Here is some historical information on the Bloomers of New Milford-River Edge, which I had in my files. The old Bloomer homestead still stands on the east side of the bridge in present-day New Milford.
On March 4, 1864, George C. Demarest and his wife, Margaret, of Hackensack Township sold two tracts on the east side of the Hackensack River at Old Bridge (in New Milford) and one tract on the west side of the river (in River Edge) to George Bloomer, of Harrington Township, for $5,125. The tract on the west side of the river, containing 8.45 acres, was bounded south by the road to Old Bridge, west by the School House Lot and the New Milford Road (now Kinderkamack Avenue), north by land of David W. Christie and east by the Hackensack River. These lots had been devised to George C. Demarest on June 11, 1861. On July 8, 1864, George Bloomer, now residing in Hackensack Township (New Milford), purchased a 1.58-acre lot on the west bank of the Hackensack River on the south side of the road to Old Bridge from James C. Demarest and his wife, Jane, for $4, 050. This tract was bounded on the north by the public road (River Edge Avenue), south by land of James C. Demarest, east by the Hackensack River and west by lands of Nicholas Kipp and James C. Demarest. On March 2, 1868, George and Mary Ann Bloomer, of Hackensack Township, sold two adjacent tracts of land at River Edge to Peter V. B. Demarest for $7,000. The survey of the first tract, encompassing 1.58 acres, began at its northeast corner on the west bank of the Hackensack River at the south side of the bridge commonly known as Old Bridge and in the middle of the public road (River Edge Avenue). This lot was bounded north by the public road, south by lands of James C. Demarest and James Bross (formerly Nicholas Kipp’s land), and east by the Hackensack River. The survey of the second tract, containing 8.46 acres, also began on the west bank of the Hackensack River and in the center of the road to Old Bridge. This lot was bounded south by the road to Old Bridge, west by the School House Lot and the center of the New Milford Road (now Kinderkamack Road), north by lands of David W. Christie and east by the Hackensack River.
On February 19, 1867, five of the original 1846 subscribers to the Sabbath School at Old Bridge (River Edge0, namely, George Wolfkill, of Hackensack Township, and John J. Demarest, Jacob Bell, Jacob J. Banta and Lucas Voorhis, all of New Barbados Township, issued a quit-claim to their attorney, George Bloomer, for $45, allowing him to vote as their proxy in matters pertaining to the property “with all right for a Sabbath School House and keeping any other Religious building, meeting or any other school if required.”
On February 4, 1870, an adjourned meeting of the inhabitants of Old Bridge was held in the District School House, for the purpose of naming the passenger depot about to be built there. After transacting preliminary business, it was decided to vote by ballot as the names were called from the subscription list, one vote being given to each subscriber of five dollars and upwards. Forty-six ballots were cast for River Edge, when the Chairman declared the name unanimously adopted by the meeting. Messrs. Abraham J. Demarest, Peter V. B. Demarest, John Henry Zabriskie, George Bloomer and William Blair were then elected to serve on the Building Committee.
The River Edge Social Club held a picnic on August 5, 1874 in the beautiful grove of Jacob Voorhis. Anderson Bloomer, Abraham Van Buskirk, John Herring, James D. Christie and other members of the community, sponsored the affair. John Ryan, of the Washington Mansion House in Hackensack, catered it. Chinese lanterns illuminated the spacious dance floor, which was decorated with flags. Couples danced into the wee hours to the music of harp, violin and cornet. A prize was offered to the winner of a tub race.
At midnight, July 4, 1876, a National Salute of thirteen cannon blasts welcomed the American Centennial at River Edge. At dawn, bells were rung. “An incessant popping of fire-crackers and a large explosion of powder in general” marked the daylong festivities. The Executive Committee in charge of the Centennial celebration included F. H. Crum, A. Bloomer, J. D. Christie, F. W. Stokes and A. J. Demarest.
In July 1882, the Excelsior butcher shop of John Baker was transported across the Hackensack River on a schooner from River Edge to the New Milford side, to be used as an office by Mr. Bloomer. Bloomer Brothers outfitted a schooner, preparatory to cruising the Fishing Banks, in August 1882. They negotiated for the purchase of another schooner in February 1883.
