McDonalds Brook

McDonald's Brook is a tributary of the Passaic River. It is a natural stream originating in Clifton, New Jersey, passing through Passaic, New Jersey. For most of its length, it runs underground in a culvert constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Prior to the construction of the culvert, larger parts of it ran through a ground-level stream bed, though parts of it ran underground even in its natural configuration.

The brook, throughout its length, is used as a catchment for storm drain by the cities of Clifton and Passaic. Parts of Clifton's combined storm/sewer lines run adjacent, and when they overflow or have breakages, feed additional stormwater or raw sewage into the brook.

In the past, Clifton industry took advantage of the brook for wastewater dumping, mostly illegally.

The brook runs through Passaic's Third Ward Veterans Memorial Park, constructed in the 1930s as part of the Works Project Administration (WPA). At the time of the park's construction, the brook's path was altered slightly, and a small lake bed was dug in the center of the park, creating a pond fed by the brook. The pond was open to fishing and boating until the detection of industrial pollution. Although not well known, the pond is officially named Hughes Lake.

Presently, the park contains the only exposed portion of the brook. The culvert ends at the westernmost tip of the park, near the Broadway entrance, at the end of the playground. The brook then flows along the border of the playground, and then runs roughly parallel to The Circle, the road bordering the park, until it reaches Hughes Lake. At the opposite end of the lake is a man-made dam and waterfall, where the brook continues, running underground again briefly to cross Passaic Avenue. On the other side of the avenue, it runs next to the ballfield and tennis court, before being concealed again to cross Howard Avenue, Pennington Avenue, Benson Court, and the New Jersey Transit railroad trestle. It runs in the open through an undeveloped portion of the park between Pennington and High Street, ducks under High, and runs across the edge of the playground that is at the eastern terminus of the park. It then continues in another culvert for the remainder of its length, until it meets the Passaic River near the foot of Brook Avenue.

The brook was originally known as Mineral Spring Brook, when a resort business was attempted near the current start of the exposed part of the brook. A surveyor incorrectly labeled it McDonald's Brook, and variations of that name became the common name, and now the official name. Mineral Spring Avenue runs perpendicular to the brook near the site of the former resort, and the name of the street may actually be a remnant of the original name and the resort that tried to put the brook to medicinal use. Bloomfield Avenue, parts of it now renamed Broadway, was originally built on February 1, 1803, to provide access to the spring resort.

In addition to Hughes Lake, two other ponds were found along the brook's path downstream, after it crossed Main Avenue (known then as Franklin Avenue). The ponds have since been lost to development, and the entire stream is buried along this length. Both ponds were along Brook Ave, on its south side. The first was at Park Avenue (east side of Park), and the other was midway between Gold Street and River Road. Though Gold Street itself no longer exists at Brook, a portion of it remains at Terhune, and its old location can be determined via a straight line.

In a late 20th-century rehabilitation of the park, the brook was rerouted again. Much of the new bed eroded to the sides.

<!-- From https://archive.org/stream/historyofpassaic01scot/historyofpassaic01scot_djvu.txt "Passaic and Its Environs " BY William W. Scott, pp 138-140

Mineral Spring Brook — This brook takes its name from a spring which is its source and which for two centuries has been known as the Mineral Spring, which is located south of Rowland avenue and about 425 feet west of Bloomfield avenue, whence it flows northerly about 600 feet, thence it crosses that avenue and continues easterly through Third Ward Park and over private property, crossing Brook ave- nue to the Passaic river, near which, on the southerly side of the avenue, where now is a small pond, were located, in Colonial days, the distilleries of Dirck (Richard) Vreeland. The spring was believed a century ago to possess mineral properties and a sanitarium erected nearby. On the city maps it is erroneously called McDonald's brook, given it by a surveyor, ignorant of the right name.

This spring attained fame through a noted physician of Paterson, Ebenezer K. Blachley. Dr. Blachley had a number of patients in old Acquaekanonk, including the wealthy Sip families. It was while making a professional call upon Halmagh Sip that his attention was called to a mineral spring, located in Sip's woods, alongside of the present Bloomfield avenue, at the westerly limits of the city, the waters of which. Sip told the doctor, had a peculiar taste. This led to an investi- gation which satisfied the doctor that the waters of the spring possessed medicinal qualities. An analysis proved it to be an alkaline water, and a most efficacious remedy for those troublous affections arising from acidity of the stomach, for dyspepsia, and torpidity of the liver and many other ills. The most favorable feature of the water was its re- markable restorative power over the digestive and urinary organs that had become impaired, the tone of the stomach becoming improved, the appetite increased, and the action of the liver and kidneys accelerated to a remarkable degree. It was also found to be most beneficial for what is now termed malaria, in its chronic form. The vichy was found

PASSAIC'S LANDMAEKS. 139

very acceptable for table use, having an agreeable taste, which made it a refreshing and slightly exhilarating beverage.

