This is number 32 ! That is 32nd different community in my "Municipal Collection." This "S" is for Scotch Plains.
Scotch Plains is a nice community in a suburban location about 15-20 miles West of Newark. It is a "Township" nestled at the bottom of the Watchung Mountains. In other words very nice.
It used to be nicer (my opinion) before the construction of Interstate - 78. That road circles around, and over, some beautiful Mountains and good communities. Too bad it has a few exits letting all kinds of cars, trucks and people off.
The traffic can be a pain, especially in the communities on the receiving end. If you live there you understand. All is never quiet, however some of the noise is from great activities in this area.
Some 14 years ago I lived over the mountain. I enjoyed it, but after
retiring I found Naples more to my liking. I also found a doctor down here who, of
all things, grew up in Scotch Plains. We talk about this connection, the
pictured badge, and my collection in general. He kinda softens me up
prior to giving me my quarterly pain shot. When he is done I appreciate
everything especially the trip home to this badge.
I have it in my display. Like the others I see it daily. It reminds me of the "old days." Those are nice memories.
The badge itself is neat. It is on the plain side, but in good shape. It does not have a New Jersey State Seal. In fact there is no Seal at all. The number "18" is just below center point and the word "POLICE" is just above that position.
At the top of the badge is the stamped word: "Auxiliary". The township name is also stamped on the badge at the bottom: "Scotch Plains, NJ."
I am glad to have it, and consider it a "keeper."
Wow, this is a biggie. It is "R" for Roselle. This is number 31 in alphabetical order by municipality.
The "R" means I have finally completed those "P's". I started on them in February, but it seems like longer then that. Maybe time is catching up on me.
This community of 20,000 +/- has a "Borough" form of government. It is located in Union County reasonably close to the Newark area. Its' incorporation dates back to 1894.
It was the first community in the United States to have overhead electric wiring and lighting. This was done by Thomas Edison as a demonstration project to push his lighting business. His work was a success.
Like most NJ communities Roselle has a police department. Its' roots can be traced back to the early 1900's. The area that they have to patrol is relatively small at just under 3 square miles.
The beautiful badge from this community is old for sure. It is from the 1940's plus or minus a decade. It is a great New York style and was made for the police auxiliary "Director."
It is in good condition, has a locking clasp, and an old style State Seal which is about the size of a dime. It is on the small side, but authentic.
This badge has been in my hands for close to 25 years. Only after retiring did I find a nice spot for it in my "Municipal Collection." That is the spot where I put non-cities which continues to be my primary interest.
It sits under glass in a huge display case where I view it daily and admire the reverse blue letters that mark it: Roselle Auxiliary, Police and the title - Director.
This Badge is a keeper. It reminds me of the area surrounding Roselle and the friends who lived there a Century ago.
Another "P." This one is for Piscataway. This is a "Township" so it is a fit in my Municipal Collection.
The place is real, and the name seems to have some roots going back to early settlers in the 1700's. To my knowledge George Washington did not sleep here.
Today, believe it or not, there are over 50,000 inhabitants in Town. Many of them work here. When I worked I had an office in the community.
While there is a major interstate nearby it seems to be bringing people here to jobs, rather then they other way around. The area has many research labs as well as a major Hospital that provide work.
Rutgers University, my Alma mater, has its' major campus here and neighboring New Brunswick. I had an office in New Brunswick too. When I worked I was very much aware of Rutgers and its' football program. The thing is I just can't tell any stories about those memories. They do, however, bring a smile to my face when I think back to another day.
I also smile when I obtain a badge as nice as this for my collection. I consider it a Jersey major for sure, and I do like this old design.
It is a simple traditional shield with twin panels at the top. It is a generic item until the letters are stamped into. This one reads Piscataway and Police. At the bottom is the number box where # 87 was put in place before plating.
The Jersey State Seal was part of the generic package and is perfectly placed at center point. Over all the condition is very good to excellent. Certainly it is a keeper.
This old badge comes from Passaic Township in New Jersey. It is another "P" in the Municipal Collection that I have been writing about for what seems, to me, forever. Following my alphabetical layout it is the 29th community in the display.
