Ridgewood, New Jersey, might still be known as Godwinville had it not been for the efforts of Cornelia Dayton, the wife of a real estate developer, who continually lobbied for the name change until the post office recognized it in 1865. By 1876, the community received township status. Street scenes portray Ridgewood's evolution from dirt to cobblestone to asphalt-paved roads, and the change
from a railroad grade crossing at Ridgewood Avenue to an underpass at Franklin Avenue. Sections on the historic buildings and homes are arranged so one can take a tour from one to the next, aided by in-text maps. Other sections depict the nineteenth-century mansions, community life of bygone eras, and the "lost" buildings due to fire or "progress."