| 1699 | Horseneck Track Grant gives pioneers the right to settle the area including modern Livingston, Caldwell, and most of West Essex. |
| 1702 | Horseneck Track purchased from natives for £130. |
| 1725 | Earliest known logging camps in modern Livingston. |
| 1720 to 1744 | East Jersey Proprietors backed by the English Crown, begin claiming lands purchased from the natives and dispossessing the pioneers currently settled. |
| 1730 | The Beach Hoouse is built on Beaufort Avenue (it is the oldest standing house in Livingston today). |
March 7, 1744
| A fire in the home of Jonathan Pierson, destroys the deed to the Horseneck Tract. East Jersey Proprietors move to enforce their claims on the land. |
| 1745 | First Horseneck Riot: Timothy Meeker leads a mob to Newark in protest of the East Jersey Proprietors. Mob breaks open the Broad Street Jail and frees Samuel Baldwin, who had refused to pay rent to the Proprietors. |
| 1748 | Second Horseneck Riot. |
| 1750 | Third Horseneck Riot. |
| 1752 | Fourth Horseneck Riot. |
| 1756 | Most of the Natives living in the area leave due to the outbreak of the French and Indian War. |
| 1765 | Samo’s Tavern (site of first Township meeting in 1813) built by William Ely, Jr. on southwest corner of the intersection of Livingston and Mt. Pleasant Avenues. |
| 1775 | Only 4 Families living in modern Livingston: Timothy Meeker, John Meeker, David Dickerson, Samuel Pierson. |
| 1775 to 1783 | Revolutionary War. |
| 1786 | Northfield Baptist Church established. |
| 1789 | 10 Families living in Modern Livingston. |
| 1810 | Ely House built on W. Mt. Pleasant Ave. |
| 1812 | War of 1812. |
| 1813 | Population of modern Livingston reaches approximately 1000 |
February 5, 1813
| Bill passed by the legislature of the state of New Jersey that declares Livingston a town. |
April 12, 1813
| First Township meeting held in Teedtown, just south of Centerville (held on a Monday) held in the house of Isaac Samo, (Samo’s Tavern), facing easterly on Newark Turnpike and Canoe Brook Road Designated by the new charter as the official meeting place - eligible voters were determined as ‘All white males, 21 years of age’. |
| May 1816 | “The Dam for the Force Saw Mill” used to cut lumber, was shut down and never used again after Thomas Force’s 18 month old grandson John Anderson fell through the mill and died. Stone foundations of the dam can still be seen on either side of Canoe Brook. |
| 1825 | A larger section was added to the Force Home. Located at 366 S. Livingston Ave., the Force House was believed to have been built by The Ophelous Ward between 1745 and 1748. The single large room house was purchased in 1777 by Samuel Force of French-Huguenot origins. In 1796 Samuel Force gave 60 acres of original Ward farm with the house to his son Thomas. Thomas was born in 1758 and served in the Revolutionary War. He was captured and help prisoner on the British ship “Jersey”. After the war Thomas settled in the house with his wife and raised 10 children. Thomas was a member of the Northfield Baptist Church and a deacon for 40 years. He died in 1827 at the age of 69. The home has been restored by the Livingston Historical Society and is listed in the State and National Registers of Historic Places. |
| 1830 | Population = approximately 1,150. |
| 1834 | Samo’s Tavern becomes Livingston Hotel. |
| 1844 | Population = approximately 1,081. |
| 1850 | “Harrison’s General Store” is the building on southeast corner of Mt. Pleasant Ave. and Livingston Ave. and was built by Rufus Harrison in 1904. In 1850, Rufus Harrison purchased the general store from the Ely family and his son, Amos, took over in the 1870′s. Amos replaced the old building with the present one. It was a general store until 1932, operated by Mrs. Josephine Panek. It was then used by the Livingston National Bank until 1954, and since then used by several different businesses. |
| 1850 | Livingston Baptist Church is organized. Andrew Teed becomes first clerk of the church. He later became sheriff of Essex County in the late 1850′s. |
March 14, 1851
| The Livingston Baptist Society was formed by 33 individuals. The same day a request was sent to the mother church, Northfield Baptist Church, to separate and form the new Livingston Baptist Society and legally organize according to New Jersey Act to incorporate religious societies. |
March 31, 1851
| Property for the Livingston Baptist Society was purchased from Mrs. Hunter. The first pastor was George C. Gleason. The church was built by William Meeker for nearly $3,000. |
