Families with names such as Lyons and Woodruff were large landowners of the area that eventually became known as Hillside. The land, originally part of the Elizabethtown Grant, was fertile and provided generous farm goods to its residents. The town became known for its apple orchards and cider mills, notably the Woodruff Cider Mill, which locals said produced the best cider around.

As Hillside developed its own character, its people began a movement for independence in 1905. On April 29, 1913, they voted to form their own township. Hillside contains countless beautiful images gleaned from sources as diverse as private residents and professional news organizations. While children attend classes again at Salem School or Saybrook School, workers build Bristol-Myers and Kraft into highly successful, global companies. Hillside invites the reader to the Roaring Twenties ball of the Ladies' Auxiliary and to ride along the Italian-American Association's parade float. Even the Evergreen Cemetery, home to the grave of writer Stephen Crane and more recently the setting for the Shelly Winters movie King of the Gypsies, finds its place in this remarkable book.