New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-15
IN OLD DUTCH HACKENSACK
CORNER OF JERSEY THAT RETAINS
MANY COLONIAL FEATURES.
MITCH FAMILIES AND DUTCH HoMEsTEADs-PEo.
PIE WHO STILL SPEAK THE LAM

horne his name. No corner OF the world has
changed moro than Manhattan Island and It's sur
roundings during these three centuries. From
D,,,cb trading post inhabited solely by Dutchmen.
a cos,opolitan metropolis has grown UP, Keeping
fsy at most of IT'S original characteristics II Is
,,,ewbat remarkable to be able to find, therefore,
,,,t, y few miles OF New-York not only many
Ineal descendants Of the original Dutch Farmers
that first Settled the Hudson, Dut descend.
anta that still live the old acres, oiten In the
boroosteads built by their pioneer progenitors. and
many in the privacy OF their homes sun speaking
the Dutch OF the seventeenth century.
II IS in Bergen County. New-Jersey, that stanch
id haiiivcl lying Just back OF the Palisades whose
county seat has been Hackensack from time i'm
memorial that these Dutch acres le and these
Dutch sons live, whose great-grandiatners' twice
renewed were New World burghers and worthy
,n1ers Of the soil In this Bergen County stands
aloha In other neighborhoOds OF New-YorK. Dutch
families settled at about the same time But, save
in a few detached cases the property long ago
naotsd into other hands, and the children and
grandchildren have scattered and married without
the blood Bergen County alone mas Kept her
Dutch IN lines tina. are only just now beginning TO
be broken.
This fact IS worthy OF noting; it can ex.s, only
\ few years longer. The county FOR centuries
,ract Of seldom parttloned and rarely sold farms
IS cett.ns almost daily new and Gifted Dopu-
- ZION The present generation OF Dutch boys
ard girls nearly grown are beginning 70 move
away. and the old lands to pass INTO other hands.
yot to-day Bergen County retains many Of Its
olden characteristics. Though the fact might escape
tho attention Of the casual passerby it IS nearly
D,,,cb in many respects as it at end OF
Tho soventeen:h century. Dozens Of Old men and
women are to be met in the streets Of the Old
villages ard IN the farmhouses who have come down
in direct q scent and have mixed 80 little with the
world that they really belong to the generations Of
ygone years.
THE BUTCHERS OF HACKENsACK
Such people are TO be found from one end Of
Rergsn County to the other, but the region In
noediately surrounding Hackensack. in ten-m.e
r,iius about that village has by far the larger
nroportion OF them. In HacKensack streets men
are frequently passed who in face FORM and figure
recall the bu.ghers of 200 years ago Iney are
nearly II not quite, the same people whom Wash
ington Irving pictured in his knickerD0cker legends
Modern life long ago destroyed most yestiges OF
"TJ,tle Holland" along the Hudson, but this back
country fenced of by the heights Of the Paii-
sades has managed far TO keep much OF the
Old
|, is interesting to note that Teaneck Ridge,
iust east of the Hackensack River ana less than
two miles from the village of that name there is
living to-day a sturdy Van Wrinkle, Dan instead
Of Rim now working the farm his grandfather
TILED acres that have been In his immediate iamiH
for $50 years at least In comparsy9n ho%e N,d
with many other families, the Van Nlhhies Wouid
not he thought very old American-Dutcn STOCK io'
this region. 81. .so Ia vor,s,
Even more than the men many OF the old women women
I'm the farmhouses are thoroughly Du,ch Ihey
wear curious shawls and s,rah5S n,t,ls ,lS trsce
of that not even mantua- Iianer Cou.l uaSy;
Most interesting were II possible 70 7el al ~ "o9.i
he a study OF the Holland households from the IL
side and the survivas or the ahS.eht plV.'Les s
customs. But one will ever make tha'' 1T WIN
lion the Veil of family life Is lifted to any one
outside the family circle. All tpat the stranger can
see is an % Iona P he OF he Fortunate ate h. hear
Dutch still spoken by grandmother ana grandia'ne'
Conservatism Of the most pronounced sort is The
ruling trait OF the old people. Thsy VIII not 20, ssA
10 the last the old woman Keeps up her manage
nent of household affairs, the Ola man ~ yoS
around the farm. City life, even though New YORK
is less than twenty niles away, does not afiect OF
OF later Years many OF the ancient Dutch names
of localities have gone swept cut OF hearing by ne
new-fangled ores that the newcomers from I'm. the
was old Po.iily for instance, meaning the bog
meadow" Now. it is known as Hasbrouck HEIGHTS;
Many Of the old time hOmesteads have also passed
away. Yet there still picturesque ones left one
of these is that of the kipp family at Fol!iiy
tWo-story gab.ed house that has been parity re-
built of course, but mas its original walls standLng
yig s5Ss old genteman Henry Kpp now eighty
five old. is the dean OF the l;ne. At foliny
in 100 the Kip homestead was built. Its naked
beams of whtewood. planed and beaded are SUI
visible and the rooms are yet unceiled II mas
live in it yet.
