Pine Village Grove, a former Oak Ridge restaurant, is the scene of the 1972 West Milford Police Benevolent Association (PBA) Ball. The building is now the location for Freedom church. From left are Police Chief John Moeller, Mayor George Eckert, West Milford Police Commissioner Walter Dearcopp, Township Committeewoman Mollie McFarland and Police Captain James Semento. Photo by Ann Genader (
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Hidden in a 1950s summer vacation home community, distant from main roads and much activity, Oscar’s Steak House on Tintle Avenue, although very popular and easily found by locals and others who knew where it was, did not always attract new patrons who were unfamiliar with the area. It certainly was not a place where retired musician Leo Morris, a lifelong bachelor who played in and toured with the Dorsey Brothers and other popular bands, would expect to find and marry the love of his life. But this did happen at Oscar’s Steak House.
Leo, a native of the Rumson/Highlands area of Monmouth County, grew up enjoying New Jersey shore life and played bass and guitar with college music groups while attending Lafayette College. He followed his dreams as a young adult and started a career as a professional musician. His parents owned and operated the old Atlantic Hotel located at the corner of Route 36 and the Oceanic Bridge. It was there that Leo came to know Gene Tunney (heavyweight champion (1926-28) and other great fighters who enjoyed spending their downtime at the Atlantic Hotel.
He became a musician with the Dorsey Brothers, Jimmy and Tommy, who had separate bands. After his time playing with the Dorseys ended, he continued to work with other great performers of the Big Band era. Leo learned about being a minority member of a group when he was the only white man in Count Basie’s band. The many great performers he sometimes worked with included Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole and Nat’s then little daughter Natalie Cole. When two fellow musicians died in a motor vehicle crash at a young age, Leo was playing with the Lester Lavin Orchestra. The tragedy had such a negative effect on him that he decided to end his music career. That year was 1955. The following year if he had still been a member of the Lavin Orchestra, he could have played music as a member of the music group at a wedding banquet for Prince Charles and Princess Diana, but he was already headed on a different path. He knew liquor company salesmen who were customers at his parent’s hotel and decided he would join them in their career and take liquor distribution orders at hotels and other places where liquor was served.
The sales territory assigned to Leo included Greenwood Lake in the Township of West Milford. Somehow the new salesman found his way roads to Tintle Avenue, in a place called “Hewitt.” A pretty, friendly waitress with a smiling, cheerful, bubbling personality made a lasting impassion on Leo. He wanted to know more about her and soon introduced himself. The lady was Lillian Cox, a widow who was dedicated to raising her six-year-old son while working as a waitress. Leo’s trips to Hewitt became frequent and not much time passed before the compatible couple decided to get married. They settled in a home at West Milford Lakes. Leo went to work for the township in the tax department. Later he was hired as Hopatcong Borough Tax Assessor and served in the job 20 years. Lillian later became a waitress at Mason’s Mountainside Motel and stayed in that job until she retired. Carl Mason honored the couple with a retirement party in 1988 after they sold their home, retiring to Park Lakes in New Port Richey Florida. Leo, an avid golfer, enjoyed this sport year-round in Florida. He died at age 92 in 2006 and Lillian passed away July 1, 2014. They were married 44 years.
After Oscar’s Steak House closed, it became the Joseph S. Toomey Knights of Columbus Council headquarters. As the “Country Host” the building was available for gatherings. It is privately owned now.
Water’s Edge Café
The Waters Edge Café at 11 Marquis Trail, Oak Ridge building has a long history. Dating back to the 1930s, the latest owners, Tishi Dika and Johny Sela gave it the current name. Originally, this was a boxing ring and training center for German boxer Mac Schmeling. He was the world heavyweight champion from June 12, 1930, defeating Jack Sharkey in New York City, until he was defeated by Sharkey in a rematch.
The café sits on a parcel of property that dates to 1914. Alfred T. Ringling, of the Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey’s Circus family constructed his mansion on property he purchased. He bought some Chamberlain family property and later added more land to the tract he purchased earlier. Ringling moved two houses from one of the Chamberlain lots to the lakeside property near his mansion, then he combined them into one structure. He named the resulting building Deer Trail. When McAlister bought the estate from Ringling’s executers in the 1920s a bridge was built, connecting the mansion and Deer Trail. With Gertrude Bohena’s help McAllister built the training camp for Schmeling, who arrived in the United Stares in 1928 after winning the European heavy weight title and the German Heavyweight championship. Part of Deer Trail building became a gym. After Mrs. Bohana took over the property, she converted the Deer Trail to a functioning inn. She later sold it to Luis Wilcox who ran it successfully through the 1940s and 50s as a hotel. Next it was sold to Dave Bond, who opened a restaurant in the 1960s. The next owners Ole and Karin Olson added apartments and changed the name from Deer Trail Inn to Mark III. They sold to Joe Rodriguez and Stan Chalick who named it “The Waters Edge Cafe.”
Pine Village Grove
Pine Village Grove in Oak Ridge was a popular restaurant operating in the 1940s and later decades by Paul and Lizette Woehle. Coming to this country from Germany, they featured German cooking and baking on their food menu. The large dining room in the restaurant made it the perfect banquet hall for many of the West Milford township-wide celebrations. Paul also had wood carving and other creative artistic talents. He built Fairy Tale Forest, a magical place for children, across the road from the restaurant. The original building is now the location for the Freedom Church. Fairy Tale Forest has been recreated and reopened by a younger Woehle Family generation. Like the family patriarch, they appreciate the beauty of old-fashioned fairy tales and the lessons they teach and are offering children an opportunity to enjoy and learn from them. Although now closed for the season, the wonderland adventure for children exists again and visitors can look for a reopening in spring, 2026.