| 1851 | The “Livingston Baptist Church Cemetery” was part of the property purchased for the church. One of the earliest graves is that of Elizabeth Force Teed, wife of Parker Teed, who died in 1851. Many Teeds are buried here. Livingston Center was settled by the Teed Family and became known as Teed Town. |
| 1852 | Andrew Teed became Postmaster in Livingston and the post office was located in the basement of his house at 223 E. Mt. Pleasant Avenue. |
| 1860 | A new building was erected for the Northfield Baptist Church at the northeast corner of the intersection of Canoe Brook Road (now South Livingston Avenue) and Newark to Hanover Road (now Northfield Road) In April 1786, the Canoe Brook Baptist Society was formed. Canoe Brook was part of the Township of Newark. The original was built with lumber from the Thomas Force Saw Mill and was used as a school and also the Baptist Society meeting place. The newer building of 1860 was destroyed by fire in 1940, after which the present brick edifice was constructed. |
| 1861 to 1865 | Civil War: 51 Livingstonians in Union Army, one fatality sustained. George R. Harrison falls at Antietam. |
| 1864 | Ambrose Ely enlarged the “Ely Cemetary” to twice its size and constructed a stone wall around it at a cost of $2,000 |
| 1867 | Federated Church Parsonage. The son of Reverend John Watson, William Watson, the former pastor of the church, had built a new house and gave his previous home to the church. It had been built in 1800, located about 1/4 west on Mt. Pleasant Ave, and was moved to its present site in 1870 to be used as a Parsonage. |
| 1875 | The present Ely home that was constructed in 1811 by Moses Ely, replaced the first one built by Captain Ely. The building was remodeled in 1875. |
| 1877 | Moses’ son, Smith Ely, became the Mayor of New York City and used the Ely house in Livingston as his summer residence. Smith Ely also served as NY City School Trustee, NY State Senate, NY City Board of Supervisors, two terms as Congressman from NY State in the US Congress., NY City Mayor, and Commissioner of Parks for the City of NY. He retired to the Livingston homestead and died on July 1, 1911 and was buried in the Ely Cemetary. |
| 1878 | Rathbun House was built at 103 Hillside Avenue |
| 1880 | The Presbyterian Chapel located at 2 Old Road was founded. The building was later used by the Olivet Congregational Christian Church, and its most recent use has been a Masonic Lodge. |
| 1885 | Population = 1,275 (1,139 native, 136 immigrant). |
| 1887 | The Kent Stevens Spurr Collins House. Originally located next to the Methodist Church, this building was moved to 264 W. Hobart Gap Road by Andrew Miller Kent. In the 1930′s it was the home of Joseph James Spurr II, Chairman of the governing body, then known as the Livingston Township Committee and subsequently was the home of Councilman and Mayor John Collins. |
| 1891 | The first Catholic Mass in Livingston was held in the O’Reilly Homestead, now the Force Home. |
| 1893 | Livingston Board of Health established. |
| 1900 | N. Livingston Avenue known as “Rosebud Road”. |
| 1900 | The Fletcher House at 78 Livingston Ave. was built between 1900 and 1908. |
| 1900 | Number of township committeemen reduced from 5 to 3 by state law. |
| 1901 | The Ely Cemetary Association was incorporated. |
| 1903 | Two story stone building was built in the rear of the sanctuary of St. Philomena’s Church, which is now used for St. Philomena’s School. In former times, it was the home for the needy aged of the city of Orange, NJ. During the depression, poor could live there for $1 per day. |
| 1905 | Livingston Board of Health reorganized. |
April 8, 1905
| The Catholic Mission Society was formed and leased Newman’s Hall for Sunday mass under the leadership of Father J.J. McEnery. |
| 1906 | Livingston Hotel (formerly known as Samos Tavern) is torn down. |
| 1907 | Home of George Ochs at 182 South Livingston Avenue was built in 1907 to 1908 located on 20 acres of land. In designing West Cedar Street, Mr. Ochs wished to have a driveway which could not have been accomplished if East Cedar St. were to continue in a straight line. Thus the partial S-shape of the two streets. |
| 1908 | Centerville (3.5 square miles) separates from Livingston to establish Roseland, Livingston had been 13.75 square miles. Livingston no longer has a railroad station. |
| 1909 | The DeCamp stagecoach is replaced by a motorized bus that was used mostly for sightseeing. |
