1903: LAYING THE CORNERSTONE FOR ST. JOACHIM CHURCH

With this week being a week dedicated to the this weekend's Italian American Festival, I am posting an interesting 109 year olf article telling of the cornerstone laying ceremony for the new St. Joachim Church. Other articles I have seen throughout the years tell of the hours local Italian immigrants spent in the construction of the church.

SEPTEMBER 29th 1933: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

When I was a young man, we used to have a saying that is probably familiar to many of my generation: Just call me 'wagon wheel;' I've been through it all." With all the humility I could muster, I saved this graphic in my "NOTABLE PERSONS" folder, realizing that many people know there is a Tom Glover inhabiting the local area. Actually, I Photoshopped this graphic to send to my children and grandchildren for inclusion in the Glover family heirloom scrapbook. As I look back over these 79 years, I can safely say I have had a great ride, and if God wills it, there are some more miles ahead. Just a few of the things that weren't around in my youth include television, ball point pens, computers,l cell phones, "texting," and.....well, there is actually a list that would probably take up many bytes on this computer. To all those wonderful people who sent me greetings, humble thanks.

Please excuse the absence of posts over the past 24 hours. I had a very complicated computer wireless probem that nuked my ability to get on the internet and as a result I lost my wireless abilities, my telephone service and spent too many hours juggling wires, contacting Linksys support, and coming away with a guy on Linksys who led me by the hand through the fixing process, and when he saw the problem, He had a very very very difficult accent but I did hear him say "feex it fur nannty nnaa dolla and nanny nan cents" I hung up on the guy. I can buy another wireless router for under 50 bucks. What is this world coming to? Anyway, I am back in business and with this weekend's American-Italian Festival arriving this weekend, I thought an old Tom Glover column on "the Burg" would be in order.

Lee Belardino said...

Tommy
Nice article. Born in the "Burg"on Mott street. Grand parents from Naples.Florence and abruzzi. Moved to Hamilton in 1942 thru Rowan,Willy,Lalor and Finally Hamilton in 1951 classmates of Judy Britton Glover and Thomas Glover and student of Louise Baird. Best years of my life. Enjoy the festival paison.
Lee

Friday, September 28, 2012

Ron Bound said...

Where it says Race Course, is that where the old fairgrounds was? At such an early date?

Friday, September 28, 2012

Tom Glover said...

HEY LEE: Great to hear from you again. I hope all is well and you are in relatively good health as we approach the magical 80's! I turn 79 tomorrow, September 29.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Tom Glover said...

RON: NO, THE "RACE COURSE" REFERRED TO ON THE MAP IS THE QUINTIN RACE COURSE IN VILLA PARK.

TOM

Friday, September 28, 2012

Ron Bound said...

Tom, Thanks. Happy Birthday, and thanks for all you do with this site, for everyone, but especially for those of us that don't/can't get back home, very often.

When you were in the Army, you must have been overseas, at least once, and thus heard things like this, like I heard in Korea and Japan: "feex it fur nannty nnaa dolla and nanny nan cents". Still laughing. I admired them for learning English, and wished I had learned more of their language, then just the phrases that most GIs pick up.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

1947: MIKE RUSNAK'S DE COU

Mike obviously had a deep fondness for the DeCou Volunteer Fire Company. In all the years Mike was involved with those brave volunteers, he tediously collected each and every bit of memorabilia he could find and ended up with a detailed history of the legendary Hamilton Township fire company.

1964: HAMILTON MOVES FROM RURAL TO METROPOLITAN

The "MERCERVILLE" folder in the local history collection houses this 48 year old photo above which shows one of Hamilton's busiest intersections as it looked way back in 1964. I remember commuting to New Brunswick to my dead end bearing company job and encountering that dangerous
"five points" as it is commonly known. Clearly seen in the photo is Bill's Olde Tavern, and and Esso gas station where the current Trent Jewelers is located. Wow, how time has flown!

1937: "ARGUS" JUNIOR 4 YEARBOOK

I have "Photoshopped" the above graphic, superimposing an autographed photo of Miss Grace G. Dunn at the bottom of the cover. Junior 4 has proven to be a very popular historic subject, and the Local History Database has upwards of 50 files and continues to grow. Thanks for this yearbook donation goes out to Ms. Doris  Petruska, whose aunt, Betty Elizabeth Susko Basarab saved it all these years from being destroyed.

1952: BANK STREET APPROACHING PERRY ST.

