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Thursday, October 30, 2008

1945: EASTERN AIRCRAFT AND GRUMMAN AVENGERS


In my very lucid memory, I can still see those beautiful navy "Avengers" buzzing over my Hamilton home back during the WWII years. Some were flying so low, the pilot could be clearly seen in the plane's cabin, or as we called it, the "greenhouse." A number of years ago, I attended a "fly in" at Mercer Airport. As one of those restored TBM's roared to life, I recalled a very familar sound.

1945: SECOND GUESSING PEARL HARBOR

There is the Kennedy Assasination conspiracy, theBilderberg-Council of Foreign Relations Conspiracy, and as the article above details, there are questions about the attack on Pearl Harbor and who was "asleep at the switch" when the Japanese succeeded completely catching us off guard on December 7, 1941. To this day, there are conspirator theorists that claim that FDR and other key persons in his administration knew of an attack beforehand.

1945: TRENTON SPEEDWAY AT THE STATE FAIR

The fellow in the photo was my racing hero back in the 40's and 50's. Of course we kids never had the money to gain legitimate access to the fair grounds grandstand area. That's where our dear old Klockner Road came into play. There was a side street, I think it was Smith Street that dead ended right in an area that gave us access to the "back track" at the speedway. The only thing between us and the race cars was a cyclone fence. It was a very dusty enviornment, but we loved it!

1945: HAMILTON'S -BAYER ASPIRIN PLANT

Here's the advance news of the new Sterling Drug - Bayer Aspiring plant to be built on E. State Street in Hamilton as it was announced in the Fall of 1945.

1945: THE IRON CURTAIN AND HUAC


Just as World War II ended, the Soviet Union decided to alienate themselves with America and other "Imperial Capitalist" countries. The American Communist Party, much like the German American Bund in pre-war America, owed their allegiance to the Soviet Union.

1945: NEW VICE PRINCIPAL FOR TRENTON CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

I receive numerous emails requesting more info on "the Golden Wave," AKA as Trenton Catholic High School. Henceforth, I will concentrate on future posts and see that I get them scanned and published.

2008: FOR ENHANCED VIEWING OF THESE POSTS

Do you want a better, fuller, more logical view of the posts on this site?
You do? OK, go to 1) below. It's a simple process, easily reversed.
1) Go to "VIEW" on the upper left of your monitor.

2) Click on "FULL SCREEN" and you will get rid of all the headers and footers that block your view.

TO REVERSE THE PROCESS AND GET BACK TO "NORMAL" VIEW:

3) Go to the upper right of your monitor and click on the square between - and X. You're back to normal viewing.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

1945: Mike Kuzma: Is this a relative?

Mike Kuzma, is this a relative? From the "WWII" folder, wherein I include names of selected military personnel who appeared weekly in full page WWII veteran's photos and assignments. There are hundreds of the aforementioned photos and as a result, I seek out names with which I am personally familiar.

1935: Holy Cross Church's "Chopin Choir"

Here's a beautiful photo of the choir members from the year 1935. There are many familiar family names among those listed.

1935: The Trenton Free Public Library During the Great Depression


Like today, libraries all over the country are hosting patrons who are coming to research employment opportunities in an era when the country is in a deep recession. The above posts are particularly interesting at this time, due to the financial problems being faced by the Trenton Public Library, with the threat of branch closings and other serious austerity measures.

1935: Hopewell New Jersey Grammar School Honor Roll

For those who are genealogically inclined, or perhaps relatives of the students listed above, this listing of 1930's students at then-very rural Hopewell, New Jersey this graphic will be of special interest.

1935: The End of the Trolley Era in Trenton

I was only an infant of 2 years old when Trenton converted from the trolley to buses. My older brothers tell of their occasional trips to downtown Trenton on a Trenton trolley. There is still evidence of the trolley era over in Hamilton Township near the intersection of Sylvan Avenue, where the trolley veered off of Liberty Street and journeyed to points north. The route is quite obvious at the intersection of Newkirk and Camp Avenues where there is still a huge island dividing the road.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

1956: ST. MARY'S CATHEDRAL ARSON


I was in the U.S. Army over in Italy when the horrible fire at St. Mary's Cathedral occurred. My mother-in-law's best friend was the housekeeper. She perished in the fire.

