HAMILTON HIGH'S HERB GRIFFITHS

I received a comment from the late Herb Griffith's daughter, Donna. She was commenting on the aerial view of Bromley which I posted a few years ago.
Unfortunately Donna, you didn't leave your email address, so I am opting to respond via this post with a photo of Herb from my "HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL" folder, dated June, 1937. It will make a nice addition to the Griffith family album if you don't have a copy. Herb Griffith was "one of the boys," as we used to say at HHS in my years there from 1948 to 1951.

Hi Donna:
Your Dad was a very special guy. I had him back in the 50's as a Sophomore at HHS, and also as my homeroom teacher. He was my Biology teacher, and also my home room teacher. His generation of educators will never be replaced. They not only taught subject, but also values and manners. I am posting a photo of him from my "HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL" folder when he was a young man at Ursinus college. I hope you don't have it. It will make a nice addition to the Griffith family album. As I recall, Herb had recently returned from the Navy when I went to HHS. Thanks so much for visiting my blog. I hope you return often.

XO

Many thanks to HHS classmate Bob Walter for telling me I forgot to add an "S" to Herb Griffiths' name in this post. Thanks, Bob. Great to hear from you.

2010: I HAVE BEEN MODIFYING THIS BLOG

This is "Holy Week for me and Roman Catholics all over the world. I have chosen this graphic from the "NOSTALGIA" folder which is quite apropos.

NOTE: I HAVE RESTORED THE INDEX FEATURE TO THIS BLOG. IT CAN BE FOUND ALONG THE RIGHT OF THE PAGE, WAY WAY DOWN AT THE END OF THE LINKS AND IS HEADED LABELS.
THE INDEX IS FAR FROM COMPLETE. WITH 4,000 PLUS PAGES, I ESTIMATE THAT I HAVE INDEXED ONLY ABOUT 5 OR 600 PAGES. I ALSO TWEAKED THE BLOG WITH A SPRING-ORIENTED HOME PAGE. THESE LITTLE TIME CONSUMING EFFORTS ARE THE REASON I HAVE BEEN A BIT LAX IN POSTING NEW MATERIAL. TO COIN A PHRASE FROM COLONIAL TIMES, "I BEG YOUR INDULGENCE."

1986: White Horse Volunteer Fire Col New Fire House

This was a very special occasion not only for White Horse area citizens, but perhaps even more for the guys and gals of the White Horse Volunteer Fire Company. This graphic has been appropriately enhanced and colored to recognize this impressive fire company expansion. As Hamilton has grown, so too has the need for a viable fire district in the burgeoning township. The next graphic shows the new pumper which was also dedicated.

1986: White Horse Volunteer File Co. New Pumper

Here's an enhanced and tweaked graphic showing the new 2,000 GPM pumper being put in to use at Hamilton's legendary White Horse Volunteer Fire Company on the same day that the new firehouse was dedicated. (See the previous post)

1902: THE BIDDLE TRACY GANG AT THE ANDERSON FARM

I have been on a dedicated search for information on the Anderson Farm for more than 20 years. An article I wrote for the Trenton Times back in the 1980's was found in an old news article in my newspaper collection. That article launched a search for additional information on a heretofore unknown historical treasure that was once a major part of the history of Hamilton Township. Note that I gave an approximate location of the farm as I understood it when I wrote the article, based upon the information in the old news article. I only recently found information that the farm was extensive; encompassing the entire Bromley area between Hamilton and Greenwood Avenues from the city line on South Logan Avenue all the way out to Greenwood Cemetery. The article above, telling of the Biddle Tracy terrorists and how they attacked the Anderson farm was the catalyst for my search; a search that will go on until I can find more definitive history.

NOTE: WHEN YOU CLICK ON THE GRAPHIC, YOU WILL GET THE FIRST ENLARGEMENT. A SECOND CLICK WILL ENLARGE IT FURTHER AND RENDER THE GRAPHIC LEGIBLE.

1986: THE RKO BRUNSWICK - GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

"Time Marches On" as that old 20th Century Fox movie short used to proclaim. Indeed it does. Trenton lost nearly every movie house within it borders during the first half of the 20th century. The "Brunswick" was a survivor, only to have its image tarnished in later years as the venue for "X" movies. It was a beautiful theater, but with the advent of television, the exodus of many citizens to the suburbs, and the proliferation of multi screen theaters, the old RKO Brunswick joined the passenger pigeon in the ledger of extinction. The above is a re-positioned and enhanced ad from the Mercer Messenger which appeared back in 1986. The folks who were trying to revive the building as a theater made a valiant endeavor, but the plans never came to fruition.

