Family Paperwork Dating Back To 1899 Found In Clark Parking Lot

CLARK, NJ — A Westfield man who found some very important paperwork that dates back to 1899 in the parking lot of Applebee's in Clark is trying to reunite it with the family.

Timothy Digney was eating lunch at the Applebee's in Clark when he found a Zip-Lock bag in the parking lot, filled with a bunch of old, original paperwork.

He found them on Dec. 19, after the snowstorm.

"It looked as if they were pushed up into the plants next to the handicapped parking spots by a plow. They were secured in a zip-lock bag so nothing got wet/damaged," said Digney.

The bag contained a number of documents including a deed, Hope Cemetery Association dated March 8, 1899, original settlement documents dating Feb. 13, 1912, original New York Central Rail Road Company - Employee Trip Pass (Sept. 18, 1925), and much more.

Digney put out a plea for help on Facebook in the local community groups hoping to reunite the paperwork with the family.

"It would be great for these to get back to the family," said Digney. "It may be nothing more than a bunch of papers to some, but there's a reason why the family has held onto these items for 100-plus years, and I just don't feel right throwing them in the trash."

Anyone with information on the owners of this paperwork can email Digney at TDigney@comcast.net.

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