1935: The Arsenal

There is much fascinating lore relating to the Arsenal, which is on the Second Street property of the N.J. State Prison. The building still stands, and I presume is still the home of the warden of the prison.

1935: Fire at Hamilton's Pocono Rubber Factory

I must admit that in all of my many years of researching local history, I had never heard of the Pocono Rubber Company. I will see if I can find a reference to it in one of my Trenton City Directories. The Boys at Hamilton Fire Company along with Enterprise battled the fire for over six hours. I note that among the injured in the fire was Walter Guy. I'm sure he is related to Dick Guy, "little brother" of my long time friend in the ball and roller bearing business, Bill Guy.
It is sheer speculation on my part, but I would bet that the Pocono Rubber Company was located on the same spot as the Nearpara Rubber Company.

1935: Hamilton Township Annual Fire Elections

Here's a list of the successful (and unsuccessful) candidates for leadership of Hamilton's fire districts.

1935: Remembering the Ice Man

George Levy was a boxer. He was in training for an upcoming boxing match, and found one of the best ways to train is to lug heavy blocks of ice to the wooden ice boxes the the homes in the area in those years before the electric refrigerator was a luxury in many homes. The Glovers held on to our old wooden ice box until the year 1940, when we got a second hand "Alpine" fridge.

DON'T MISS THESE WEBSITES!

If you haven't already been there, don't miss Jon Blackwell's Trentonian website,

The link above will take you to the era in which I grew up. However, the home page goes all through the decades. A fabulous historical gem.
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I also received an incredibly interesting email from Bill Smith, a former Lawrence Township resident now living in northern N.Y. state. Bill has a wonderful site that anyone interested in the area during the 50's through the 70's will find interesting. By all means, check it out:

Monday, October 27, 2008

1935: STACY PARK SWIMMING AREA

The area above depicted as a swimming area in Stacy Park was well before my time. The only swimming area that I recall was off of Lamberton and Lalor Street.

1935: Madeline Pope Maddock

From the "KUSER FAMILY" folder in the Hamilton Library, this engagement announcement from the Times of February, 1935. Mr. and Mrs. Maddock were regular visitors to Kuser Farm in the 1940's, as were their 2 boys, John and Tim.

1935: COLONIAL VFD AUXILIARY LADIES

I inserted "Katinka," the beautiful 1933 fire engine accompanying this article, into the Auxiliary article due to my belief that it was the fire truck in operation during the time the Colonial ladies appointed the committee for the year 1935.

1935: AREA PTA ACTIVITIES

"Been there - done that." As a former PTA president, I have always had great respect for the women and men who work so hard to support their child's school. Here are a few of the activities planned by local PTA groups in the Mercer area in the year 1935.

1935: THE TRENTON RESCUE MISSION

The poor and impoverished will always be with us. Thankfully there are numerous citizens and organizations who devote their time to the welfore of those less well off. Here's a photo of the Rescue Mission as it was back in 1935. The Mission is still located on Perry and Carroll Street in Trenton

1935: THE ANNUAL MERCER DEMOCRATIC CARD PARTY


There are a number of familiar names in the lengthy list above, including a young Richard Hughes.

1935: SLAVERY FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A TRENTON TEACHER


Here is Ms. Mills' interesting article on the genesis of slavery, traced back to Africa and including the 17th century when the colonies continued the custom.

1935: THE "FLYING YANKEE" ON A SPEED RUN

From the railroads and trolleys folder, this beautiful photo of the Flying Yankee as it rolled into the Trenton station. Thirty minutes from Philadelphia to Trenton.

1935: Fire Report for the year 1934

It would be interesting to learn how many fires the current Mercerville VFD firemen fought during the year 2007.

