1947: CHRISTMAS REINACTMENT

HERE ARE A FEW PHOTOS SHOWING THE ACTIVITIES SURROUNDING THE ANNUAL CROSSING OF THE DELAWARE. THIS YEAR, TRENTON IS GOING ALL OUT IN PRESENTING "PATRIOTS' WEEK." NJN IS ALSO SCHEDULING A TV PRESENTATION OF "TEN CRUCIAL DAYS." SURROUND SOUND SCREENINGS WILL BE PRESENTED AT THEIR CENTER CITY TRENTON STUDIOS. WATCH FOR THE NEWSPAPER ADS FOR PATRIOTS' WEEK.

1947: NICK STILLWELL

SOME TIME AGO I ENTERED A POST BEMOANING THE FACT THAT WE TRIED TO ORGANIZE A HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION. UNFORTUNATELY, OUR EFFORTS WERE IN VAIN. AFTER MANY HOURS TRYING TO GET HAMILTON ALUMNI TO PARTICIPATE, WE GAVE UP THE PROJECT. APPARENTLY NICK AND HIS FELLOW HORNETS ALSO TRIED TO ORGANIZE AN ASSOCIATION. APPARENTLY IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. IT IS A MYSTERY THAT A SCHOOL WITH SUCH A SPLENDID HISTORICAL HERITAGE CAN'T SUPPORT THIS WORTHY PROJECT. THE LAST FORMAL INVOLVEMENT IN WHICH I PARTICIPATED AS AN ALUMNUS WAS IN THE EARLY '80'S WHEN ALL ALUMNI WERE INVITED TO THE ANNUAL "HOMECOMING" EVENT. NOTHING SINCE: CONCLUSION? APATHY ON THE PART
OF BOTH HAMILTON ALUMNI AND HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL .

1947: JAKE THIEL: A TRENTON P.D. LEGEND

THIS FELLOW'S NAME COMES UP QUITE FREQUENTLY AS I PERUSE THE PAGES OF MY NEWSPAPER COLLECTION. JAKE MARRIED MY UNCLE CHARLIE'S SISTER, PHOEBE. HIS POSITION ON THE TRENTON POLICE FORCE OF YESTERDAY RANGES FROM GOOD DEEDS TO CATCHING THE BAD GUYS. HE WAS AN EXTREMELY POPULAR POLICE OFFICER, MUCH LIKE TODAY'S "OFFICER FRIENDLY."

1947: THE LADIES OF THE PENNINGTON ROAD VFD

1947: ANOTHER POST WAR HOUSING PROJECT

CHECK OUT THE RENTAL RATE ON THESE APARTMENTS, STILL STANDING ON SOUTH OLDEN AVENUE BETWEEN LIBERTY STREET AND CEDAR LANE. THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF HOUSING BEING BUILT IN THESE EARLY POST WWII YEARS. HOUSING WAS IN GREAT DEMAND AND THERE WAS A TERRIFIC SHORTAGE FOR RETURNING VETERANS.

1947: WE CALLED IT "JUVENILE DELINQUENCY"

FROM THE "CRIME, MORALS, SOCIAL VALUES" FILE IN MY COLLECTION,
THIS INTERESTING INSIGHT INTO THE MID 20TH CENTURY TELLS OF THE BEGINNING OF WHAT WOULD EXPAND EXPONENTIALLY OVER
THE NEXT 50 YEARS, EVOLVING INTO THE SOCIETAL PROBLEMS
WE HAVE TODAY WITH ORGNIZED GANGS.

1945: BILL COLLIS, U.S. COAST GUARD

BILL WAS ONE OF OUR MORE POPULAR FACULTY MEMBERS AT HAMILTON HIGH DURING THE 40'S AND 50'S. HERE WE SEE HIM AT HIS MILITARY STATION WITH THAT EVER-PRESENT PIPE.

1945: BILL COLLIS, U.S. COAST GUARD

BILL WAS ONE OF OUR MORE POPULAR FACULTY MEMBERS AT HAMILTON HIGH DURING THE 40'S AND 50'S. HERE WE SEE HIM AT HIS MILITARY STATION WITH THAT EVER-PRESENT PIPE.

