Page:History of West Hoboken NJ.djvu/31

 CHAPTER III.

Streets and Improvements.

In the days above mentioned there were no streets running north and south through the town, except the Weavertown road (now Boulevard), until 1870, when Palisade avenue was opened, then there was so little traffic that this street became a sort of lane, and in wet weather it was axel deep in mud, and could not be used at all. Imagine to yourself the looks of this place when I say that even as late as 1882 there were no side streets from Stevens street north to Angelique street, and no avenues except the two aforesaid.

This whole section was composed of a few homesteads, which were all west of the present line of Spring street. East of Spring street, this section boasted of two little huts that reminded you of some rancher's huts, surrounded as they were with vast plains, on which silently grazed the cattle of all the dairymen of this section.

All this land was owned by the Hoboken Land and Improvement Company and was known as the "commons." It was on these "commons" that the U.S. Government in 1861 maintained a camp for their soldiers.

When the car stables were erected the Railroad Company leased part of the commons from the owners, fenced it in, and used it for pasturage for their horses. The lake in our town park recently filled up, was in the corner of this pasture and served as a drinking place for the horses. Part of this tract (east of Clinton avenue) was still used for this purpose twelve years ago.

Spring street was opened in 1882, and the land from Oak street to Angelique street, was so low and swampy that the new street was raised 10 feet above the surrounding land, until it intersected Angelique street, when it again reached the level. None of the side streets in this district were opened previous to 1888, and then only a few, most of them leaving been laid out during the last ten years. All these streets had to be filled in and raised from 5 to 10 feet, and this filling was mostly all taken from the "commons," which, east of Clinton avenue, were very high and hilly.