1909: ADAMS ELECTRIC COMPANY

They not only manufactured the electric chair for the N.J. State prison, they were better known in the early part of the 20th century as dealers in electric autos. The above graphic was an extremely sad black and white news ad which has been given a bit of a graphic boost by "Photoshopping" it in "RGB." Red-Green-Blue." I'm sure you will agree that the extra minutes of reformatting makes for a very lovely antique auto ad from the very prominent Trenton based Adams Electric Company.

Anonymous said...

Tom:
As a kid growing up on Fall St. in South Trenton in the 30's/40's, "Dr. Adam's" name came up frequently.
It seems he had a laboratory ( or so the story goes) in a building across the alley from where I was born. It was on the property of Dr. Reed a local physician. Mom and Dad spoke well of Dr. Adams, and said he was the man who developed the electric chair that "toasted" Bruno Hauptman.
Coincidentally, I will be at the Chauncy Conference center at ETS Sunday which is where they found the Lindberg baby's body.
I wonder if this is the same Adam's family mentioned in the adv.

Mike Kuzma

Friday, April 27, 2012

SJBill said...

Mike,

My mother was Henry Chancey's secretary at ETS for years. She also worked for Jame Bryant Conant.

Enjoy the campus, and watch out for the goose droppings down at the lake.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Tom,

The Regal Detroit Automobile was a conventional gasoline auto built by the Regal Company of Detroit Michigan between 1908 and 1918. You may be confusing it with the Detroit Electric Company which built electric automobiles from 1907 through 1939.
Best Regards,
George

Saturday, April 28, 2012

One of the things any historian demands is accuracy. So along comes Tom Glover and extracts a photo of a gasoline engine driven auto in place of the Detroit! As my grandchildren say, "DUH!" Then thankfully, comes George, a gentleman and an obvious automotive historian to give me a heads up that I published the wrong car in the ad. The correction has been made, George, and I really thank you for letting me know of the error. I would ask that anyone, any time who sees an error in my posts contact me so corrections can be made. As George advised me, the Regal in the banner ad below is a gasoline auto. This was part of a full page ad.

1923: HILTONIA: THE EARLY YEARS

Samuel Hilton's "Hiltonia" has turned out to be one of the more beautiful neighborhoods in the western section of the city. Adjoining Cadwalader Park, the are is a splendid mix of beautifully landscaped properties with homes that were constructed when quality and beauty were hallmarks of the building trades. The post below this invites interested visitors to the upcoming May Hiltonia Tours. See further info below.

2012: HILTONIA HOUSE TOURS NEXT WEEK

Many posts in this blog come under the heading "CADWALADER AREA." Here is a graphic I composed utilizing the details of the house tours which I received from Mr. Mike Nalbone, a committee member of the Association. These homes are the Cadillac of Trenton real estate. They were built with the goal of maintaining a delightful living environment. For nearly 80 years, the Hiltonia neighborhood has been one of Trenton's most desirable neighborhoods.

The "Bing" map will show the location of Hiltonia, adjoining Cadwalader Park.

2012: 500,000!

Little did I realize back in November, 2005 when I started this site that it would garner so much interest. These are my kind of people; that is to say, folks who thrive on history and nostalgia. I am deeply grateful to all my visitors, and promise to do my best to keep posting interesting historical material whether picturing a relative, or an interesting story from our magnificent past! We are averaging 400 hits per day!

SJBill said...

Well now, I'ma bit late, but you're showing 500,194.
Congrats Tom! You are half way there, so keep up the great work. At your 450/day rate, you'll cross teh 1 million mark in 1010.10101010101 days or 2.767 years.

(Do those two word anti-robot thingies ever work the first time?)

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

RALPH LUCARELLA said...

CONGRATULATIONS TOM....IT SHOWS THAT YOUR EFFORTS IN PROVIDING THOSE MEMORIES THAT REMAIN IN THOSE WHO RECALL THE EARLY YEARS OF LIVING IN AN AREA WHERE EVERYONE CARED AND HELPED THEIR NEIGHBORS. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND AS LONG AS I'M ABLE, I'LL DO WHAT I CAN TO HELP. BEST REGARDS.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Sally Logan Gilman said...

Way to go Tom -- your website is my link to my wonderful childhood and I don't know what I would do without it. Congratulations on a job well done and keep the memories coming.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Anonymous said...