| 1911 | In 1911, six local women - Minnie Collins Ashby, Edith DeCamp, Gertrude Halsey, Ada Vincent, Mrs. Robert DeCamp and Emily Ashby - formed a social and literary club whose members took turns entertaining at their homes, reading and discussing books and papers. They began a lending library that eventually became the Livingston Public Library. Descendants of the founders were present when the portrait was hung in spring 2010 – Morgan, Sayer and Melisande Collins, and John B. Collins and his wife Robin. |
| 1912 | The DeCamp house was built circa 1912 at 73 North Livingston Avenue. It was the former home of the family that owned the stage coach line which ultimately became the DeCamp Bus Company. |
| 1913 | Central School was built on the southeast corner of Livingston Ave and East Cedar Street. It was used as an elementary school until 1930 when it was modernized and named Central Junior School. In 1968 it was sold and remodeled as an office building and eventually demolished and replaced with a modern bank. |
| November 1914 | First public electricity in Livingston via the Public Service Corporation of New Jersey. |
| 1916 | The library incorporated as the Livingston Free Public Library. |
| 1917 | St. Peter’s Episcopal Church is established. |
| 1920 | The home located at 201 W. Northfield Road, was originally known as “Newman’s Hall” where on Saturday nights in the mid 1920′s, local people came to dance. |
| Oct 21 | Group of citizens form the Livingston Water Company. |
November 15, 1921
| Organized Fire Department at Livingston Gun Club Meeting held in Dougal Hall on Cedar Street. Committee appointed to draft constitution and by-laws. |
January 10, 1922
| Fire Department First Department Officers Elected: Herman Strahman, President; Thomas Collins, Vide-President; John Ashby, Treasurer; Stephen Thompson and Milton Vogel, Recording Secretaries; Pell Collins, Jr., Financial Secretary. |
January 10, 1922
| Fire Department First Line Officers Elected: John Ashby, Chief; Ralph Crane, Assistant Chief West Livingston District; Thomas Collins, Assistant Chief Livingston District; William Symington and Judson Spriggs, Assistant Chief Northfield District. |
| 1923 | First Police Chief - William Ashby (Brother of John Ashby, Fire Chief), appointed as a regular officer. Livingston has its first official police protection. |
| 1923 | Township Committee purchases 18 large metal rings and hammers that became first fire alarm system to alert the firemen. |
| 1923 | Township Committee appropriates $3,500 in 1923 budget specifically for Fire Department. |
| 1923 | Newark Fire Department loans horse-drawn chemical truck. Township purchases Reo brand chassis from budget funds. Fire Department members mount chemical body onto chassis and paint. |
June 26, 1923
| First fire truck – named ‘Mary Ann’ by members demonstrated at first drill at Central School grounds. |
| 1923 to 1924 | Clarence Dougal builds first firehouse on lot donated by Sara Harrison. Present day Fire Headquarters on same lot. |
| 1926 | Gottlieb Hockenjos elected as 2nd Fire Chief. |
| 1926 | Roosevelt Elementary School was built on the corner of Livingston Avenue and Northfield Road. |
| 1927 | St. Philomena’s Roman Catholic Church is founded. |
| 1928 | The Catholic Church was flourishing and moved to a new stucco Spanish Mission style church just west of Northfield Center. These were the forerunners of the present St. Philomena’s Church. |
| 1929 | Amos W. Harrirson Elementary School opens on North Livingston Avenue. |
| 1929 | First public gas service in Livingston via the Suburban Gas Company. |
| 1929 | Three man township committee changed back to a five man committee. |
| 1929 | West Essex Social Service is founded, maintained by voluntary contributions. |
February 6, 1929
| Exempt Firemen’s Association established |
April 15, 1929
| Clarence Dougal elected as 3rd Fire Chief; other officers elected: Peter Fischer, First Assistant Chief; William Rathbun, Second Assistant Chief; John Donohue, Captain; Paul Zahn, Lieutenant; Russell Newick, President. |
July 4, 1929
| Laid cornerstone of new $22,000 masonry firehouse to replace earlier structure and celebrated with large parade attended by fire companies from all over the state. |
| 1931 | John Ashby, Fire Department’s first chief passes away. |
January 1, 1933
| Livingston Fire Department organizes its first rescue squad with first-aid training. |
November 28, 1934
| Packard automobile converted into Emergency / Rescue Truck placed into service. First officers: Conrad Wingerter, Captain and Frank Fairchild, Lieutenant. |
March 24, 1936
| 1935 Ford pumper engine placed into service. Department now has 3 pumpers engines, a rescue company and 35 members. |
| 1937 | Fire Department purchases LaSalle ambulance. Township installs pole mounted sirens throughout the town to alert firemen. |
| 1938 | Population = 4,244 |
