The Corner Where Hagler’s Once Stood

At least for now there’s an old building with history still standing on the southeast corner of RidgewoodAvenue and Kinderkamack Road.

It’s one of those places that one gets attached to. It’s quirky and one of a kind – structures they don’t build anymore.

It’s also a place with a history. The present day brick building, now home to Felice Restaurant, was long known as the site of Hagler’s, a local hangout. Its bar, mural and food were known to generations.

But the now vacant diner was there before the bar/restaurant. Our historian friends at the Oradell Library tell us that the original diner was actually a converted diner car from a railway. As was the origin of many early diners – before the stainless steel era, when a rail dining car was no longer fit for service, it was often employed as a cheap restaurant at a (stationary) location such as the corner of Kinderkamack Road and Ridgewood Avenue in Oradell.

John Hagler built Oradell’s first diner during Prohibition. For some time Hagler had been operating a “lunch truck’ on the northwest corner of Ridgewood and Kinderkamack. It, in fact, had become so popular, especially among truck drivers along Kinderkamack Road, that Hagler decided to build the now familiar and cherished building on the opposite corner. When Prohibition ended, Hagler then was at liberty to add the adjoining tavern.

Even before entering into the lunch and “beverage” business, Hagler had been a fixture in town. Mrs.Hagler had run the candy concession in a drugstore down the street. When that drugstore closed, she opened a candy store across the street on Kinderkmack Road.

As an eatery, Hagler’s long had a reputation for famous local culinary dish – hassenpeffer, a venison stew.

Hagler was a gamesman as well as an expert cook. This was also an area where game was plentiful.But as it was illegal to sell game such as venison, the hassenpeffer was available by invitation only and without charge to his best friends.

Each year, Hagler would treat the caught meat and give it away to neighbors, making the preparation and consumption venison stew and other dishes annual occasions around town.

Hagler died in 1935, but his family carried on the business. During World War II, sons George and Joseph weresent into the service, so Mrs. Hagler and two daughters held the business together.

After the War, the sons helped until Mom was no longer able to do so (1952). By that time, venison was no longer readily available locally. But over time, the Hagler legend would adapt but stay strong for decades to come.

Now, though folks still refer to the place as Hagler’s, its days may be numbered. It is the location that has been subject to litigation about the proposed Walgreen’s. There are those who believe that even if it is not a Walgreens, some other business will surface there in a new structure. The real estate is just too valuable – even in these tough times - tell us those voices.

We are partial to the old place. It’s simple but a building with a lot of character. And it has stories to tellfor those who want to hear them.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Source Materials - Biography of A Borough: Oradell (1969), by IrvingCrump; Oradell Centennial; 1894-1994…..Thanks to Borough Historian Frank Vierling for hisguidance. And, a special thank you to Borough Archivist, George Carter for his ear, his supportgenerally and in particular his help in securing historic pictures from the Borough/LibraryCollection….. The Archives, located at the Oradell Public Library, are open to the public the firstFriday afternoon of the month from 1-5 p.m.