Terhune Drive Sunnybank Park Prescribed Burn
Wayne, NJ
See the stories below, with some history about Sunnybank Park and the burning building.
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In this undated album, Wayne's Pompton Falls Fire Co 3 and Preakness Co 4 and the Pompton Lakes Fire Department are shown at Sunnybank Park on Terhune Drive in Wayne. The two abandoned buildings were slated for demolition, and the practice of demolition by burning was commonplace. The firefighters received practical, hands-on experience during the burns. These images were scanned from 35mm B&W negative film. If you know the date of this incident, please contact me. |
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Images courtesy BDW
Below is a short story about the "Coachman" who is believed to have lived in the coachman's house (servant's quarters) that is seen burning in the pictures above.
Thank you Maryjane Proctor of the Passaic County Historical Society, for this historical account.
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MARION HARLAND'S THIEVING COACHMAN
He is sentenced to six months in the Penitentiary taken from the New York Times, May 14, 1895
(Editor’s note: I stumbled upon this rather obscure article while reading through archived New York Times newspapers online. I found it to be in sharp contrast with the congenial, rather demure picture painted of Marion Harland in the article titled "Writer of Many Books." Interesting, you decide…..mjp)
PATERSON, NJ May 13 - James WASHBURNE, the thieving coachman who for a long time was employed by Mrs. Rev. E. P. TERHUNE, in the literary world known as "Marion HARLAND," was sentenced to the County Jail here today for five months at hard labor and to pay the costs of prosecution.
The important witnesses against Washburne, upon who testimony he was convicted, were the authoress and her daughter, Mrs. HERRICK, both of who live at the Terhune mansion at Pompton Lakes, about six miles from Paterson.
For a long time they had been missing goods, but did not suspect the coachman. On one occasion the family was called away. While they were absent the coachman, with his wife, went to visit is Jersey City. The Terhune’s returned before they were expected and before the return of the coachman. A day or two after their return, Mrs. Terhune and her daughter were walking near the house of the coachman, which is on the grounds near their own house. Their attention was attracted by the crying of a cat.
Mrs. Terhune climbed through a window to release the cat. While in the house she discovered sufficient evidence to convict her coachman on five different charges of larceny. All kinds of household goods were found including many of Mrs. Terhune's prize cooking utensils, jewelry, fancy lamps, rare articles that had been brought from abroad, and many other things that had been missed from the household for months.
The coachmen become aware of what had occurred and did not return to Pompton. A warrant was sworn out for his arrest in Jersey City by Constable KEIFER, who brought him to his county, where he has been in jail. He was tried at the present time, found guilty, and sentenced today. The Terhune’s recovered goods that they never expected to see again. |
Sunnybank - A Controlled Burn
By Marilyn R. Horowitz
An Article Appearing In Collie Expressions Magazine
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