Author Topic: 1930's Aerial Photo  (Read 33554 times)

Offline Editor

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Re: 1930's Aerial Photo
« Reply #15 on: September 01, 2010, 04:20:10 PM »
FYI: "Standard Aerial Surveys operated out of a factory building in Hackensack, New Jersey from about 1931(or 32) to 1938, when it was moved to Newark, New Jersey."

http://www.dmairfield.org/airplanes/NC858E/index.html (Thanks Jim).

I realize this doesn't help date the photo.

Offline Editor

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Re: 1930's Aerial Photo
« Reply #16 on: September 01, 2010, 04:25:41 PM »
The Eureka Theater, built in 1917, was situated in the middle of the north side of Banta Place.
The Fox Theater was built in 1931, the largest theater in Bergen County. The Fox and the Oritani, built in 1926, are the only two theaters remaining in Hackensack.
From Heritage to Horizons, 1976).

So, if the Oritani is in the picture, then all we can say now is that the picture was taken between 1931 and 1945, correct?

« Last Edit: September 01, 2010, 04:29:29 PM by Editor »

Offline Homer Jones

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Re: 1930's Aerial Photo
« Reply #17 on: September 01, 2010, 04:59:31 PM »
If we assume that the photo company wasn't in business prior to their operating out of a factory building in Hackensack starting in 1931, and if the theater was in fact constructed in 1926, then 1931 would be the bottom of the range. If we can verify that the Mansion House was demolished in 1945 as the Poor's management claims, then 1945 would be the top of the range.What we have to do now is find something(s) that were built within the 14 year gap and the range will be narrowed.

Offline BLeafe

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Re: 1930's Aerial Photo
« Reply #18 on: September 01, 2010, 05:11:53 PM »
George Scudder says that the Fox was built after the Oritani (http://xrl.us/ScudderTheaters), so if you see the Fox, you see the Oritani.

According to the below, the Fox opened in 1932, so the maximum time frame for the image to have been taken is 1932-1945.



(sorry, Editor - I was working off Homer's last post on the previous page and didn't see that you essentially said the same thing above)



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« Last Edit: September 01, 2010, 05:16:56 PM by BLeafe »
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Offline just watching

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Re: 1930's Aerial Photo
« Reply #19 on: September 01, 2010, 07:13:53 PM »

SOME MORE CLUES from buildings that I suspect were built in the 1930's

NOT STANDING --- the large Bell Telephone building on State Street across from Christ Episcopal
STANDING --- Original bus terminal building on River Street
STANDING ---- bank building on SE corner of State St and Salem
STANDING --- 40 Passaic Street, large apartment on corner of State and passaic
STANDING --- 1st Prebyterian Church, at Union and Passaic.  Looks older, but it isn't.
STANDING --- PSE&G industrial building on South Newman Street
STANDING --- oil tank farm, what is now Costco
STANDING --- Edna B. Conklin Home, Essex & Green

Finding when any of these buildings were built will narrow down the date range.

And again, the hospital complex building and expansions, I believe were in the 30s'.  I also don't believe that ROute 17 was built until at least the mid-late 30's, and that is also in the photo.

I wonder if the vacant lot for the Senior's building on Kansas Street was a vegetable garden.  I was also SHOCKED to see a large rectangular building on Propspect Ave exactly where Quail Heights II is located.  I remember when that house was torn down, it was set way back from the street, and almost dead on  it's south property line. It had large buildings on both sides of it.  The front yard was a big  grassy yard, no rectangular building. What on God's earth is that rectangular building ? Where is "prospectgirl" when we need her ? She would know.

Offline Homer Jones

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Re: 1930's Aerial Photo
« Reply #20 on: September 01, 2010, 07:32:15 PM »
The hospital expansion I was referring to -- the Link Pavilion -- was built in the early 1970's.

Most churches have cornerstones. Maybe Mr. Leafe could take a look at the date on the cornerstone, if there is one, of the Church on Passaic and Union.

Offline BLeafe

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Re: 1930's Aerial Photo
« Reply #21 on: September 01, 2010, 08:16:56 PM »
Churches with websites usually have a history link. They're very proud (and very detailed) about their histories.

Two clicks bring you to this:
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Offline Homer Jones

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Re: 1930's Aerial Photo
« Reply #22 on: September 01, 2010, 08:46:20 PM »
That was a quick response. At least we know that building is outside our 13 year window.

