13 10 894 https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/7d965c6eaee395113c6a871018b54c6e.jpg 4b1a1b20388727421fc163a38631b194 People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Banks, Henry W. Description An account of the resource Colonel Henry W. Banks was a prominent and wealthy resident of Englewood, New Jersey, who died in his 81st year at his home on Hillside Avenue after a short illness with pneumonia. Originally born in Connecticut, Banks became deeply rooted in Englewood’s civic, religious, and economic life. Over many years he established himself as one of the community’s leading figures. Civic & Religious Leadership President of the Brookside Cemetery Association One of the founders of Englewood’s local Presbyterian church Actively involved in social and religious affairs in the city Business & Property Director of the Citizens’ National Bank Owner of Englewood Hall Held significant real estate holdings in the city Military Service Veteran of the Civil War (His title “Colonel” reflects his military rank or honorary designation tied to that service.) Family He was survived by: His widow Two daughters Two sons His funeral was held privately at his residence. Historical Significance Banks represents a type frequently seen in late 19th-century Englewood history: a Civil War veteran who transitioned into civic leadership, banking, church founding, and real estate development during the borough’s growth from a rural community into a prosperous suburban center. His ownership of Englewood Hall and leadership in cemetery and church institutions suggests he was closely tied to the shaping of Englewood’s physical and institutional landscape. https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/1375e27ee8e70e4606f58081ff313cc9.jpg 6a6480e75b9e734a86214af960757a27 Places A fixed location. Metadata for a place provides descriptive information that is the basis of discovery of the creation, purpose, and agents associated with a place. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Far East Restaurant https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/ccc3f8c13dd7f0d94b3f96d9815b4461.jpg 7d2ec18ca4681e654828c4158da41113 https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/b0409ecf7409ee7934e09188468e9521.jpg 1dbea8a440c4adc340948b9cc31ef044 Places A fixed location. Metadata for a place provides descriptive information that is the basis of discovery of the creation, purpose, and agents associated with a place. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Oriental (Chinese Restaurant) Description An account of the resource Englewood's Chinese Restaurant Controvery In 1929, Englewood’s attempt to establish a Chinese restaurant became more than a business matter. It evolved into a revealing episode about power, procedure, and public perception in a suburban community navigating questions of commerce and character. The controversy followed the earlier closing of Englewood’s first Chinese restaurant, operated by Wong, after public dispute involving members of the council.¹ With that establishment gone, the city once again had no Chinese restaurant. In August 1929, real estate broker Harry F. Rothman applied for a permit to operate a Chinese-American restaurant at 95 West Palisade Avenue.² The proposal quickly became the subject of heated exchanges between Rothman and Mayor Douglas G. Thomson before the Englewood Common Council. Mayor Thomson reported that his office and the police commissioners had investigated the applicant. However, he objected to granting restaurant permits on second floors and requested that Rothman disclose the financial principals behind the venture.³ Rothman refused to name them and accused the council of unnecessary delay. Newspaper coverage described tense council sessions, accusations of “bluffing,” and sharp political exchanges.⁴ The matter remained pending for more than five weeks before Rothman withdrew the application.⁵ No formal rejection was ever recorded. While the mayor consistently framed his objections as procedural — focusing on building location and disclosure — not all observers interpreted the controversy as purely administrative. Editorial commentary noted that efforts to open Chinese restaurants in Englewood had repeatedly failed in previous years.⁶ The unusually prolonged delay and the public focus on this particular application led some residents to believe that resistance may have reflected more than structural concerns. Although the articles stopped short of directly accusing the council of prejudice, they acknowledged that many in town had gained the impression that objections were aimed at Chinese restaurants specifically rather than at restaurants in general.⁷ This perception was shaped in part by the earlier closing of Wong’s establishment and by the broader climate of the 1920s, when Chinese businesses across the United States often faced scrutiny, stereotyping, and regulatory hurdles disproportionate to similar enterprises. Whether the opposition was rooted in zoning principles, political rivalry, concerns about second-floor dining, or anti-Chinese sentiment remains a matter of interpretation. What is clear from the record is that the controversy sparked public debate about fairness and consistency. Only weeks after Rothman withdrew, Englewood did grant a permit for a Chinese restaurant at the same address. On November 22, 1929, The Englewood Record carried a prominent advertisement announcing the grand opening of the Oriental American Chinese Restaurant at 95–97 West Palisade Avenue.