Designated in 1920 as NJ17N, a road from Newark to Suffern, NY, it was named Route 2 in 1928. It was renamed Route 17 in 1942 for defense purposes during World War II. . The original cloverleaf was completed in 1932 and was then replaced by the flyover ramps we see today in 1998
Past Weeks
This building was a one room school house until Paramus built 2 new schools in 1944. Now used as the Charles E. Reid Branch Library that opened in June of 1994, the photo shows the sign over the entrance when it was used as Paramus Police Headquarters and Paramus Court.
Biplanes were popular at the airport located on Passaic Street at the Paramus/Rochelle Park border in the early 1930’s.
Trader Horn was the go-to store for appliances before the P.C. Richards and Best Buy that we have today. They, along with several smaller independent dealers, sold televisions and kitchen appliances.
The Paramus Bowling Alley contained 42 lanes, a sandwich shop and cocktail lounge. It also had a 400 seat grandstand from which spectators could see 1950’s television shows such as “Make That Spare” and “Championship Bowling”. When the alley closed in became Sports World an entertainment complex that hosted children’s birthday parties.
The first fire company was organized unofficially in 1904 as a result of a rash of barn burnings, Company 2 located on Spring Valley Road started as a bucket brigade. Built in 1868 and used by the Protestant Church of North America, the original firehouse was purchased by the members of Company 2 for fifty dollars.
This Egomatic machine invented in early 1940 sorted eggs. Eggs were placed at one end and moved along a conveyor that sorted them by weight. The Egomatic Company eventually produced a machine that could sort 80 cases (28,800 eggs) per hour.
Barney Martin was the first Paramus police officer and first police chief. He was “on duty” 24 hours a day. His office was on the front porch of his house. He served from April 1925 until April 1936 when Carl Jockish became Police Chief.
This ad shows what $4990 would get you around the 1940’s. A 6 room house with attached garage for payments of only $21.05 a month including taxes. They were built by Reis Homes.
This hospital opened in 1916 for Polio, Diphtheria, and Scarlet Fever patients. In 1920 the Small Pox pavilion was completed. The Tuberculosis pavilion was opened in 1922. At that time these diseases were highly contagious. The hospital became known as Bergen Pines in 1923. The nine story general hospital building was built in 1952. The […]
This major intersection before the “flyover” ramps of today. Note the large building in the photo, That was Alexanders Department Store. You may remember the mural on the building (extreme left of photo)