Offline BLeafe

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Re: 1930's Aerial Photo
« Reply #23 on: September 01, 2010, 09:29:29 PM »
ROUTE 17

Prior to 1927, Rt 17 was Rt 17N, but the route followed local streets. In 1927, it became Rt 2. The route was moved to a multilane divided highway BY 1937 - not IN 1937, so we can't nail down a year. It became Rt 17 in 1942.


None of this helps our quest, but this next bit might narrow it down a little more:

MUNICIPAL BUS TERMINAL

Assuming I've got the right municipal bus terminal, according to this - http://xrl.us/MunicTerm - it opened in 1937, so the image should be from somewhere between 1937 and 1945.

If the original folder is accurate, it would be between 1937 and 1939.



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Offline Homer Jones

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Re: 1930's Aerial Photo
« Reply #24 on: September 01, 2010, 09:39:08 PM »
As they used to say in the Army, "The shot group is getting tighter."

Offline Editor

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Re: 1930's Aerial Photo
« Reply #25 on: September 01, 2010, 10:03:02 PM »
The text below is from the 7/15/41 Meeting Minutes.  It notes an item for payment for the demolition of 73 State St (corner of Myer and State). This is a vacant lot in the aerial picture, based on comparisons to Google Maps. It's where Zaentz Hardware is now, although now it's "75 State".

If my theory holds, this dates the picture to between 1941 and 1945. If local finance law was then what it is now, municipalities can't pay for services until they are rendered.  So, it's likely that the building was demolished before the bill appeared on the 1941 bills list. True- it could also have come down any time before 1941 but one would think the contractor would expect payment soon after the work is complete.

You can search the Historic Meeting Minutes here for more clues.

Note: According the Inflation Calendar, what cost $75.00 in 1941 would cost $1080.89 in 2009.
« Last Edit: September 01, 2010, 10:22:01 PM by Editor »

Offline BLeafe

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Re: 1930's Aerial Photo
« Reply #26 on: September 01, 2010, 11:23:42 PM »
[This was also posted in the "Hackensack Street Cars/Trolleys (Photos)" topic]

I just found a page - http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=300912 - that shows a trolley car in the "Hackensack Car Yard".

It also gives a date - August 4, 1938 - and mentions that it's two days before "abandonment of the Hudson River Line", so now we know when that major trolley line ceased to serve Hackensack.


We also now know that Editor's picture could not have been taken before 1938 (or after 1945).



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Offline Editor

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Re: 1930's Aerial Photo
« Reply #27 on: September 01, 2010, 11:28:03 PM »
Another great image find from Bob!

In all fairness, the Meeting Minutes also indicate that 165 Union St was demolished by March 1, 1938. Click here for the minutes.

In the picture below, 165 Union could be the empty space next to the white building, but who knows? It's roughly were Google maps has 165 Union now but Google's address are only "approximate".

This would bring the image to between 1938-1945. I think I'll stick to "73 State" theory but offer this as an alternative.



« Last Edit: September 01, 2010, 11:31:05 PM by Editor »

Offline Top of the Hill

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Re: 1930's Aerial Photo
« Reply #28 on: September 02, 2010, 02:13:11 PM »
I'm 2800 miles and 23 years away, so don't know if this will help the sleuths on this board or not.... but if you look below Hillers School you will see there is a large house where "2nd Ward Park", maybe "3rd Ward Park" is, I forget the name.... when I was a kid there was a large concrete building there with a terrace facing Polifly Road. I'm sure it had a plaque with a date on it. If the building still exists that might be a clue to narrowing down the dates. Between the time Hillers was built and this park building was built. Hope it helps.

Offline just watching

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Re: 1930's Aerial Photo
« Reply #29 on: September 03, 2010, 07:12:46 PM »

I'm glad so many people are helping with this.

ROUTE 17 --- Someone posted that it became a multi-lane divided highway by 1937, but not necessarily in 1937.  That is shown on the photo, so the photo has to be 1937 or later.  Doesn't matter if it was called Route 2 at the time.

Not sure how important the rail abandonment information is to dating the aerial photo.  The rail line was abandoned on a specific date, but the rails weren't ripped up on that date.  They were there for many years later, and it is possible that a trolley car could have been abandoned.

I wasn't referring to the Link Pavillion hospital expansion. Some of the large buildings in the hospital campus date to this approximate time period, even if they are now completely encased inside larger buildings.  Is there a hospital historian that can be contacted to view that portion of the aerial photo.

Looks like we have 1937 as the bottom window (based on Municipal Bus Terminal information) and approximately 1942 as the top window. That's interesting about the 73 State Street information, could the pic actually be WWII vintage.