These two young boys are enjoying a summertime respite that was shared by many of my contemporaries back in the 30', 40, and 50's. What fun it was to get out in the pouring rain and take one of Mother Nature's cooling and refreshing summer showers. Did you ever experience the fun of floating a home made boat in the puddles along the side of the road as the rain poured down? No? You had to be there to understand the thrill!Clay Street? Ask any old time resident how Clay Street was involved with the re-alignment of Greenwood Avenue back in the 1940's when the Trenton Freeway cut through numerous area neighborhoods. Greenwood Avenue once continued from South Clinton Avenue to South Broad Street.
Interesting, Mike. I am accumulating many very interesting articles on Mill Hill. It is an area in which I am really interested. Some of the material goes back to the very earliest years of Trenton. I find Quintin's "Washington Retreat" completely fascinating. You can view one of my posts relating to that site by searching on the "SEARCH" line on my home page.
Tom Glover
About Clay Street picture.
John & Robert were before me but i knew their families well. Picture looks like late 1930s.
About 12 homes on Clay Street were torn down to make way for the freeway. Lewis Street was also cut off at the same time with homes torn down also.I remember walking across the RR bridge on my way to THS before it was closed. Clay Street was a grand old neighborhood.
Noel Goeke
John & Robert were before me but i knew their families well. Picture looks like late 1930s.
About 12 homes on Clay Street were torn down to make way for the freeway. Lewis Street was also cut off at the same time with homes torn down also.I remember walking across the RR bridge on my way to THS before it was closed. Clay Street was a grand old neighborhood.
Noel Goeke
Thank you, Noel. I was thinking of you when I posted this and was expecting your expertise on the neighborhood.
Tom
Tom. that was a hot topic in a course I took. The impact of the Trenton Freeway for one and how it divided neighbors, made it harder for workers who walked and such.
I was looking at Cherry and Plum Streets the other day and how they were divided.
Ed Millerick
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Tom:
Growing up in South Trenton, and attending Sacred Heart, I certainly do remember Clay St.
Clay Street houses were primarily frame, whereas most of the remainder of "Mill Hill" was of solid brick construction.
I can remember as a kid, cutting through Greenwood Ave,on my daily WALK to TCHS right through to South Clinton Ave. There was a huge coal yard there. On Clay St. was a small Amoco station owned by the Gambino's who went on to own the yellow cab company.
When I proposed the first residential rehabilitation projdect in NJ, it was the Mercer-Jackson project that was bounded by Livingston St. South Montgomery, and included both Mercer, and Jackson Streets and bounded by the north side of Market. Due to it's overwhelming success, it sprawled over Market St. and became known as "Old Mill Hill" As a City Planner in the early 1960's, I saw the wisdom of the man made barrier known as the "Rt. 1 Freeway" Much like the City of Seattle, where I-5 and it;s 12 lanes sever the highly successful all commercial downtown from the heavily urbanized residential neighborhood. No one out there dare steal a pocket book and try to cross thos 12 lanes to get back to their crew in the neighborhood! Sometime we can't see the forest for the Trees.
BTW, half way down Greenwood Ave. between Jackson and Mercer Sts. was St. Paul's Lutheran Church. After mass at Sacred Heart, I would walk over and sit in on Sunday School which always had great treats for those good little Angles! LOL
Best regards
Mike Kuzma
Thursday, September 15, 2011