CITY COLLECTION: E IS FOR ENGLEWOOD

"E" IS FOR ENGLEWOOD. This place is not in New Jersey's Top Ten. Nonetheless, as a City, it is represented in my NJ City Collection.

Where is this place? Actually it is in the New York Metropolitan Area. You all know that Captain Henry Hudson explored the place some 400 years ago. He didn't know then that he found New York & New Jersey. He thought it was New Amsterdam.

Hudson sailed all around what is now Newark Bay, Bayonne, Jersey City, and some river that now carries his name. He knew when he got to the area we call Englewood that it was time to "turn around."

For years after Hudson claimed this land for the Dutch nobody went to Englewood. The basic reason was the cliffs that made access from the water extremely difficult. Roads did not exist back then, and the trails were monitored by the local Indians. They weren't handing out maps or pointing the way. I don't think I have ever been there, but I know where it is.

The Detective shield, number 113, is sixth alphabetically in my display containing twenty-one "City" badges, including nine of the Top Ten. It is in excellent condition and dates back to the 1950's or mid 1960's.

This badge is shaped very much like the shields used in Newark, and N.Y.C. Their are some differences. First is the huge panel at the bottom displaying the number "113." The second difference is the recessed lettering, with black filled lettering.

The traditional shape badge, with an Eagle on top, is also in very nice shape. I keep this one in another display. The inscription at the top reads: Special, so this isn't a regular officer's shield. There is a multi color State Seal in the center of this badge, and it seems to be in need of some adjustment (slight turn to 12:00 position). I haven't touched it at all, and have no intention of doing so now.

While I like to look at my displays and recall some moment in time I can't say that these badges do that for me. I really cleared the cobwebs from my brain while looking at them, and nothing came up. For that reason I checked the history of this town and read about Old Henry Hudson. Maybe collectors older than me have a fond memory of him.