Winter 2015 - Montclair Historical Society

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Winter 2015
Montclair Historical Society
Newly-restored Crane
House and Historic
YWCA Reopens
Former YWCA Member and State
Senator Nia Gill, Assemblyman
Thomas Giblin, Mayor Robert
Jackson, Councilors Robin Schlager,
William Hurlock, Sean Spiller, Rich
McMahon, and Robin Foster from the
New Jersey Council for the
Humanities spoke at the opening day
celebration. Over 200 people visited
the Crane House and Historic YWCA
on October 5.
On October 5, women who formerly attended the Y on Glenridge
Avenue cut the ribbon and entered the new Crane House and Historic
YWCA. The familiar landmark had been closed for two months as we
prepared for a new look and focus that reflect a broader history of the
town. “The building now tells a more comprehensive history,”
comments Jane Eliasof, Executive Director. “It’s a personal history,
told through the people who lived, worked, and played in the house.
But their stories go beyond the walls of the house, the borders of
Montclair, and even New Jersey. Their stories are a window on to
national events.”
As part of the new Many Voices docent-led tour, for example, visitors
hear about the impact of the Civil War through the eyes of James B.
Crane, the grandson of Israel Crane, who fought under General
Ulysses Grant in the Overland Campaign. They hear about slavery in
New Jersey through the stories about Dine, an enslaved woman who
worked in the home in the early 1800s. They learn about the Great
Now through June we are offering FREE admission to the
Crane House and Historic YWCA on Sundays from 1 to 4 pm.
Spread the word!
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Photo Credit: Harry D. Mayo, III
Crane House and Historic Y Reopens
Migration, the movement of
millions of African Americans
who moved north in the first
half of the 20th century through
the women who boarded at the
YWCA; de facto segregation
through the women who
attended the YWCA; and the
early historic preservation
movement through the people
who moved the Crane House in
1965. Each room on the first
floor is like a chapter in a
history book, interpreted to
reflect a different period in the
house’s history.
Many people have asked,
“Why change?” It goes back to
our mission, which is to share
the stories of the people who shaped
Montclair. With this new focus and
our new “Many Voices” tour, we
now tell more of the stories organic
to the house – the stories of people
who lived there, spent time there,
and shaped Montclair in their own
ways.
Many visitors have said they’ve
learned pieces of Montclair’s more
recent history they didn’t know and
that they appreciate the diverse
history, noting it more accurately
reflects the composition of
Montclair’s population. One visitor
commented, “I gained an
appreciation for the struggles each
group of inhabitants experienced.”
Perhaps the greatest compliments
come from the women who
attended the Y, who are honored
this important period in history is
being remembered.
The work on the project began
more than three years ago, with
extensive research on the Y and
this period in history, a scholar’s
advisory panel, and interviews with
women who were active in the
YWCA.
We’re open most Sundays from 1 to
4 pm and are offering free
admission through June for our
Sunday tours. Appointments for
group and/or private tours may be
made by calling 973-744-1796 or
sending a note to
mail@montclairhistorical.org.
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Our Library Upgrades
We’ve continued to upgrade the
Albert P. Terhune Library, working
towards the goal of making
databases searchable, digitizing
files, and ensuring all our artifacts
are inventoried and recorded in our
database. It would not have been
possible without the dedication of
many volunteers and their countless
hours of work. Here’s what they’ve
accomplished:
All photographs in our archives
are now in our searchable
database thanks to dedicated
volunteer Beth Shepard. Interns
from Essex Tech Vocational high
school are scanning these
photographs, which will give staff
and researchers a visual as part of
their search results.
Volunteers Kimberly Reamer, Jenny
Dalberth, and David Fox have
completed a number of inventories
on rare books, maps, and archive
files, helping staff take a few final
steps closer to a completely
searchable library for the public.
Thanks to David Fox’s knowledge in
digital preservation, we will soon
begin the process of organizing our
digital files, giving staff and
researchers increased online access
to these materials.
Volunteer Bettine Avenia is
updating our historic tool
collection into the PastPerfect
database from old catalog cards,
while intern Morgan Glossbrenner
finalized inventories of the Crane
House and Historic YWCA
collection, creating a room-byroom inventory after the
reinterpretation.
These achievements are important
aspects of ongoing assessment and
conservation at a historical society.
We are grateful to the volunteers
and interns who helped make this
happen!