JoeZ has left a new comment on your post
"1986: THE RKO BRUNSWICK - GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN":

Tom, saw plenty of Saturday matinees there, movie, serial, cartoons and coming attractions. It was a great building and they had a great tomato pie place across the street called Cassianni's. Is the building still standing?

1905: A VIDEO VISIT TO 1905 SAN FRANCISCO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mkX8ecvtqU

"Old friends are the best friends." My fellow amateur radio buddy Bob Cherry sent me the link to this incredible series of movies turned into videos of San Francisco before and after the tragic earthquake. As you view this incredible trip up Market Street, you will see horse drawn freight wagons, early horseless carriages, newsboys hawking the daily paper and many other fascinating pedestrians as they go about their daily business.

Bob, thanks so much for this link. I have added it to the "TROLLEYS-RAILROADS" folder in the Local History Collection.

While you are on this very interesting page, click on some of the many other links that can take you back 100 years to the era of your great grandparents!

Click on the link to "A DAY IN THE HAY FIELDS." With just a tiny bit of imagination, you can imagine that the farmer in the movie is one of Hamilton's many farmer using the same equipment as they operated the horse drawn wheat thresher at the Scobey, Stelle, Simpkins, or Allinson farm in rural
Hamilton township!

2010: OBIT SINGER JOHNNY MAESTRO

Except for the 1950's song, "Sixteen Candles," I am not familiar with Johnny (Mastrangelo) Maestro nor his extensive career as a "Doo Wop" artist. However, I received the following email from Ray Paszkiewicz who was obviously a dyed in the wool fan.

Ray wrote:

I am filled with sadness today, for one of the great voices of Doo Wop was silenced yesterday. Singer Johnny Maestro passed away at his home in Cape Coral, Florida. Born John Mastrangelo, he was diagnosed with cancer recently. His last performance was with his group, the Brooklyn Bridge, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.
Johnny started out during the 1950s with the Crests. Their biggest hit record was 16 Candles. They recorded such hits as My Juanita, Sweetest One, Trouble in Paradise, Step by Step, and The Angels Listened In. During the 60s, he hooked up with Del Satins and in 1968, formed the Brooklyn Bridge. They hit it big with The Worst That Could Happen, followed by Welcome Me Love, Blessed is the Rain and the anthem You'll Never Walk Alone. They sold over 10 million records.
I had the pleasure of seeing the band twice in the last few years and was intending to see them at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank on May 14th. When I called the box office for tickets, I found out that they were off the bill and Johnny was ill. I also found out it was cancer, but I still didn't think it was real serious. We're always optimistic.
He was and will always be one of my favorite performers from a great era of music. He sounded as good today as he did 50 years ago. I hope the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will recognize his talent and induct him. It's long overdue.
I am filled with sadness today, for one of the great voices of Doo Wop was silenced yesterday. Singer Johnny Maestro passed away at his home in Cape Coral, Florida. Born John Mastrangelo, he was diagnosed with cancer recently. His last performance was with his group, the Brooklyn Bridge, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.
Johnny started out during the 1950s with the Crests. Their biggest hit record was 16 Candles. They recorded such hits as My Juanita, Sweetest One, Trouble in Paradise, Step by Step, and The Angels Listened In. During the 60s, he hooked up with Del Satins and in 1968, formed the Brooklyn Bridge. They hit it big with The Worst That Could Happen, followed by Welcome Me Love, Blessed is the Rain and the anthem You'll Never Walk Alone. They sold over 10 million records.
I had the pleasure of seeing the band twice in the last few years and was intending to see them at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank on May 14th. When I called the box office for tickets, I found out that they were off the bill and Johnny was ill. I also found out it was cancer, but I still didn't think it was real serious. We're always optimistic.
He was and will always be one of my favorite performers from a great era of music. He sounded as good today as he did 50 years ago. I hope the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will recognize his talent and induct him. It's long overdue.