In August 1888, David Bloomer, of River Edge, who had carried an outstanding warrant against a former employee of Squire Webb for six years, was able to get his man, Henry R. J. Caesar. Mr. Caesar had purchased a pair of rubber boots at Andrew Christie’s store and charged them without authority to Squire Webb’s account. On Saturday evening, August 25th, Mr. Bloomer spotted Caesar at the Susquehanna depot in Hackensack, in company with Chief Earle, helping to investigate a string of robberies in that neighborhood. Marshall Bloomer had him arrested. He was also wanted on another warrant, outstanding for six years, which accused him of obtaining 130 eggs from Samuel Cronk under false pretences.
In June 1891, the Freeholders authorized payment of the following bridge-keepers: at Old Bridge, Bloomer Brothers, $20; at New Bridge, Abraham Leggett, $60.
On November 9, 1891, a young man named Herman Pies, employed by Andrew Collins of New Bridge, appropriated an overcoat and a lot of honey belonging to his employer and left the premises. Mr. Collins noticed the theft immediately and dispatched his son to find officer Bloomer. The culprit was nabbed at River Edge and taken before Squire Webb. Found guilty, he was sentenced to sixty days. Mr. Collins took compassion for the youth and permitted him to keep the overcoat.
On May 10, 1892, James Earle captured 71 shad in one haul at River Edge, while Bloomer brothers caught over 100 on the same day and 63 in a single haul the following evening. On July 18, 1892, the Bloomer Brothers’ schooner Corsair, heavily laden with bricks, was forced by the strong winds onto the meadow banks at Hackensack, In late September 1892, David Bloomer and station agent I. J. Blauvelt departed for Sloansville, New York, where they spent a week hunting quail near Central Bridge along the Delaware & Hudson Railroad.
David Bloomer resigned his position as detective in January 1893. On August 1, 1893, a schooner loaded with brick, consigned to Bloomer Brothers of River Edge, sank. It had been tied to the dock when it became caught by the rising tide and filled with water. The following day, laborers had to unload the craft. A week later, the Bloomer Brothers’ scow, recently sunk with a load of bricks, was hoisted from the bottom of the river and returned to service. In November 1893, Bloomer Brothers received large quantities of fertilizer at their docks.
On May 5, 1894, George Bloomer captured 99 shad in a single haul. By the close of August 1894, Bloomer Brothers were building a house at Etna (now Emerson). In September 1894, samples of potatoes from Bloomer Brothers farm were the finest specimens seen in years.
In the spring of 1895, Bloomer Brothers made extensive improvements to their old homestead, filling in their lowland on the Hackensack River. In May 1896, the three Bloomer brothers christened their new schooner, The Three Sisters. In July 1896, they announced their intention to overhaul their old homestead east of the River Edge Bridge. In that same month, they were awarded the contract for supplying Washington Township schools with coal. In September 1896, railroad authorities petitioned the Bloomer Brothers to transform their property along the Hackensack River, back of their homestead, into a resort for picnic parties by the construction of the necessary pavilions for dining. It was a beautiful spot for such purposes as the river runs along its full length. The owners, however, had not decided whether or not to accede to the railroad company's wish to run excursion trains to this point. On September 29, 1896, David Bloomer shot an immense crane. Having wounded the bird with his first shot, he endeavored to capture it in flight but the crane gave David several vicious digs in the face and he had to kill it with a second shot. He planned to have it stuffed and mounted.
A record catch of 144 shad in one day, held by Bloomer Brothers for about two years, was broken on Monday, May 10, 1897, by the Brower boys who caught 157 “blue backs” in one haul. In September 1897, the Riverside Club invited guests to a clambake in Bloomer Brothers grove.
George Bloomer & Sons built a large scow in February 1898, which they launched a month later. On the night of May 27, 1898, Bloomer Brothers caught 75 shad. In June 1898, Bloomer Brothers built a handsome residence at River Edge. In September 1899, George H. Bloomer built a small house on the east side of the river on the (River) road leading to New Bridge. They also intended overhauling their old homestead and improving it.
Bloomer Brothers, in a single haul, caught 10 shad on April 23, 1901. The Bloomer Brothers were otherwise busy clearing away underbrush in the grove in back of their homestead.