To see what’s in our library, visit
www.montclairhistorical.org
Click on:
Collections
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Library
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Finding Aid
Montclair Historical Society
108 Orange Rd, Montclair, NJ 07042
973-744-1796
www.montclairhistorical.org
Board of Trustees
Anne Mockridge
President
Mary Catherine Moran, PhD
Vice President
Christina P. Mayer
Secretary
Kenneth Emerson
Treasurer
Michael Farrelly
Town Historian
Helen Fallon
Elizabeth Hynes
Joan Bradley Mayo
Terry O’Brien
Kathleen Powers
V. Eugene Shahan
Christopher Tamburro
Jinni Rock-Bailey
David Woods, Esq.
Staff
Jane M. Eliasof
Executive Director
Angelica Diggs
Manager, Audience Engagement
Olivia Mercado
Museum Assistant
Katherine Witzig, Bookkeeper
Ashley and James Scott, Caretakers
The Montclair Historical Society has
received a general operating support grant
from the New Jersey Historical Commission,
a division of the department of State.
With Grateful Thanks To:
The New Jersey Historical Commission,
administrated by Essex County Division of
Cultural and Historic Affairs.
The Montclair Foundation
THE LANDMARK SOCIETY
OF THE
MONTCLAIR HISTORICAL SOCIETY
VISIONARY ($10,000+)
The Whitehill Foundation
LEGENDS ($5,000 - $9,999)
Landsberger Foundation
Roy & Marianne Smith
Toyota, Inc.
HERITAGE PARTNERS
($2,500 - $4,999)
Boiling Springs Savings Bank
Investors Foundation
PRESERVATION PARTNERS
($1,000 - $2,499)
Aubin Ames
Lisa Caplan
Jane Griffith
Tracey Higgins & James Leitner
Rosemary & Al Iversen
Christine James
Norman James
Christina Mayer & Kevin Cooney
James & Frances Mills
Alfred Otero
New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a
state partner of the National Endowment for
the Humanities.
Garden State Historic Preservation Trust
Fund, administrated by the New Jersey
Historic Trust.
The William Short Fund for New Jersey of
the National Trust for Historic Preservation
The Landsberger Foundation
The Whitehill Foundation
Corporate Sponsors
Boiling Springs Savings Bank
FM Global Foundation
Investors Foundation
Ridge Restoration
Toyota, Inc.
Yardwork
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In the Crane Family’s Hands
As part of the reinterpretation, a
number of Crane family artifacts
that had been stored in our
archives have been introduced into
the house. These artifacts help
bring the Crane family to life.
Annie Crane’s Diary
Oliver Crane’s Journal
Oliver Crane was born in 1759 to
William Crane and his wife Mercy,
who entertained George Washington
when he “slept here” in Montclair.
Oliver served in the War of 1812 and
died in 1817, perhaps as a result of
injuries he received trying to quiet
three horses that had become unruly
in the churchyard. He kept a journal
of his business transactions with
individuals in the 1780s. His entries
give us a hint about everyday life as
he purchases an almanac, a penknife,
two quarts of rum and molasses.
Now located in the front parlor of the
Crane House, his journal reminds
visitors of the businesses Israel
Crane conducted from that very
room.
Annie was James’ and Phebe’s
daughter-in-law, married to Charles
Dodd Crane. Five of her journals are
in the Montclair Historical Society’s
archives. Unlike Oliver’s journal,
which records his business
transactions, Annie’s diaries are
about her life as a minister’s wife
and young mother. Living in New
England, she speaks of missing
Charles when he is away from home
visiting his family in New Jersey. It
also includes entries she wrote while
visiting the old Montclair homestead
herself. Perhaps one of the most
poignant passages recalls the
passing of her young son, who died
at age 13 months in 1880.
Pottery Shards from the
Glenridge Avenue site
Shortly after the Crane house was
moved in 1965, the founders of the
Montclair Historical Society
conducted an archeological dig at
the original site. They recovered
pottery shards used by the Crane
family throughout their occupation
in the house. They put out a
request for donations of objects
that reflected the type of pottery
and china owned by the Crane
family. Check out these pieces,
which are on display in the early
Crane parlor in the Hackensack
cabinet.
James B. Crane’s Civil
War Discharge Papers
James Beach Crane, the son of
James and Phebe Crane, enrolled
in the 79th Infantry Division,
Company A on February 8, 1864.
He served for more than a year,
joining General Ulysses S. Grant
on the Overland Campaign
through Virginia. He mustered out
on July 14, 1865 – two months after
General Robert E. Lee
surrendered at Appomattox. His
papers describe him as having a
light complexion with hazel eyes.
