Pompton Lakes vs. Cooper Union

The 1870's.  The Pompton Lakes area was surging with industry.  Just down the turnpike, Paterson was making history with it's volume of silk, firearms and railroad car manufacturing.  The time was just after the Civil War, and steel was taking over iron in the manufacturing world.  Steel manufacturing requires lots of water.  Pompton Township had lots of that, along with a history or iron and steel production, by then.

There was iron and coal coming out of Western New Jersey and Pennsylvania.  The Morris Canal was moving the ore eastward to the cities.  Steel mills on our rivers had easy access to the Morris Canal.  They could get the ore cheaper, and get their product to the cities thanks to the canal.

What Is A Borough, Anyway?

We live in a town, don't we?
No, we live in a Borough. 
What in the world is a borough (no donkey jokes)?

A borough is a form of government that rose out of the late industrial era in New Jersey. I presume this new form of government was instituted to roll with the times, increasing populations, and who gets the taxes.

Remembering The Snake Dance

Thanksgiving time was a special time for Pompton Lakes High School in the 60's.  Along with being a holiday for family gathering, Thanksgiving Day was the day of a time-honored football tradition: Pompton Lakes High vs Butler High.  Pompton Lakes and Butler used to have a long standing rivalry.  It was like the Yankees and the Red Sox.  But the night before was the night of The Snake Dance!

First, there was the Pep Rally.  Wednesday, before Thanksgiving Day, students of the High School would retire from classes early and pour into the gymnasium bleachers to stir up the school spirit, that we thought was crucial, to advance our team on to victory.