My name is Sonya Hansen. I Just found your wonderful article about Oakland. I was especially excited to see the picture of the Neilsen house. Alf Neilsen was my uncle. My parents Dagny and Hans Hansen brought life into an old building that was about to be torn down. They were able to purchase it for 3,000 dollars for back taxes. We had wonderful neighbors, Pulis, Boone, and Bredimus. Frank Ahlers ran the gas station across the street from us, but I never cared for him. Grumpy, mean old man as far as I was concerned, but I digress.
There are five of us, that used to live right there, the part of Oakland that was not mentioned in any detail that are very interested in learning more about our history. After reading your article, I couldn’t help but feel, “ What about our end of town?” I have been in touch with our neighbors, not any Ahlers, and we’re all excited and interested in finding more about our end of town.
Bradford Boone, Evelyn Hansen Sensale, Cean Bredimus, Nick Bredimus and myself. We have many questions that you might be able to answer, We also have information that I’m sure with your interest in Oakland you’d be pleased to know. I will forward some of the correspondence we have had so you will know get a better idea as to what information we would so much enjoy having…and memories we have.
They moved the Dutch Reformed Church from my corner to up-town where it became the Community Building. Now the library. I graduated from Oakland Grammar School in 1944…and have such wonderful memories of our town.
I’ll bet you didn’t know that on Thursday’s Bush’s market sold chopped meat, two pounds for 35 ? Everyone in Oakland had either meat loaf or hamburgers on Thursday night. Of course we Hansen’s had Norwegian meat balls.
Would so appreciate hearing from you. Sonya Hansen Huhn
Hi Sonya,
Thank you for sharing this wonderful letter. You’ve captured Captain Hacketts essence with your words.I saw him only occasionally after I married ‘though Evelina always kept me enthralled with his activities and his accomplishments. How we loved him. He would take us on adventures regularly. He would treat us to hamburgers and vanilla malts at the Oakland drugstore. He laughed with us and consulted with us on our reading choices. It meant so very much to me because I was always being teased for my bookworm tendencies. I believe we came to call him Captain Hackett because he taught at the Oakland Military Academy when we met him. I never outgrew addressing him as such. Evelyn eventually called him Charlie.I remember one time we girls took the pennies from
his change jar and stuck them all on his wall. He had the grace to find this hilarious! I also think we two felt that you and “Charlie” would make a perfect couple. That would guarantee that our well-loved hero would always be family.I think we all have dozens of tales to share.
The Pulis family were also very much part of my childhood. My Mom would send me over to do chores for Margaret Pulis. I have an indelible memory of walking into their home and Mrs. Pulis was sitting at the typewriter stark naked and not at all uncomfortable to have a small girl vacuuming and doing dishes. Since she was so poised and business like so was I. When I got home my Mom explained that they were nudists like she would say they’re Dutch. In the forties most of us didn’t have any knowledge of the health arguments for nudity. It was all a great mystery. I never did become accustomed to the sight of adults without clothing!
I also vividly recall Mrs. Pulis making professional chocolates. They were beautifully decorated and displayed. The Pulis family hosted neighborhood Easter Egg Hunts. Adults and kids of all ages would gather. We would start with a cleverly written clue. (Years later my Mom told me the clues were both erudite and specific) The clue would lead us to edible treasures and the next clue. And so it went and finally led to the Pulis home, wonderful food and the glorious chocolates!
More later
Love, Cean
Hansen gals,
Nick is joining the Oakland conversation. He is a wonderful source. He is adept at finding little known gems hidden in Cyberspace. Nick remains in contact with his childhood buddies and their Oakland memories.
Love
Hi Cean,
It is very nice to be remembered by Sonya. The author of the article, Kevin Heffernan, also wrote a book on the history of Oakland which I bought several years ago. The Oakland of my youth no longer exists and I enjoy these remembrances. Mr. Kestler’s given-name was Sebastian and he was born in Germany. I suspect his nickname was Seb which would sound like Zeb with a German accent. I’d love to know where Seb went with his suitcase. Perhaps Terry can write a mystery. Carl passed away in 2006 so there is probably no one around to solve it.
Please thank Sonya and tell her I wish I was still a thin little boy running around like in the attached photo. I still wear shorts with no shoes, so I’m lucky to live in Hawaii.
It is great to cross paths with Sonya and to share a little history.
Thanks for keeping me informed, dear sister.
Love,
Nick
You have no idea how much I appreciated the article suggested by Nick…Please thank him for me. In it was a picture of the Neilsen house….My uncle’s….the house right next to Kestlers….I forwarded it to cousins that will also have a fond memory of it.