He was twenty-one years old.
Mission of the Montclair Historical Society
The mission of the Montclair Historical Society is to PRESERVE, EDUCATE, and SHARE. We PRESERVE our local
history through our historical buildings, artifacts and documents. We EDUCATE the community on local history and
its importance through programs, advocacy and exhibits. We SHARE the stories and history of the various persons
and groups that have and continue to shape Montclair.
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The Price of
Liberty
Like last year’s Created Equal film
series, this year’s series explores
issues related to Civil Rights and race
relations. With the Price of Liberty,
however, we’re going local with films
about New Jersey, Essex County, and
even Montclair.
The film/discussion series will
be held on Wednesday
evenings from 7 to 9 pm at the
Montclair Public Library, 50 S.
Fullerton Avenue. A humanities
scholar hosts each program,
which includes film clips and
discussion on the film’s topic.
Everyone is welcome to attend
one or more of the screenings.
Admission is free.
Become explores early 20th
century Montclair through the
eyes of women who attended
the YWCA. Their stories
bring to life a town grappling
with de facto segregation,
integration, and the Civil
Rights Movement.
February 25: Revolution '67
Host: Leslie Wilson, PhD
On July 12, 1967, the arrest of an
African-American cab driver
named John Smith sparked
explosive riots in Newark. What
began as a peaceful protest
quickly escalated with shouts of
“police brutality,” Molatov
cocktails, and looting.
Revolution ’67 chronicles the
events that took place in
Newark in the Summer of 1967.
April 29: A Place Out of
Time (Bordentown)
Host: Lillie Edwards, PhD
For 70 years, the Bordentown
School was an educational
utopia that many AfricanAmerican people from our
area attended. An incubator
for black pride and intellect,
it taught values, discipline,
and life skills to generations
of black children. This is the
story of that remarkable
school, as told by Bordentown
alumni, historians, and
remarkable archival footage.
March 25: A Place to Become
Host: Lillie Edwards, PhD
Produced by the Montclair
Historical Society, A Place to
May 27: The Rule
Host: Leslie Wilson, PhD
This film brings the film series
discussion to the present day.
Newark Abbey, a monastery
in Newark, teaches students
of St. Benedicts’s Prep based
on “The Rule” that is 1,500
years old and has guided
Benedictine monks
throughout history. The
Benedictine monks instill a
sense of community in the
most vulnerable student body
-- inner-city African American
and Latino teenage males - who then go on to achieve
amazing educational success.
This
program is made
possible in part by funds
from the New Jersey Historical
Commission, a division of the
department of State, administered by
the Essex County Division of Cultural
and Historic Affairs. The Created Equal
Film Series was made possible through
a major grant from the National
Endowment for the Humanities, as part
of the "Bridging Cultures" initiative; in
partnership with the Gilder Lehrman
Institute of American History.
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ARTIFACT ALLURE
This column highlights
different artifacts from our
collections each issue..
Enjoy!
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It’s a question we’re often asked during tours of the
Shultz House. To be honest, it’s a question we’ve
asked ourselves.
With all the experimental electrical gadgets in Mr. Shultz’s library,
it’s hard to believe the two men who lived 3.3 miles from each other
and shared a similar interest hadn’t met at some time. Unfortunately,
there’s no concrete evidence to support their friendship.
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Did Charles Shultz know
Thomas Edison?
In the library at the
Shultz House, there’s a
large wooden object
called a
megalethoscope.
Venetian Carl Ponti
invented the
megalethoscope in the
1860s as a way to view
albumen photographs,
the most common type
of photographic prints
made in the 19th
century. The prints are
shiny, thanks to a
coating of egg white,
and are often a purplish
brown color.
According to an
appraiser on the
Antique Roadshow, “In
the mid-19th century,
when photography was
very new, it boomed
quite quickly, and soon
it went from being a
small industry to a very
large industry. …
People could have
photographs of their
relatives and of famous
places. … So inventors
scrambled for different
ways for people to view
these. And this is really
the Cadillac of
viewers.”
Over the holidays, Board of Trustees member Helen Fallon visited
Glenmont, Edison’s home in historic Llewellyn Park and noticed a
guest book that belonged to Thomas Edison. Was Charles’ name
among the handsomely-scribed signatures?
We asked Park Ranger Beth Miller and she responded: “Yes, the
guest book from Glenmont is quite a gem. It contains names of
famous figures who visited such as Orville Wright and Helen Keller - even Thomas Edison himself signed it. But alas, not your Charles.
