Amid snow-covered strawberry fields, a four-month-old baby lays in a sled behind his grandfather’s house. In the distance stands a 66-foot-tall obelisk that marks the center of an old army base.
The year was 1947.
Now, 61 years later, Howard Bartholf still refers to the old photograph as the beginning of his interest in Camp Merritt.
An army historian living in Richmond, Va., Bartholf is the author of an unfinished magazine story about Camp Merritt. During a weekend reunion, Bartholf met with local historians at the home of Cresskill Councilman Keith Brassel and discussed his current findings on the "long abandoned and dismantled army base."
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Staff Photo By Joe Camporeale
This marker is one the few existing Camp Merritt remants. It denotes the 'Casual Battalion' that was temporarily stationed at the World War I army camp.
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Titled "Camp Merritt, New Jersey: America’s Portal to the Great War," the unfinished article delves into the history of a 770-acre camp that consisted of towns such as Cresskill, Bergenfield, Closter, Demarest, Dumont and Tenafly. Camp Merritt served as a staging area between 1917 and 1918 for more than 500,000 World War I soldiers headed overseas.
Passing along a woodcut showing the Memorial Circle monument and century-old Camp Merritt postcards, Bartholf said that the camp earned its name from Major Gen. Wesley Merritt, the first military governor of the Philippines.
"Camp Merritt was a city of a shifting population of 25,000 to 35,000 souls, the vast majority of whom did not stay in camp over three to four days," read one booklet in Bartholf’s collection.
There were a total of 1,302 buildings with a multitude of barracks, lavatories, administration buildings, post offices, hospitals, barbershop, mess halls and theater built at the camp.
Presented by John Sestanovich, "Doughboy" soldiers received a monthly gazette known as "The Mess Kit" with sample French dialogue on how to first say "I love you" and then, "I haven’t got a nickel."
Camp Merritt’s livelihood ended after a series of fires ravaged the camp, when the government quickly divvied parcels of land in a 1926 auction.
Dubbed the "Merritt Park Estates," the sale coincided with the $40 million opening of the George Washington Bridge. Dutch colonial homes with seven rooms and a bath ranged in prices from $5,300 to $9,500.
"Follow Uncle Sam," urged a flyer submitted by historian Andrew Paspalas. "Inspect, Select, Bid, Buy and Build on some of these business and homebuilding sites."
All that remains now of Camp Merritt is the granite obelisk at Monument Circle dating back to 1924 and an unusual stone marker located on the Brassel property.
After enjoying rounds of coffee and Danish pastries, Brassel led the history buffs to the marker propped against a tree in the backyard. Engraved with the words "Casual Battalion," the council member believes that marker was found buried in a field in the 1950s during the excavation and building of new homes.
"This article is growing every day as I discover new things," said Bartholf, making a quick grab for his camera. "I just don’t know what the final version will be."
E-mail: gonzalezso@northjersey.com or call 201-894-6711