1945: BILL COLLIS, U.S. COAST GUARD

BILL WAS ONE OF OUR MORE POPULAR FACULTY MEMBERS AT HAMILTON HIGH DURING THE 40'S AND 50'S. HERE WE SEE HIM AT HIS MILITARY STATION WITH THAT EVER-PRESENT PIPE.

1945: BILL COLLIS, U.S. COAST GUARD

BILL WAS ONE OF OUR MORE POPULAR FACULTY MEMBERS AT HAMILTON HIGH DURING THE 40'S AND 50'S. HERE WE SEE HIM AT HIS MILITARY STATION WITH THAT EVER-PRESENT PIPE.

1945: BILL COLLIS, U.S. COAST GUARD

BILL WAS ONE OF OUR MORE POPULAR FACULTY MEMBERS AT HAMILTON HIGH DURING THE 40'S AND 50'S. HERE WE SEE HIM AT HIS MILITARY STATION WITH THAT EVER-PRESENT PIPE.

1945: THE USS INDIANAPOLIS TRAGEDY

OVER THE YEARS I HAVE HAD MANY REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION ON THE TERRIBLE LOSS OF LIFE ON THE USS INDIANAPOLIS JUST BEFORE THE END OF THE WAR. THE LATE BOB MCLAUGHLIN WAS A FRIEND AND NEIGHBOR OF MINE FOR OVER 45 YEARS. HE WAS ON A MISSION WHICH BROUGHT HIM AND HIS SHIP TO THE SCENE FOR A POSSIBLE RESCUE MISSION.

1945: VJ DAY AT STATE AND BROAD

UNFORTUNATELY, MY WEBMASTER DOESN'T ALLOW ME TO ARRANGE GRAPHICS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. THIS, AND THE FOLLOWING GRAPHICS ARE CENTERED AROUND THE SURRENDER OF THE JAPANESE AND VJ DAY AS SEEN LOCALLY IN THE MERCER COUNTY AREA.
TIMES SQUARE IN NEW YORK WAS CROWDED, AS WAS STATE AND BROAD STREETS IN CENTER CITY TRENTON.

1945: THE END IS NEAR FOR THE SONS OF NIPPON

NO, THE GRAPHIC ABOVE IS NOT A TORN PAGE. IT IS JUST A PORTION OF THE FRONT PAGE OF THE TRENTON EVENING TIMES WHICH IS IN MY COLLECTION. THE FULL PAGE IS TOO LARGE TO BE LEGIBLE WITHIN THE CONFINED SPACE OF A COMPUTER SCREEN.

1945: MAYOR DUCH

ISN'T IT INTERESTING THAT THE CHURCH AND STATE PROBLEM WE HAVE IN TODAY'S AMERICA WASN'T A FACTOR BACK WHEN WE CELEBRATED THE END OF WORLD WAR II? IT'S ALSO INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT MOST OF OUR CHURCHES WERE VERY WELL ATTENDED.

1945: VJ DAY

AUGUST, 1945: I REMEMBER IT WELL. I WAS 12 YEARS OLD. WHEN THE NEWS CAME, I WAS ON THE FRONT PORCH AT MY BUDDY DON SLABICKI'S SYLVAN AVENUE HOME. IT IS REALLY INTERESTING HOW WE CAN RECALL WHERE WE WERE WHEN A MEMORABLE EVENT OCCURS. I RECALL THAT I WAS PLAYING OUTSIDE OF MY HOUSE WHEN THE NEWS CAME OVER THE RADIO ABOUT THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR. WHEN JOHN KENNEDY WAS ASSASSINATED I WAS ON THE PHONE TRACING AT ORDER IN MY NEW BRUNSWICK OFFICE.

