Schools, 3rd grade curriculum, 1986.
Haycock, Virginia, revised by Shepard, Royal F., Jr. 1997, History of Montclair
a short history that may be accessed at www.to.Montclair.nj.us
Jaeger, Philip E., Montclair: A Postcard Guide to Its Past, 1998.
Shepard, Royal F., Jr. The History of Montclair in the Montclair Millennium
Book, 2000-2002; A Retrospective & Guidebook.
Doremus, Philip, Reminiscences of Montclair, 1908. Montclair businessman whose father, Peter, established general store here in 1811.
Pratt, Julius H., Reminiscences,
Personal and Otherwise, 1910. Early commuter credited with suggesting the name,
Montclair; brought in 2nd railroad.
Watkins, S.G.S., Reminiscences of Montclair, 1929. Montclair's first dentist and an abundant source of anecdotes on people
and places.
Wheeler, J.H., Montclair as I Remember It, 1855-1870. Unpublished memoir, 1930 reprinted in Montclair, 1868-1993 - (See above)
Preservation Montclair, 1982. An inventory of Montclair's architectural resources
with historical sketches and maps. Eleanor Price headed this project under sponsorship
of The Junior League. A major resource for finding our about old homes and other
buildings.
Terhune Library Montclair Historical Society, 108 Orange Road. Books, pamphlets, maps, documents, street directories, pictures etc.
pertaining to New Jersey, Essex County and Montclair. Contains special materials
on the Israel Crane House and Evergreens and about families who lived in them.
In addition, the Montclair Historical Society offers a variety of programs relating
to local history.
Local History Room on second floor. Librarian in charge of collection: Elizabeth
Shepard. Other reference librarians can also assist. Large collection of books,
maps, photographs, government documents, biographical files, etc. Photographs
may be accessed by computer, maps and past issued of the Montclair Times by
microfilm.
Library located in frame building to south of museum parking lot, will be
moved on completion of museum expansion. Includes materials on local artists.
For history of the museum, see Robert D.B. Carlisle's, A Jewel in the Suburbs,
1982.
opposite Washington Park
The New Jersey Room on 2nd floor. Montclair Municipal Building.
205 Claremont Avenue, Montclair, New Jersey - Clerk's Office has old record
books and other materials. Planning Department can supply information relating
to homes and maintains a collection of books on architecture and preservation.
Health Department has vital statistics etc. See also old maps on walls of council
chamber.
Newark, New Jersey
108 Orange Road • Montclair • NJ 07042 • Phone 973.744.1796