Next to Unkie’s driveway is a bough of branches….under-which I remember I was first kissed….It wasn’t Carl, I have no recollection of who it was….bit I remember it was my very first.
Thank you Nick….. I remember you as a thin little boy in shorts…running around without shoes…Who would ever dream our paths would cross. How lucky am I ?
Thank you Nick….. I remember you as a thin little boy in shorts…running around without shoes…Who would ever dream our paths would cross. How lucky am I ?
Aloha Sonya, Evelyn and Cean:
I have very fond memories of your end of town. Our family moved to Oak Street when I was born, but I spent time at the Hansen House and even washed a few dishes.
As a teenager, I helped to reopen the Carriage Barn at Muller’s Park and also swam and attended concerts at Pleasureland.
Yes, I do remember the Lilac hedge and the Library. I’ve attached some visuals including the Mural in the Library, the Old Pond’s church, aerial photos from 1953 and 1979 with the Hansen House in the center of the frame, and a page from Kevin Heffernan’s history of Oakland. I hope you enjoy the memories.
Love,
Nick (barefoot in Hawaii)
Please forward last email to your brother .
I forgot to mention, I loved the picture, it’s just how I will always remember him…barefoot
From: Sonya Huhn
Subject: Our end of town.
So happy that Nick has joined our reunion.
I think it is high time that Kevin Heffernan devote some of his time to our end of town. I do so appreciate all his research But what about our feelings ?
What does anyone know about the Pond’s Reformed Church ? Here’s what I think. It stood on the corner of our
end of town. Sure, there was Pleasure land…but I always maintained that Oakland ended at Ahler’s gas station and my house. Evelyn has a picture of it…
I do know the church was moved up the street next to the Grammar School. It became the Oakland Community building, which eventually became the Library. My 1944 graduation was held in that building.
Nick, Cean do you remember the wonderful hedge of Lilac’s?
I just decided I’m going to invite Bradford Boone to join in our memories…He has many recollections of our end of town. He lived in my house, then moved to the one the Pulis’s lived in. Don’t know if he ever lived in your house. He was a much younger brother of Margaret Pulis.
Do you and Cean remember the stump in the pond that I remember standing on and crying out, “ King of the Mountain.” It was one of three ponds. The other two had trout in them. The big pond, with the wooden bridge was for fishing.
I’m curious about the Hansen House….Three stories, five fireplaces….a ceiling painting that rumor has it that a very wealthy owner of the HH commissioned to come from Italy to paint. A mansion in it’s day….and there was reportedly
a big and fancy hotel down the road a ways up on a slight hill. I remember playing there where only small parts of a foundation remained.
Do you remember the stage coaches in Muller’s barn?
Enough for now….. Think I might contact Kevin Hefferman and ask him to do look into our end of town…
I often times write stories for my daughters. I been blessed with a very good and often times exciting life. I want them to know about their family. This is one of them.
Mr. Kestler
Everyone should have a Mr. Kestler in their lives. I was lucky, I did. He lived next door to Unkie. You won’t believe this but Mr. Kestler’s first name was Zep, Yup it was Zep. I remember hearing Mrs. Kestler call Zep in for dinner. She was a nurse, the only one in town.
We lived with Unkie for some time, I don’t remember how long it was I was about seven or eight. My father was busy fixing up what was to become our home and the Hansen House. It was in no condition for us to move in when my folks bought it. He had to fix it up.
So in the meantime we lived with Unkie. My mother and I. My father still worked as a superintendent in New York during the week. Remember he was earning $125 a month? Good money those days.
The house we eventually lived in was about one mile from Unkie’s. I loved living at Unkie’s, it was a great house. It had a big grate in the floor, and I could stand on that and the heat coming up from the furnace would blow my skirt up so that I felt like a ballerina.
It’s a wonderful thing when a little girl feels like a ballerina. You never forget it.
It had a breakfast nook….nobody has them anymore. It had a dirt cellar. A coal furnace, and a steep steps to get down there. I went down there once. It was scary.
It had a lovely porch that ran the length of the house, that looked out on Oakland Ave. and the Oakland Military Academy field, that had a big hill for sleigh riding. What memories…
Getting back to Zep. He was old and kinda bent over. He wore frayed dirty looking overalls . He had several children and a chicken coop. Unkie had a chicken coop too.
Speaking of Zep’s children, I only remember Carl, we were in the Oakland Grammar School graduation class of 1944. I remember at graduation how in unison we all said Rudyard Kiplings “If.” I still remember it .