It might sound familiar to you, but you are probably thinking of the City of Passaic. The "Township" is definitely not the same place. It is the Same State, but a world apart. In reality only 25 miles, but still a different time zone.
The two Passaic's do have something in common. They are on, near or sometimes under the Passaic River. That is the connection.
Near the source of the river is this "Township." It is a rural area with just over eight thousand people living in it. The horses and rabbits enjoy a larger population.
On the map there are communities such as Gillette, Millington, Meyersville, and Sterling. They are all part of this Morris County community.
Around twenty years ago the voters changed the Townships' name to Long Hill Twp. The reason was to offer distinction from that other Passaic located down stream.
When the name changed the badge pictured above became extinct. Somehow I caught hold of it, and have been taking care of it ever since.
It is a simple oval that merges with eagles wings. It is silver tone in color and has four panels. They are stamped with black recessed letters that read: PASSAIC, TOWNSHIP, POLICE, and last N.J. In the center is a plated N.J. State Seal.
Moving along to another badge I have a "P" to offer you. This is for the Township of Parsippany, New Jersey. This item is in my display containing NJ Municipalities that I have managed to obtain over the last 45 years.
I have assembled the collection in alphabetical order. This represents the 28th community in the big case.
The Parsippany Community is technically a "Township" so it fits right into the municipal group . It is in Morris County, which is where I lived for thirty years or so. I remember rolling hills, two lane roads, and plenty of lakes dotted on the map here and there.
The memory is good, but the facts have changed. Today there are over 50,000 people living there. It is the largest place in Morris County as well as northern New Jersey.
The name originated from the Indians who lived back in my day. They described it as "the place where the river winds through the valley." The Indian word was - parsipanong.
Troy Hills is part of the official name of this community.On the badge pictured above one will see the hyphen and those words. In reality the Town is generally recognized as simply Parsippany. That makes the Indians happy. I think they also like this traditional shape badge in my display. I have had it a good twenty years, and I am quite proud to have it.
The shield is a traditional Jersey type badge. It is simple. One size fits all. Letters get stamped into the two panels and presto the badge is unique. Plating and numbers follow and we have an excellent finished product. The end piece reads: "Parsippany - Troy Hills," "Police," Number "14".
Like all my "muni's" they sit about three feet away from my keyboard where they ignite a different memory every day.
This "P" is for PARAMUS and it is part of the MUNICIPAL COLLECTION that I have been describing over recent months in this blog.
My parents went almost their entire life in New Jersey without hearing of or driving to Paramus. The community was a small area in Bergen County near the George Washington Bridge. It is incorporated as a "Borough" which is why this badge fits in my Muni Collection.
When our Country was first being settled this area was inhabited by Indians. Their favorite game bird was the Turkey. In their language one will see the roots for the word that gives this town its' name.
During the Revolutionary War this community saw nothing in terms of a battle, but they did have heavy movements of both Washington's Troops, as well as the British. The trails used became the foundation for many of today's major roads.
It took the creation of the Garden State Parkway and an appropriate exit to create the Paramus Mall. These two events, I am told, put this community on the map.
My research revealed that this Mall was one of the top spending spots in the country. I am so glad the wife and I live in Florida where Gulf Waters are our main concern.
The badge that is pictured above is an obsolete badge that is believed to date back to the mid 1920's. It is a traditional Jersey type badge with a silver tone finish.
As the picture reveals it has two panels with recessed lettering. The letters re black and reads: Paramus on top, with Police on the second panel. The NJ State Seal is stamped from the rear onto the shield prior to plating.
In the number box, at the bottom, is the number "277". It is the 27th community in alphabetical order in my display. It is a keeper, especially since I favor the shape which was very popular in New Jersey. It now sits under glass where it reminds of all those receipts from "the mall" that I don't have to worry about.
I like to trim off some of my displays with a picture or two from New Jersey, and if it is Newark that makes it even better. The Guy's above are from other cities, but nonetheless their pictures are pretty neat.
The Officers on top I believe are from Washington DC. The foursome on the bottom are from the City of Brotherly Love - Philly. Are they going in the right direction? It looks like they are headed towards Newark.
I obtained these pictures over the last few years and think they look good here for the "world" to view. A copy is available on request. Also If you have an old picture that you would like to share here, send it to our email address.
