Paul Foschini Memorial Park

[KDavitt]

Would anyone know the original name of Foschini Park?

[Editor]

I'm not sure about dates, but Forshini Park was once part of the Oritani Field Club before River Street came through (1950's I think). I wonder if that's when the City purchased the property from the Field Club.  You may want to contact the Oritani Field Club and ask them.  Let me know if you do.

Sorry this is so sketchy.  I'll try to find out more.

Click here for picture.

[KDavitt]

Thank you all!

I became interested recently when my son played in a baseball tournament there. When I walked around, I stumbled upon a grove of trees that had stone markers from the American Legion dedicated to Hackensack soldiers who had been killed in the First Wolrd War. What was striking was that of the 15 or so markers I could find, more than half indicated that these men were killed in a single month (The Argonne Forest I believe). It must have been fairly devastating for the townspeople.

[Editor]

Related post (WWI Memorial at Foschini): Click here.

[itsme]

Was the park divided by River Road (Teaneck) or River Street (Hackensack)?

I know, growing up as a kid in Hackensack in the early 60s, my parents also referred to it as Riverside Park which I continue to do today.

[sayhey]

The original name of the park was Riverside Park.  Older Hackensack residents still refer to it as Riverside Park from time to time.  Also, this is for the editor:  River Rd is in Teaneck (yuck) and River St. is in Hackensack.  LOL

[Editor]

Thanks seyhey.  I fixed it. 

Also, River Street was there when the Oritani Field Club was built, so my guess about the City purchasing the park from Oritani after River Street was constructed is also wrong.  I have a map from 1875 and 1896 showing that River Street ended at Passaic Street.  I do know that the Oritani Field Club owned part of what is now Foschini Park.  At some point, the City bought it. 

[Editor]

     The City Engineer tells me there were originally 21 parcels deeded to the Hackensack Improvement Commission (Former name for City) between 1911 and 1912.  The properties belonged to several people.  It probably became Riverside Park shortly after 1912.  Here's the list of the 21 "Grantors":

Affidavit of Title Attachment

     1. Deed between Jane Parke and the Hackensack Improvement Commission dated May 9, 1912 was recorded in the Bergen County Book 813 of Deeds at pages 486 etc.
     2.   Deed between Nellie and John Anderson and the Hackensack Improvement Commission dated May 3, 1915 was recorded in the Bergen County Book 916 of Deeds at pages 70 &c.
     3.   Deed between the Conklin family and the Hackensack Improvement Commission dated August 30, 1926 was recorded in the Bergen County Book 1438 of Deeds at pages 142 &c.
     4.   Deed between Rachel and John Bogert and Irene and George Wakelee and the Hackensack Improvement Commission, dated January 27, 1911 was recorded in the Bergen County Book 789 of Deeds at pages 598 etc.
     5.   Deed between Agostino and Adelina Benda and the Hackensack Improvement Commission dated September 15, 1926 was recorded in the Bergen County Book 1439 of Deeds at pages 335 &c.
     6.   Deed between Louis, Charles, and Irving Conklin and the Hackensack Improvement Commission dated May 24, 1912 was recorded in the Bergen County Book 822 of Deeds at pages 360 etc.
     7.   Deed between Phoebe Combes and Antoinette and Frederick Stadtlander and the Hackensack Improvement Commission dated November 12, 1909 was recorded in the Bergen County Book 750 of Deeds at pages 153 on.
     8.   Deed between William and Anna Deubel and Thomas and Anna Lavach and the Hackensack Improvement Commission dated September 20, 1926 was recorded in the Bergen County Book 1443 of Deeds at pages 138 &c.
     9.   Deed between Louis, Bella, Charles, Edna, frving, and Hettie Conklin and the Hackensack Improvement Commission dated July 24, 1912 was recorded in the Bergen County Book 822 of Deeds at pages 362 &c.
     10. Deed between Florence and William Mackey, Trustee of the Hackensack Rod and Gun Club, and the Hackensack Improvement Commission dated December 17, 1910 was recorded in the Bergen County Book 789 of Deeds at pages 601 etc.
     11. Deed between the Hackensack Rod and Gun Club and the Hackensack Improvement Commission dated April 6, 1911 was recorded in the Bergen County Book 789 of Deeds at pages 603 etc.
     12. Deed between Sarah and Elizabeth Hughes and Mary Hinds and the Hackensack Improvement Commission dated December 27, 1910 was recorded .in the Bergen County Book 774 of Deeds at pages 80 etc.
     13. Deed between Marcell and Annie Halstead and the Hackensack Improvement Commission dated November 24, 1911 was recorded in the Bergen County Book 799 of Deeds at pages 656 on,
     14. Deed between Sarah and Elizabeth Hughes and Mary Hinds and the Hackensack: Improvement Commission dated December 27, 1910 was recorded in the Bergen County Book 774 of Deeds at pages 82 etc.
     15. Deed between Sarah and Elizabeth Hughes and Mary Hinds and the Hackensaek Improvement Commission dated March 14, 1.911 was recorded in the Bergen County Book 778 of Deeds at pages 548 on.
     16. Deed between Michael and Anna Leder and William Hughes dated November 20, 1897 was recorded in the Bergen County Book 480 of Deeds at pages 435 etc.
     17. Deed between William and Georgianna Taylor and William Hughes dated April 12, 1898 was recorded in the Bergen County Book 466 of Deeds at pages 193 etc.
     18. Deed between Jacob Kipp and Michael Leder dated October 25, 1897 was recorded in the Bergen County Book 480 of Deeds at pages 433 etc.
     19. Deed between Thomas Achenbach, administrator c.t.a, of Henry Berry deceased, and William Hughes dated July 9, 1897 was recorded in the Bergen County Book 480 of Deeds at pages 439 etc.
     20. Deed between Henry Norton; trustee of the property of New York, Susquehanna, and Western Railroad Company; and the City of Hackensack dated October 28, 1946 was recorded in the Bergen County Book 2698 of Deeds at Pages 660 etc.
     21. Deed between Oritana Field Club and the Hackensack Improvement Commission dated October 9, 1911 was recorded in the Bergen County Book 795 of Deeds at pages 633 etc.