In the Kestler back yard there was a small wired in area. In the middle of it was a pretty large tree stump…it was a little higher than the seat of a kitchen chair. Stuck right in the middle of it was an bloody ax. You guessed it. Zep would stand there in his overalls ,ax in hand.
and then he’d catch one of the poor innocent chickens grab ‘em by their legs, swing then on the stump and just as fast as lightning down the ax would go and cut the chickens head off. It was then the fun started. Did you ever see a chicken run around with his head cut off.
Well, Carl and I did.
Beside his butchering skill Zep obviously had another one. Once a month there was a big transformation in him. He would get all dressed up in a shirt tie and you’d see him carrying a suitcase walking toward the train station.. You could tell he’d even shaved.
Everyone in town, there were only 500 of us at that time, wondered and talked about Zep. Where was he going all dressed up? What did he have in his suitcase ? He didn’t have a job, how did they live. Must have been something in the suitcase that was profitable.
Most of the people guessed he had a still inside his chicken coop.
It was an average size suitcase, not big enough for lots of bottles, but it was the only solution anyone ever came up with. No one bothered with Zep and he never bothered with anyone. It was just the way things were.
As I mentioned earlier, I was lucky to have had a Mr. Kestler in my life.
2/25/18
memories
I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate all you do and all you have done for myself and Oakland. I was so excited when I came across your writing….The picture of Ponds Church with my home in the back I had never seen before.
I got faclempt and had tears in my eyes….I immediately forwarded the picture to my children and even to cousins in Norway.
I was about 5 years old when we moved in that old house, it is very special to me. I have written stories about the experiences my parents had in restoring it. You should know, it was my parents, that breathed life into that old house.
I apologize for having you think for one minute that I was saying, “Shame on you for forgetting about my end of town.”
It was done in jest, and only in hopes you might have some information that you hadn’t yet gotten to. I certainly understand not being able write about something when there is no information.
I now live in Monroe NJ. Even though it’s a ride every second month I visit my house. I attend a high school reunion with some of my classmates from the 1948 Pompton Lakes High School graduating class. We meet at Portabella’s. I visit my house and then always stop by to say hello to my parents that are buried right next door in the Oakland cemetery. The same cemetery that I once stole flowers from thinking I’d delight my mother with a lovely spring bouquet; only to learn I’d committed a sin. She made me return them to the grave. I don’t ever remember being that scared ever again in my life.
I will do as you suggested and look up the articles you recommended.
I would love to meet you and personally thank you for all your work…Perhaps if your around on April 11th when I’ll be up there for a reunion, we could meet.
Found your article re the demise of laid back Oakland following WWII interesting. I left Oakland before most of those changes took place. The attached .pdf document tells of the depression era Oakland I left behind.
My father was pastor at the Ponds Reformed Church prior to its move from the intersection of Long Hill and Rt. 202.
Brad,
Thank you very much for your article as it certainly augments our understanding of Oakland’s past so sadly lost to ‘modern’ times.
Previously I had written an article in the Oakland Journal regarding the history of the Ponds Church and I discovered your dad in the course of my research. Well, it seems that he was a somewhat controversial figure in both the Ponds Church and in Oakland which were effectively the same during that period. He was also controversial in America at the time as well for the same reasons.
As an aside, I have a copy of the obituary for your mother dated May 19, 1960 published in a local Oakland paper. I’d be delighted to send it to you if you wish.
Again, thank you for your article.
The Best,
Kevin Heffernan
Kevin:
Have been following a lot of the Oakland references found online since reading your article. I’m still somewhat puzzled by what happened to the large pond that existed just off 202 near the Hansen House – that water that might have served to inspire the name Ponds Reformed Church. And yes, if not too much trouble, would appreciate having the obit re my mother.
Hello Brad,
The pond at the side of the Ponds Church is now a parking lot for a 2 story office building and the brook that fed it is now a stream separating the office building from what was the Hansen House. However, the remains of the original dam still exist as I checked it out last year. That stream had been historically known as Oakland Brook which began in the sand pits between Grove Street and Long Hill Road. I have lived on Grove Street for the last 40 years and am very familiar with it.
While I do not know if you are aware, there is the Historic Oakland, New Jersey Facebook group of which I an a co-founder and administrator. There is a lot of old Oakland history on it. Also, I have written extensively about Oakland’s history in The Oakland Journal.
Below and attached are a few pictures that you might enjoy, The picture below seems to fit the description of the film storage building that you describe in your fine article. It was originally part of the Wilkins Brush factory which morphed into Mullers Park / Pleasureland. It still exists today and is the last remaining building of that complex.
