This week, the West Essex Tribune presents its bi-annual “Celebrate Livingston’s History” section. It is one of our most popular features, in part because it speaks to our township’s sense of community; no matter who we are, we live here, together, in Livingston, and we all share that common thread.
As always, our “Celebrate Livingston’s History” section contains interesting tidbits about the history of our town and its residents: stories of beloved, but now defunct institutions; tales of the founding families who gave their names to our streets and schools; and old photos and news articles that provide insight to what Livingston was like back “in the old days.”
This month’s section includes a firsthand account by a Livingston medical student who was evacuated from the island of Grenada during the attempted coup of 1983; the story of Temple B’nai Abraham’s Rabbi Joachim Prinz, a well-known Civil Rights activist; a look at the Livingston of 25 years ago; and vignettes from the Tribune describing how the township was touched by World War II.
Not too many towns have a sense of history, pride and stability that can provide enough stories to fill multiple historyfocused issues each year. It’s a fun and informative way to learn about our town, whether you are new to Livingston, or your family has been here for generations! From our more than 100-year-old fire department, to businesses that have been around for half a century and endure to this day, it is always a treat to open these pages and see what once was and what continues to thrive.
Livingston is an old town with a rich history, one whose roots date back to the Revolutionary War and our country’s very beginnings. We have sent soldiers to fight in every major conflict in which this nation has been involved, and our town and our residents played a role in the war for independence that birthed this nation. Livingston survived the turmoil of the Civil War, the hardships of the Great Depression, and the deprivations of the Second World War. Since then, our township has grown from a quiet rural hamlet to a booming suburban center, with a population exceeding the 30,000 mark. As the population has increased, it has become increasingly diverse.
It is from that history that much of this sense of community is born. We have families that have lived here for many generations, some for centuries. For example, the Meeker family, who fought in the Revolutionary War, had descendants still living here at the end of the 20th century. Founding families – such as the Collinses, Elys, Squiers, Burnets, and Ashbys – stayed in town until well into the 20th (and even 21st!) century, playing continued roles in its development, and lending their names to our schools and our streets.
That same spirit continues today. Many other Livingston families, although you won’t see their names on street signs, have lived here for many decades. Our popular “40 Years Ago” section is proof of that. You will often see the same names in that column that you see today, as different generations of the same families settle here to continue their participation in community life.
Even when locals move out of Livingston, an amazing number of them maintain a connection with the community they once called home. Numerous out-of-town Tribune subscriptions, Facebook pages dedicated to Livingston in the 1960s and ’70s, and regular telephone calls, letters and emails to our office, reflect the invisible thread that binds us all as Livingstonites, past and present. This thread bears witness to the deep seated-affection of its residents that make Livingston such a special place in which to live. No matter how large Livingston has gotten, it retains a “small town feel,” seen most obviously in the way residents come together – often fiercely – for a common cause or to help others.
It is this connection that forms the basis of the unique relationship that the Tribune has with our neighbors. As an independent community newspaper (one of only a few left in New Jersey), we focus on Livingston, and only Livingston. For 95 years, we, too, have been a part of Livingston’s history, as we chronicle its news, and its news eventually becomes its history. And that is definitely something to celebrate!
We hope you enjoy our history section, and learn a little more about some of our residents and the development of this special town. And thank you for being a Tribune subscriber; as being a part of our little family not only keeps you informed of the day-to-day events happening in your backyard, but also connects you to the past through sections such as this, something you will not easily find elsewhere.