| 1938 | Clarence Dougal appointed as first paid, part time, fire chief. Fire Prevention Bureau established. Fire Department joined New Jersey State Fireman’s Association and a Junior Fire Department was organized. |
| 1938 | Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary consisted of wives and daughters of department members. Organized department events such as picnics, marched in parades and provided food and drink to firemen at fire scenes. It was disbanded in the 1970s. |
December 3, 1938
| Construction begins on Livingston’s first modern sewage system. |
| 1939 | The Second World War begins. |
| 1941 | Clarence Dougal leaves and Richard Quinn is elected as Fire Chief and serves until 1954. Seven department members entered Armed Services: Alfred Owen, Roy Brokaw, Charles Schilling, Herbert Ochs, Robert Dowd, Emil Fenske and James Mason. |
| 1941 to 1945 | United States fights the Second World War. |
| 1946 | Fire Department air horn alert system installed atop fire headquarters. Same system in use today. |
| 1947 | Monument erected in Memorial Park in memory of those who gave their lives in World War II. |
| 1949 | Fire Department donates LaSalle ambulance and $250 in cash to help First Aid Squad organize. |
| 1950 | Presbyterian Church is established on W. Northfield Rd |
| 1951 | Catholic Archdiocese of Newark purchased the City of Orange Rest Home and 45 acres. |
April 5, 1952
| Northfield Fire Station dedicated and party lasted until next day. A 1949 Mack engine pumper was housed at Merrigan’s Esso until the fire station was completed. This engines first officers were: Herb Ochs, Captain and Robert Dowd, Lieutenant. |
| 1952 | Township purchases 1952 Dodge Power Wagon as Fire Department Rescue / Emergency Truck and placed it in Northfield Station. First officers: Frank Fairchild, Captain and Ken Hanna, Lieutenant. |
| 1954 | Fire Department Chief Richard Quinn retires and Charles Schilling elected. Township hired Schilling as first full time chief and served for 36 years. |
| 1955 | The church on Northfield Road was sold and demolished, since then all activities of St. Philomena’s Catholic Church are conducted at the new location. In 1972, the present new St. Philomena’s church was dedicated. |
| 1957 | Circle Fire Station built and the 1949 Mack engine pumper from the Northfield Station was relocated here. First officers: Robert Dowd, Captain and Andrew Zahn, Lieutenant. |
January 1, 1957
| Robert H. Harp begins his tenure as Livingston’s first Township Manager. |
| 1961 | The library moved to its present location at 10 Robert Harp Drive. |
October 2, 1962
| International Pump and Machine Works building at 81 Dorsa Avenue exploded as result of leaking gas. The building was completely leveled, two other buildings were on fire and numerous other buildings sustained damage. The explosion caused damage in Caldwell, Roseland and Hanover and was felt or heard from towns as far away as Basking Ridge, Clifton and Plainfield. |
| 1963 | Livingston Historical Society was established. |
| 1964 | St. Barnabas Hospital built on Old Short Hills Road |
| 1972 | St. Philomena’s Church built on South Livingston Avenue. |
| 1973 | Holiday Inn is built on Route 10. Today it is the Westminster Hotel. |
March 23, 1973
| Northfield Supply, a hardware and lumber store located on the east side of South Livingston Avenue just north of Northfield center, was set on fire by burglars who had robbed the store and set the fire. |
February 24, 1973
| Dedication of St. Philomena’s Church on South Livingston Avenue. |
May 27, 1974
| Doris L. Beck is first woman to be elected to the Livingston Town Council. |
| 1974 | Township purchases 85 foot aerial Snorkel Truck for Fire Department. First Officers: William Raab, Captain and John Durish, Lieutenant. |
| 1975 | Doris L. Beck is first woman to serve as Mayor of Livingston. |
| 1976 | Fire Department purchases first set of Hurst “Jaws of Life” extrication equipment. |
September 19, 1977
| New Jersey State Senate passes Senate Resolution honoring Chief Schilling and the entire Membership for their outstanding performance in extinguishing two tanker fires within a one-month period. Both fires were extinguished with no loss of life and minimal property damage. |
September 10, 1978
| Livingston Baptist Church combined with the Olivet Congregational Church to form the present Federated Church of Livingston.An addition was built on the Livingston Public Library. |
September 1980
| A water main break disrupted service to St. Barnabas Hospital. Tank trucks filled with water were brought in and the Livingston Fire Department sent a pumper engine to pump the water from the tanker trucks into the hospital. |
