It has a population of just under 3,000, including descendants of Snow Hill founders, among them Clarence Still, the borough historian.

"There's a lot of networking going on," said John Manbeck, the borough historian and fair organizer.

"It is amazing that you have all of this around and most people don't know it," said Lloyd Ultan, the borough historian.

An early borough historian wrote that, at the time, 80 percent of the adult residents had college degrees.

Mr. Palmer had been borough historian of Collingswood since 1983.

Queens officials, including Stanley Cogan, borough historian, brushed off claims about the rock's ownership.

New York City's five borough historians serve without pay for indefinite terms.

"As borough historian, how could I be anything but angry and indignant?"

"Almost all of the previous history was erased because of that vast construction," said Lloyd Ultan, the borough historian.