Woodside, the North End of Newark, N.J.: Its History, Legends and Ghost Stories Gathered from the Records and the Older Inhabitants Now Living

In Short

This book functions as a hybrid of regional history, family memoir, and character study. It chronicles the transformation of Woodside, a North End section of Newark, New Jersey, from an isolated, agrarian landscape into a burgeoning residential suburb. By weaving together official records, land deeds, and the personal recollections of long-time inhabitants, the narrative documents the evolution of the area’s infrastructure, its churches, and its colorful cast of residents. It endures as a meticulously preserved time capsule of nineteenth-century American neighborhood life, capturing the intimate, often whimsical details that typically escape the pages of formal history.

The Story

The narrative begins with the geography of Woodside before 1866, when it was a sparsely populated farming district. The inhabitants were, by and large, self-sufficient, relying on neighboring towns for goods and worship. The land itself, characterized by its cooling breezes and pleasant woodlands, was initially shaped by early settlers like the Coeymans and the Kings, whose families held the region’s soil for generations. The account details the Revolutionary era, noting how local families hid their household linens in barns to avoid confiscation by passing troops and how children inadvertently aided soldiers with garden harvests.

As the nineteenth century progressed, the area shifted. The establishment of industry, such as the calico print works along the Second River, brought new workers and a different social rhythm to the quiet country lanes. Soon, the agrarian character of the region began to yield to the encroaching influence of Newark. The narrative arc turns to the mid-1860s, a pivotal moment when the area was opened to residential development. The arrival of an English immigrant, Miles I’Anson, is credited with suggesting the name "Woodside" for the locality, marking its transition into a recognized suburban identity.

At the center of this transition stands Charles Cole Hine, whose life and work become the lens through which the latter portion of the book is viewed. Hine, a man of wide interests—ranging from insurance writing to church organization—arrived in Woodside in 1867. His efforts to establish community staples, such as the local Presbyterian church and Sunday school, mirrored the rapid growth of the neighborhood. The narrative expands to include the experiences of other significant residents, such as the jeweler James Swinnerton and the veteran Thomas W. Kinsey, detailing their contributions to the township’s civic life and their memories of the older, "vanishing" Woodside.

The story concludes by reflecting on the inevitable encroachment of city life—the arrival of the trolley, the integration of Woodside into Newark, and the passing of the figures who defined its formative years. Through anecdotes of ghost stories, eccentric recluses, and the day-to-day work of mission bands, the text paints a picture of a place that felt, for a brief time, like a distinct, self-contained world. The final chapters serve as a testament to the community’s spirit, emphasizing the personal connections and shared labor that built the foundations of the town, even as the landscape itself continued to change.

How It Unfolds

The pastoral beginnings The book opens by establishing the region’s geography and the slow, agrarian pace of life prior to the mid-nineteenth century. It draws on local oral traditions, such as the stories of Revolutionary War soldiers and the early families who occupied the land near the Second River.

The shift toward industry The focus transitions to the economic developments that brought new people to the area, specifically the rise and fall of the calico print works. This section highlights the transformation of rural lanes into busier transit corridors and the arrival of an immigrant population seeking work.

The residential development The narrative moves to the 1860s, chronicling the subdivision of farmland into residential plots and the building of the first suburban homes. It provides specific details about the builders, such as the firm of Morrison & Briggs, who were instrumental in shaping the area's physical aesthetic.

The community builders The middle portion centers on the civic and spiritual organization of the neighborhood, primarily through the life of C. C. Hine. The text outlines the creation of the church and the establishment of local institutions that tied the new residents together.

The anecdotal epilogue The final sections collect a series of sketches and reminiscences about individual residents, ranging from prominent church leaders to local characters. It concludes by reflecting on the loss of the old, quiet Woodside to modern municipal expansion and the enduring nature of the memories captured within the book.

The People

The text is defined by its focus on individuals who acted as the "glue" of the Woodside community. Charles Cole Hine is the central figure, a self-taught, intellectually curious man who served as the primary architect of the neighborhood’s social and religious life. His wife, Mary Hazard Avery Hine, is presented as an equally formidable force, a leader in women’s organizations and mission work who managed a household of significant complexity while maintaining an active public life.

Beyond the Hine family, the narrative highlights James Swinnerton, a jeweler whose "antiquarian bent" and detailed memory provided much of the source material for the book. Swinnerton is cast as the model citizen, a town clerk who earned the overwhelming trust of his neighbors. Thomas W. Kinsey represents the rugged, adventurous element of the community; his long, decorated service in the Civil War—including surviving a gunshot wound to the head—gives him a unique standing among the local veterans. Other figures, like the enigmatic recluse Herbert, appear as reminders of the town’s eccentric past, standing in contrast to the orderly, industrious nature of the men like Hine and Swinnerton. These individuals are not presented as heroes of legend, but as neighbors whose specific traits—their temperance, their hospitality, or their professional drive—collectively defined the character of the North End.

In Its Own Voice

“Woodside, until it was opened as a residence section, was a purely farming region whose inhabitants went elsewhere for their groceries and religion, and as the average farmer thinks more of making hay than history, the movement must necessarily be somewhat slow.”

This line provides the rationale for the book’s focus on the transition from an agrarian society to a suburban one.

“The army lay on the Coeyman farm long enough to cut down every forest tree that stood thereon, and all the fine old trees that we knew thirty years ago are said to have come into being since then.”

The author uses this detail to illustrate the long-lasting impact of the Revolutionary War on the local landscape.

What It's Really About

At its core, the book is an inquiry into the nature of "place-making"—how a collection of disparate settlers, farmers, and laborers transforms a geography into a community. It argues that history is not merely a series of large-scale events, but the sum of small, local efforts: the building of a church, the organizing of a mission band, and the preservation of family names in deeds and property lines. The text grapples with the tension between the inevitability of progress and the desire to hold onto the past. It asks what is lost when a rural area is absorbed by a city, finding the answer in the specific, human-scale memories of those who lived through the change.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the slow, deliberate pace of local antiquarianism will find this book deeply rewarding. It reads like a conversation with an older resident who remembers the names of every family on every lane, offering a sense of intimacy that is rare in modern historical writing. The book is particularly valuable for those interested in the social history of New Jersey or the broader evolution of the American suburb, as it captures the transition from a nineteenth-century rural mindset to the organized, committee-led life of the early twentieth century.

However, the reader should be prepared for the book’s occasional lack of polish; it is a labor of love rather than a professional history, and it sometimes wanders into minor detail or repetitive genealogical lists. The author’s writing style is a product of its time, reflective of the period’s values and its specific attitudes toward immigration, labor, and social class. Some of the language and the focus on "old inhabitants" may feel exclusionary to the modern reader, yet these qualities are exactly what make it an authentic historical artifact. If you enjoy uncovering the hidden layers of a neighborhood and the quiet, persistent effort it takes to build a community, this book offers a warm, meticulously documented journey into the past.