1986: MESSENGER PUBLISHER JACK LACY EULOGY TO LES ROBBINS

Mr. Robbins along with my friends Maury Perilli and Jack Rafferty were lynch pins in the remarkable evolution of Hamilton Township from a rural community to the burgeoning megalopolis we have become here in the first decade of the 21st century.

1973: MEN'S HAIR STYLES

I am hopelessly conservative when it comes to long hair. The Beatles, along with other participants in the "British invasion" of the 1960's, led to a complete social turn around in both music and male hair styles. Long hair was "in." Indeed, there were many barbers who gave up their profession as the normal traffic to their collective shops was severely curtailed by the arrival of the professional hair stylist. Gone was the low cost man's haircut in favor of the new and admittedly attractive look on the young man being groomed by Mr. Richards; an obviously talented hair stylist.

1986: ENTERPRISE VFD CELEBRATES 75 YEARS

These are the guys who serve my area of Atlantic Avenue in the Bromley area of Hamilton. There are other Enterprise VFD-related posts on this site. Go to the upper left of the home page and in the white block next to "SEARCH BLOG," type in ENTERPRISE.

1973: HOW MANY HAVE SURVIVED?

This interesting little vignette from an old edition of the "Mercer Messenger" shows some of the popular venues back in the early 70's. By the way.....did you notice how the 70's are fading very fast into antiquity? Boy am I gettin' old!

1973: THE FIRMI FEDERATION

Pete Inverso.....Al DeMartin....Were we ever this young? Wow, how times have changed us. Here's a group photo of some of the area's more prominent members of the American-Italian community.

2010: Raymond Mangine HHS '56 Obit

Thanks to Jack Lacy for forwarding this obit from another HHS '56 classmate:

Raymond Thomas Mangine

TRENTON - Raymond Thomas Mangine, 72, of Trenton passed away peacefully on March 19, 2010 at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in Hamilton. Born in Trenton on March 20, 1937, Raymond was one Chambersburg's most well known and best loved residents. Raymond was a graduate of Hamilton High School and was an avid hunter and fisherman who enjoyed reading. Raymond was son of the late Raphael Vito Mangine and Anna Dogaluk Mangine. Raymond is survived by his one devoted sister, Elaine M. Chiacchio, with whom he resided, his two wonderful nieces Anna Maria Chiacchio-Mindish of Princeton Twp. and Tricia M. Maiatico and her husband, Richard of San Diego, CA; his four wonderful great nieces and nephews Tori Moeller, Nichlaus Mindish, Marchella Maiatico, Ricky Maiatico; his loving aunt Mary Mangine; many wonderful cousins; his devoted caregivers, Joy and Larina; his former loving brother-in-law, Pat Chiacchio, as well as his many close and dear friends, including Dan Guerrio, Carl Dileo, John Pouria, Robert Rossi, Dennis Nami, Richard Rossi, Carl Carney, Ed Bowman, and Steve Gallagher. The funeral will be held on Monday, March 22, 2010, at 8:15 a.m. at the Chiacchio Southview Funeral Home, 990 S. Broad St., South Trenton, NJ 08611. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. at Our Lady of the Angels-St. Joachim's Church, 20-56 Butler St., Trenton. Burial will follow at Greenwood Cemetery, 1800 Hamilton Ave., Hamilton NJ 08629. Visiting hours for Raymond and the sharing of fond memories amongst family and friends will take place on Sunday, March 21, 2010 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. (Parking facilities and wheelchair accessibility are located directly behind the funeral home at the back entrance).

1895: THE ROTHSCHILD FACTORY - NORTH JOHNSTON AVENUE

This plant, the more recent location of Atlantic Products Corp., has been in the news recently. The Hamilton town fathers have embarked upon a very worthy mission of creating a Cultural center in the Bromley area, with the building illustrated above as one of the anchors. It was originally on the property owned by Henry N, Smith and bordered the old Boyd Farm which was in the area of today's De Laval-Siemens factory. The building has been taken over by Isles, the non-profit organization which has plans to restore the building and convert it into lofts, apartments, and office space. I worked in that building in 1951 when I graduated from high school. I can attest to the fact that it was structurally built to last! Note the clock tower. The building faced the tracks of the railroad which ran in front of the building before the overpass on Nottingham Way.