Great Job Tom! I LOVE your site and visit often. Don't know of ANY other place where all the history is SO accessible ALL THE TIME. And you keep coming up with more and more. You truly are the Wizard of Local History! THANK YOU!!

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Anonymous said...

Hang in there, Tom, you're doing a great job!

Warren Rue

Friday, April 27, 2012

Mack said...

Congrats on 500,000 hits Tom. The best local site for history. Thank you :))

Saturday, April 28, 2012

1949: THE NEW ST. ANTHONY CHURCH

A move from the Anglican church of my youth and my conversion to the Roman Catholic Church under the tutelage of my favorite Priest, then Father Leonard Toomey, took place in this parish in the early 1960's. I found the Liturgy to remarkably similar the the Anglican 1928 Book of Prayer. Vatican II came along and all the music I knew as an Angilcan became part of the new church music repertoire, and I ended up helping with the music to a parish that had been accustomed to Latin chants and heavy music. Gone was the very difficult to understand Latin Mass, to be replaced with common sense English. As it turned out, my conversion led to an incredible faith journey that is with me to this year of 2012. From a 20 year old kid who had to be married at the altar rail in April, 1954, to the mid 1980's when a ministerial conflict led me to follow my wife to Sacred Heart Church in Trenton, I have been on an incredible faith journey "working in the vineyards of the Lord."

Kenneth J. Wolfe said...

I am surprised you, as a historian, do not appreciate the traditional Latin Mass. After all, it was the normative liturgy of the Church from around the 5th or 6th century up until the late 1960s. Thankfully Saint Anthony's (where I was baptized, made First Confession and received First Communion) is one of the churches where the traditional Latin Mass is offered:

http://latinmasstrenton.org/lmt/About%20Us/

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Hi Kenneth; thank you for your somewhat critical comment: You surprise me when you say that as an historian I do not appreciate the "traditional" Latin Mass. The operating words here are "traditional" and "preferred." I'm surprised that you seem to feel that my preference is somehow inferior to the traditional Latin liturgy. Why be surprised that I as an historian prefer the Mass in English? I am fully aware of the Latin Mass. It is wonderful for those "traditionalists" who feel more comfortable with it. If I'm not mistaken, the English liturgy was in the early 1960's with the advent of Vatican II. Dominus Vobiscum.

Tom Glover

Tom:

You are right on, it was in the 1960's that they got rid of the altar, put the table up front, and we began to sing Protestant Hymns at St. George's in Washington Crossing. It was an Irish weekend priest from Bayonne that started it (albeit a bit prematurely) and J. Connor French resented his Latin Mass being taken away. French an old time lawyer and Millionaire got hold of Bishop Ahr and threatened to take his support across the river to the diocese of Philadelphia. They got rid of the table fast, and back to Latin in a few weeks.
Talk about Zealots. Heck you got off easy. Thank Goodness you had the good sense to segue over to my home parish of Sacred Heart, where all are welcomed. The family is spread all over the country,and still consider Fr. Dennis our pastor!
Tell your critic that if he wants Latin, come on down. There is a church just outside of Smithfield that offers it.

Regards, and good wishes

Mike Kuzma

Thursday, April 26, 2012

1992 - 2012: TWENTY YEARS!

To be historically accurate, I have found an article regarding the recently completed Kuser mansion which seems to indicate that the actual centennial celebration should have been in the year 1996, when the Kusers spent their first summer in the newly constructed "country home." I am told that a diary kept by the family dated the mansion as 1892. The powers that be are supposedly checking the Kuser diary, but so far, I have not received confirmation as to the date. Hard copy is in my files with an 1896 article and photo dated 1896 indicate that year as the date. Mayor Jack Rafferty and his administration placed Kuser Farm Park in the limelight and kept it there. Over the years, there have been hundreds if not thousands of visitors to that beautiful example of a Victorian estate. The gorgeous 1896 "Queen Anne" style Kuser mansion is a local treasure. Unfortunately, financial constraints insofar as policing the property, the character of the park is changing with many visitors ignoring the "NO PARKING" signs, graffiti, and other unfortunate acts which defy police detection.

Anonymous said...