In the great flood of October 16, 1903, A. Z. Bogert and Mr. Bloomer, whose yards bordered the river, were heavy losers as the flood carried lumber, cordwood and coal downstream. Bloomer Brothers lost their stock of cordwood and their shed; the old family homestead was flooded up to the first floor.
In April 1906, Bloomer Brothers purchased a farm and large boarding house near Kingston, New York. David H. Bloomer was getting the house in order for the season and Fred Hansen was to be the manager. Bloomer Brothers lost one of their valuable horses from an attack of colic on May 25, 1906. Bloomer Brothers, who had been at the coal business at River Edge for the past twenty-five years, retired and disposed of their business to A. Z. Bogert & Brother in June 1906, who asked a continuance of public patronage and guaranteed fair treatment. A survey was made on November 19, 1906, of the Bloomer property along the riverfront, south of Bridge Street, for the new owner, C. J. Rose, of New York. There were about 12 acres in the tract.
Shortly before ten o’clock on Saturday night, June 22, 1907, fire was discovered in the ancient dwelling on the east side of the river at New Milford (Oradell), which was owned by the Bloomer family of River Edge, but had long been untenanted. Dumont and Peetzburgh fire companies responded to the call, but were handicapped in fighting the flames as the water main had broken in the middle of the river and was out of commission. The building was an old landmark, a two-story and attic affair, and the oldest inhabitant said it was built more than a century ago. General Accalaries, of Civil War fame, occupied the place in his early career, and common report had it that a pirate had his den in the building in the long ago. Of late it had been known as the “Beehive.” In November 1907, Anderson Bloomer was appointed the new bridge-tender at the county bridge across the river near the River Edge post office, which had recently been re-planked.
Captain David H. Bloomer, a native of River Edge, died at High Falls, New York, on Sunday, February 13, 1910, after a short illness, 49 years of age and unmarried. He was a well-known boatman on the Hackensack River. Two brothers, Anderson and George, and one sister, Emma Bloomer, survived him.
On February 27, 1911, while hunting through his possessions in the old homestead, Anderson Bloomer discovered two ancient framed photographs, both in a fine state of preservation. One was a picture of the schooner James A. Dunbar moored near the bridge at River Edge, which scene must have been captured about 1876. The other scene showed the steam launch Erminie at its River Edge dock, with the late David Bloomer in the pilot house, while at the stern was seated Frank Scott, the owner of the craft, who lived in this vicinity at that time, but who resided in Brooklyn in 1911 and was connected with the Royal Baking Powder Company.
In April 1911, Anderson Bloomer built a post office for the government on the River Edge side of the Bridge. A new chimney was built on the kitchen of the ancient Bloomer homestead as the old chimney became so clogged up that it was impossible to make the fire burn to cook breakfast on Monday morning, May 1, 1911. In July 1911, Charles Demarest, James Demarest and Anderson Bloomer started on an auto junket one day, their trip extending over two days as they covered a large section of country and had an exciting experience: they visited Suffern, Tuxedo, Highland Falls, Kingston, etc., and on the return trip, struck Ramsey, Ridgewood, Wyckoff and other places. They lost their bearing and then the machine broke down, which delayed them several hours in reaching home. In that same month, farmer Bloomer gathered a crop of hay on his tract near the post office and also in the rear of the old Bloomer homestead on the east side of the river.
Always keeping close watch on the bridge, Anderson Bloomer, the bridge tender at River Edge, discovered a break in the planking in January 1912 and had it property mended, thus preventing a serious accident, as a horse had broken through the rotten plank, but escaped injury. In April 1912, Anderson Bloomer made a big improvement in his property by taking away some of the rear part of his homestead.
In July 1912, while building the new bridge at River Edge, workmen uprooted an ancient buttonwood tree on the riverbank and found an iron implement, wedge shaped and hard as flint, which they dug out. Bridge-tender Bloomer thought the odd-looking tool had been used by the Indians and planned to send it to the Smithsonian Institute as a curiosity.
Anderson Bloomer, one of the Bloomer brothers of River Edge, died Tuesday, March 17, 1914. A Democrat, he represented Bergen County in the General Assembly during 1887-88. In June 1914, George Bloomer greatly improved the old Bloomer homestead, just east side of the River Edge Bridge, adding a new roof and making interior improvements. When completed, he expected to rent the place.
