The Courier-News from Bridgewater, New Jersey • Page 37

COURIER NEWS A DAY IN THE LIFE OF SCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2000 D-7' xNo one knows where the legend of Fanny Wood Richard Bousquet, historian A historical tour of Scotch Plains-Fanwood Plains-Fanwood High School students involved in the music program 58: Part-time workers at Children's Specialized Outpatient Hospi-" tal in Fanwood 97: Percentage of land developed in Scotch Plains 104: Full-time workers at Chil- dren's Specialized Outpatient Hospi- tal in Fanwood 230: Members in each of the choruses at Park and Terrill schools, Scotch Plains 275: Students involved in then-Scotch Plains-Fanwood instrumental music program Nearly 300: Students involved Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School choral program About 500: Seats in the auditori-" um of Terrill Middle School, Scotch Plains 1,100: Members of Evangel Church in Scotch Plains 1737: The year John Sutton-, opened The Corner Tavern, now'l known as the Stage House Inn 7,200: Books in the St. Bartholc-. mew the Apostle Interparochiaf School library 9,000: People who use Scotch Plains YMCA programs, which in" elude day care, afterschool programs' and exercise classes 40,000: Items in Fanwood Library's collection More than 50,000: Mums grown" last fall for Parker Greenhouses Farm and Garden Center 1925: Park Junior High School is built in Scotch Plains. 1928: The Scotch Plains Municipal Building is built on Park Avenue. 1930: In 10 years, Fanwood's population has nearly doubled to 1,400.

1936: Scotch Plains Public Library's first home, the second floor of Excelsior Hook and Ladder Company, closes because the building is too old. 1 937: Scotch Plains Rescue Squad is established. World War II: About 900 of Scotch Plains' 4,500 residents serve in the war. 1947: The Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA opens in an old church building on Grand Avenue in Scotch Plains. 1948: Fanwood Rescue Squad is established.

1950: St. Bartholomew the Apostle School is built in Scotch Plains. 1 951 Evergreen School is built in Scotch Plains. 1 951 Shackamaxon School is built in Scotch Plains. Dec.

16, 1951: Fanwood Memorial Library is dedicated at North Avenue and Tillotson Road. 1957: Scotch Plains-Fanwood Regional High School is built in Scotch Plains. 1 961 Howard B. Brunner School is built in Scotch Plains. December 1961: Scotch Plains and Fanwood receive approval to operate as a regional school district, even though they have been doing so unofficially since 1870.

1963: Union Catholic High School opens in Scotch Plains. 1963: A public referendum makes the Scotch Plains Public Library a municipally run facility. 1964: J. Ackerman Coles School is built in Scotch Plains. 1965: Terrill Junior High School is built in Scotch Plains.

October 1664: A group of Long Island settlers purchase Elizabeth-town, 500,000 acres on Newark Bay's west shore, from the Lenape tribe. The land including what today is Scotch Plains and Fanwood costs two coats, two guns, 10 bars of lead, 20 handfuls of powder, 400 fathoms of white wampum and 20 fathoms of trading cloth. 1683-87: The area now known as Scotch Plains and Fanwood is colonized by several Scottish immigrants. 1699-1700: Sprawling grass areas known as the West Fields of Elizabethtown are divided into 171 100-acre lots. Settlement is slow in the area, which includes modern-day Scotch Plains, Fanwood, West-field, Plainfield, New Providence, Mountainside, Garwood, Clark, Cranford and sections of Piscat-away and Rahway.

1736: First known use of the name Scotch Plains, which originally was known as Scotsplain. 1737: The first building of any significant size, The Corner Tavern, is erected in Scotch Plains. It's known today as the Stage House Inn. 1747: Scotch Plains' first church, a Baptist church, is established at Park and Mountain avenues. 1 775: Eleven houses are in what is now Scotch Plains.

January 1794: Westfield Township, which includes modern-day Scotch Plains and Fanwood, becomes its own municipality and no longer is part of Elizabethtown. 1800: The Scotch Plains Reading Room, the precursor to the Scotch Plains Public Library, is established. 1839: The Central Railroad of New Jersey begins to operate a line from Elizabeth to Plainfield. 1867: The name Fanwood is given to the new train depot by the president of the Central Railroad of New Jersey. The name derives from Fanny Wood, the railroad compa- 1967: William J.

McGinn School is built in Scotch Plains. B1968: The new Scotch Plains Public Library opens on Bartle Avenue. 1968: Union County Vocational and Technical Institute opens in Scotch Plains. 1968: Scotch Plains has a population of 23,180. early 1970s: A new School One is built on Willow Avenue in Scotch Plains after fire destroys the original building.