| 1981 | Chief Schilling appointed by State Legislature to a 16 member Fire Safety Study Commission tasked with reviewing fire related laws, safety standards and regulations within the State and to recommend legislative and administrative changes. |
November 20, 1982
| Mid-air collision between two small planes occurred and crashed. One came down on the front lawn of 13 Demarest Drive and the other in the rear yard of 34 Manor Road. All 3 occupants from both planes were killed, there were no other injuries or deaths, and only minor property damage. |
November 30, 1984
| Walter Whiteman retires as municipal court clerk |
| 1985 | As result of the Township adopting the New Jersey Uniform Fire Safety Code, Deputy Fire Chief Craig Dufford was hired as the first full time paid Fire Inspector. |
July 1985
| The Bellcore Building on Route 10 at the circle is dedicated by Governor Kean. |
October 31, 1985
| Robert H. Harp retires as Livingston’s first Township Manager after 29 years of service. |
November 18, 1985
| Township Council adopts Ordinance 28-1985 renaming Memorial Park Drive to Robert H. Harp Drive. |
| 1986 | Peter Fischer, longest serving Fire Department member passes away. Dedicated 59 years of service. Joined in 1927, Assistant Chief 1929-1933, instrumental in building of Fire Department. |
September 23, 1986
| Explosion and fire at 72 Irving Avenue cause by a natural gas leak inside the dwelling. The residence was completely destroyed and no one was home at the time of the explosion. |
| 1988 | Henry Nycz retires as Planning Director of the Township |
March 6, 1990
| Craig Dufford elected as sixth Fire Chief. |
June 20, 1990
| Fire Headquarters proclaimed Charles W. Schilling Firehouse commemorated with a plaque mounted on the front of the building in honor of his retirement. |
June 14, 1993
| Township employee and Fire Department member Ed Palmer was killed in a fiery motor vehicle accident in Livingston. Ed had been a member of the Fire Department since 1960 and was a member of the Livingston First Aid Squad since 1966. In November of 1993, the kitchen at the Northfield Station was dedicated in his name with a plaque near the kitchen door for his endless efforts cooking for various Department functions. |
June 1, 2000
| Fire Department Deputy Chief Christopher Mullin elected to newly created position as Assistant Fire Chief. |
December 5, 2000
| Melissa Casper becomes Livingston Fire Department’s first female firefighter. |
February 11, 2001
| An early morning fire was spotted by Township employee and Livingston Firefighter Dan Dente. The fire was inside the Norman Florist store on E. Mt. Pleasant Ave. which was attached to the Colony Theater. Mutual Aid from Roseland, East Hanover and Millburn Fire Departments assisted at the scene and with station coverage. The florist store was completely destroyed, however, there was no damage to the Colony Theater or any other nearby structure. |
August 2, 2001
| Tractor-trailer overturns on Route 280 east of Laurel Avenue. Livingston and West Orange Fire Departments work together to extricate driver. Nutley Haz-Mat on scene to contain diesel fuel spill from ruptured fuel tanks on tractor. Three other cars involved in accident. The entire operation took several hours. |
September 11, 2001
| The World Trade Towers - aka “The Twin Towers” - in New York City were destroyed in a devastating attack by terrorists who flew two passenger airliners into the buildings. Thousands were killed, including seven Livingston residents, and the Livingston Fire Department sent Engine Company 5 and Rescue Company 1 to provide mutual aid assistance for station coverage. |
December 3, 2001
| Fire Department member and past Township employee Jack McGee passes away. Jack served the department for 31 years and was the first paid mechanic, a job he held for 17 years. |
July 1, 2003
| Assistant Fire Chief Christopher Mullin elected as Fire Chief. |
June 2, 2005
| A small airplane, having engine trouble, lands in the reservoir opposite the Livingston Mall on Eisenhower Parkway. The Livingston Fire Department responded to assist the pilot who was alone on the plane and uninjured. |
September 23, 2007
| Dedication and Opening of New Livingston Public Library. |
| 2010 | US Census Reports a population of 29,366 in Livingston. |
June 14, 2010
| Liberty Elm Tree was planted. |
July 4, 2010
| Livingston Firefighter Anthony J. DelTufo was killed in a motor cycle accident in Millburn. Anthony’s father, Dr. Anthony F. DelTufo, was a long term serving member of Livingston’s Board of Education. |