The Inception of a Parkway
It began with one man and one river...
The whole idea for the Rahway River Parkway birthed in 1919 when a County sheriff hoped to save "his" river. Thankfully, enough Union County residents believed in the power of his vision, banned together, and forged forward to save the Rahway River.
Union County Sheriff, James E. Warner, knew every foot of the Rahway River, from its seeping source in the Watchung Mountains to where it emptied into the brackish waters of Arthur Kill. He had fished its clear pools since childhood, and in the middle ages, he mourned the reeking pollution ruining his river.
In 1919, Warner wrote to the Cranford Citizen pleading to save the Rahway River and make it a memorial to the young men who had died in the just concluded WWI.
Cranford committeeman D.C.N. Collins paid attention and was determined to realize Warner's dream. He wrote to the Elizabeth Daily journal the following:
“Think of Union County thirty years hence. Think what a splendid county this would be to live in if our system of streams and mountains and forests were owned by the county and restored to their elemental purity. Or think of what the count will be thirty years from now if they are not!”
This launched newspaper support across Union County. Editorials in the Rahway Record, The Westfield Leader & Cranford Citizen and Chronicle supported the proposal. However, the major editorial boost came on May 5,1919, when Elizabeth Daily Journal, declared that Warner's idea was "a duty rather than an opportunity.”
This gave rise to a tremendous amount of support and advocates for Warner's proposal. The Rahway Women's Club immediately forwarded a resolution of support to the Union County Board of Freeholders. The Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce had one of its members organize Union County Park Association to urge the creation of a Park Commission. In order to appoint a Park Commission, State law mandated that the County have a minimum population of 200,000.
When the 1920 census indicated that Union County’s population fell short of that number by 100, Cranford residents canvassed every home to get signed affidavits from anyone who had not been present during the official census. The population of Union County was 200,157.
In April of 1921, Superior Court Justice James J. Bergen was petitioned to appoint a temporary commission to study the feasibility of a Park Commission. On April 30, a temporary commission was named and given $10,000.00 and two years to complete the study. In less than five months, the group finished the study and returned $8,391.00 of the money. The emphasis of the report was to move quickly, before the available open space was gone.
On the November 8, 1921 ballot, voters were asked to approve a permanent five-member Park Commission and $2.5 million to be spent at the commission’s discretion. Soon after, Warner's dream to save the river and its surrounding parkland was to become a reality.
It Takes a Village... and a park commission
"To Benefit the Whole Population"
On December 21,1921 the members of the newly appointed park commission met for the first time electing Henry S. Chatfield as President, and agreed to meet two or three times a week. On weekends and spare afternoons they scouted potential parkland opportunities. There was no time to spare with specific goals to meet.
Volunteers were emerging to help with the efforts but the commission knew volunteers alone would not suffice. The Commissioners established an office at 286 North Broad Street, Elizabeth, and by mid February of 1922 contrived the two most important professional moves in the Commission's history.
First they hired the celebrated landscape architects, the Olmsted Brothers. By then, the Olmsted firm had designed New York's Central Park, Prospect Park, Harvard grounds and many other notable public lands.
Today, Frederick Law Olmsted, founder of the Olmsted firm, is known as the father of American Landscape Architecture and his design principals have influenced many of the green space found in towns and cities across the country.
Fortunate for us, Olmsted design principals can be found all over our park system starting with the Rahway River Parkway.
Soon after, the commission recruited Princeton graduate, W. Richmond Tracy from his job as chief bridge builder for the Bronx River Parkway Commission and became the first man on the Union County Park Commission payroll as Engineer-Secretary. However, before Tracy and the Olmsteds were hired, the Commission acquired its first land without spending a dime.
On January 18,1922, The Wheatena Company of Rahway gave the Commission four acres of already developed parkland along 2,300 feet of the Rahway River front near the Wheatena plant. (located Elizabeth Ave.). Park Commission agreed to keep the land forever in park condition. Shortly after, donations exceeded all hopes.
Inspired by the Wheatena gift, many Union County people contributed either land or services very early on. Carroll P. Bassett gave 53 acres to the Watchung Reservation. The town of Plainfield donated 20 acres to Cedar Brook Park. Rahway transferred title to its "Poor Farm", a 40 acre tract along the Rahway River. Linden contributed 20 acres for a park in memory of John Russell Wheeler (Wheeler Park), the first NJ Marine and first Linden man to die in WWI. Four Elizabeth residents donated 37 acres in Clark, including a small lake and extensive Rahway River frontage. Four Cranford citizens combined gave another 5,265 feet of Rahway River frontage.
In the first 25 years of the Commission, donated comprised 500 acres, valued at $839,675. Donations and various purchases set forth the land needed to build the park county park system.
The foundation for a park system was set and by 1925 three segments were the Commissions center of joy- (1) Warinanco Park was the "city park" at walking distance to the County's most populated city, Elizabeth, then (2) Cedar Brook Park which literally rose from the swamps into rolling green lawns, flowing stream, a lake and variety of walks and paths- and lastly, what the Commission viewed as its crown jewel of the system, the Watchung Reservation. Each showcased the varied types of reserved land that the Commissioners knew were needed in a county rising in population and recreational needs.
The Commission comprised of Henry S. Chatfield, Charles A. Reed, Caxton Brown, Charles Hansel, and Arthur R. Wendell, who were outspoken on its goal and guided by the following principal:
"The plan of any County Park System should be based on the principal that such system would benefit the whole population of the county, that it should be convenient and easily accessible to the large centers of population and that above all else, it should take over and preserve for park purposes land adoptable for parks before it is utilized for residences, factories or other purposes.”
Today, due to the vision of one man and his love of the river in collaboration with a community of citizens, we have a park system both strong in heritage and rich in green space. Preserving park purposes and its utilization for the whole population is essential for the future of its existence.
A Rahway River Parkway Pioneer
One person's generous act inspired others to follow...
On January 18, 1922, the Wheatena Company of Rahway gave the Park Commission four acres of already developed parkland along 2300 feet of the Rahway River near the Wheatena plant.
Arthur R. Wendell, owner of the Wheatena Company purchased Wheatena from Health Foods. He separated the businesses and formed a new company called The Wheatena Corporation. In 1907, the Wheatena Corporation moved to a new, modern plant in Rahway, New Jersey dubbed "Wheatenaville". The plant was beautifully landscaped and was often recognized nationally for its elaborate grounds.
Inspired by the Wheatena gift of Rahway River parkland, many Union County people contributed either land or services during the early years of the park commission. Overall donations exceeded all of the Park Commission's hopes.
By 1925, donations of land far outstripped condemnations in both value and acreage. In the Commission's first 25 years, donations comprised 500 acres, valued at $839.675. Condemned lands totaled only 450 acres valued at $312,000.
Arthur Rindge Wendell of Rahway/Summit (1876-1952) served on the Union County Park Commission from 1921-1952, four of those years as its president. A bench dedicated to his memory is located at Rahway River Park facing the lake on the right side of the park before exiting. The plaque reads the following:
ARTHUR RINDGE WENDELL OF RAHWAY AND SUMMIT:
"Pioneer in landscaping for industry, an ardent leader in the establishment of the Union County Park Commission by referendum vote of the people, an original member of the commission, its president for four years. He served with wisdom, faith and zeal continuously from 1921-1952."