1945: WWII: THE END IS NEAR

NO, THIS ISN'T A TORN PAGE, IT IS A COMPUTER CREATED TORN PAGE. THE ORIGINAL PAGE IS ALIVE AND WELL IN MY WWII COLLECTION. THE NEWS COVERAGE RELATED THE JAPANESE REACTION TO THE ATOMIC BOMB BEING DROPPED INCLUDED WORDS SUCH AS "BARBARIC," "CRIMINAL,"INHUMAN," ETC. THEY NEGLECTED TO MENTION THE BARBARIC, CRIMINAL AND INHUMAN ACTS WHICH WERE PERPETRATED BY THE JAPANESE ON OUR FIGHTING MEN WHO BECAME PRISONERS. INDEED, AS THE WAR TURNED HEAVILY IN FAVOR OF THE ALLIES, JAPANESE AUTHORITIES WARNED THAT ANY ATTEMPT TO INVADE JAPAN WOULD RESULT IN THE EXTERMINATION OF ALL AMERICAN PRISONERS OF WAR. THERE WERE ESTIMATED TO HAVE BEEN UP TO 100,00 ALLIED PRISONERS IN JAPANESE PRISON CAMPS.

1945: OBIT OF EDWARD C. SHARP

THE SHARP FAMILY OF WHITE OF HORSE IS ONE OF THE PROMINENT PIONEER RESIDENTS OF THE AREA. WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER BACK IN THE 1950'S, I REMEMBER THE WOODED ENTRANCE TO TO THE FARM. IT WAS KNOWN AS SHARP'S LANE. EDDIE SHARP JR. WAS A 1951 HAMILTON HIGH CLASSMATE.

1945: A WWI PURPLE HEART HERO

THIS HANDSOME FELLOW IS MY UNCLE CHARLIE. HE WENT ON TO BECOME THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE TRENTON WAR MEMORIAL BUILDING IN THAT BUILDING'S GLORY YEARS.

1914: UH OH, SEPERATION OF CHURCH AND STATE AGAIN

WE'VE COME A LONG WAY. OR HAVE WE?

1869: Vandals on Centre Street

EVEN BACK THEN THEY HAD VANDALISM PERPETRATED BY LOCAL SOCIETY'S MORE IGNORANT CITIZENS. UNLIKE OUR LIBERAL JUDICIAL SYSTEM WE HAVE TODAY, THE PERPS OF OLD RECEIVED HARSH PUNISHMENT WHICH MADE THEM THINK TWICE ABOUT REPEATING THEIR ANTI SOCIAL AND CRIMINAL VANDALISM. "NAMES ARE BEING WITHHELD BECAUSE OF THEIR AGE" WAS UNHEARD OF.

1945: WCTU: Alive and well

The WCTU of Groveville and Yardville had a roster of members who were some of the most prominent members of their respective communities. Note the old family names: Mount, Tantum, Reed, Asay, Tilton, Martin and Dwier.

1984: ONE FOR MY MANY KILDEA FRIENDS

HELE'S LOVELY MARY KILDEA FROM A 1984 EDITION OF THE MERCER MESSENGER FROM THE JACK LACY COLLECTION. MARY AND MATT KILDEA AND THEIR WONDERFUL FAMILY PLAYED A SUBSTANTIAL PART IN THE GLOVER FAMILY'S YEARS AS PARISHIONERS AT ST. ANTHONY PARISH IN HAMILTON. MY FIRST FLOOR STILL VIBRATES FROM THE MUSIC OF "VALHALLA." JOE KILDEA, MY SON TOM, JOE BOGNER, AND EDDIE PANTELONE WERE EXTREMELY TALENTED MUSICIANS.
THANKS TO JOE KILDEA FOR THE HEADS UP. I FORGOT TO MENTION ONE OF THE GLOVER'S FAVORITE MEMBERS OF THE TALENTED "VALHALLA" MUSICAL GROUP. DANNY COLEMAN WAS ALSO AN INTEGRAL PART OF THAT GREAT LITTLE BAND. HOW COULD I FORGET DANNY? HIS GENE KRUPA TYPE DRUMMING TALENTS WERE AT THE ROOT OF THAT HOUSE-VIBRATING SOUND THAT ECHOED THROUGH OUR LITTLE CAPE COD ON ATLANTIC AVENUE. JUDY AND I USED TO WATCH THE YANKEE GAMES WITHOUT SOUND. DANNY, YOU KNOW THAT MY OMISSION OF YOU WAS MERELY THE RESULT OF A "SENIOR MOMENT." I'M GETTING A LOT OF THEM LATELY. THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP JOE. YOU KNOW I WOULD NEVER KNOWINGLY LEAVE DANNY OUT OF THE MIX.

