1 10 128 https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/ebaaa20e2871fad21613f868b66c39cb.png 0fbfd6c5f6be53674e15cd2665cfefa3 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 Comedians 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 Englewood Golf Club (Comedy) Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource John C. Voigt Post Card Co., Jersey City, New Jersey Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived New Jersey State Library's Postcard Collection. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available wikipedia Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1908 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Colman, David Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Public Domain Description An account of the resource Founded in 1896, the Englewood Golf Club was one of the oldest and most prestigious golf clubs in the United States. Located near the George Washington Bridge and later adjacent to Route 4, the club gained national recognition in the early twentieth century as a championship course. In 1906, it hosted the U.S. Amateur Championship, helping establish Bergen County as a destination for competitive golf. Its proximity to New York City made it a popular gathering place for business leaders, professionals, and prominent public figures. By the 1940s, however, rapid suburban development began to transform the surrounding area. Newspaper accounts from 1943 described the historic course's 104 acres as increasingly valuable real estate, noting that the property had been placed on the market as development pressures mounted around the George Washington Bridge corridor. Despite these challenges, the club survived and reinvented itself. In 1952, following extensive renovations and reorganization, the club reopened as a private institution with a rebuilt clubhouse, new facilities, and a renewed commitment to golf and social life. The club's revival coincided with another transformation taking place in northern Bergen County. During the 1950s and 1960s, Englewood, Leonia, Tenafly, and neighboring communities became home to a growing number of entertainers who worked in New York City's television, film, theater, and nightclub industries. The Englewood Golf Club emerged as one of the places where these figures gathered away from the spotlight. Among the comedians associated with the club were Buddy Hackett, Dick Shawn, Joey Bishop, and Corbett Monica. Contemporary accounts describe how Dick Shawn introduced Buddy Hackett to both the club and the social life of Englewood. After showing Hackett around the area, Shawn sold him his Englewood home, helping bring another rising television comedian into the community. The friendship between the two comedians reflected the close-knit network of performers who settled in Bergen County during the early television era. The club remained connected to the entertainment world for decades. A 1976 newspaper account linked Buddy Hackett to the Englewood Country Club alongside fellow entertainers Joey Bishop and Corbett Monica and nightclub owner Phil Corio. For many performers, the club offered an opportunity to enjoy suburban life while remaining only a short distance from television studios, Broadway theaters, and Manhattan nightclubs. Ken Wallace, "Historic Englewood Golf Club, Rebuilt, Heads To New Glories," The Record (Hackensack, NJ), April 15, 1952. Radio Mirror, November 1956, profile describing Dick Shawn, Buddy Hackett, and the Englewood Golf Club. The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), February 22, 1976, discussing Buddy Hackett's association with the Englewood Country Club alongside Joey Bishop, Corbett Monica, and Phil Corio. https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/94170c18e34e46668831d2ee7d08d859.jpg b3040f8d4ee1d5253a8394caaf9cb075 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 Greenleaf Funeral Home https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/cf7a7fa160d6a927b2400273c7e1bd96.jpg bfef5601b2d10a7571398b8326edc72d 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 Van Brunt Street 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 Nesbitt Funeral Home https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/069cd4a540cf1b522366d83abadb49d4.jpg e3316ce21e0b11ce0a2f238216004090 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 Englewood School of Nursing https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/ad38bee9cd0178492354faf418ab2220.jpg fdcdacea37a1a1369d4242df4e15f2c3 https://archive.englewoodmakeshistory.org/files/original/c0cf357cc4ed627ce8238ee45b3d6924.jpg 507f497410b7fdaf596c7682b928f25c 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 Englewood Laundry 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. 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>