THE CONTINUATION PAGE OF THE POST WAS ADDED THIS MORNING, THANKS TO "ANONYMOUS," WHO NOTED THAT IT WAS NOT INCLUDED.
PLEASE PARDON THE SENIOR MOMENT AS I INDULGED IN STILL ANOTHER BRIEF, BUT ANNOYING SESSION OF "MINI DIMENTIA!"
Even as the folks over in the Cadwalader-western section of Trenton had the Canal, so too did we country "hicks" have our on summer-winter hangout. Way back when I was a boy, and I mean WAY back, I and my buddies found winter and summer activities over at Kuser's Pond on Newkirk Avenue. In the spring, the first harbingers of that lovely season was the sound of croaking frogs on that once beautiful lily pond enhanced body of water. We caught tadpoles and watched them grow "tails," and put them back to grow up. And we avoided the many "sewing bugs" which were known by more intellectual persons as Dragonflies. Legend had it that we had to stay away from those sewing bugs; they were known to sew a kid's lips up tight. We also had one of our favorite summer harvest of what we neighborhood farmers called "punks;" known by others as cat tails. I still recall the incredibly delightful aroma of a lit up punk as it burned through its fluffy interior and kept the mosquitoes away. In the winter, it was sledding or skating on the ice with a bonfire on the bank along Newkirk Avenue. I know my many visitors from the western section will have many wonderful memories of their young ventures into the canal and its various other waterways. Let's hear from you! Unfortunately, Kuser's Pond has been drained; the victim of a city dweller moving to Newkirk Avenue and complaining about the mosquito population and occasional basement water. The pond was drained and mother nature's bad habits cured by what they call a "French Drain." So too is that wonderful spot above; now being driven over by thousands of vehicles a year as they traverse Route 29. Progress: Isn't it a wonderful thing?
No Tom, in the case of the canal and Route 29, progress is not wonderful. We had the log basin behind Jr. 3 for ice skating and it was a great and safe spot for us kids in West Trenton. You can still see "shaky bridge'' as you rush by on Route 29 and it was always fun to walk along the canal and stop by the bridge. I enjoyed your article and thanks to your instructions, could read the small print. Regards
ReplyDeleteGood Morning:
ReplyDeleteHaving lived on Cadwalader Drive in the 50's I have to voice my discomfort at the wording and the inferences that is starting to infiltrate this site. We all lived in Trenton and thrived in our section of town. Living in the West End was for me anything but snobbery or elitism. We played baseball, rode our bikes, our parents paid their taxes just like every other section, went to movies and matriculated to a good school in Junior Three before we all headed to Trenton High School. At THS we mixed freely with Junior 1,2,4 and 5 kids and to my knowledge, no one gave a rip as to what school or what section of town they lived. The Waterpower as we called it, flowed from way up in West Trenton south to goodness knows where and there was never a sign that said it belonged to anyone that lived in the West End. When it overflowed it's banks in 1955, I think, many joined my Dad in efforts to help those affected by the flooding along with many others...from all over the City. When the city decided to fill it in allowing traffic to flow better on now what is route 29, this hastened the elimination of Stacy Park, kayak rides down the canal and more placid, bucolic and peaceful times for Trenton. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact it flowed, in part, adjacent to the West End.
WHOA, TONY. PLEASE BE SPECIFIC IN YOUR COMMENT THAT THE "INFERENCES THAT ARE STARTING TO INFILTRATE THIS SITE." EVEN AS YOU VOICED YOUR DISCOMFORT, I AM VOICING MY DISCOMFORT WITH YOUR COMMENT RELATING TO "ELITISM" AND "SNOBBERY." PERHAPS THERE ARE INFLAMMATORY COMMENTS WHICH I OVERLOOKED WITHIN THE 7500 PLUS PAGES. I WOULD ASK THE YOU GIVE ME CHAPTER AND VERSE OF THE LOCATION OF THESE OFFENSIVE COMMENTS. IN ALL THE 12 YEARS I HAVE HOSTED THIS SITE, I ONLY REMOVED ONE POST THAT I CONSIDERED OFF LIMITS, AND THAT WAS AT LEAST 6 YEARS AGO. THIS WEBSITE HAS A "SPAM" TRAP, BUT OCCASIONAL SPAM COMMENTS GET THROUGH AND I NUKE THEM.
ReplyDeleteTOM GLOVER
Hi Tom,
ReplyDeleteThanks for printing the lovely article by D. Thompson in the Trentonian. Any chance of getting the "next" page. It is difficult to identify the exact place of the picture. Is that a bridge in the background? Could it be Riverside Drive?
Who knows what TS is commenting about. This site is not used for social class analysis. It is about heart and spirit and history. Just keep doing what you do so well Tom.
Thanks, anonymous! The operating phrase here is "creeping senility!" I didn't even notice that this was a multipage article! Let me go back and see if I can append the next page. Many thanks for the heads up.
ReplyDeleteTom
Thanks Tom
ReplyDeletefor posting the second part
of the Thompson article.
It meant a lot to me to read
it...