Page:History of West Hoboken NJ.djvu/29

 If you at any time pass this old place look at it as it is to-day, and picture to yourself the change old Father Time has made in it, and its surroundings.

The land in the vicinity of the car stables was wet and swampy. There were no streets here previous to 1860, and a board walk was built which ran from a point about where the present Ann street intersects Spring street to Buck's corner, and served as a short cut for people wishing to visit the old tavern.

In the middle of the township there was a beautiful piece of woodland, known by the name of Syms woods. This tract was bounded on the east by the present line of Spring street, on the south about 100 feet south of Syms street, on the west about 100 feet east of Central avenue, and on the north by John street. A fine spring was situated in this wood, which supplied most of the inhabitants of the neighborhood with the finest of drinking water.

In this old wood most all the picnics of those days were held. Even the people of Hoboken would journey up the hill side to this wood to hold their picnics. We find in the minutes of the town council of June, 1871, a motion to "allow the trustees privilege to maintain a bar for the sale of malt liquors said bar to be in the woods." This was Syms woods and the picnic was in aid of the Widows' and Orphans' fund of the fire department. The gate leading to this wood was situated exactly on the present site of Dusaneks saloon on Spring street.