Rutherford

It was a homeland for the Leni-Lenape Indians before it was settled by tenacious Dutch immigrants. Two centuries later, in 1881, Rutherford, New Jersey, became an independent borough--the first in Bergen County. Author William Neumann narrates Rutherford's remarkable transition from a rural retreat popular for its abundant springs to a bustling New York City suburb. Along the way he introduces some of the town's extraordinary citizens, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet William Carlos Williams, who led the life of a small-town doctor at 9 Ridge Road, and the local husband and wife team who founded Fairleigh Dickinson University--a love story as much as a historical achievement.

William "Billy" Neumann will tell you first that he is a lifelong resident of Rutherford, New Jersey. He is the third generation to reside in a home that was once the main house of the large Beard family farm. For more than half the year, he sleeps outside on the home's open-air porch and tends to a garden that has continually yielded a harvest for over 135 years. Neumann is a commercial photographer in New York City. Since 1985, he has produced award-winning images of business leaders, celebrities and politicians. He also has continuously documented the beauty of the Borough of Rutherford and its evolving history. These images have been used in numerous borough calendars, brochures, posters and more. He has produced guided tours of Rutherford, Paterson and New York City. He is past chairman of Rutherford's Historic Preservation Commission and serves on other New Jersey historic committees, including Bergen County's Historic Preservation Advisory Board. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Paterson Habitat for Humanity and has pro bono affiliations with libraries, public radio and arts organizations.