Tom - What an amazing array of entertainment was put together for this celebration! How did I miss this? It sounds like an extraordinary day. Wish I was there!
Lakeside Girl

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

1950: THE KUSER FARM TENNIS CLUB

As workers in the maintenance of the Kuser Farm clay tennis court, my best friend Don Slabicki and I were members of the Kuser Farm Tennis Club. The article above is actually a caption to a very poor press photo of the group. I have removed the phrase "in the photo above, left to right..." with "Those in attendance included.." Don and I met many very prominent people in our years in the tennis club, and as part time helpers at Fritz and Edna Kuser's Kuser Farm. Oscar Hammerstein II, former Governor Meyner, local tennis Eddie Moylan, Leo and Don Bannon, and others listed in the article. I drew the pencil sketch of the Kuser tennis house back in the 1980's for one of my many "Mercer Messenger" Kuser Farm "The Way We Were" articles.

1955: WHEN MOTHER NATURE DESTROYED THE YARDLEY BRIDGE

"Yardley bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down,
Yardley Bridge is falling down, my fair lady.."

This great photo of the destruction of the Yardley bridge was sent to me by my friend and fellow Sacred Heart parishioner Bill Kearney Sr. Bill managed to capture just the right angle to see the damage caused by that destructive area wide floods that hit this area back in August, 1955. I was over in Europe in the U.S. Army when the storm hit, but "AFN" (Armed Forces Network) radio gave it full coverage. A house from up river came floating merrily merrily down the stream and slammed into the bridge, taking out a major portion of the span. I have re-formatted the front page above, superimposed Bill's photo over a not too clear photo of the bridge as published in the Trenton Sunday Times Advertiser of August 21, 1955.

Anonymous said...

Hey, that's my Dad! I have the original framed and hanging in my house in Trenton's Island neighborhood. (Like I need reminders about floods!) This June 15, 2012, The Island Neighborhood is hosting a garden tour...the theme..Flooded with Flowers. Stop by...10-3 pm. Bill K., Jr.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

2012: PREPARING FOR ANOTHER KUSER CONCERT SEASON

Following are the dates and times of the 2012 Kuser Farm Gazebo concerts entitled,

"THE MUSIC WE GREW UP WITH."

Mark your calendars:
July 1,8,15,22,29 from 6 to 8 P.M. August 5 and 12 from 3 to 5 P.M.
Each week will feature "spotlight" songs, recalling the music of the "Gay 90's," 1940's, 1950's 1960's, 1970's, Classic country and western including "hillbilly" songs, Broadway, songs of faith, and other selections from my repertoire of over 600 songs. As referenced above, this presentation is a community event and should not be compared with the professionals such as my friend "Dick Chimes' Polka Band," "Benny Snyder," "The Lamplighters," and other much more professional entities who appeared here over the years. The township can no longer afford the high cost of these very talented professionals. Perhaps the professional musicians will return in the future when this bleak economy will allow for the luxury of hosting them. Look at these weekly presentations as an old fashioned sing and dance along you remember when you sang with the family at that old upright piano of your youth!

Over the years, I have had a number of our younger generation ask about the old circus grounds that were once moved way out into the suburbs of Trenton. It was that area of the city bounded by Hamilton Avenue, Cuyler Avenue, Greenwood Avenue and southerly to Hamilton Avenue. The above article heralds the arrival of the circus into town. The adjacent article announces the possibility of building a school on the "Cook Y" site. What was "Cook Y?" The Cook family had huge land holdings in the area of Greenwood and Olden Avenue (North and South Cook Avenue). A search of this blog will probably bring up further information on the family. When I was a boy of 10 or 12 (old enough to walk to the Gaiety or Greenwood theaters,) there was a brick building on the Southeast corner of Greenwood and South Olden Avenues directly across from the Greenwood Avenue Methodist Church. That building was known as the "Cook Y" building. It was a beautiful building that also housed a large swimming pool. I remember my cousin, Dick Walker and I went in when it was abandoned and awaiting the wrecker's ball back in the early 1940's The empty swimming pool was a sad reminder of still another Trenton artifact becoming the victim of "progress."

Omad said...

Tom, Cook "Y" is sure familiar to me. Our house was on So Olden and backed up to the fenced in field. Many the nights we played "kick the can" in the alleys, days playing soft ball on the field and lots of bike rides all around the alleys and Jr 2's paved surroundings. The house on the right of the entrance you show is familiar; Bob Harrison lived there when I was a teen.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

2012: CELEBRATING 58 YEARS OF TRUE WEDDED BLISS

Fifty eight years; How the time has flown! The above photo was with me through my entire U.S. Army tour in Europe from 1955 through 1958. It reposed next to my bed (not "bunk;" we ASA guys lived off base in an apartment) and was on my R390 radio at my monitoring position. Fast forward to April 24, 2012. The greeting above is a classic that I will send to my family. When I awoke this morning a "Bounty" wipe was on my breakfast table with the inscription "you are a keeper..." In response, I drew the heart with my comment and replaced our Hallmark greeting with a Bounty greeting. True love never dies!

