His Stories Discovered ... Bill's History Facination since 1964

"His-Story" Histories Discovered

December 15, 2018

My fascination with HISTORY probably began in Middle School, around age 12-13.  I had a few good teachers who created a spark of interest in History, specifically Roger Veenstra (World and US History) and in High School, Margaret Wynne (Reformed Doctrine).  

But, more powerfully, I do remember my Middle School and early High School "birding" wanderings at the Sam Braen Quarry (straddling Hawthorne and North Haledon, NJ) on Ridge Road, as well as along the ridge behind Covenant Christian Reformed Church down to the second Quarry in Prospect Park (Sowerbutt, Vandermade, Warren, Tilcon).

Running southwest from Blasbergs Fruit Farm (off
North Haledon Ave/Rea Avenue Extension) this topography
was typical.  Many times during the fall while looking for 
hawk migrations, I would find a nook in the rock in the sun
 to stay warm while peering up to the skies for hawks.

With my binoculars and a Peterson Eastern Field Guide to the Birds, I would then walk down along the quarry edge, along the dirt paths and steep rock cliffs (later discovered to be the First Watchung Mountain range, aka Totoway Mountain).  Many times I needed to scurry back into the woods because I would spot Sam Braen's yellow pickup truck wandering down the middle of the quarry, which meant someone had spotted me walking up on the edge. 

(Little did I realize until years later that Sam Braen's first wife, Florence Bogertman Braen, and her sister, Gladys Braen Sugarbaker, were my father's first cousins).

Southeast view of the Prospect Park 
Quarry, from the top ridge.

And finally, I remember one Saturday morning our Dad walking us down Ballentine Drive, next to Vander Werf's house, to the old Ballentine farmhouse (still standing) and to observe the Ballentine barn being demolished by two old WWII Sherman Tanks (painted yellow by V. Ottilio, Totowa, NJ). We watched the tanks drive forward and backwards, right through the barn as the old red wooden structure crashed down around them.

I would wander up the brook north of Ballentine Drive behind the Kauffer, Tafuri, Steinhilber (later Verblaauw) houses, the empty lot (later Nick/Irene Groenewal), and the Botbyls (my maternal Grandparent's house), all woods then, up to the trails on Ridge Road, an all dirt grass/gravel trail up to about the year 2000,

This is the top of the ridge, looking southeast.
I remember walking down along the ridge,
with Hawthorne to my left and North Haledon
to my right, all the way to the Sowerbutt Quarry
in Prospect Park.

However, I soon discovered ... concrete and re bar emplacements built along Ridge Road during either WWI or WWII.  And, after reading a newspaper story about an "old Lenape Indian trail from Hawthorne up the cliffs through boulders and rock clefts," I searched for the place, then actually discovered a distinct, steep pathway from Hawthorne up the cliff to the top of the ridge into North Haledon! Wow...

In all these discoveries, I wondered, "Hmmm, that's fascinating!  Who was Ballentine? What did this area look like years ago before it was settled?  Who were the Lenape Indians and where did they live around here?  This is so interesting. I need to learn more about who these people were and what events happened here." 

From that point on, I read many books and articles (and cataloged/organized) a lot of American History, specifically early Indian, New Jersey and Colonial US History, but primarily Military History of the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Western Indian Wars, the Civil War, the Spanish American War, WWI and WWII.  Over the years this interest grew proportionally with the books I read. 


Piquing my interest was the fact that the State of New Jersey, called "The Crossroads of the American Revolution," was full of historical markers and plaques describing people and events of early "Jersey Dutch" and Revolutionary War stories. Paterson, NJ, once known as "the Silk City" was steeped in incredible events made by people named Hamilton, Paterson, Lafayette, Washington, Colt, Holbart, Lambert, Rogers, Hinchliffe, Curtiss-Wright, Holland and Barnert.  And this from the industrial revolution requiring immigrant workers from all over the world who created amazing prosperity... from the power of the Great Falls and the S.U.M., the Society for Establishing Useful Manufacturers. 

View west, southwest towards New York City
from the ridge top.

The fact that my Dad and Uncles (Uncle Henry-Army, Uncle Bert-Navy) were WWII Veterans as well the many fathers of my school boy friends at Church also fascinated me (especially Neil Aupperlee and sons Bob and Bill, Andy Aupperlee-son Dave, George Aupperlee-sons Tom and Jim and Peter Aupperlee). What did they experience during the War and where did they serve and in which branch? I also found myself looking for and stopping at any Historical Marker I drove by in NJ and beyond as well as a fascination with cemeteries anywhere.

But the reality of all history is that events around the world are simply, "His Story," our Lord's providential and mysterious working throughout the ages, throughout written and unwritten history, through people, leaders and nations, choices and consequences. 

And so, after all these words, this blog is an attempt of mine to document and share some of the pictures I've taken and the stories I've learned and discovered, mostly from my travels throughout the State of New Jersey.  

Is this not a great reason for sharing "His-Stories" Discovered?"