[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 21]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 30815-30816]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



             CONGRATULATING THE PASCACK HISTORICAL SOCIETY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARGE ROUKEMA

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 17, 1999

  Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Pascack 
Historical Society on the recent restoration of its museum, and for all 
the work the Society has done to preserve the heritage of the Pascack 
Valley.
  The Pascack Historical Society Museum, located in Park Ridge, New 
Jersey, is a wonderful collection of artifacts depicting life in the 
region from the 18th Century through the early 20th Century. It is a 
popular destination for tourists and natives alike, and is a treasure-
trove of archival information for scholars of local history.
  Special recognition must go to a number of key individuals involved. 
The project was ably guided by Historical Society President Katharine 
P. Randall, Vice President Fracesca M. Moskowitz, Secretary Ellen 
Kramer and Treasurer Richard Ross.
  The renovation would not have been possible without the generosity of 
the late Ellen Berdais, a long-time member of the Historical Society 
who died of cancer in 1995, just after the project began. In her honor, 
the annex will be named the Ellen Berdais Hall. In addition, the main 
museum building will be named in memory of its longtime curator, Wilma 
Uder.
  The museum is housed in the 19th century former First Congregational 
Church of Park Ridge. During the three-year, $275,000 renovation, the 
church building was substantially restored and a dilapidated barn was 
replaced with an 18,000-square-foot addition. Its exhibits include the 
facade of a country store, a turn-of-the-century parlor, and a 
recreation of rooms from a small, Colonial-era home. Artifacts include 
items the Leni-Lenape Indian tribe and early settlers used for trading, 
farming and manufacturing. A machine for making the ``wampum'' 
ornaments Native Americans once used as currency is part of the 
collection, along with a printing press from a local newspaper and a 
wooden horse used by a saddle maker.
  The Historical Society was founded in the 1930s by John C. Storms, 
publisher of the Park Ridge Local, and was formally incorporated in 
1942. A small group of area residents dedicated themselves to 
collecting and preserving artifacts and written accounts of Pascack 
Valley history, and sharing the collection through exhibits, lectures 
and a quarterly newsletter. The society's collection was housed in 
various locations until it found a permanent home in 1952 with the 
purchase of the church, which had been a Park Ridge landmark since 
1873.
  During its nearly half-century of operation, thousands of school 
classes, civic organizations, researchers and individuals have visited 
the museum and attended the Historical Society's lectures. Staffed 
entirely by volunteers, the museum has depended on the generosity of 
its members and friends for financial support.
  It became obvious in 1994 that the adjacent bar--used as a meeting 
room, research center, storage area and workroom--was in such a 
dangerous state of disrepair that its demolition was ordered by the 
borough. With the loss of this facility, it was necessary to 
temporarily close the museum and begin a major fundraising campaign to 
rebuild. Supports worked for five years to make the dream a reality.
  I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in 
commending the Pascack Historical Society and all its members on the 
hard work and dedication that have preserved this American historic 
treasure for the benefit of all.

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