This exquisite R.C. Maxwell photo will be a very familiar site to those of us who are familiar with the city of Trenton as it was in the 1940's and early 1950's. St. Mary's Cathedral is on the immediate right and the old school building on the left. It warms the heart of this 79 year old geezer to once again see those old cars which in 1952 were only a dream possession for 19 year old Tommy Glover. I have saved the above photo which is re-set to 125 dots per inch, and preserved the original which I had at 600 dots per inch resolution which when viewed full screen, allows one to visit Dr.Thomas' dentist office; you can almost hear the whine of his drill!

1948: HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 48

It seems like only yesterday that I heard Dick Soffel and Rudy Gering on Trumpet and Bob Reed tickling the ivories in the Hamilton High School band.with Jack Hartman the band leader. My sister Dorothy was to have been in the class of '48 but the Glover finances were at the poverty level and she had to leave school and went to work at the Circle F Manufacturing Company in order to help with the family finances. 

I completely missed the recent class of 1947 reunion, and even though there is a very remote possibility that there is a Hamilton Hornet from that class or an adjacent class who is on the computer, I would be interested in posting a possible 65th on this website if indeed there will be one. Unless my math is faulty, these "kids" are now averaging 82 years young. How time has flown!

1979: DEL RIO: GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

This was one of my favorite restaurants in my teen years, and right up to my early years of marriage in the 1950's. Del Rio started out as a roadside hot dog stand back in the early 1940's. When I and my teen friends were active in the area, Carl DeAngelo was running a full fledged restaurant. The souithwest motif was a very attractive venue. My buddies were nearly nightly visitors there and Carl saw that we always migrated to that marble top round table for us, dubbing it " knights of the round table."

1989: Miss St. Patrick Candidates

These lovely ladies were candidates for "Miss St. Patrick" 24 years ago. They are now in their 40's. Where has the time gone?

2012 AND 1912: ISAAC WATSON HOUSE

This graphic combines Mike Resnak's photo of today's Isaac Watson House, along with a view from Tom Glover's collection showing the home as it looked 100 years ago.

2012: MIKE RUSNAK'S WHITE HORSE TAVERN

Through many years of his adult life, the late Mike Rusnak quietly collected and assembled historical photos and articles relating to the DeCou Volunteer Fire Company which was among his "first loves," and the Fairview Park-DeCou and White Horse area of Hamilton Township. Mike was also a ready contributor to the local press with his poignant political positions. Bottom line: Michael Rusnak was a true un-recognized historic asset to our community. Mike's photos and articles on history and operation of the DeCou Volunteer Fire Company are a very welcome addition to the Hamilton Township Public Library's Local History Collection. Were it not for Mike's daughter Karyn Rusnak Benton, these irreplaceable moments in time would be in the recycle bin.

1985: NOTTINHAM HIGH MARCHING UNIT AWARDS

Thanks to Ms. Karyn Rusnak Benton, I have a small collection of the HAMILTON TOWNSHIP AREA REPORTER which was in the Mike Rusnak collection of local Hamilton memorabilia. I will be scanning and posting many photos and articles from this publication which was very popular back in the 1980's.

This is just one of the many graphics that Google nuked when I imported Picasa. I have just been going through the lost graphics and am very very very gradually restoring them. I have copied and pasted the numerous comments that were posted when this post appeared a few years ago. I have also "nuked" the original with that dreaded black triangle with the exclamation in the center.

As regular followers and visitors to this blog are well aware, "Local History With A Personal Touch" is proudly printed on the regular home page graphic when one clicks on www.glover320.blogspot.com. Even though it isn't on my current Kuser Park summer program, it will return when I change back to my regular home page graphics. Our own Ralph Lucarella is a card-carrying member of "The Greatest Generation" who all of us love and respect. Ralph has added immeasurably to the history listed on this blog with his retrospective looks back to his younger years as a local boy growing up in what was and still can be the greatest city in New Jersey.

"Lucarella Snares City Twilight 1st Half Batting Title With .500!"

Go Get 'em, Ralph!

4 comments:

Ralph Lucarella said...

WELL, THANKS A LOT TOM FOR YOUR KIND WORDS AND ALL YOUR EFFORTS TO REPORT THE MANY DIFFERENCES YOU AND I AND MANY OTHERS OF OUR GENERATION ENDURED IN THIS AREA OF OURS IN THE EARLY YEARS. WE CAME THROUGH IT ALL PRETTY GOOD AND STILL ABLE TO HOPE FOR THE BEST FOR ALL OUR FRIENDS AND RELATIVES IN THIS PART OF THE U.S.A. REGARDS.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Mack said...