1874: HAMILTON'S GREENWOOD CEMETERY

With the town fathers currently working on creating a cultural area centered around the old Atlantic Products plant in Bromley and extending over toward the Grounds for sculpture, it is interesting to note that the Bromley area has its own treasure trove of history. For instance: Did you know that the Anderson Farm once occupied the huge area between Hamilton Avenue and Greenwood Avenue from the city line near Logan Avenue, ALL THE WAY TO GREENWOOD CEMETERY? The old farm was here before the Revolutionary War, and one of the Andersons were among the guides who led George Washington through the area to the Battle of Princeton.

Candy Frenking Jens has left a new comment on your post
"1874: HAMILTON'S GREENWOOD CEMETERY":

This was a favorite place for a kid to ride a bike - hardly any traffic, and nice shade. We liked to sing in the marble buildings - like the shower, but better. My dad, a florist, delivered grave blankets, and had a card file to locate the graves. Easy to do for older plots, with upright stones, but the job was harder when cemeteries went to flat markers. Snow made the job worse!

THANKS FOR THE INSIGHT, CANDY. NICE TO HEAR FROM YOU.

HAMILTON'S WATSON HOUSE

These two views of Hamilton's Watson House, located at 157 Westcott Avenue in Hamilton were taken at different times. The photo on the right is believed to be circa 1912. The other unknown.

From the web site of the Daughters of the American Revolution (www.njdar.org:)
Watson House, headquarters of the New Jersey State Society of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), was restored by the New Jersey DAR as part of the New Jersey Tercentenary Celebration in 1964. This fine stone house built by Isaac Watson in 1708, is recognized as the oldest house in Mercer County. Built on a bluff overlooking Watson’s Creek, the house is located in John A. Roebling Park, a 200 acre sanctuary near the center of Trenton.

1928: JUNIOR 4 - TODAY'S GRACE DUNN

This graphic is an extract from the 1928 issue of "THE ARGUS," the school yearbook. I felt that the heritage of that legendary school deserved a bit of enhancement and have added a bit of color to give you just the essence of the school as it looked 82 years ago. Legends never die. Today, Grace Dunn's Junior 4 carries on the tradition. I felt that this graphic was worthy of conversion to a hand-colored version, and took the time to change the drab gray scale to red bricks on the school and a colorful dress on Ms. Dunn. Enjoy!

From Ralph Lucarella:

Hi Tom: I attended Jr. 4 shortly after it was built and it was the best 3 years of school that I spent. Miss Dunn, Miss Lawrence and all my other teachers were the greatest and along with the other facilites, it made school seem more bearable. I played on the baseball team with Mr. Wood as coach and took advantage of the swimming pool often. It was quite a walk from Villa Park but we always endured.

Best Regards,

Ralph

1942: CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF HAMILTON TOWNSHIP

All my adult life I have searched for that little bit of information which would say something like
"Hamilton Township got its name from...." Even going back to the original organizational meeting minutes, there is no reference to the reason the name Hamilton was chosen. There are numerous others including former Mayor Jack Rafferty and former Council President Jack Lacy included among those who have searched in vain for the reason we were called Hamilton. Personally, I would have opted for "Nottingham Township," giving us a bit of a Colonial flavor.

Don Whiteley said...

Tom:

My diary has an entry on May 2, 1942-"We had the Hamilton Township 100th Anniversery Parade and Miss Briton, Visdas, Tidgewell and I were the only ones of our class parading.We had lots of fun." As I recall, we marched on Broad Street in the Yardville area but I am hazy on that.

Don Whiteley

VISIT DON'S VERY INTERESTING YARDVILLE AND YARDVILLE HEIGHTS BLOGS. THE LINKS ARE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY HOME PAGE.

1928: HAMILTON DEDICATES THE NEW MUNICIPAL BUILDING

This graphic illustrates and recalls the events and personnel surrounding the dedication of the new Hamilton Township Municipal Building at 2090 Greenwood Avenue in Hamilton. This now historic structure has been carefully kept in as nice condition as allowed, given the age of the building.

A NOTE FROM TOM: ADDITIONAL GRAPHICS RELATING TO THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING DEDICATION CEREMONY CAN BE FOUND BY GOING TO SEARCH BLOG AND TYPING IN 1929 DEDICATION.