JOE KILDEA WROTE:
Hey Mr. Glover!
Thank you so much for posting that beautiful picture of my Mom and that very nice piece about our family. I'm very honored to be a part of your extended family. We've been through a lot. I love your family very much and I believe you are all quite aware of that. I miss Tom. As far as that article, you gave the actual article to Tom to give to me and I had it hanging at my desk when I was still working at Delphi with Tom. I still have it. Thank you. I hope I'm not being too forward here but I must make you aware of this. Thanks for mentioning Valhalla.....I cant believe we made it to your site! We're also featured at Trentonmakes.com. Scroll down to #17 and you'll get to hear some old memories. (I highly reccomend it, you'll be pleasently surprised). http://trentonmakes.podomatic.com/ But, I need to point out that you missed Danny Coleman. I know it sounds petty, but I believe he would be hurt by being missed. He's very fond of you and has always been. He knows about your website and I would love to tell him to come see your post on us. Danny and I just had some major correspondence a few weeks ago, about some artistic ventures we might like to explore, yet in our lives. Me personally, I have a dream to write a musical, movie or stage, doesn't matter. I think I can do it, I just need the right story....and thats where other artists come in..... Danny wants to write a book. I forget the subject matter at this moment....it was good.....and he plans on getting with you to discuss the nature what you do as a writer. Danny thinks very highly of you. If it's not too much trouble at this point, I'm sure Danny would be as thrilled as I was to read your post....AND to be included! Thanks again for keeping me and my family a part of the family. You friend, Joe Kildea

1945: SEPERATING CHURCH AND STATE

1945: OH, THOSE ST. ANTHONY CARNIVALS!

LONG BEFORE I WAS SO HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE ANNUAL ST. ANTHONY CARNIVAL, THE PARISHIONERS WENT "FIRST CLASS," HIRING NAME BANDS TO PERFORM AT THEIR ANNUAL CARNIVAL. I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH ART POULSON, BUT THE ARTICLE STATES THAT HE WAS "BREAKING ALL POPULARITY RECORDS."

1945: TRENTON CATHOLIC SOUTH JERSEY CHAMPIONS

FROM MY TRENTON CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL COLLECTION COMES THIS PHOTO OF THE CHAMPS AS THEY RECEIVED THEIR TROPHY FOR CAPTURING THE SOUTH JERSEY BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS. EMIL SLABODA IS THE YOUNG FELLOW IN THE FRONT ROW, SECOND FROM LEFT.

1945: MORE LOCAL WWII HEROES

THESE WWII HEROES ARE BEING PRESENTED WITH MEDALS FOR PERFORMING "ABOVE AND BEYOND." THERE'S PAUL SOLLAMI IN THE PHOTO. I SPENT A FEW YEARS WORKING WITH LOUIE SOLLAMI AT ATLANTIC PRODUCTS IN THE EARLY 1950'S. LOUIE WAS A DEAD RINGER FOR DEAN MARTIN...ALSO AN INCREDIBLE HAPPY GO LUCKY PERSONALITY; SMILING ALL THE TIME. WE ALSO KNOW PAUL SOLLAMI AS A FORMER MERCER COUNTY FREEHOLDER. MS. PAULA SOLLAMI IS THE CURRENT MERCER COUNTY CLERK.

1945: THOMAS ST. JOHN SWORN IN

DURING MY MANY YEARS IN THE HARTLEY - SYLVAN AVENUE AREA, MY BEST FRIEND RIGHT UP TO TODAY WAS THE LATE DON SLABICKI. THIS PHOTO IS OF THOMAS ST. JOHN, FATHER OF THE THOMAS ST. JOHN AND HIS WIFE ALBERTA SLABICKI ST. JOHN, WHOM I REMEMBER WELL. "TOM" WAS A FATHER FIGURE AND I REMEMBER HOW HE USED TO LET US SIT IN THAT BIG BUS HE DROVE BACK IN THE 1940'S. DON AND I WERE "BABY SITTERS" FOR "LITTLE" TOMMY ST. JOHN WHO WENT ON TO BECOME A HAMILTON POLICE OFFICER, AND ALSO "LITTLE" RONNIE TOBIASZ.

