1938: BRIDGE STREET AT SO. WARREN

At first, this confused me. I remember when South Warren Street went far beyond its merger with South Broad Street as it is today. I will depend on another old timer who is familiar with the old South Warren Street to verify my assumption that the camera man is standing on Bridge Street facing South Broad Street in the distance. The "Trenton Glassery" seen in the photo was in the 100 block of Bridge Street.

Tom:
The camera man is in fact standing on the Deleware Toll Bridge property ramp right in front of Bridge Guard Chief St. John;s house. the slope to the right of the photo is taking you down Bloomsbury St.(formerly known as Fair St.) where a few of my siblings were born albeit to the left of the photo.
The Big building on the left is "Sam's Long Bar, the Billboard on the left is on the Sisti Property. The "Premium Station in the background is on the Corner of So. Warren, and was owned by Ed Budny. Behind the station in the big building was Zier Brother repair. Shop this was at the corner of Decature St. and is where Union St. meets Brige st as they go under the railroad trestle and up the hill where Ferry St. and Bridge St. X and go on to terminate at Broad St.
Having grown up here on these streets, and walking under that brige to go to first Skelton School, and than to Parker School, I knew each brick in the pavements.
This was a great neighborhood.

Regards

Mike Kuzma

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Anonymous said...

ps Tom:
You mentioned Trenton Glassery in this photo. Just the other day, I posted notes about Lew Rosen the dentist and his dad's store near the corner of So. Broad, and Roebling, I too mention Trenton Glassery. The owners Leon Rosenberg, married Phylis Goldberg who ran the So. Broad St. store.
Ironically, in this photo, the men standing on the sidewalk (left corner) are in front of the store/apartment where Phlyls grew up, and her dad Nate Goldberg ran the store. The lunch room was Johnny Brennan's where my godfather's brother was the cook.
The barber shop was John "the pig skinner" Targalia's shop. Above it, a very talented baseball player Mickey Kusnerik grew up.
The saloon on the corner of Warren across from the Premium station was owned and operated by Mike Robinson, father to Prominent attorney Leon Robinson, and Dr.Robinson.
Question to you Tom; I am not quite sure I understand the first line about Warren st, merging with So. Broad.
South Warren St. Terminated at John Fitch way, at the old Trenton Farmer's market, where the old Trenton Docks were and still are I think.
Parker School yard, faced the 800 and last block of So. Warren St.

I managed Kerney Homes which was built on the vacant land across from the original Farmers Market.
As Warren St. blended into John Fitch way, which ultimately blended with Lamberton St. and terminated at Duck Island.
As I remember, So. Broad, and Warren street paralelled from the Battle Monument down through south Trenton, where Warren St. ended at John Fitch Way.

Hope this helps.
BTW, I'm sure you recognize the Steeple on the church on Center and Bridge in the distance. You mentioned it in the recent past.

Regards

Mike Kuzma

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Stephen said...

Mike Kuzma,

During the years of Prohibition, "Sam's Long Bar" was a tire and auto parts business operated by my dad's step-dad, Arthur J. Fowler. During the 1920s, my dad lived with his mom, step-dad and siblings above the business at 108 Bridge Street until he was married in 1932. Arthur Fowler sold the property in July 1934 having been granted a beer license for the property in April 1933 by the City. On the morning of September 10, 1953 a man walked into the bar and shot a woman in the head using a sawed off shotgun. She had spurned his advances over a period of time and had sent her a letter specifying she had until that date to change her mind or else.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Anonymous said...

To my young eyes, a few things stand out. Like the "gas war" at 12.9 cents a gallon with high test only on both sides of the street.

The US Route 1 sign on that corner and would that mean that Simpson Chevrolet was open for business on the Morrisville side yet?

