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Enduring the Great Depression would be the next great hurdle Samuel Braen’s Sons would meet. If any
business could cope in that economic situation, a quarry would be it. During the 1920s the construction
business in northern New Jersey experienced a surge of activity spurred by projects like the Holland
Tunnel in the early years and the George Washington Bridge at its close. The demand for aggregate and
concrete for those monumental structures rippled through the entire region. In 1928, the Braen brothers
added asphalt and concrete plants to the Hawthorne facility. With major projects under way, even ones at
a distance, the batch plants paid for themselves. As the federal government spurred public works projects
to reduce unemployment, Passaic and Bergen counties saw an increased demand for the products Samuel
Braen’s Sons had to sell.
In the depths of the Depression,
the company expanded its holdings.
Along with a third partner, the
brothers formed Braen Sand and
Gravel, with properties in Wyckoff,
Franklin Lakes, and Mahwah to
produce a new line of products. As
their holdings increased, and the
financing requirements changed,
John and Abram legally incorporated
as a privately held company,
with each of them holding fifty
percent of the shares. John was
the president and treasurer, while
Abram was named the firm’s vice
president and secretary.
The Hawthorne quarry remained
the most visible industry in Hawthorne,
and also one of the most
valuable. It was one of the larger
employers in the borough, along
with the railroad yards and a
dyehouse. It generated significant
As the federal government spurred public works
projects to reduce unemployment, Passaic and
Bergen counties saw an increased demand for the
products Samuel Braen’s Sons had to sell.
revenue through the property taxes it paid. The trucks with the “Samuel Braen’s Sons” name on them also
said “Hawthorne, New Jersey” right below the name. The brothers both maintained a high profile both in
Hawthorne, where they worked, and in Totowa, where they lived. They were active in civic life. John belonged
to Hawthorne’s Rotary Club and served on Totowa’s board of education and board of adjustment.
Like their father, John and Abram both were active Masons.
When the Second World War ended in 1945, John and Abram, looked toward retirement. By then their
business had not only survived the depression and war years, it had actually grown. And with the end of
the fighting, the region stood on the threshold of another construction boom, one that would drive the area
and the company to dizzying heights during the next thirty years. Under a new generation of ownership, the
Braen name would be known not just in North Jersey, but nationally.
SECTION NUMBER 21