SEVEN YEARS AGO, THIS WEBSITE WAS CREATED AS AN HISTORICAL RESEARCH SOURCE.
I CHOSE THE SLOGAN "Local history with a personal touch," AND THAT SLOGAN WILL BE MAINTAINED. WITH AN AVERAGE OF 350 TO 450 "HITS" PER DAY, THERE WILL BE ONE HALF OF A MILLION VISITORS BEFORE THE END OF APRIL!
THAT'S 500,000 VISITORS WHO MAKE THIS WEBSITE A REGULAR STOP DURING THEIR BUSY DAY.
A heart-felt thank you to all the friends of "Glover320!"

RALPH LUCARELLA said...

HI TOM....THAT'S ONE THING IN COMMON THAT WE HAVE, MY WIFE AND I WERE MARRIED FOR 58 YEARS WHEN SHE PASSED AWAY IN 1998. YOUR WEB SITE HAS BROUGHT BACK MANY FOND MEMORIES FOR ME AND MAY THE GOOD LORD BLESS MY WIFE AND MAY SHE REST IN PEACE.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Remember those Biblical words, Ralph: "In my house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you, that where I am you may also be." Our faith harbors the belief that we will once again be with our loved ones in God's good time.

Tom Glover

SJBill said...

Real art using the best finely textured stationery, too. ;-) Congrats to you both!

(We're not even half way there yet.)

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

As I wrote on that paper towel, Bill:

"BRAVO;" when you care enough to send the very best!"

When you're married as long as I and many of my contemporaries have been, true companionship is an unexpected bonus.

Tom Glover

2012: THOUGHTS ON LOSING A BROTHER

As we seniors pile on the years and those years move by so quickly, the reality of our mortality comes into clearer view with each passing day, week, month, and year. Someone once said, "we begin to die the moment we are born." Of course no one can dispute that obvious statement. My eldest brother Len passed into the Lord's hands last week after a bout with cancer. As can be seen in the obit from today's TIMES OF TRENTON, Len had a long and eventful life. I remember the horror on my mom's face that hot day in August, 1944 when the Western Union man knocked on our front door. All those who recall the dreaded visit of a Western Union man was a sure harbinger of bad news. The telegram from the War Department read, "Regret to inform you your son, Leonard is missing in action." Many prayers wafted their way to heaven on that day. It was the first and last time I ever saw my father cry. An answered prayer returned the next day when the same Western Union man delivered a telegram that said, "Disregard all previous message. Letter will follow. Love, Len." And so ends the very short saga of a true WWII hero, my brother Len.

RALPH LUCARELLA said...

HI TOM...WE ALL FELT THE SAME WAY WHEN MY BROTHER "CHUCK" PASSED AWAY. HE OVERCAME MANY PROBLEMS TO BECOME A HEART DOCTOR AND IN THE PRIME OF HIS LIFE DIED AT THE AGE OF 56. HE SURVIVED A BAD ACCIDENT THAT ENDED HIS BASEBALL CAREER AT WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY AND HE DECIDED TO TRY HIS LUCK IN THE MEDICAL FIELD. CANCER ALSO TOOK HIS LIFE AND WE HOPE THE LORD WILL BLESS HIM. BEST REGARDS.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Anonymous said...

Tom - Our sincerest condolences on the loss of your brother. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Eleanor & Tom Guear

Monday, April 23, 2012

Tom - Our sincerest condolences on the loss of your brother. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Eleanor & Tom Guear

Monday, April 23, 2012

JoeZ said...

Tom: My deepest condolences on the loss of your brother. He is at peace now and in the good hands of the Lord.

Monday, April 23, 2012

SJBill said...

Tom,

Our family is very sorry for your loss. It sounds like Len and the rest of the family survived the worst of life early on. In the Navy we use the term "Sailor rest your oar." Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Monday, April 23, 2012

JoeB said...

Tom:
Our sincerest condolences on the loss of your brother. Are (Our) prayers go out to you and your family. We know he is in a better place.
Sonnie and Joe

Tuesday, April 24, 2012