1880: Trials and Tribulations of the Constable

As can be seen in the article above, the Constable's job was not a walk in the park. Apparently he was much like the "repo" man we see on numerous television shows. Instead of repossing automobiles, he is charged with taking back homes, furniture, and any other possessions which were not paid for.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

2008: MY TRENTON NEWSPAPER COLLECTION

It took 7 pickup truck loads to get this huge collection of Trenton newspapers into my garage a number of years ago. The collection begins in the 1870's with only a volume or two from the late 1860's and fills up 4 shelves from floor to ceiling in my Local History Collection workshop at the Hamilton Township Public Library. Prior to the advent of the personal computer, digital image scanning was an unknown concept. Most libraries decided that these huge volumes took up too much storage space and opted to convert their newspaper collections to microfilm, and sending those impossible-to-replace originals to the recycle bin. Something told me that somewhere in the future this treasure of printed history would lend itself to a new technology, and of course it did!

1914: WILBUR AREA NEWS INCLUDED BROMLEY

Before the Bromley area of Hamilton became more heavily populated, the Trenton newspapers considered today's Bromley to be part of the Wilbur section of Trenton.

FROM OUR BORDENTOWN NEIGHBORS


Hereis an interesting article on the bucolic town of Bordentown, along with 3 postal cards from the early 20th century from Bordentown. There are a number of Bordentown related items in my collection, and they will ultimately be included in this website.

FROM NEIGHBORING BORDENTOWN

Over the many years I have been collecting historic material on the Hamilton-Trenton-Mercer County area, there have always been items from nearby towns included in scrapbooks and other papers in collections I have acquired. This series of postcards from Bordentown are part of a collection of 5 or 6 from the early part of the 20th century.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

1922: TRENTON'S STATE THEATER

The State Theater was one of the many theaters that were once located in downtown Trenton. This 1922 photo of the re-furbished theater is an introduction to a mini chronology of the theater as seen in the post that follows.

1904 - 1909 Trenton's State Street Theater

The 6 articles in the above graphic is an interesting timeline illustrating the progress of the "moving picture" enterprise in the city of Trenton. I have found that there are many local historians and history buffs who are very interested in the many theaters that once dotted the Trenton cityscape. There are numerous theater articles in the Hamilton Library's Local History Collection, and they will be posted as time permits.

2008: Thanks to Randy From Northern California

"Small World."
I received this guestbook message from D. Randy Riggs, a fellow Bromleyite. Randy's Bromley address is just up the street from my Atlantic Avenue home (which is adjacent to the 1900 block of Greenwood Avenue). Thanks for the guestbook entry Randy, I hope you return often. If you key in the keyword BROMLEY (upper or lower case) in the upper right of the page next to "SEARCH BLOG," you will find numerous Bromley posts which I have been posting since the inception of this website in November, 2005. Entering HEIDELBERG will bring you to the current post (this one) and a long string of other posts which contain the Heidelberg name. There is a vintage photo of what was my favorite restaurant back in the late 40's and early 50's. Remember their delightful wienerschnitzel?

SCAN THOSE PHOTOS IN AND SEND THEM TO ME (thomglo@verizon.net) RANDY, AND WITH YOUR PERMISSION, THEY WILL BE POSTED.
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Randy wrote:

I am so happy to have discovered your wonderful website from here in Northern California. Although I was born in Trenton, I lived in Yardley, Pa. and Ewing Township, too (Ewing H.S. Class of ’64). However, my Dad (George L. Riggs) and his family (grandparents Frank P. and Anna C. Riggs) lived at 2023 Greenwood Ave where my aunt (Evelyn Riggs) was born in 1913, and my mother (Irene Bernath, H.H.S Class of 1937) lived on Nottingham Way when she was young, so I have many Hamilton memories. I also have photos that I'd love to share that you will find interesting. Of course, I went to the fair every year and many races at the Speedway and I also remember eating many times at the Old Heidelberg restaurant. Great memories and thank you so much for this most excellent effort!

Friday, October 24, 2008

2008 Jack Knarr of the Trentonian's Yearbook Story

HHS 1942 was the class from which brother Len, and my sister in law, the late Kathleen Britton graduated. The fantastic story of the old yearbook being found within the walls of a home in Trenton where it had reposed for so many years was beautifully handled by the Trentonian's Jack Knarr.

