CITY COLLECTION: P IS FOR PASSAIC

P IS FOR PASSAIC. At one time there were two Passaic's in New Jersey. They are quite different communities.

One was a summer retreat area in and around the Passaic Valley. Over the years some of that large land area found new identities. The original area became part of what is now known as Long Hill, N.J. It should have been called Green Acres, as that is what the area was like when all this name changing took place.

The fine badge above is not from Green Acres or Long Hill. It is from the City of Passaic. The spelling is the same, and the river, with the same name meanders by both communities. That is where the similarity ends.

The City of Passaic has about 67,000 residents. Tracing its' roots one will see that this community was closely associated with textiles and manufacturing. Television can make a claim that its' origins have a strong link to this City. Network TV was born there circa 1940. I guess that means we should all thank Passaic when we watch "Law and Order."

I no longer recall how I obtained this very nice traditional badge. It was an early entry in my "City Collection." As the picture shows it is a beauty. The finish is silver tone, with black recessed letters. The top spells out: "City of Passaic, Police." At the bottom the letters "N.J." are moulded into the shield as is the State Seal.

A fine addition to any collection ! I am very glad to have it.