YEAAAAA RALPH !!!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

JoeZ said...

ATTA BOY RALPHIE BABY.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Ralph Lucarella said...

....THANKS FELLAS, YOU GUYS WERE JUST GETTING READY TO TAKE ON THE TOUGH JOB OF FACING YHE PROBLEMS IN VILLA PARK AND FRANKLIN PARK WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON. THANKS AGAIN.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

1905: OLDENHURST REAL ESTATE

Oldenhurst encompasses that part of Hamilton Liberty and South Olden Avenue. There is a bit of personal confusion on my part as to the actual area of the development included as far as today's street names. It is assumed that Partridge and Beal Street was part of the original Oldenhurst. I have been researching that area for a long time, and I know that there was an Ehret Farm in that immediate area between Liberty Street, but research information is very limited. More on the Oldenhurst area as additional information comes to light.

1935: MICHAEL RUSNAK - SCHOLAR AND ACTIVIST

Ladies and gentlemen visitors to this site. I introduce the late Mr. Michael Rusnak, pioneer resident of the "Fairview Park" (DeCou) section of Hamilton Township. There are many local citizens who go through life proving to be very productive to the community in which they lived and loved, and are never formally recognized. I could never figure it out. It may be due to the fact that these talented persons somehow pose an intellectual or professional or political challenge to those who avoid recognizing these citizens. Such was the case with Mike Rusnak. He was a very intelligent and productive Hamiltonian and like many then and now, never received the recognition which he deserved as a community standout. Mike was a local activist who had an interest in local politics and politicians. Mike's daugter, Mrs. Karyn Rusnak Benton has donated his very comprehensive collection of local letters, photos and other historic memorabilia relating to the DeCou section of Hamilton, the DeCou Volunteer Fire Company, Hamilton High School, and numerous other bits and pieces of history that will posthumously recognize Mike Resnak as the valuable citizen he was. I will be posting many of Mike's historic items and at the same time saving them digitally in the "MIKE RUSNAK COLLECTION" where it will repose along with the transportation collection of the late Leland Buker. Historians are extremely grateful when a survivor of a family decides not to throw away valuable historic material. Mike was a regular "LETTERS TO THE EDITOR" contributor throughout his years of living here in Hamilton Township.

1895 AND 1935: VILLA PARK'S MOSES SCHOOL

I remember the Moses School which I passed many times on my trips to Tony Amato's barbershop on Park Avenue. Here is a delightful news photo of the children returning to class after a long summer vacation. Short pants were the order of the day for boys, or perhaps those corduroy knickers that "swich-swish" with every step we took....and let's not forget those ultra ugly knee high stockings we wore when we were decked out in knickers! The graphic below is an engraving of the original school as it looked back in the 19th century. Note that the children are entering a wooden clapboard building, while the architectural drawing below describes it as red brick. Perhaps a change was made between the time the engraving was published and the school was built.

2012: SPAM USED TO BE AN ARMY STAPLE

"Hi I wish for to subscribe to this website......." Please spamming illiterate, I really only want those who are educated and well versed in the English language.
As this site has moved into the high hits category with over 550,000 visits, the spam community come into the picture. To my fellow Blogspot users with their own website, I suggest you click on your "COMMENTS" screen and count the SPAM that Google succeeds in intercepting. At one point, there were 23 listed, all of whom suggest you visit their website. Everything from tupperware to enlarging physical parts of the body. BEWARE! These dregs of society are all over the globe.

1946: Eddie Moylan

The post on Ann Devlin (Below) brought to mind Marty Devlin, another local tennis legend who also was among Trenton's best when it came to tennis. Marty and Eddie were contemporaries on the local tennis scene. As to Eddie Moylan, my best friend Don Slabicki and I met back in the 1940's when we worked for Fritz and Edna Kuser. Eddie was a regular player on the Kuser Farm tennis court and even though a locally famous name, abided by that 3 word aspiration which was drummed into my head by Louise Baird, my high school music teacher: "GREATNESS IS HUMBLE." Eddie was the consummate tennis player with a winning personality. He ultimately moved to take the position of Tennis Pro at Cornell. He also had the girls' hearts a-flutter whenever he appeared on the court. He was a very handsome young man. He and Fritz "Mr. Trenton Tennis" Kuser made a unbeatable doubles team.