1910: (Circa )WIDMAN'S YARDVILLE HOTEL

This is probably the photograph from which the hand colored post card was made. There is a graphic of this postal card elsewhere on this blog. (SEARCH BLOG) "WIDMAN" or "YARDVILLE." Unfortunately the camera lens on this particular photo lacked the necessary precision to bring a high quality focus. However, this is a rare photo from the Hamilton Library "Credenza Hideaway."

2010: FAITH AND BEGORRA! IT'S ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

1939: HAMILTON TOWNSHIP LIBRARY TRUCK

Prior to the arrival of Hamilton Library Director George Conwell, treasures such as this have been secreted away as if they were the untouchable holy grail! I am currently sorting through fantastically interesting and rare memorabilia from the glorious past of the Hamilton Township Public Library. These items of historical significance deserved better than to be locked up in a library office credenza, away from the eyes of the tax-paying public. Thank you, George Conwell, your respect and appreciation for Hamilton History is much appreciated.

1917: HAMILTON SQUARE'S REVOLUTIONARY WAR MARTYR

,I dare say that only a select few know the story of Reverend John Rosbrugh, Pastor of the Hamilton Square Presbyterian Church during the Revolutionary War. As you can see by his story, he was brutally murdered by one of the Hessian Soldiers who were on duty during a time when the Reverend dined in Trenton.

1909: POTH BREWERY OF PHILADELPHIA OPENS A TRENTON FACILITY

Apparently the popularity of the beer from Trenton's Peoples Brewing Co. in South Trenton gave the Philadelphia Brewer, F.A. Poth the idea that competition would result in increased sales to Trentonians. A number of bottle collectors have specimens of F.A. Poth Beer in their collections. I wonder if that building on the corner of Perrine and North Clinton Avenue still exists in 21st century Trenton.

SJBill has left a new comment on your post "1909: POTH BREWERY OF PHILADELPHIA OPENS A TRENTON...":

Sir, the intersection at N. Clinton and Perrine still exists. From my vantage point, which is 3000 miles away, a TRUE Trenton landmark remains to this day.

63 Perrine Ave, Trenton, NJ 08638, which is at the corner of N. Clinton Ave., is the home of Taylor Provisions, the producer of what may be the world's finest Pork Roll. ;-)

THANKS FOR THE COMMENT, BILL:
I am aware that the intersection exists. I made many visits to the American Biltrite Rubber Company back in the 50's. My query was whether the POTH building still exists. Is it shown in the graphic at the top of this page?

Tom

1934: CLASS OF '34 HAMILTON SQUARE GRAMMAR SCHOOL

More familiar old line family names in the class of '34. There's Armit Harrison, the late Don Dilatush, Hooper, Rogers, Stelle, Van Horn....the list goes on.

1934: FACULTY AND GRADUATES OF THE TITUSVILE SCHOOL

One of the more popular posts on this blog since its inception in 2005 has been the class photos from various high schools and grammar schools. Here's the class of 1934 at the Titusville grammar school. How nice to see an era when boys wore ties and girls wore dresses!

MARIJUANA: WEED OF CRIME PAGE 1

This is a very large graphic. I tried to reduce it in size so that the
average LCD monitor would find it to be legible.
Many folks have been under the impression that marijuana was a remnant of the 1960's when America experienced an irreversible tear in the fabric of society which has brought us to the current culture war which is raging in 21st century America. As you can see by this full page feature in the Trenton Times from 1938, Granny and Grandpop may well have been indulged in partaking of the weed. The campy movie "Reefer Madness" tells the story of how a man became addicted to marijuana and ended up where all addicts go. Note that the continuation of this feature article will be found in the next post.

MARIJUANA: WEED OF CRIME PAGE 2

1875: TRENTON POLICE: A HARSH INDICTMENT

This article from what appears to be an editorial from the Daily State Gazette, takes the Trenton town fathers to task for presiding over a police force which is fraught with inefficiency, inadequacy, and lack of depth. The police officers of that era strenuously objected to the practice of mandating that they light and extinguish the gaslights throughout the city, with the obvious logic that it took them away from their duties to watch for problems on their respective beats.
(Once again, I ask your indulgence on the poor quality of this graphic. The printing press obviously had too much ink on the platen of the
press causing the text to smear.)