1912: RADIO NEEDS A REFORMATION

ONE OF THE PROBLEMS OF DIGGING IN MY "HAMILTON SCRAPBOOK" IS GETTING HOOKED ON THE CONTENTS OF A SPECIFIC FOLDER; IN THIS CASE THE "RADIO" FOLDER. RADIO PLAYED A CRITICAL PART IN THE APRIL, 1912 TITANIC DISASTER .
THEN AS NOW, MORSE CODE WAS A RELIABLE METHOD OF COMMUNICATION. EXCEPT FOR A NUMBER OF AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS WHO STILL LOVE AND RESPECT MORSE CODE, THE CRAFT IS USED LESS AND LESS IN EVERYDAY COMMUNICATIONS. SATELLITES, CELL PHONES AND OTHER MODERN MODES OF COMMUNICATION HAVE PLACED IT ON THE SHELF TO GATHER COBWEBS . HOWEVER, IT WOULD STILL BE SUPERIOR TO THE NEW HI TECH APPLIANCES SHOULD THERE BE A CRIPPLING DISASTER.

AN INTERESTING ASIDE:

TODAY THE SIGNAL FOR A DISTRESS CALL IS "SOS."

BACK IN THE EARLY YEARS OF RADIO IT WAS "CQD."

1924: THE PORTABLE RADIO

FOUR YEARS OR SO EARLIER, BROADCAST RADIO BEGAN TO TAKE OFF. ALL OVER AMERICA,,THOUSANDS OF MEN WITH AN APTITUDE FOR RADIO BEGAN BUILDING THEIR OWN RADIO RECEIVERS. THE "BREADBOARD," FAMILIAR TO MANY OLD RADIO VETERANS, WAS A FAVORITE PROJECT FOR MANY MEN IN THE EARLY 20'S. THEN ALONG CAME THE "PORTABLE" RADIO; SURELY AM EXPENSIVE AND DESIRABLE ITEM WHICH WAS THE OBJECT OF AFFECTION FOR MANY RADIO LOVERS OF THE ERA.

1927: AMATEUR RADIO AT THE READY

AS USUAL, THE AMATEUR RADIO FRATERNITY WAS AT THE BECK AND CALL OF UNCLE SAM SHOULD THERE BE ANOTHER WAR. WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE CELL PHONE AND COMPUTERS, AMATEUR RADIO HAS LOST SOME FUNCTIONS WHICH IT DID SO SPLENDIDLY FOR OVER 100 YEARS. HOWEVER, IF THERE IS EVER A 9-11 TYPE DISASTER, THE AMATEURS CAN BE DEPENDED UPON TO SUPPLY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS WHEN THE CELL PHONES ARE SWAMPED. EVEN TODAY, OUR LOCAL GUARDIANS OF THE RADIO SPECTRUM HOLD REGULAR ON THE AIR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PRACTICES, ASSISTING POLICE AND FIRE, AND PASSING MESSAGES TO VICTIMS' FAMILIES. IT'S COMFORTING TO KNOW THAT THESE DEDICATED FOLKS ARE LIKE OUR VOLUNTEER FIREMEN, READY AT THE FIRST SIGNS OF A DISASTER.

1913: LONG BEFORE THOSE HIGH TECH CELL PHONES

CHECK OUT THAT "MODERN TELEPHONE SWITCHBOARD" IN THE LOWER PHOTO. IF THE FOLKS PICTURED IN THIS ARTICLE COULD SOMEHOW MAKE A VISIT TO THE TRENTON AREA OF 2001, THEY WOULD BE COMPLETELY FASCINATED IN THE CHRONOLOGICAL DEVLOPEMENT OF THE TELEPHONE.