⁸ The opening was celebrated with music, dancing, luncheon service, and evening dining. Subsequent reporting clarified that the permit was granted to a man from North Bergen — not to Rothman.⁹ The newspaper emphasized that the mayor’s recommendation was not for Rothman’s withdrawn application.¹⁰ The cuisine had not changed. The address had not changed. What had changed was the applicant. The episode demonstrates how municipal authority functioned in practice. Formal denial was unnecessary. Delay, procedural demands, and discretionary review could shape outcomes just as effectively. For some residents, the controversy reinforced suspicion that Chinese restaurants faced heightened scrutiny in Englewood. For others, it reflected a clash of personalities and policy between Rothman and the mayor. By November 1929, Englewood had its second Chinese restaurant. But the path to its opening exposed deeper tensions about transparency, control, reputation, and perhaps unspoken social boundaries within the community. “Chinese Restaurant Permit Recommended Is Not for Rothman,” The Englewood Record, October 26, 1929. “Rothman and Mayor Dispute Before the Englewood Council,” The Englewood Record, August 21, 1929. “Whirling Dervish Is Far Outclassed by Mayor Thomson,” The Englewood Record, September 18, 1929. “Procrastination Is Easy Way to Kill Applications,” The Englewood Record, September 23, 1929. “Announcing the Grand Opening of the Oriental American Chinese Restaurant,” advertisement, The Englewood Record, November 22, 1929. “Chinese Restaurant Permit Recommended Is Not for Rothman,” October 26, 1929. “Rothman and Mayor Dispute Before the Englewood Council,” August 21, 1929. Organizations and Institutions A group of individuals cooperating under similar beliefs to reach an agreed-upon goal. Metadata for organizations and institutions provides information for the basis of an investigation into the creation, purpose, beliefs, and actors involved in an organization and institution. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Tenape Tribe No. 280 Improved Order of Red Men of Englewood Description An account of the resource founder of first lodge in eastern bergen was a confederate war veteran Abraham A Phillips. https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/60cdbd9884213c9c6cd15b2b11c4035c.jpg 41fa538fb11391e05825c5e15b710fc7 Places A fixed location. Metadata for a place provides descriptive information that is the basis of discovery of the creation, purpose, and agents associated with a place. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Charley Wong''s Laundry https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/7cd2e5a32e8c398f2ad665c6fb750096.jpg 798b6b3a6067f9c4452e62264aa8513a https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/142f8e3f6fbfb99eebdd971a67d5f218.jpg e93fac1a046cef45323ec0553abeedb0 https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/7590665fbf895ab31089361c34c539d8.jpg 98dd012e86c72efa5bbc0cb3347ccbe0 https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/4f1edbede2fefc25708206627b1c6d6c.jpg e11628cf3a15c7490cd36c5d39eb7414 https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/9ebc955a14864b9047b9399bb5a81d8a.jpg 68f7cb9fd1fd59ed7cebb9a74b717eaa Places A fixed location. Metadata for a place provides descriptive information that is the basis of discovery of the creation, purpose, and agents associated with a place. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Charley Wong's Chinese Food and Chop Suey Restaurant Description An account of the resource <div class="flex flex-col text-sm pb-25"> <div class="text-base my-auto mx-auto pb-10 [--thread-content-margin:--spacing(4)] @w-sm/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(6)] @w-lg/main:[--thread-content-margin:--spacing(16)] px-(--thread-content-margin)"> <div class="[--thread-content-max-width:40rem] @w-lg/main:[--thread-content-max-width:48rem] mx-auto max-w-(--thread-content-max-width) flex-1 group/turn-messages focus-visible:outline-hidden relative flex w-full min-w-0 flex-col agent-turn"> <div class="flex max-w-full flex-col grow"> <div class="min-h-8 text-message relative flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 text-start break-words whitespace-normal [.text-message+&]:mt-1"> <div class="flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[1px]"> <div class="markdown prose dark:prose-invert w-full wrap-break-word light markdown-new-styling"> In the spring of 1924, Englewood welcomed what appears to have been its first Chinese restaurant. A small advertisement announced that Charley Wong would open a “Chinese Restaurant” at 16 West Palisade Avenue on March 7, 1924, promising “Chinese Food – Chop Suey.” The notice was simple, but it marked a quiet milestone in the commercial and cultural life of the town. At a