1973: Scotch Plains changes its form of government to a township council structure, allowing residents to elect a mayor directly. 1977: Fanwood Rescue Squad builds its headquarters near the site of the new Borough Hall. 1978: Fanwood police build a new headquarters next to the Borough Hall site on Martine Avenue. July 13, 1978: The Fanwood Oak, on North Martine Avenue, is recognized by the county freeholders as the borough's official municipal tree. 1979: A new Fanwood Borough Hall opens on Martine Avenue, at the site of the former Homestead Hotel.

1984: Fanwood's fire department dedicates a new firehouse at the municipal complex. 1 988: Scotch Plains seeks help from the state after the completion of Interstate 78 leads to traffic that clogs several township intersections. July 1992: The Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA, which moved from its Grand Avenue site to one on Martine Avenue in Scotch Plains in the 1 970s, begins a major expansion and renovation project. 1996: A long-awaited senior citizen complex with room for 130 seniors opens in Scotch Plains. 1 996: The first Fanny Wood Day community celebration is held in Fan- ny's daughter, according to a legend that has never been established as true.

The railroad company uses the stories of Fanny Wood to promote railroad traffic. The location of the railroad also pits the old village section of the township against the new center adjacent to the railroad station, leading eventually to two municipalities. 1867: Central Railroad of New Jersey begins to develop Fanwood. 1870: Scotch Plains and Fan-wood unofficially begin operating a regional school district. 1874: The Saturday Book Club, the precursor to Fanwood's public library, is established.

1 874: The current Fanwood train station is built. 1877: Fanwood Township, which includes modern-day Scotch Plains and Fanwood Borough, is formed. It operates under a township committee structure. The population is 325. 1884: Scotch Plains Bucket and Engine Company is organized.

Nov. 15, 1888: Scotch Plains Public Library is incorporated. 1 890: Fanwood Fire Company is incorporated. It wasn't called to its first house fire until more than a year later. 1890: School One is built in Scotch Plains.

1895: One square mile is separated out of Fanwood Township and called Fanwood Borough. 1 897: The Fanwood post office is built. March 11, 1902: Fanwood Free Public Library is established. 1915: Alexander Muir School is built in Scotch Plains. March 22, 1 91 7: Fanwood Township is renamed Scotch Plains Township by the state Legislature 1 920: Fanwood has a population of 724.

1922: LaGrande School is built in Fanwood. On the web al membership fee, new mothers have access to support and discussion groups and other services. www.jccnj.org Want to learn more about the Jewish Community Center of Central New Jersey on Martine Avenue in Scotch Plains? A visit to this website will provide lots of Some Scotch Plains and Fan-wood sites on the Internet: westfieldnj.commccnj The Mothers' Center of Central New Jersey, based in Scotch Plains, offers this simple claim on its website: "Motherhood is a tough job, and nobody knows better than we do!" For a $40 annu- 1: Jewish temples in Scotch Plains Beth Israel on Martine Avenue 4: Employees at Fanwood Library 4: NJ transit trains on the Rari-tan Valley Line that don't stop in Fan-wood during the morning rush 5: Consecutive years Scotch Plains-Fanwood Middle School music teacher Mary Lu Farrell's Broadway Kids students have appeared in "A Christmas Carol" at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York 7: NJ Transit trains on the Rar-itan Valley Line that stop at Fanwood during the morning rush 10: Senior citizens on the Scotch Plains seniors bus 11: Years Vinnie Turturiello has been superintendent of fine arts for Scotch Plains-Fanwood school district 16: Corrections officer trainees enrolled in a three-week course at the John H. Stamler Police Academy in Scotch Plains 17: First sopranos in the Terrill Middle School Chorus 21: Years Vinnie Turturiello has been a music teacher at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School 28: Professional fights won by Fanwood resident and former heavyweight boxer Gerry Cooney About 40: Trophies won each year by the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School music program 50: The percentage of Scotch wood. It becomes an annual tradition.

November 1996: The 350-year-old, 85-foot-high historic Fanwood Oak is cut down because it is rotting. Sept. 26, 1999: Fanwood unveils a new downtown landmark, the Millennium Clock. Nagy doesn't buy into the Fanny Wood myth. But he's glad it's around.

"No one knows where the legend of Fanny Wood originated, but it clearly adds a romantic element to the story," Nagy said. "People would like it to be true." There is no such debate in Scotch Plains. The community was named after George Scot, the leader of a group of Scottish immigrants who cleared the land in the late 1600s. Scot died before arriving in what is now New Jersey, and the land was named Scotsplain in his honor. Fanwood's secession from Scotch Plains-Fanwood Township occurred in 1895 and was sparked by a dispute over street lamps.

According to Bousquet, some of the township's more prominent citizens had been frustrated in attempts to erect lights along Martine Avenue, and were generally feeling slighted by the township's leaders. When officials for a prospective railroad line eyed Scotch Plains for a station, the township rejected the idea. "They wanted to keep this hometown, rural feeling," Bousquet said. But the frustrated well-to-do had a different idea and believed the station could be the impetus for a new municipality. So they seceded, creating a 1.3 square-mile borough.