MR. KIPP SPEAKS DUTCH.
Henry Kipp. like many Others can still speak the
old Dutch, and does so, though infrequenty. II Is
interesting to note that there now only two
lawyers practising in the New-Jersey Court OF
Chancery who know this tongue fiuenty enough to
talk It. one of these gentlemen is Judge John
Hopper, now of Passac County, but a Bergen man
for years and of a Bergen family. His ola nome
stead il standing yet, dating back tar beiore 'he
Revolution, few miles from Hackensack. and
lived in by his two nephews and his sister flZi.
always on the spot, runs far back are the Wes;er-
velts. Of Teaneck; For the best part OF TWO eeI-
HIRE beng oh hS' ' few Of tn name and on
stock left now Most picturesque OF them an IS
man. slender. but with a strong frame despite his
eighty odd years and extremely taeturn He, too
he is veritable son of Dutch stock The house
ne lives b IN is an St Gwqs one ana mas o To
ever That building is stn standing in good repair
and fairly characteristic. little 10 the south
Along the same road WesterHe!t hls TWO NOR }
Terhunes George Demarest born in lsos up az
River Edge. four miles northwest is Eewcom.sa
sxty-three years ago The buiiding was nearly
Gen'ury Gd then hoWeyer and 1t Is rf@rk~pgg
rooms. hs admirable doorways and Us picturesque
The Demarests date back this region . at
least 1920 George Demarest and his younger
brother. Albert, who lives with him. are The sole
The Terhunes famei because OF the Sher.ns
father Of the present Terhunes Sheris 81 Ber-
gen. and extraordinarily good ones. The ola home,
Ht,ti - ven Npitu S''tliS i4'li az '.'..'.N''
point Of view. Ii is A perfect relic Of ths past
Other old families OF the county mus; be mcli-
TONED briefly The Brickcs I've out at West~ocl,
near Hackensack on ,heir original land Corner
Hertholf. In Hackensack Is descended from Gillian
Bertholf, OF nearly two centuries ago. The brncS-
erh0ffs. the bcst-knOwn branch OF the family, I've
near Teaneck. the Enelewooi road. Judge Banta'
Of Hackensack. has long and noted line Of az,
cestors. Up in Saddle River. nj the other END o.,
the county. live the Van Buskrks. who settled there
~ the earliest times. a srant OF land having been
given them by Of the twelve original proprieiors
Of Jersey. Some of the family's Old land transfers
date back to l7O. The foundation walls OF the nrs'
house the Van Buskrks built stand there yet.
The Ackerson homestead stll stands In Hacker
sack and AckersOns are living yet The fourth
Garrett AckersOn Is now eighteen. His father, now
dead County Clerk OF Bergen. The Wor-
tendykes have their old farm yet I'm Washington
Township. 10 the north BrinckerhoG mansion
stands still in ESseN-St Hacl<enSack-a renOWnel