1935: ANN DEVLIN ENGAGED

From its inception in 2005, this website has confirmed that it maintain its policy of providing "Local History With a Personal Touch." Along with interesting and fascinating photos and articles relating to local history, I also make it a point to scan and digitize as many family photos of notable persons, places, and things of the past. Thus we have school photos, confirmation photos, and as above, photos from the Trenton Times Sunday Advertiser page of notable local persons; in this case Miss Ann Devlin, whose engagement is announced in the clip from the Hamilton Library Local History Collection's "NOTABLE PERSONS" folder. Miss Ann Devlin is the daughter of prominent Trentonian Martin Devlin.

1930 AND 1935: HOME AVENUE REFORMED HUNGARIAN CHURCH

From the HUNGARIAN folder in the Hamilton Library Local History Collection are two graphics which will bring back some serious memories for those who attend or attended that grand old edifice. There are many names in the confirmation class above that are familiar to me, The "Ethnic" folders in the Local History Collection is being added to on a daily basis.

1935: STAR PORCELAIN PICNIC

I was only 2 years old, so obviously was not among those who "snuck" in as we used to say about gaining entrance to Hamilton's Plagg's Grove. Had this picnic been held 10 years later, I would be you would have seen me and many of my childhood buddies who always managed to gain access to the picnic area via a secret entrance we we made in the old corrugated steel fence that surrounded the area. Interestingly, I see a Joseph Geraci in the photo. I was in "Kay's Follies" when I was in the St. Joachim/St. Anthony PTA vaudeville group. Joe Geraci (Jr.) was our talented choreographer.

2012: IT'S NOT THE TRENTON I KNEW!

All I can say is "WOW!" It sure isn't the Trenton I knew. A few weeks ago I was on my way to Mass at Sacred Heart Church on South Broad Street. The police had my normal Hamilton Avenue route closed off due to a large amount of traffic going into the Sovereign Bank Arena, resulting a detour. I took a right at the railroad tracks and exited to Perry Street where I headed back on Perry Street to North Warren. As I tooled down North Warren Street heading to the new intersection with South Broad Street, I tried to focus on what was as opposed to what is. Passing the ever familiar St. Michael's P.E. church brought me into a completely changed landscape. No theaters, no shops, mostly tall, glass-encrusted office buildings! As I crossed over to South Broad Street in the Mill Hill area, I was rudely aware that the Trenton I remember has morphed into a city dominated by N.J. and other high rise office buildings. Yeah, I miss the Trenton of my young years.

Anonymous said...

I've been wondering,What was life in trenton before the 90's? My family is from trenton, lived all over from north trenton, da burg, to South trenton right at franklin park on woodland. And even after I heard certain parts of trenton(excluding downtown and north) were still a nice place to live after the riots until the around mid 90's.r I guess im just asking what was life like, how did the enrgy of the city feel? Now you go into trenton and you feel like you have to be aware of everything around you because you don't know what can happen. Parts of if not all of the burg is not nice and it's now flowing down into the franklin park area. But in the 70's and before what was trenton like Is trenton really as bad as it seems. It's horrible because I hear great things about trentons past. I drive through and I can see and imagine how awesome trenton was just not too long ago. I wish trenton could back to the way it was in the 50s,60s, and 70's. I would certainly live there, it sounded liek the place to be, a nice place to raise the family. It would be apprecitaed if somebody could respond to my questions. Also, has anyone stayed in the city, whats it liek to live there now?! Is there constant gun fire, muggings, and robberies? Or does this stay in certain parts of the city. What's the franklin park area like currently?!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Thanks for the comment, Anonymous. In order to find what the Trenton of yesteryear was like back in the day, you don't have to go any further than THIS website! Page through the 7,300 plus pages! You will see photos of downtown Trenton when it was a viable and vibrant city and a time when law and order was in style. You will see photos of high school Saturday night dances that didn't require a police officer to keep the peace. You will find an era when Coke was Coca Cola and drugs were in a pharmacy, a bitch was a female dog, and music was music, and not a screaming cacophony. Today, the dregs who are committing all or most of the crimes are granted plea bargains and many are turned loose back on society. Just check the news and note how many articles tell of the capture of a criminal with a long "rap sheet."

2012: ANOTHER MILESTONE!

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