1920'S: A VISIT TO DOWNTOWN TRENTON circa 1923

I found this exquisite photo of South Broad Street looking north from just beyond East State Street in the Library of Congress web site. The original is very dark and exposure needed tweaking. Thanks to digital image enhancements, I enlarged it, went to the "White's Dental" and other signs and enhanced them to make them as legible as possible, and most importantly, I have a photo of the city as it looked in the 1920's. You almost feel you are standing in the photo and observing the coming and goings of the Ford Model T's and the pedestrians who are happily going about their business. (The building on the right with the mansard roof is the old Trenton City Hall.) The graphic is very large, but once you manipulate it and imagine you are standing on the sidewalk on South Broad Street, I feel sure you will experience the same feeling of standing on the corner watching all the cars and people go by. Enjoy!

1789: GEORGE WASHINGTON GREETED IN TRENTON

One wonders if perhaps the General came to this historic scene in Trenton via Sand Hills. Legend has it that White Horse got its name from his passing through the village some time in the past. Who knows?

Trenton April 21st 1789:

"General Washington cannot leave this place without expressing his acknowledgments, to the Matrons and Young Ladies who received him in so novel & grateful a manner at the Triumphal Arch in Trenton, for the exquisite sensation he experienced in that affecting moment. The astonishing contrast between his former and actual situation at the same spot—The elegant taste with which it was adorned for the present occasion—and the innocent appearance of the white-robed Choir who met him with congratulatory song, have made such impressions on his remembrance, as, he assures them, will never be effaced."

1951: OBIT BARCLAY "BART" GIBBS

Still another classmate from HHS '51. "Barts" and his buddy Paul Henon were two of my first buddies at Hamilton High when I began my Sophomore year in 1948. As I recall Barts lived on Lillian Street off of South Clinton Avenue. He was a quiet, confident guy who was always there with that smile. I'll see you at our final reunion above, Bart!

Friday, March 12, 2010
SOLEBURY, Pa. — Barclay White Gibbs II, known as Bart to his friends, of Solebury, died suddenly on Monday, March 8, 2010.
He was born in Camden, N.J. and grew up in Hamilton Township, N.J. where he graduated from Hamilton High School in 1951.
After graduating, Bart enlisted in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. Upon completion of his service in the Air Force he was drafted into the U.S. Army from which he also received an honorable discharge in 1955.
Bart began his professional career at Princeton University as a technician. After receiving his degree in electrical engineering from Drexel University, he joined the research staff as staff engineer for the physics department. During his tenure of 45 years at Princeton, Bart worked on many interesting projects such as the Princeton-Penn Accelerator, the Mass Accelerator for Colonization of Space, the Northrop-Grummond Free Electron Laser Project and several others. The most rewarding aspect of his work at Princeton was setting up research laboratories and assisting graduate students in pursuit of their theses.
On July 3, 1965, Bart married the former Elaine Steinhauer, a teacher in the Neshaminy School District, and they began their life together in Levittown. They moved to Solebury Township in 1977.
Their daughter, Barbara Gibbs-Lowe is the deputy commonwealth attorney for Albemarle County, Va. She lives with her husband John and two daughters, Carson, 7, and Katie, 4, in Palmyra, Va. Their son, Barclay White Gibbs III is a principal at Charles River Associates, a consulting firm, where he is presently engaged in consultations regarding energy and environmental issues. Barclay III resides in Takoma Park, Md. with his wife Heike (nee Mainhardt) and their two children, Noah, 4, and Vivienne, 2. In addition to his children, Bart is survived by his wife of 44 years, Elaine, his brother Frank, of Daytona Beach, Fla., and his brother John, of Vineland, N.J.
Family and friends may call at the Leaver-Cable Funeral Home of Buckingham, Route 202 and Quarry Road, Buckingham, today from 6 to 8 p.m. where a service will be held at 8 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the New Hope Eagle Volunteer Fire Co., 46 N. Sugan Road, New Hope, PA 18938.

1884: IRELAND: A LOOK AT POVERTY AND SUPPRESSION

I am reminded of how my father, a native of Stoke-on-Trent in England felt about the British injustices in Ireland. His and his family's social situation was in many ways equal; at least in the sense of knowing poverty and class distinctions. My grandfather and great grandfather were brought up in orphanages, and ultimately worked as coal miners. On those rare occasions when we would discuss his past, Pop Glover compared his grandparents life with that of the suppressed people of Ireland: sheer and hopeless poverty. Nowhere in the world was the phrase "the 'haves' and the 'have nots' " more relevant than in the British Isles.

