1932: NORTH WARREN STREET AT TUCKER

The old Reading station can be seen in the beautiful R.C. Maxwell photo. As I peruse this incredible collection, I fall in love with all the great automobiles that are in their natural habitat. Ray Paskiewicz, as my resident antique auto expert, can you identify that car in the forefront?

I have added still a second photo of the Reading Station in another
R.C. Maxwell photo.

Michael said...

Good Morning Tom:

Seeing this photo reminds of one of my first jobs as a kid at Litowitz's Wholesale fruit & produce on Tucker St. The store with the Maxwell Sign on it, is at the corner of Ringold St. The Allfather's candy company (a name that is frequently mentioned here) was just behind this store. The big dark building looming over the car in the forefront is "Lavine's Dept.store.
Seeing the trolley, reminds me of the days when they removed the tracks to be used in the war effort.
Thanks for the memories, and Merry & Blessed Christmas to all.

Mike Kuzma

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Thank you, Mike and a Merry, Happy and Holy Christmas to you an yours. Thank you also for being one of my many knowledgeable "Trenton guys" who have experienced many of the wonderful years living in the Trenton and sharing their knowledge and memories of their youthful years. Your input is valuable, as is that of my many visitors. Mike McNicol just corrected an erroneous post on my part, and I appreciate those who catch my errors to keep me honest.

Tom Glover

I received this comment from my Hamilton High School class of 1951 classmate, Alice Schmidt Mullen:

DEAR TOM,

I WROTE A COMMENT ON YOUR WEBSITE, BUT IT WAS REJECTED. I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY.......MAYBE IT WAS TOO LONG. HOWEVER, I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THE ALLFATHER CANDY COMPANY IN THE EARLY 1950s.

MOM USED TO DECORATE THE EASTER EGGS THERE. I USED TO WORK ON S. WARREN & STATE STREET. MANY TIMES, AFTER WORK, I WOULD WALK ON UP TO ALLFATHERS SO MOM AND I COULD RIDE HOME TOGETHER ON THE BUS. (BY THE WAY, I USUALLY WOULD SEE CHESTER HUGHES ON PATROL ON MY WAY OR SOMETIMES HE'D BE STATIONED BY OUR BANK.)

MR. EUGENE ALLFATHER LOOKED TO BE IN HIS 70s AT THAT TIME. HE ALWAYS WORE A DERBY HAT, A SUIT VEST AND PANTS OVER A DRESS SHIRT WITH BANDS OF ELASTIC ON HIS SLEEVES TO KEEP HIS SLEEVES OUT OF THE COOKING KETTLE. HE WAS USUALLY RIGHT INSIDE THE DOOR WHERE HE USUALLY WAS WITH HIS COOK, JOE. HE LOOKED AS IF HE WAS LIVING IN THE EARLY PART OF THE CENTURY WITH A MUSTACHE, TOO. HE ALSO LOVED HIS CIGARS.

THERE WAS NO AIR CONDITIONING IN HIS LITTLE FACTORY, SO HE HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE FALL TO MAKE HIS CHRISTMAS CHOCOLATES. AFTER CHRISTMAS, THEY WOULD START ON THE EASTER EGGS. MOM DIPPED CHOCOLATE IN THE FALL AND DECORATED THE EASTER EGGS AFTER CHRISTMAS. IT WAS A VERY SMALL FACTORY. BESIDES THE COOKER, WHICH WAS THERE AS ONE WENT INTO THE DOOR, THERE WAS A CHOCOLATE DIPPING ROOM WITH 2 CHOCOLATE DIPPERS, 2 HELPERS TO MOVE THE TRAYS AROUND, AND THE DECORATING ROOM. THERE WERE ONLY
7 PEOPLE WHO WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING ALL OF THOSE EGGS AT THAT TIME. EVERY TIME I HEAR OR SEE THE NAME 'ALLFATHERS', I REMEMBER MR. ALLFATHER AND HIS GREAT LITTLE FACTORY. I LOVE THE PHOTOS YOU ARE PUTTING UP ON YOUR WEBSITE, AND NATURALLY I LOVED THE ONES OF TODAY. I ALWAYS LOVED THAT LITTLE TRAIN STATION.
I FORGOT TO TELL YOU WHAT A SWEET MAN EUGENE ALLFATHER WAS. HE WAS VERY NICE TO ALL OF HIS EMPLOYEES. NO WONDER HE HAD SUCH A GREAT BUSINESS. I WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A WONDERFUL, HEALTHY NEW YEAR.

ALICE

Thanks Alice; It's really nice to hear from my classmates, but unfortunately most of them have not gotten into computing and really don't know what they are missing! A very happy and holy Christmas to you and your family. Love 'ya!

Tom Glover