The Bridge Diner sign seems to verify that it was indeed taken at the bridge. I once heard an old saw that Trenton had a tavern on every corner if you added up the number of licensed establishments. With Tom's photos, there may have been an equal number of diners? And of course, in almost any picture of Trenton, there, looming in the background are the "high tension" towers of the Pennsylvania Rail Road. I suppose this is where the Jewish and Irish "ghettos" met. Was there a PSE&G gas yard near that area? Our "original" family home was on South Warren and as a supervisor, it was said the home was owned by Public Service. I would hear the "oldsters" speak of things like "The Water Power and still have no clue as to what or where it was.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Joe Lind said...

This picture is amazing, My mom worked at the rubber mill (vulco) in morrisville pa from 1936 to 1946, she lived on 2nd street and walked to work in morrisville everyday, when she was on the night shift she walked home after mid-night for years, can't do that today.
Just seeing that corner and knowing she rounded it so many times and how it looked in 1938 is amazing and gas at 12 cents a gallon.
Great photos and thanks for posting them.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Anonymous said...

I thought what Tom was referring to was that "new" jog or dog leg after Warren was adjusted and followed the creek where it ran into South Broad.
What really got me today was looking on the "Google Maps" and seeing the whole section of Warren Street from North at the Cathedral to South by the "Huge" Justice Complex in print as "The Lincoln Highway". I realize that The Lincoln Highway, project of fame in the march west, may have been in some respects technically correct but I can never recall seeing that on a sign post or even by way of casual reference as "The Lincoln Highway". I'll gladly stand corrected of course but that seems as if someone has taken some "poetic" license and I have seen some of the sections by Edison or Highland Park called that since the Route 27 was "The Lincoln Highway". Did it merge names where 27 and 206 meet up in Princeton perhaps?

Ed Millerick

Monday, July 23, 2012

Anonymous said...

In resopnse from an old "South Trenton Rivere Rat"

Public Service gas did have a yard on South Warren St. It was in he 400 block just above Mill St. going towards State St. "Uptown".
It was above "Curtis Bowling Alleys" later relocated to Scotch Rd. The "yard had all the pipe and equipment necessary for underground repair. My buddy Don Carter Grew up across the St., and went to work for PS&G in that yard. Worked there for 40 years, and passed on last year.
Directly behind the "yard" was "Trenton Dressed Beef" the newest and most modern Slaughter house in the area.
As far as the statement abut the "Jewish & Irish" Ghetto's meeting at some point.
The RR bridge over Bridge and Union St. was the dividing point of the Jewish & ITALIAN neighborhoods. A little known fact that there was in Trenton a 3rd Italian neighborhood, which consisted of Asbury St, Daymond St. Bridge St., parts of Ferry, Lamberton, and Steamboat Sts.
We had our share of Italian grocers like Johnny Fues, Tartaglia's Melchiondo's and one other whose name escapes me, but thier daughter's leg live on in my memory.
The Irish/German Neighborhood nearest to "Jewtown" was what is now Mill Hill, Mercer, Jackson, and Clay Sts.

Hope that helps.

Question to Joe Lind. Did any relatives live on Bridge St. backing up to the Railroad? Tommy Lind was a pal of mine back in the day. He live across from what I identified as "Zier Brother's" repair shop.

As for the "Linclon Highway" that was built as a "Federal Highway" running from Maine south to Florida" Having lived on Warren St. it was never a question that Rt.1 was and still is the Lincoln Highway. Just as Broad St. was State Rt. 206. In both cases there were signs designating them as such.

Nearing 79, these memeories are so great to recall.
Thanks Tom, and all.

Mike Kuzma

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Anonymous said...

I am always confused. That station on the right is "Amoco", for American Oil Company of course. I thought in the late 1960's they became American "white gas", which meant "no lead" but it still had a high octane rating so despite the lack of lead you could run your high performance engine on it. In my case, it was a 210 horsepower Corvair Turbo Spyder that was "hot rodded" by the Simpson Chevy folks of my earlier post. That car would only run on American White or Sunoco 260 without dreaded engine knock.

Ed Millerick

Tuesday, July 24, 2012