A CHRISTMAS WISH FOR TRENTON

I WROTE THIS COLUMN 15 YEARS AGO. THIS ARTICLE LOOKS BACK TO THE CITY OF TRENTON OF 100 OR MORE YEARS AGO. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF GANGS, DRIVE BY SHOOTINGS, MUGGINGS, HOME INVASIONS, AND OTHER SIMILAR CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES WHICH WE WE FIND IN THE URBAN CITIES OF 2007. CRIMINALS WERE CAUGHT ONE DAY, FACED A JUDGE THE NEXT, AND QUICKLY PUT IN PRISON DOING HARD LABOR.

REMEMBERING THAT BLACK SALVATION ARMY KETTLE

When I was a boy, Mom Glover would take me into town to do some bill paying and shopping for Christmas on our extemely limited Glover household budget. One enduring memory is seeing Santa Claus at State and Broad Streets, bell in hand, standing next to that triangular tripod with the big black kettle. "Help the poor...Help the poor...help a poor family have a Merry Christmas..."

2007: HOPE YOU HAD A HAPPY THANKSGIVING

HERE'S HOPING ALL TOM GLOVER SCRAPBOOK VIEWERS HAD A GREAT THANKSGIVING DAY AND REMEMBERED TO WHOM TO GIVE THANKS!

1945: HAMILTON SQUARE GRAMMAR SCHOOL

1945: PFC EARL HAWLEY: A HARTLEY NEIGHBOR

THE GLOVER FAMILY HAS LIVED IN THE NEWKIRK - CEDAR LANE - HARTLEY AVENUE AREA FOR WELL OVER 65 YEARS, AND THE SOFFEL FAMILY EVEN PRE-DATED OUR FAMILY AS HARTLEY AVENUE NEIGHBORS. HERE WE SEE EARL HAWLEY, WHO WAS THE HUSBAND OF HENRIETTA "SISSY" SOFFEL, MAKING NEWS WHEN HE DISCOVERED A WAY TO LAUNDER THE CLOTHING OF AN ENTIRE COMPANY OF SOLDIERS. DESPITE BEING RIDICULED WHEN HE SET OUT ON THE PROJECT, HAWLEY GOT THE LAST LAUGH AS HIS INGENUITY RESULTED IN A SUCCESSFUL TIME SAVER.

1945: HAMILTON SQUARE GRAMMAR SCHOOL CLASS OF '45

PERHAPS SOME VIEWERS OF THIS SITE WONDER WHY I POST SO MANY ITEMS RELATING TO THE LOCAL HAMILTON-TRENTON AREA SCHOOLS. THE EXPLANATION IS SIMPLE: I AM BUILDING A SUBSTANTIAL FILE OF SCHOOLS AND INCORPORATING THEM IN MY HAMILTON LIBRARY DATA BASE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO RESEARCH FOR GENEALOGICAL AND OTHER HISTORIC PURPOSES.

1945: RICHARD HUGHES: THE EARLY YEARS

THIS YOUNG MAN WENT ON TO BECOME THE GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY. HIS SON, BRIAN IS CURRENTLY THE MERCER COUNTY EXECUTIVE.

1945: THE ANGELUCCI'S: LOCAL WWII HEROES.

THE ENRICO ANGELUCCI FAMILY WERE NEWKIRK-HARTLEY AVENUE AREA NEIGHBORS FOR YEARS. TRENTON MINERAL FLOORING COMPANY WAS A WELL KNOWN COMPANY WHEN I WAS A BOY. HERE WE SEE HOW THE FAMILY WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND DURING WWII, WITH SIX OF THE FAMILY SERVING THEIR COUNTRY.

1945: WILIAM JOICE: TRAITOR

I HEARD MY BROTHER LEN AND OTHER VETERANS OF WWII TALK ABOUT "LORD HAW HAW." HEARING THE NAZI PROPAGANDA THIS PRO-NAZI BROADCAST TO OUR TROOPS DURING WWII, I ADDED MANY OF HIS PROGRAMS TO MY MP3 AUDIO COLLECTION OF OLD TIME RADIO. HIS PROGRAM WAS CALCULATED TO LOWER THE MORALE OF OUR ALLIES DURING WWII, WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON AMERICAN AND BRITISH FIGHTING FORCES. IT'S IRONIC THAT THAT WEASEL CLAIMED TO BE AN AMERICAN BY BIRTH. "LORD HAW HAW" WAS TO THE EUROPEAN THEATER OF WAR AS "AXIS SALLY" WAS TO THE PACIFIC CAMPAIGN.