1935: PENNINGTON ROAD HOMEMAKERS

There are numerous old line Ewing Township family names in the graphic above. I find that these group photos are of great interest to genealogical researchers, and also to visitors who recognize relatives from the past.

1935: FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH PRESENTS "COMFORTLESS MEMORIES"

From the "SOUTH TRENTON" and "FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH" folders, this article on Gertrude Saxtons "Comfortless Memories" program.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

1904: The 9th N.J. Civil War Volunteers Petition for a Monument

They were unsung heroes of the Civil War, giving their all in the battle at New Berne, Roanoake Island and the surrounding area. The valiant soldiers who lost their lives cried out for a memorial.

1973: The Hamilton Democratic Club's Voter Registration Drive

According to current news reports, young people will be more involved in the 2008 presidential election than any time in history. In the photo above, Brian McLaughlin of the "Young Democrats" is seen as a representative of Hamilton's young Democrats. Brian and his mom and father have been very dear friends of the Glovers for over 40 years. The McLaughlins lived right across the street from us in our Atlantic Avenue home. Fred Schulz Senior's son Fred Jr. followed in his Dad's footsteps in Hamilton politics. Freddie Schulz is an old friend whom I have known for over 40 years.

1940: Father McCorristin Assigned to Holy Angels Parish

He went on to be a giant in the history of the Roman Catholics of the Mercer County area.

1904: Mrs. Henry Kelsey Obit

Few local area residents are not familiar with the "Kelsey Building" on West State and WillowStreets in downtown Trenton. Today it's a local college. Mr. Kelsey dedicated the building to the memory of his wife.

1904: Henry Ford Sets a Speed Record

The pages of the newspapers in the early years of the horseless carriage are very interesting and very plentiful. There will be future posts on the Mercer auto, and other locally famous auto manufacturers. During the time the above article was published, Henry Ford was competing with the Oldsmobile horseless carriage; one of the more popular early vehicles. The little 1904 auto cartoon on the lower right of the column was inserted from my "AUTOMOBILIA" file in the Hamilton Library's Local History files.

1973: Maurice Perilli: A LOCAL LEGEND

If there is any one gentleman who deserved to be honored that gentleman is and was Maury Perilli. His political career was the epitome of "old fashioned" methods of governing when he served as the Mayor of Hamilton Township. Always at the beck and call of the citizen, and always serving in a very non-partisan way, even though a staunch Democrat.

1973: ROMA BANK ADVISORY BOARD

Roma is one of the few banks which has remained an independent entity in this era when small banks are being aborbed by the large corporate banks. The photos show a very young former Senator Pete Inverso, and fellow Hamilton High alumni, Bob Innocenzi and Joe D'Amico.

1973: A HUGE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED

Years ago, the area along the banks of Pond Run was a nightmare for those residents of Kuser Road, Pope, Leukel, and other streets along the banks of the tributary. I remember the flood back in the 1970's, before the concrete "spillway" was constructed, how badly the homes in that area suffered. Folks along Leukel Avenue had water in their basements which flooded up to the ceiling.

1973: Al Martino: One of the best

There are few songs more beautiful than Al Martino's "Mary In The Morning." Along with Jerry Vale, Martino was a very under-rated male vocalist. He had a beautiful singing style.

1973: QUAKER BRIDGE MALL: IN THE BEGINNING

Macy's was the anchor store when the legendary Qauker Bridge Mall opened back in the early 70's. My 30-plus years of commuting to New Brunswick left we with very negative impressions of Route 1 as even back in the 60's and 70's, the traffic was a nightmare.




Publish Post
then, traffic was a nightmare.

1973: HTRBA (HAMILTON TOWNSHIP RECREATIONAL BASEBALL ASSN.)

Both of my sons were members of teams associated with HTRBA back in the early 70's.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

1973: HAMILTON'S FINEST RECEIVE CITATIONS

I published the photo above a day or so ago, without the article I subsequently found from Mayor Maury Perilli's column on the heroic policemen who were honored back in 1973. Herewith an updated post giving those Hamilton men in blue the recognition they reserve, and preserving it for posterity. As my calling card states,
"Digitizing Local History, One Page at a Time!"