Pascack Historical Society

06/18/2026

"Now that's an ambulance!"

For years the Township of Washington had been served by Westwood’s ambulance service, but in 1956—amid a postwar population boom—volunteers formed the Township of Washington Ambulance Corps.

The first ambulance was a used 1939 LaSalle, shown in the top photo along with an ambulance corps volunteer. The vintage ambulance wasn’t in use in the township for long though.

In 1958 the corps purchased a new Cadillac, shown in the bottom photo. Its first run was on March 31, 1958, when the corps took a 13-year-old to the Hackensack Hospital (this was a year before Pascack Valley Hospital opened in Westwood). The teen only had a minor injury and was home that night.

06/15/2026

Center of Park Ridge in 1911

06/11/2026

This Sunday!

06/09/2026

In River Vale in the 1920s, a couple enjoys a quiet moment on a fallen log on the shore of the Hackensack River. The right photo displays the Clay Hole, one of the most popular swimming spots for several generations of River Vale youth, located on a curve of the river behind the old municipal building.

06/07/2026

A week from today!

06/05/2026

Corner of Washington & Broadway in Hillsdale, the corner's been a-changin'.

06/03/2026

06/02/2026

Remember nok hockey? It was and still is a fun summer game prevalent at the many day camps and swim clubs in the Pascack Valley. The game was fast and combined aspects of pool as clever bank shots were required to score against the fixed wooden goalies. It was always quite satisfying to slam the puck along the side board and watch it ricochet off the goalie and nestle in your opponent's goal!

05/29/2026

Coming soon!

05/28/2026

And the next station is Etna (Emerson). We continue our 1909 - 1910 journey south on the Pascack Valley line, having already passed through Montvale, Woodcliff Lake, Hillsdale, & Westwood.

Known as Etna from 1877 to 1909, the name was changed to Emerson because mail was sometimes misdirected to a NY town named Etna, and the growing Italian population wasn't thrilled being associated with a volcano in Italy. Also, local lore suggests that the fire department had just purchased new equipment affixed with the letter "E" so the town needed a replacement name that also started with that letter🙂!