It was about this time that the famous Saratoga Springs were being discovered as medicinal agencies, and the benefits of mineral waters in general were being heralded over the United States and Europe. Sara- toga as a health resort had just been made an established fact, and more than one man saw the piles of money to be made in that enter- prise. During his sickness (from which he recovered, and, as he after- wards related many times, by and through the efficacy of this water), Halmagh had read a great deal about the wonderful Saratoga Springs, so that by the time he was up and about he was ready to show the doctor where the spring was. They found it hidden away in the midst of a thick woods not far from an old stone house which had been occu- pied by Sip's grandfather. There was no road leading to it. Access was had only through a little path. Sip explained to the doctor that the spring was called the Spaw Spring, having been given to it by the Indians, who, his grandfather had told him, used it for medicinal pur- poses by their great Medicine Man. The doctor was favorably im- pressed and after talking the matter over it was agreed that Sip would have a public road laid out close by the spring, and that he and the doctor would go into partnership in a health resort which they would establish at that place, using the old house temporarily as a hotel until a more commodious building could be erected. This building was to be built by the doctor and was to be built on three sides of a large inner park, or court, back in the woods about 100 yards northwest of the spring. The interior was to be arranged with apartments from one to four rooms for family use. The building was intended to cover about two acres of land. In accordance with this agreement. Sip was instru- mental in having on February 1st, 1803, a road laid which is the present Bloomfield avenue, west of Van Houten avenue. The spring is referred to in the description of the road as follows: "To a heap of stones a little to the east of the Spaw Spring. ' ' The doctor immediately began to advertise the new health resort, comparing it to the mineral springs of Europe, and speaking of its delightful location where wholesome air, sunshine and freedom from malaria abounded, and where the surround- ing country was thickly wooded and the winds that sweep across the broad expanse of country bestow upon the locality their dry, bracing breath, laden with the fragrance of the fir and hemlock, chestnut, oak and pine trees which there grew in abundance. Its natural advantages were imequaled; it was delightfully situated in a health giving, life- giving climate and a spring whose clear, living waters, which came from their hidden sources in unfailing streams to heal and restore mankind were to be found nowhere else in the world. The gifts of nature had been supplemented and complemented by the intelligence and art of man by which it was proposed every provision would be made for the con-

140 PASSAIC AND ITS ENVIRONS.

venience, comfort and luxury of those who sought out this ideal resort for pleasure or for health.

In conformity with their agreement, Hahnagh Sip, by deed bearmg date, October 19th, 1809, conveyed to the doctor an undivided one-half of about five acres of land, "together with all minerals, mineral waters, springs and brooks, to said land pertaining."

Although the place was well advertised and at least locally well known, the enterprise never proved a success, although the doctor did not lose much money in the scheme. The only money spent was in re-' modeling of, and putting a frame addition to the old stone house and inclosing the same with a neat picket fence. The spring was inclosed and covered with an ornamental frame— what we might call summer- house, like the covering on the top of an old country well, large enough, however, to accommodate half a dozen persons. This also was enclosed with a fence. The enterprise was finally abandoned and the spring never was used for medicinal purposes after the doctor gave it up, al- though occasionally the water has been used by various individuals, but without any beneficial results. The old house long since disappeared.

"The trees, the flowers that his own hands had reared, The plants, the vines, that were so verdant seen, —

The trees, the flowers, the vines have disappeared. And every plant has vanished from the green."

The old spring still bubbles its "life-giving" waters to a thankless public. All is desolation and ruin about it and nothing remains to indi- cate that it was once a rival of the Congress Springs at Saratoga.

Indian Spring — There was a spring right in the midst of the Indian village and used by the Red men. It stood near the edge of the river and some fifteen years ago was filled in. Its site is at the extreme southerly corner of First Ward Park, about ten feet west of Sixth street. An Indian path led from the spring easterly along the river shore to near Seventh street, where it turned southeasterly climbing a bank and thence to the cabin of the chief of the tribe. It was used by the white settlers for over two hundred years. Its site should be marked, as it would be an added natural feature of the park, all of which should be preserved. All water used by the Indians here in their ceremonies was obtained at this spring, which was held by them in great veneration. Every sacrifice offered was first purified by washing in the water of this spring.

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