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Unearthing Cranford's rich history.Editor's Note: This piece was written by Cranford resident Stephen Glazer. It has not been edited. This past Saturday was the 202nd anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, our sixteenth president, who guided our nation through the transformative events of the Civil War. Although Lincoln spent little time in New Jersey -- never sleeping even a single night in our state -- he nevertheless directly touched the lives of many of Cranford's own citizens. And the residents of our town directly touched Lincoln's life, too. One resident, William P. Westervelt, helped foil the first …
Editor's Note: This piece was written by Cranford resident Victor Bary and has not been edited. To help preserve a significant period in Cranford's history - when the town was the "Venice of New Jersey," one of the early suburbs of New York, the Historic Preservation Advisory Board (HPAB) is proposing the creation of the North Cranford Historic District (NCHD). Encompassing neighborhoods around the Rahway River where the town started, the area contains many of the houses built from about 1850 to 1920 that provide the character and historical feel of our town. The information assembled in …
As early as the start of November, when banks, stores and churches prepare decorating for impending holidays, the distinctive poinsettia flower appears with its vibrant red blooms just above green leaves. It is a sure sign that Christmas is coming, but much is not known about the plant other than, for many, it tends to lose those bold, red leaves shortly after the New Year. The flower originated from Mexico and Central America and was named after the botanist and first United States Minister to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who first brought the plant to the United States in 1828 (…
On Oct. 10, Cranford residents will celebrate with the first Pedal Paddle Fun day, an all-day event of canoe races, rubber ducky races, bike rides and more including Hanson Park and the Rahway River. While it may be the first Pedal Paddle Fun event, the day's activities harken to the turn of the century, in that Cranford had regular and well known events and celebrations all on the river. The Rahway River activity was so pronounced that Cranford became known as the "Venice of New Jersey," a nickname still used in descriptors of the town. The Rahway runs through Cranford and has long been at …
By now, students might even have the first book report of this school year done, considering it's early October. How does the school year of Cranford's past compare to school days today? The online archives of the Cranford Library provide great insight. There, you can find decades of yearbooks from Cranford's high school. The oldest one dates to 1922, with The Spotlight of Cleveland High School, a 46-page yearbook outlining what school subjects students studied, as well as what students stayed after school to do – Cranford's scholastic clubs and athletics. A yearbook so old shows the timeless…
Among the many celebrated veterans from Cranford is one man credited with inventing the item that helped Allied tanks plow through the hedgerows of Nazi-occupied Europe. In 1944, Curtis Grubb Culin III, was 29 and serving in World War II when he was recommended for a Legion of Merit, awarded for exceptional service. According to The Cranford Citizen and Chronicle of Sept. 7, 1944, Sgt. "Bud" Culin developed the modification, drawing plans up, showing them to his captains, and then seeing his plans spread: "It was demonstrated for almost every general, including Lt. Gen. Omar Bradley, who said…
The reason why the Food and Drug Administration exists can be traced, in part, to Cranford. One of the township's historic residents, Alice Lakey, significantly contributed to many of the consumer protections and food quality rules that are still in place today. Lakey, (1857-1935), served in such organizations as the National Consumers League and the General Federation of Women's Clubs, working to drum up public opinion and effect change in widely unregulated industries. She sent messages via snail mail and via telegram to share her passion for what was called the Pure Food Movement, in a …