2010: A COZY CORNER IN THE KUSER MANSION "SITTING ROOM"

Edna Kuser always referred to this little ante room off of the Kuser Living room as the "sitting room." It was here that she decorated with the many flowers that were in the little Kuser formal garden. I remember one year when she cut a few branches from a raspberry bush, embellished them with other greenery, and had a lovely vase with real live raspberries. Fritz Kuser loved raspberries as I do strawberries.

1938: "CALM YOURSELF" PRESENTED HAMILTON SQUARE M.E. YOUNG PEOPLE

How I wish more of my contemporaries in the senior citizen community would realize the incredible abilities the internet and computer technology can provide! Judging by the comments I receive from the few seniors who visit this and other similar local blogs, I'm sure they are really missing out on a plethora of wonderful memories and history.
The graphic above has a photo of Florence Chamberlain Snedeker, who along with her husband Harold Snedeker, were dear friends from the 1950's. "Flo-Flo," as she was known, was a lively lady with a marvelous sense of humor. She worked for the Hamilton Library during the 40's and 50's. And who doesn't recognize Bill Saul; Hamilton's pioneer funeral director.

1935: HOMEDELL RECEPTION GRADE MINIATURE FLORIST PROJECT

I try to make the graphics on this blog as close to the originals as I can. However, as seen in the photo above, the photograph had an exposure problem resulting in a poor combination of grays and blacks. The photo is too dark and even with my state of the art photo imaging software, there is no way to bring about a gray-black balance. Hamilton Township public schools never referred to the first year of grammar school as "Kindergarten;" we all entered "Reception" grade.

2010: HAMILTON'S IRISH FLAG RAISING CEREMONY

Here we see Hamilton's own Mayor John Bencivengo with lovely Miss St. Patrick 2010, Brittany Patten raising the Irish flag over at the Hamilton Municipal building on Greenwood Avenue. Thanks to Councilman Kevin Meara who kick-started this now annual affair. The ceremony was incredibly interesting. It was especially nice to see Deacon Bill Wilson again after so many years.

1934:The Trenton Armory annual Auto Show

They didn't have power steering, mechanical brakes, GPS systems, and fiber glass bodies, they didn't have air conditioning, their radios were primitive, their gear shifts were on the floor with the classic "H" shift pattern,they had a clutch, a throttle, and REAL STEEL bumpers that bumped without cracking and falling off Their heavy steel bodies mimicked an army tank. How I would love to have any one of those cars to drive around in 21st century America. (Especially that Caddy!)

1940: THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS (AKA "CCC"

We were still experiencing the aftermath of the Great Depression back there in 1940, and President Roosevelt's administration believed that a structured, military style organization would be an ideal place for young American boys. As a boy of 7, I remember that my buddy Don Slabicki's brother Karl joined that group back in the late 1930's or early 40's.
If there are any visitors who were in the CCC or have relatives who were, it would be appreciated if you would add your experiences to this post for the benefit of future generations.

1936: TRENTON'S YEARS OF GLORY

I count myself one of those in the senior citizen fraternity to remember when the city of Trenton was a prosperous town with factories, stores and a very active downtown area. As I checked out each of the exhibitors in that 1936 Exposition at the Trenton Armory, many fond memories came back to me as I recalled my many "downtown" journeys to the Trenton of my youth. Thanks to some of the remaining lovers of that grand old city, there are numerous efforts to revitalize the Trenton we old timers knew and loved. Many of us pray that they will succeed. Unfortunately, the town fathers way back in history laid out the city with streets meant for the farm wagon and the horse and buggy. How different it would have been had they taken a page from those mid-western towns and laid out wide streets to allow 45 degree parking. Trenton would have been a gigantic mall which would have put our current shopping centers to shame.

1902: GROWTH OF THE TRENTON SCHOOL SYSTEM

The above article gives a closeup look at the public school system in the city of Trenton. Many schools which are no longer in existence are listed. (Peabody, Hamilton, etc.)

1912: THE "UNSINKABLE" TITANIC

We have all heard countless stories on the Titanic Disaster of April, 1912. The article above lends a very close look at the situation as those involved answered questions to those who investigated the tragedy. Due to the size of the graphic, I had to re-format it and try to bring it into a more computer friendly size.