1945: ST. JOACHIM COMMENCEMENT CLASS OF '45

MANY FAMILAR NAMES IN THIS LISTING OF GRADS FROM THAT OLD SCHOOL APPROACHING A CENTENNIAL IN 1910.

1945: TECH SGT. NICK CRACKER; ANOTHER WWII HERO

HERE'S ANOTHER LOCAL BOY WHO MADE HIS MARK DURING WORLD WAR II. NICK IS FROM THE HAMILTON TOWNSHIP CRACKER FAMILY.

2007: HAMILTON'S WINTER WONDERLAND

"IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS, EVERYWHERE YOU GO,
TAKE A LOOK AT THE FIVE AND TEN, GLISTENING ONCE AGAIN.."

THEY SAY THAT TIME SPEEDS UP AS YOU GET OLDER. I AGREE! HERE WE ARE ON THE THRESHOLD OF ANOTHER CHRISTMAS SEASON, AND THE REAL HARBINGER OF THE SEASON LOCALLY IS WINTER WONDERLAND AT KUSER FARM PARK. THE ABOVE BULLETIN GIVES THE DETAILS OF THIS INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL ANNUAL AFFAIR.

DON'T MISS THE TOUR OF THE MANSION. CURATOR DENISE ZEMLANSKY AND HER STAFF HAVE ONCE AGAIN GONE OUT OF THEIR WAY TO DECORATE THE KUSER "COUNTRY HOME" WITH A FANTASTIC VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS.

THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY
WILL BE AT 6PM, NOVEMBER 28TH;
SEE 'YA THERE!

1986: THE NOTTINGHAM LITTLE LEAGUE ALL STARS

HAMILTON HAS ALWAYS EXCELLED WITH THEIR PROGRAMS OF ORGANIZED SPORTS. HOW I REMEMBER THOSE MANY NIGHTS ATTENDING THE LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL GAMES WHEN MY TWO BOYS WERE OF PLAYING AGE. I REMEMBER LOOKING OUT ON THE WELL MAINTAINED BASEBALL FIELDS THE BOYS PLAYED ON AND COMPARED THEM WITH THE DUSTY UN-ORGANIZED OPEN FIELDS WE PLAYED ON WHEN I WAS A BOY. OUR BASES WERE EITHER ROCKS OR IF WE WERE LUCKY, THE LID FROM A FIVE GALLON CAN. THE BOYS IN THE PHOTOS ARE NOW IN THEIR 30'S.

1986: A PART OF THE RAFFERTY TEAM

THANKS TO FORMER "MERCER MESSENGER" PUBLISHER JACK LACY FOR A BOX FULL OF MERCER MESSENGERS WHICH HE SAVED FROM HIS TENURE AS PUBLISHER OF THE PAPER. THEY ARE A TREASURE OF 1980'S LOCAL HISTORICAL LORE, AND I WILL BE POSTING MANY OF THEM IN FUTURE POSTS. THANKS, JACK!

THINGS NOSTALGIC

IT SEEMS THAT "OMAD" IS THE ONLY VIEWER WHO CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED OUR MYSTERY GUEST.

1945: TRENTON CATHOLIC BOYS IN "30 DAYS"

GTHOSE "GIRLS"IN YOU SEE IN THE PHOTO ABOVE ARE TRENTON CATHOLIC GUYS IN DRAG!

THE ORIGINS OF THANKSGIVING DAY

HERE'S AN INTERESTING ARTICLE FROM THE THANKSGIVING SEASON OF 1901. LET'S REMEMBER THAT OUR FOREFATHERS SET ASIDE THIS DAY TO GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR THE MANY BLESSINGS HE BESTOWED UPON US. HOW VERY "POLITICALLY INCORRECT AND INSENSITIVE" THOSE FOREFATHERS OF OURS WERE! I'LL BET GEORGE WASHINGTON AND ABRAHAM LINCOLN EVEN WISHED PEOPLE "MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

1909: HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL VISITORS!