Today, the park is about 28 acres.

[Editor]

First postcard image from ebay.

Second image from August 2012 (201) Magazine.  Click to enlarge.

[Editor]

From an old-timer I met at the diner:

The City used to operate an incinerator which was located right where the front of the Costco parking lot is located on River Street. The incinerator was a huge brick building with a giant smokestack attached to it. The former department of Public Works sat behind it.

Many years ago, municipalities were prohibited from burning garbage once the state and counties began to operate landfills. From that time on, Hackensack shut down the incinerator and started trucking garbage to the landfills in the Meadowlands.

When the incinerator was in operation, the ash was dumped in what is now known as Foschini Park. Most of the park and baseball fields there now were built on that ash. This probably explains the historically poor drainage in the park, (although the city recently addressed that by elevating the fields).

The incinerator and the old DPW were demolished in the early to mid 1990's as part of the land swap between the City and the developers of Costco.

[Editor]

I found this in a publication called "Hackensack and Bergen County" (1926).

Looking at the proposed plan for the park, I like the idea of a "Lagoon" and a "Harbor for Small Boats".

Click images to enlarge.

[BLeafe]

Who was Lee of Fort Lee, Votee of Votee Park, and Merritt of Camp Merritt? The Name-Dropper gives you the lowdown on some of the people whose names you see on public statues, memorial plaques, park signs, highways, and even some local streets around North Jersey. Have suggestions? Email them to features@northjersey. com and put Name-Dropper in the subject field.


Who is Hackensack's Foschini Park named after?

May 1, 2014    Last updated: Thursday, May 1, 2014, 1:20 AM
By JEFFREY PAGE
SPECIAL TO THE RECORD
The Record


Foschini Park: East Camden Street just off River Street, Hackensack.


It didn't come easy for Paul Foschini.

Getting to be mayor of Hackensack was a complicated affair, but he persevered and eventually, just as some people living though the Great Depression thought FDR might be president forever, Hackensack might have believed that Foschini would be mayor or councilman forever.

Continue:

http://www.northjersey.com/news/education/hackensack-s-forever-mayor-was-a-beloved-figure-in-city-1.1006853