time when Chinese immigration was severely restricted nationwide under the Chinese Exclusion Act, the opening of a Chinese-owned restaurant in downtown Englewood represented both entrepreneurial ambition and a new culinary presence in Bergen County. Charley Wong and his business partner, Wong Dong, operated the restaurant for roughly a year before becoming embroiled in a highly publicized dispute that exposed local tensions over property, development, and race. By late 1925, newspaper headlines described the pair in openly prejudiced language common to the era, framing them as defendants in a dramatic legal battle. The controversy centered on their removal from the premises at 16 West Palisade Avenue. According to court testimony, the Wongs held a lease and claimed they were wrongfully dispossessed. They alleged that Constable William Oliver, accompanied by several men, entered the restaurant and began removing furniture, equipment, and fixtures. During the confrontation, Charles Wong admitted to brandishing a revolver, which he said he seized in an attempt to protect his property while his belongings were being thrown onto the sidewalk. The situation escalated into criminal charges. Charles Wong and Wong Dong were tried in Bergen County on allegations of assault and making threats against an officer. Yet the broader context suggested a deeper dispute over control of the property itself. At the center of the controversy was Councilman Charles Greenberg of Englewood. Testimony indicated that Greenberg had an interest in the site, which was reportedly being considered for use as a theater. The Wongs asserted that they were pressured to vacate and that threats had been made to force them out if they did not relinquish their lease. During the trial, Greenberg’s role was scrutinized, though it was clarified in court that he was not acting as legal counsel in the case; his brother, William Greenberg, was an attorney connected to related proceedings. In November 1925, after dramatic headlines and weeks of public attention, a jury acquitted both Charles Wong and Wong Dong of the assault charges. Observers in court reportedly felt the evidence suggested the men had been attempting to defend their rights and possessions rather than initiate violence. Although acquitted, Wong had already spent time confined in the Bergen County jail during the proceedings, and the partners indicated they might pursue civil remedies for losses incurred when their restaurant was cleared out. The episode reveals more than a business dispute. It highlights the precarious position of early Chinese entrepreneurs in small American towns during the 1920s—operating in a climate of exclusionary federal law, racial stereotyping in the press, and vulnerability in local property conflicts. Englewood’s first Chinese restaurant was thus not only a culinary first but also the site of a significant local controversy involving municipal power, private development interests, and immigrant resilience. For Englewood’s historical narrative, the story of Charley Wong’s restaurant adds an important dimension: the town’s downtown was already a contested and evolving commercial space in the 1920s, where questions of who belonged—and who controlled valuable real estate—played out in very public ways. </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="z-0 flex min-h-[46px] justify-start"> “Charley Wong Will Open a Chinese Restaurant at 16 West Palisade Ave., Englewood, March 7, 1924.” The Record (Hackensack, NJ). March 5, 1924. “Chinamen Insist They Endeavored to Protect Property.” The Record (Hackensack, NJ). November 19, 1925. “Restaurant Rioter Peaceful in Court.” The Record (Hackensack, NJ). December 18, 1924. “Two Chinamen Are Acquitted on the Charge of Assault.” The Record (Hackensack, NJ). November 20, 1925. </div> </div> </div> </div> People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wides, Stanley Private First Class Description An account of the resource Along with George Rothman, Wides was the first Englewood man to enter Paris in 1944. Bernard Turteltaub offered a $25 war bond to the first Englewood man to enter Paris. People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rothman, George Private First Class Description An account of the resource Along with Englewood resident Stanley Wides, Rothman was the first Englewood man to cross into Paris in 1944. Bernard Turteltaub offered a $25 war bond to the first Englewood man to enter Paris. People An individual. Metadata for a person provides detailed biographical information to describe the life of a historical figure. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Rothman, Harry F. Description An account of the resource Real Estate Organizations and Institutions A group of individuals cooperating under similar beliefs to reach an agreed-upon goal. Metadata for organizations and institutions provides information for the basis of an investigation into the creation, purpose, beliefs, and actors involved in an organization and institution. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource F.A.S.T. Fiscal Accountability Starts Today Description An account of the resource Gabriel Bousbib