At a glance trial nronprties: 266 i i jfi ftijf' t. i pi I 'r I V-i 'JAlsZ -J Richard Bousquet, president of the Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood, has tried to debunk the myth of Fanny Wood, after whom Fanwood is supposedly named, with little success. 7,, WJ ILL Sources: "Under the Blue Hills," 1974; "Scotch Plains," 1968; "Know Your Town Scotch Plains," 1980; "Looking Back at Scotch Plains," 1997; "Fanwood Fire Company and the Borough of Fanwood, 1990 STAFF PHOTO BY J.T. GREILICK That wasn't the end of the rivalry between the communities, Hoping to distinguish themselves from their larger, rural Fanwood set out to attract wealthy citizens with large homes on large lots' and create an exclusive community, Bousquet said. But it didn't work.

When the bor- ough scaled back its plans to some- what smaller homes on somewhat smaller lots, it still didn't "Boom, failure. Ugly. Very big mess," Bousquet said. The concept of an exclusive square-mile club wasn't catching on. "No one, liked it," Bousquet said.

Eventually, Fanwood settled for'' houses and lots similar to all of its surrounding communities and pro- ceeded, Bousquet said, "to do fine." Today, the municipalities share a school district, but little else. They 1 remain independent, and many dents in both communities, Bousquet says, can be pretty stubborn about it. "I don't know if that will ever go away," he said. Nagy suspects the Fanny Wood end also will never go away, instead. growing and changing as the years go on.

"It's like language," he said. "If you use it improperly long enough, it becomes accepted usage." Hispanic: 157 Other: 31 Estimated total tax bill on a home assessed at $90,000: $5,805 o. Median family income: $60,672 People in poverty: 163 Municipal budget: $5.65 million School budget: $44.6 million School enrollment: 4,502 Crime rate per 1,000 residents: 13.9 Number of police officers: 21 Number of residential 2,438 Number of commercial and indus- trial properties: 93 Figures reflect totals for the Scotch Plains-Fanwood School District. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, New Jersey State Police, Courier News research.

information. lwyrplannr.lawoffice.com This website for attorney William H. Michelson, a Plainfield resident, features information about his law office on South Avenue in Fanwood. The firm specializes in legal malpractice, medical malpractice and other professional negligence litigation. I On Bonus children.

and looking for SPECIAL PEOPLE to join our family owned organization! i "i i i II I II I LJUV 1 I Sign Origin From page D-l according to Bousquet, was simply another name for Scotch Plains. And the particular area that became Fan-wood? That was earlier known as the Fanwood Park section of Scotch Plains-Fanwood Township. Confused? "It does get a little complicated," Bousquet said. As president of the Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood, Bousquet said he has tried to debunk the Fanny Wood myth, with little success. Like the story of Abner Double-day inventing baseball, Fanny Wood is a story so long belie ved that the absence of supporting facts is irrelevant.

Now, Bousquet says, he doesn't bother with the argument, particularly with Fanwood residents. Besides, while he may not believe in Fanny Wood, he doesn't claim to know how Fanwood really got its name. "Fanwood has become so enamored with the story," he said. There was a Fanny Wood, and she was an author and the daughter of a railroad magnate, Bousquet said. But that's about as far as the truth goes.

Joe Nagy agrees. A Fanwood resident for 37 years, Scotch Plains at a glance Area: 9.2 square miles Population density: 2,476 people per square mile Race and ethnicity: (1990 census): White: 17,729 Black: 2,349 American Indian: 37 Asianpacific Islander: 968 Hispanic: 598 Other: 77 Estimated total tax bill on a home assessed at $116,000: $5,997 Median family Income: $58,194 People in poverty: 313 Municipal budget: $16.8 million School budget: $44.6 million School enrollment: 4,502 Crime rate per 1,000 residents: 14.2 Number of police officers: 46 Residential properties: 6,844 Number of commercial and indus- Joining our organization has never been easier or more rewarding. Routes Available in Berkeley HeightsMillburnBernardsvilleBedminster Additional Van Routes in SomersetMiddlesexUnion Counties Daily Classes 401k Paid Training Program Dental Coverage Steady Year Round Work Disability Limited Childcare Available Life Insurance Township government: Clerk, Barbara Riepe, (908) 322-6700. Township Council meets 8 p.m., 2nd and 4th Tuesdays Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education: Schools Superintendent Dr. Carol B.

Choye, (908) 231-6161. Board meets 8 p.m., 2nd and 4th Thursdays. Fanwood at a glance Population (1996): 7,108 Area: 1.3 square miles Population density: 5,510 people per square mile Race and ethnicity: (1990 census): White: 6,413 Black: 372 American Indian: 2 Asianpacific Islander: 297 From vans to buses We're driving our Safely. 732-302-0500 1400 Routo 22 East Bridge water, XI 0CC07 I.