07Nov1922

What was the reason for this division?

Klinker said:

What was the reason for this division?

 There's a thread for that.

https://maplewood.worldwebs.com/forums/discussion/maplewood-before-1922

Also - https://maplewood.worldwebs.com/forums/discussion/life-in-soma-in-the-1920s-what-do-you-think-it-was-like?page=next&limit=0#discussion-replies-391166

If you want to read some real source material, go to the library and check out or read a copy of "The Evolution of the School District of South Orange and Maplewood, New Jersey, 1814-1927". It's a history of the communities, written in 1930, including the separation into two towns.

It was South Orange which wanted to separate, by the way. At the time, I believe the South Orange side was "town", and the Maplewood side was "country" for the most part.

One more - https://maplewood.worldwebs.com/forums/discussion/south-orange-bot-election?page=next&limit=840#discussion-replies-3456454

"In 1904 at the request of the Village an act was passed by the legislature separating the Village from the Township in all respects except as to the School District which was specifically declared to remain the same. Not long afterward unsuccessful attempts were made to bring up the question of dividing the school district also. The rural part of the township retained the old name until 1922, when it was changed to Maplewood because of more or less confusion arising when one part was called Village of South Orange and the other Township of South Orange."

The Evolution of the School District of South Orange and Maplewood New Jersey, 1841-1927,
By Henry W. Foster (Superintendent, 1900-1927) (W. F. Humphrey Press, 1930)

There's a copy in reference in Maplewood Memorial Library.

Thanks.  What a surprisingly complicated story (at least as far as the names are concerned).

nohero said:

 The Tax assessor for the Township was based in Maplewood and South Orange Village objected to the assessments given them.

durandhedden said:

nohero said:

 The Tax assessor for the Township was based in Maplewood and South Orange Village objected to the assessments given them.

You mean, it all started with ... a reval?  Seems appropriate. 

crossroads said:

07 November, 1922 - Portions of South Orange Township are officially named Maplewood Township. 

For all you local history buffs, you might want to consider puchasing a copy of Maplewood Compendium, a 127-page book that was just published and available at Words Bookstore, that provides among its 700 entries, a more detailed look at the history of many names and divisions of Maplewood, dating back to the earliest communities of Jefferson Village and North Farms. A case could be made that the real "founding" of Maplewood was in 1869, when South Orange officially split into SO Village and Township (ie Maplewood). Althought the government changed in 1922, the boundary line remained essentially the same as 1869.