All interviews were taped and documented.They are available through the Reference
Department of the Teaneck Public Library. The Library is not responsible for the accuracy
of the statements nor does it necessarily endorse the opinions expressed.

Audio recording of the interview with Miss Jane Sullivan

Miss Jane Sullivan

(Interview taped 10/19/1970)

My family came here in 1902 from Hoboken. They had two children when they came and ended up with six. My father John Sullivans was a photographer. Took many of the pictures being seen now. Our home at 15 Fairview Ave. is the background for many.

I went to School 29, a wooden building. We had two teachers, Mr. Jay and Miss Morris--four grades downstairs and four grades upstairs. When they built the school that is now the Town House they moved the old school over toward Church Street and that became the Municipal Bldg.

We went to the Catholic church in Englewood and I walked to Englewood to high school. I remember the original St. Anastasia Church. It was small. Donated by Mrs. Kelly. The sacred vessels were kept in our house.  There was no water in the church so my father would take a pitcher of holy water over to the church--hoping in the winter that it wouldn't freeze.

My father was active in the fire department. I remember the hose wagon and ringing the gong which was the fire alarm. When they got their first La France fire engine and there was a fire my father would say to my mother "Heat some water, Ann, so we can start up the engine. The old fire house was across from the one where Lobbe and Flannery used to be. George Ahrens remembers I went to school with him and Oscar Peinecke. My sister, Mrs. Dale, teaches kindergarten.  My sister Marie is a housemother at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Mrs. Dale's daughter teaches at Lowell School.

We move to Cherry Lane in 1926. It was a red dirt road with big trees in the center. My father tried to save the trees when they made the street. It really a tow path for Phelps to the railroad station.

We used to take our visitors to see the Phelps ruins. The golf course was pretty and I remember the Blue Bird Inn. We had quite a few socials at our church. We knew the Selvage family. Mrs. Kelly, Mrs. Selvage's mother was blind. I remember Selvage Ave. when it was a daisy field. Father Peter used to come over from Englewood and we'd have our catechism in the daisy field. During World War I we tried to do things for soldiers,  meeting in the schools. Our No. 2 school graduation was held in School 1. I graduated from Englewood High in 1915.

When I went to Montclair I went from the West Englewood Station to Bogota, took the trolley from Bogota to Paterson and then the bus from Paterson to Montclair. I only did this on weekends. I'd got up early Monday morning with my father. He'd carry my valise and then came that awful ride. I was sick every Monday and Friday.

 

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