Millburn, New Jersey, the great… industrial town?  As he led a historical tour through the South Mountain Reservation Saturday morning, local historian and hiking guide Dave Hogenauer said that’s exactly what the town was at the turn of the century. While swatting incessant mosquitoes, nearly 30 hikers learned about Millburn’s industrial past, the early days of the reservation and the railroad lines that once ran across the land.

The town was known for the basalt rock quarry, now part of the reservation. In the mid-to-late 1800s, executives took the train from Orange–the “wealthy town”–to Millburn for work each day.

 In 1895, the county created the country’s first county park, buying just two-tenths of an acre. It was expanded over the years and today covers 2,099 acres. The Olmsted Brothers–the company founded by the stepsons of Frederick Law Olmstead, designer of Central Park and Boston Commons–were in charge of the vision for a “natural preserve, where they didn’t mess with nature,” Hogenauer said.

Seasoned hikers and amateurs alike spent about three hours on the easy terrain. Hogenauer has been guiding the historical hike for about five years, recently splitting it into two events due to the wealth of information. Saturday’s hike covered the south end of the reservation.

The only challenge was reaching the site of the quarry. There are no set trails to the area, and recent rains have turned the ground soggy.

“Everyone might not know where to find it today, except maybe the kids at Millburn High School,” Hogenauer joked. He went on to explain that “during the second World War, it was a rite of passage to climb the quarry face.” There is now a fence at the base of the quarry to deter would-be climbers.

The hike continued on past a set of railroad ties original to the New Jersey West Line, a railroad that once ran direct from Millburn to Newark. Hogenauer has been looking for remnants of the railroad for years, but only discovered these ties within the last couple of months.

For families new to the area, the hike offered an opportunity to get acquainted with their new town. Chris and Joy Matranga are in the process of moving from Basking Ridge to Millburn.

“We wanted to learn more about the area. You really don’t realize how big the park is until you come. You can look at it on the map, but you don’t realize it,” Chris said.

One of the tidbits Hogenauer offered was the reason for the curving course of the Morris & Essex train line. “In the 1840s, people gave money for the railroads to be built. The people who gave the most money lived in Orange. So the M&E went through there. That’s why it wanders through Orange and East Orange instead of going direct from Newark to Millburn.”

Lloyd Haynes and his son, Ben, 13, moved to Millburn earlier this month. Saturday was their first hike in the reservation. They came for two reasons: “One, he loves the outdoors,” Lloyd said, “and two, it’s a great way to learn about the area. So far the only way we’ve learned was by getting lost!”

Local history continues to appeal to longtime residents. Ron Pate, of West Orange, leads hikes throughout the reservation with the Sierra Club. He was excited to join the SMC hike Saturday.

“Any time I can learn more about the reservation, it’s a good thing,” Pate says.

His neighbor, Dagmar Hobson, is more interested in the scenery.

“Dave is very knowledgeable, so I like listening to him,” she says, “but mostly I like the different things you see. It’s great to be out in the woods; it’s one of the best things you can do. The fresh air, the exercise, I love it.”

As the hike continued, the group learned how the land was acquired–much of it purchased from the Condit family or condemned and acquired through eminent domain–saw two papermill ponds and a farmer’s pond.

A complete history of the reservation is provided on the South Mountain Conservancy’s Web site.