We have a copy of the guest book but not in digital form. It is great
to capture everyone's style of signature.
“I am familiar with the story of the Shultz house,” she continued,
“And have had many friends and colleagues associated with the
Montclair Historical Society in the past. I am always on the look out
for Shultz-related information in our collection but have yet to find
anything. I even have a post it on my bulletin board reminding me
to keep looking! Maybe some day…”
Charles S. Shultz
Thomas A. Edison
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Gaulimaufrey*
* an archaic word for a mixture of odds and ends
Welcome to our new Museum
Coordinator, Olivia Mercado.
Olivia was first introduced to the
Montclair Historical Society as part
of Professor Chris Matthews’
archeological dig on our site two
years ago. She has since
graduated from Montclair State
University, and will be completing
her degree in Museum Studies
from Seton Hall University this
spring. We are delighted to have
Olivia join the staff!
Shortly after the first of the
year, the low water cut off on
the boiler at the Clark House
malfunctioned and the boiler
began to “dry-fire.” Thanks to
Stepan Steffan of Head-to-Toe
Harmony and the Montclair Fire
Department, the boiler was shut
down preventing a fire.
Caretaker James Scott quickly
shut down the water to prevent
The last of the pine needles have
been cleaned up, and as always,
special thanks go to the Garden
Club of Montclair for their artistry
in decorating our sites for the
holidays. The Crane House and
Historic YWCA truly sparkled.
Special thanks also to volunteers,
Board, staff for helping set up the
Shultz family’s own Christmas
decorations, and to Carol
D’Alessandro and Vintage Alley in
Verona for their help in locating
Christmas décor for our
midcentury YWCA room.
April 30 through May 2
Annual Herb* Sale
Thursday 9 am – 8 pm
Friday 9 am- 5 pm
Saturday 9 am - 4 pm
(or until we sell out)
Preorder forms will be available on our
website in April.
*This year we’ll be selling Heirloom
veggies as well!
cracked pipes. We were up and
running again 48 cold hours later
with a brand new boiler. Here’s
hoping you are staying warm this
winter!
Pick up your own copy of A Place
to Become: Montclair through the
Eyes of the Glenridge Avenue
YWCA (1920-1965), the
documentary we produced based
on the oral histories of the women
who participated in the YWCA. It’s
now available in our museum
shop, by calling 973-744-1796, or
on our website.
Farmer Needed! The Montclair
Community Farm Coalition
received a grant to provide
affordable, locally-raised food on a
food truck to Montclair’s seniors.
The funding includes a farmer,
who can work about 20 hours a
week to grow the food for the farm
truck. Interested? Experienced?
Please call us at 973-744-1796 and
ask for Karen Lee, the Community
Farm Coordinator.
How to Give without Giving
Do you have an account at Investors Bank or Boiling Springs Savings Bank?
If you have an account at either
Investors Bank or Boiling
Springs Savings Bank, you can
donate to the Montclair
Historical Society without
donating a penny. Each bank
has a community service
program that allows you to link
your account with a nonprofit
organization. The bank
donates money to the nonprofit
based on the number or balances of
the linked accounts. Your balance is
not touched; it’s a donation from the
bank.
What do you need to do to link an
account? For Boiling Springs
Savings Bank, go to their website
and look under their Community
Alliance Program tab. There are
directions for opening an account or
a form to complete for linking an
existing account. Drop the form off at
your Boiling Springs Savings Bank
branch and we’re linked!
Investors Bank’s Care2Share
program works in much the same
way. Go to their website and click
the “community” tab. At the bottom
of that page, there’s a form to
download to link your account. Once
you’ve completed the form, bring it
in to your Investors Bank branch.
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Montclair Historical Society
108 Orange Road
Montclair, NJ 07042
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage PAID
West Caldwell, NJ
Permit #855
Teach your children well.
At the Montclair Historical Society, we believe children can learn about history in fun and
interactive ways, not just through history books. To that end, we have many children’s
programs available including SECOND SUNDAY FAMILY FUNDAYS, which take place on the
2nd Sunday of each month and feature activities and crafts for children; PRESIDENT’S DAY
FOR CHILDREN, an opportunity to explore our how presidents lived; HOME SCHOOL
PROGRAMS including Crafting Your Way through History and Plant the Seed, a service
learning program that combines history, science, nutrition, and farming; FIELD TRIPS FOR
STUDENTS IN K-12; opportunities for JUNIOR DOCENTS, and more.