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Originally published in 1939
Some of this information may no longer be current and in that case is presented for historical interest only.
Edited by GET NJ, COPYRIGHT 2003
HACKENSACK (134 alt., 24,568 pop.) is gaining in importance among the industrial cities encircling New York, because of its strategic position in the network of modern highways 'traversing northern New Jersey. The
old city lies on the west bank of the Hackensack River, halfway between Paterson and the Hudson, and shows on its face the new blood pumped
into it by the road development of the past decade.
Hackensack is built on the flatlands of a tidal river and like most such communities its local scene changes as its population growth stretches its boundaries. Most of the older section lies close to the river. The newer sections and many of the better residences are found on the higher ground that gradually rises to the west and north of the old business section. The
civic center, where the courthouse and other public buildings are situated, is the focal point of several highways. Main Street, the principal thoroughfare, extends northward from this point.
The crush on Main Street makes unmistakable the suddenness of the
city's recent change. The narrow, north-south street is jammed with traffic from all over Bergen County, and its sidewalks are closely packed with
blocks of modern, neonized and black-glass store fronts which have already crowded out most of the leisurely older shops. Chain stores, in particular, have been erected so quickly and in such abundance that often their flashing signs are almost larger than their Main Street footage.
The vista of Main Street, looking north, shows in addition to the jumble and squeeze of shops, a 10-story skyscraper, several impressive banks, and the latest in ornate motion picture houses, where again the size of the signs promises at least a Roxy or Radio City Music Hall. Shops have already spread to the adjoining side streets.
The many markets and bargain shops along Main Street attest Hackensack's position as the hub of Bergen County. Its daily paper is significantly called the Bergen Evening Record, and its publisher, John Borg, is a dominant figure in the city and county political life. Organizations such as the Young Men's Hebrew Association, the Young Men's Christian Association, the Child Welfare Association, and many others in Hackensack label themselves "of Bergen County." Despite this county-consciousness and a Large percentage of commuters to New York and elsewhere in northern New Jersey, Hackensack has long been noted for its independence and individuality.
Oratory and litigation from 71 squabbling Bergen County municipalities are concentrated here at the county seat. To Hackensack come lawyers and politicians, drawn by pre-election maneuverings, and the editors of some 70 weekly newspapers that are nourished by legal advertising and enlivened by occasional investigations of municipal misconduct. Equally a part of civil life are the caravans of defendants and witnesses whose testimony makes talk for the town, and ammunition for editors and politicians alike.
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