Ridgewood

Ridgewood, New Jersey, might still be known as Godwinville had it not been for the efforts of Cornelia Dayton, the wife of a real estate developer, who continually lobbied for the name change until the post office recognized it in 1865. By 1876, the community received township status. Street scenes portray Ridgewood s evolution from dirt to cobblestone to asphalt-paved roads, and the change

from a railroad grade crossing at Ridgewood Avenue to an underpass at Franklin Avenue. Sections on the historic buildings and homes are arranged so one can take a tour from one to the next, aided by in-text maps. Other sections depict the nineteenth-century mansions, community life of bygone eras, and the lost buildings due to fire or progress. "