Lastly, I must tell you that I completely enjoyed reading your article about Oakland in the 1930s and have read it several times. While I do not know if it is possible, would you object to your article being published in The Oakland Journal? Please let me know.
Talk to you soon.
The Best,
Kevin Heffernan
The other end of town.
You started something……several of us old timers that are still around are protesting that we didn’t get equal coverage in you article…It’s been so much fun comparing memories. Thank you.
My main interest is a selfish one. I want to know the history of the Hansen House….It must have been some very wealthy person that built… I know my parents were very poor in 1938 when they salvaged it…I enjoyed a charmed childhood growing up in Oakland and having a bedroom on the third floor….
Hello Sonya,
First, my apology for not getting back to you sooner but we suffered a power outage here in Oakland for a couple of days due to a storm which knocked out my computer. Also, thank you for your emails. But, I do take a bit of umbrage with regard to the notion that I have not written about Oakland history with equal coverage, etc. I have lived in Oakland only since 1979 and was not a beneficiary of growing up in the Mayberry that it was during past times. And regarding the Hansen House, please consider that I can only write about what I have information and documentation. That said, I do have a small file on the Hansen House but not enough for an historically accurate or complete article.
I have written and published extensively about Oakland’s history generally and have written several articles about Pleasureland, the Doty Bridge, the Ponds Church and and the Ramapo Sanitorium. It just may be that you are simply not aware of these. Check the files of The Oakland Journal and you might find them there. Also, you may want to join and review the Facebook page, Historic Oakland, New Jersey of which I am both a co-founder and administrator.
Attached are 2 files pertaining to the Hansen House that you might interesting. The first is that of a photo from about 1910 depicting the 1829 Ponds Church with a private residence in the background to which you refer. That private residence ultimately became the Hansen House. The second attachment is a short video dedicated to Mrs. Dagney Hansen who passed away in 2014.
Cordially,
Kevin Heffernan
Hello Mr. Heffernan,
Sonya sent me a copy of your correspondence below plus your recent comment about Inger Pye’s message.
The Hansen family and my family both lived in Oakland in the 1940’s and continue to stay in touch since leaving at various times in the 70’s.
I had emailed Sonya the link to your article “What happened to Oaklands downtown” and she loved the memories you evoked. We’ve been exchanging more information in recent days.
I’m pleased to note that you included a copy of my YouTube video about Sonya’s Mother, Dagny. https://youtu.be/ZXt2mIvuAnI
I produced the video for my sister, Cean, and published her story on the blog I maintain for her
Sonya has written some wonderful stories about her parent’s business, The Hansen House, and I’ll encourage her to share them with you. Bradford Boone also has written beautifully about his
boyhood at that end of Oakland and I’ll ask him to provide the details to you directly. I agree with Sonya and Bradford that more research into that location and era is warranted.
My perspective is a little different than theirs because I actually purchased your history of Oakland several years ago and have been corresponding with several others from the era.
I agree with your opinions on suspicious transactions. Mayor Potash was corrupt according to my parents. We called him Mayor Ash Pot in our home.
I’ll close by attaching some image files you might like for your research. Good luck with you important work. Thank you.
Best,
Nick
P.S. I have very fond memories of that end of town. . Mrs. Hansen gave me my first job at age 12 washing dishes in the kitchen of her restaurant. It was a rite of passage in our large family, since all my older siblings had worked there. Our family moved to Oak Street when I was born, but I spent time at the Hansen House and the surrounding attractions.
As a teenager, I helped to reopen the Carriage Barn at Muller’s Park and also swam and attended concerts at Pleasureland. I recall Ahler’s service station opposite The Hansen House and an Ahler girl was a classmate. Otto’s Floral Manor was still there in my youth and quite picturesque, but I don’t know how they made any money.
My father frequented a bar on that corner and they would sell him carry-out beer on Sunday in large paper cups.
He would buy me a hot dog at Nash’s. If I recall correctly, Nash spent winters in Florida so the Dogs were a seasonal treat.
In the sixties, Johnny and Norm’s opened an Oakland location across from the cemetery. It was a classic drive-in with burgers and shakes, but the Texas Weiner and French Fries with chili sauce were unique to Northern NJ. Further up the hill towards Town was Le Duc’s nursery run by Dick Le Duc. I worked in his greenhouse on weekends while in my early teens. There were never any customers.
Ruins of an old beach park were on the river behind his greenhouse. Tiny cabins and a snack bar were all that was left.
