l to r: Craig, Jeff and Bobby Lahullier

Five years ago, as part of the N.J. Meadowlands Commission’s Oral History Project, we interviewed lots of folks about the region in the old days. We are reprinting the best of them here, every Tuesday, for 11 weeks. This week: the Lahullier Brothers of Carlstadt.

For Bobby, Craig and Jeff Lahullier, the Meadowlands of their youth was a giant playground. The brothers were raised in Carlstadt and spent countless hours exploring quarries, landfills and clay pits in Carlstadt and Wood-Ridge.

Today, all three men retain close ties to the area. Craig is a Carlstadt Councilman, Jeff is a councilman in East Rutherford, and all three work at the family business in East Rutherford.

In this audio interview, the brothers recall their adventures swimming, hunting, trapping and getting into all sorts of mischief in the Meadows.

Click “Continue reading…” to hear the Lahullier Brothers’ stories.

Here are the Lahullier Brothers’ stories:

Exploring the quarries and dumps in Carlstadt and Wood-Ridge (in two parts):

 

Swimming in the clay pits:

Playing on the landfill:

Climbing cliffs and trees:

Backyard menagerie:

Skating in the Meadows:
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Documenting illegal dumping:

Nature’s comeback: