Friday, March 14, 2008

Fascinating books on Berkeley Heights

Oppy has loaned me a history of Berkeley Heights, published in 1977, "From the Passaiack to the Wach Unks". It is fascinating! Really, it never occured to me before that anything went on in BH before 1938 when my parents bought the house on Mountain Avenue (just kidding) . What a perspective this gives me on my childhood.

Another book on BH came out in 2005, "Berkeley Heights Revisited", by Virginia B. Troeger. Oppy, you said you saw this on Amazon.com. I wonder if you saw the photos that I just discovered there. One shows the Class of 1954. The year ahead of our class. All the names were familiar to me. (Cheryl and Biddie: see top row.)

I think I'm going to buy this book! I can't help wondering what else it contains. Class of 1955?

Here's how to see the photos: Go to Amazon.com. Search on Books: Berkeley Heights Revisited. Click on title. Click on Search Inside This Book. Click on Excerpt, which brings you to Introduction. Click on small white triangle on right side. Fourth click shows class.

Here's a puzzle: 1950 photo mentions library. Was there one in the old building?

8 comments:

Oppy said...

Glad you enjoyed it! I would like to suggest that when you search on Amazon only use Berkeley Heights. You'll find the original book is called something like "Berkeley Heights" and "Berkeley Heights: Revisited" is the seqel.

If you want some other information you might talk with Pat Wrigley/Cutler. I mentioned some of what she and I discussed several years ago. If her father is still alive I believe he has a wealth of untapped information since I believe he was born and raised in BH or his family moved there when he was quite young. Verify that with Pat though.

Oppy said...

I just went to Amazon.com and searched using Berkley Heights. There were many more things listed. Some I don't understand but some sound interesting although they're not available. But they do give the titles so it's possible they're available somewhere else.

Priscilla said...

I just ordered "Revisited" from Amazon. I'll bet it contains all that was in the first one, plus more stuff. I doubt the first one has entirely different material.
Is it ok if I keep your book another week or so? I'll mail it to Biddie. She'll need a new project now that the fence is done.

Oppy said...

The idea that the info in the first book is contained and possibly expanded in the second didn't occur to me as a possibility. I was thinking it was a seperate book which might contain earlier information. Since there isn't the ability to search at least the index I don't know how you could tell.

You're welcome to keep it another week or so. I certainly don't mind and I'm glad you found it so interesting.

I believe there was a small library in the original Columbia School. Where is another question. I don't believe it was on the 3rd floor since I remember there being 4 classrooms there and I know I had 2nd and 3rd grade on that floor. I don't remember where 1st and 2nd grades were. I believe the 1st floor was mostly admin. Kindergarten and maybe 1st grade were in the basement. I think the music/art room was there also. My strongest memories are from after the 1st addition was made to the building. Mrs. Wolf's 4th grade class was the in it and I know I had her. So that means the addition was in use in '50. The library was on the 2nd floor of that new addition but I'm not sure it was there when that new addition opened.

Enough of my memories. I'm taking up too much space here.

Biddie said...

What a gem!! I found the picture of Herb's eigth grade graduation - so many of the names are familiar!!

I'm going to order a copy also.

It's a possibility that there is some overlap in the content of the two books since the index indicates page numbers for an item's location in both books ...

Biddie said...

I found "From the Passiaciak" on Amazon - I also ordered that book.

Priscilla, when you have finished Oppy's book, go ahead and send it back to him ...

Oppy said...

Hey, do I get a cut of the sales?
[giggle]

Biddie said...

go for the finder's fee, Op