The Dimmick family owned the Oakland Diner further down the road towards Pleasureland. It was a typical pre-fab diner car popular all over NJ. One of the few spots in Oakland open late at night.
From: Inger Pye
Subject: Tante Dagny
Date: March 5, 2018 at 4:17:03 PM EST
To: Sonya Huhn
Dear Sonya,
My mascara is running, my face is a mess, and I am running out of tissues. That video in memory of my wonderful tante Dagny, accompanied by one of my favourite songs………..
I wonder if you realize how much she meant to me – the person who saved and changed my life.
It all started in 1945, the Germans had just left our country, we had very little of everything, and then the ‘America parcels’ started to arrive. It was like Christmas and Birthday in one! I tasted things I had never heard of, and and the clothes! She sent things you had probably grown out of, and as my mother was an excellent seamstress, she made them into wonderful dresses etc. for me. My classmates from grammar school still tell me that I always had such nice clothes, different from theirs. I was the first one who ever wore something in pink! You could not buy anything here in pink, even if you had the ration card. Pastel colours as we called it, did not exist. Then in 1954 I received a pair of dongeries (jeans) with a leather patch on the back pocket saying Wrangler. We had only seen those in Western movies. The boys in school were green with envy and I felt as proud as a peacock! Then there was the time I received a pair of your roller skates! You should have seen me trying them on the road outside the house! There was no tarmac only rough shingle and I ended up skating around in the cellar where the floor was made of cement. Not much room! Did you ever know that a lot of your things ended up in Norway?
All I wanted was to go to America which seemed like Paradise. My mother (who was a sensible woman) said I could go when I had finished school and learnt English. So I finished college and was ready to go, but my mother said I did not have enough education to get a decent job. She persuaded me to take a secretarial course to learn typing, stenography and office work. After finishing that, I was again ready to go, bur as you had to wait approx. a year to get a visa /your mum and dad would have to guarantee that I would not be a financial burden on the State, she told me to get a job to get some experience – and then finally in March 1959 I set out on the journey …………….
I am now back in ‘the old country’ still alive and kicking with all those wonderful memories of my time in ‘Paradise’
Love Inger
Hello all,
Inger also left a comment under the video: “I am sitting here, tears in my eyes, full of happy memories, having watched the wonderful tribute to “Mrs. Hansen” by Cean Molinari. It made me realize again what a tremendous influence she has been through my whole life. When I was a small girl in war-torn Norway she seemed like a fairy godmother in a magic place called America, sending wonderful parcels. It was a place I desperately wanted to visit and a person I desperately wanted to meet. When I did both, it was like a dream come through. Tante Dagny was everything I had expected. I don’t think she could have treated me any different had I been her own daughter. She had a gentle way of guiding and correcting you. She was a real lady and I admired and loved her dearly. I think we all know that if it had not been for her ‘pulling strings’ about doctors and hospitals, I probably would not have been here today.
I am very grateful that you were willing to share her with me to some degree. All my love Inger”
I’ve just emailed Mr. Heffernan with more information about your part of town.
I’m sure he would appreciate all of Sonya’s stories about The Hansen House, the men at dinner, the gas station, etc.
Also, Bradford Boone has some amazing details about the area predating The Hansen House and he drew some very accurate maps. Mr. Heffernan could certainly use that material.
Thanks again to all of you for bringing my boyhood Oakland back into focus. Gone but not forgotten.
Nick
Thank you for the courtesy in referring to me as Mr. Heffernan. However, please note that my name is Kevin and that there is only one Mr. Heffernan and he is my father.
I must tell you that I truly appreciate being included on the periphery of your select group of former Oakland residents while both learning of and permanently documenting your experiences here in the former Mayberry. It is a privilege and thank you all. Please permit me to make an offer that perhaps none can refuse. I have been collecting and cataloging Oakland history for well over 25 years obtaining it from any and all sources available without a scintilla of shame. Hence to date I have over 48 GB of old Oakland movies, photos, maps, post cards and documents representing 7,369 items contained in 401 folders. And I would like to make the entirety of my files available to each of you. Just let me know of your interest and I’ll send whatever I have to you.
In return, I would like to request a favor. Specifically, I would very appreciate copies of any photos or documents that you may have of old Oakland, the Oakland of your youth and memory such that I can further permanently augment my files. Also, you should know that I make DVD sets of my entire files and donate them to the Oakland Library, the NJ Historical Society and Rutgers University among others. This is to make a permanent record of old Oakland available to future generations. It is also done under the aegis that I am not the owner of Oakland history information but rather, merely the custodian of the memories of others who have preceded here.
Thank you all again.
Kevin Heffernan