1968: TRENTON LAID TO WASTE. CONVERY'S FURNITURE STORE DESTROYED

The venerable old Colonial town of Trenton was changed forever on that fateful April of 1968. Gone were honest, respected businesses that had survived in the downtown Trenton for decades. Convery's Dunham's Elsie Gallivan, and many other anchor stores fled the city to the safer suburbs as their downtown stores were looted, burned and destroyed. Innocent business owners' buildings were decimated, valuables looted and Trenton was left in chaos. The carnage was done as vengeance for an unspeakable incident with which those downtown merchants had nothing to do with. 

1939 - 1960: MEMORIES OF MY KUSER FARM

What a wonderful gift God has given to me! At the much too rapidly advancing age of 82, I have been gifted with the ability to digitize my life! Well, not only my life, but many of my fellow citizens as I am able to bring photos, articles, ephemera, nostalgia and countless other physically visible memories of years gone by. Above is an example of a small remnant of time relating to my beloved Kuser Farm. One of the many questions people have asked me over the years relates to the fabled dining room which doubled as the Kuser Farm little theater. Today. As can be seen in the October, 1931 news clipping from my collection, William Fox was helped along in his efforts to establish a motion picture company. With the recent addition of the "talkies" in the late 1920's, the industry mushroomed and many film companies were established. The Kuser boys were instrumental in giving William Fox a financial interest in his film company which over the years would evolve into 20th Century Fox films. One of the perks the Kuser family got in return was the privilege of screening any and ALL movies released by the studio before they were introduced to the public. New York City's famous "Roxy" theater was the flagship theater for 20th Century Fox. The Glover connection to the Kusers began way back in 1938 when my brother Bud worked at odd jobs at the Kuser Farm. Bud went to to become an operator of the Kuser 35 millimeter Simplex-Acme portable projectors; a task he quickly learned.  When brother Bud entered the Navy in 1945, I assumed his position at the farm. During our years of working for Fred and Edna Kuser from 1945 up to adulthood, when my best buddy Don Slabicki and I married and started our families. I didn't have the very necessary ability to run those projectors as did my brother. However, my buddy Don Slabicki was the one who became the replacement for my brother. I hope to do a Kuser Mansion program in the future, relating to my years at a place I consider to be my "outdoor chapel." Stay tuned.

1983: COLONIAL VFD "BIG JOHN LENHARDT

1983: COLONIAL VFD: THE FIRE COMPANY OF MY CHILDHOOD It was there when I was a boy during WWII. The scary Colonial siren went off every time there was a fire in our neighborhood, and during those frightening "blackouts" that were part of the scene during the early years of the war when there was thought to be the possibility of an enemy air attack. It was there when I was a teenager and my dear friend Jesse Anderson joined as a volunteer at the tender age of 17. I can still see that blue light and "COLONIAL VFD" emblem on the front of his 1940 Pontiac sedan. Memories of Chief John Lenhardt with the stump of a lit cigarette burning every closer to his lips. "Big John," who was the consummate Fire Chief; always ready, any hour, day or night. It was the boys in his family, all of whom I seem to recall becoming dedicated fire fighters. It was young John, moving to the Mercerville area and becoming Chief of that fire company after serving at Colonial. The memories just keep on coming. 1983: COLONIAL VFD: THE FIRE COMPANY OF MY CHILDHOOD It was there when I was a boy during WWII. The scary Colonial siren went off every time there was a fire in our neighborhood, and during those frightening "blackouts" that were part of the scene during the early years of the war when there was thought to be the possibility of an enemy air attack. It was there when I was a teenager and my dear friend Jesse Anderson joined as a volunteer at the tender age of 17. I can still see that blue light and "COLONIAL VFD" emblem on the front of his 1940 Pontiac sedan. Memories of Chief John Lenhardt with the stump of a lit cigarette burning every closer to his lips. "Big John," who was the consummate Fire Chief; always ready, any hour, day or night. It was the boys in his family, all of whom I seem to recall becoming dedicated fire fighters. It was young John, moving to the Mercerville area and becoming Chief of that fire company after serving at Colonial. The memories just keep on coming.

1912: GROVEVILLE'S WESLEY GROVE.

My dear friend, the late Bob Simpkins was the real, genuine Hamilton Historian, Bob passed away at the ripe old age of 102 and left behind the legacy of being one of those responsible for the restoration of Hamilton Township’s colonial treasure, the John Abbott II house on Kuser Road. Bob often spoke of the Yardville-Groveville area of Hamilton, and in my files I have found this graphic telling of the legendary “Wesley Grove” which I put together a number of years ago.

Few people outside of my Hamilton neighborhood will recognize what was the very best bakery in our area up to the time they closed in the 1970's. Mr. Nowak (pronounced "NoVock" )was a Polish gentleman who had the most incredible bakery business going back to the late 1930's. I remember as a boy he had a delivery truck where he delivered his baked goods to many of his fellow customers who immigrated from Poland. My best buddy Don Slabicki's family was one of his customers. Fast forward 20 years or so and the building in the photo, still standing on Hamilton's Partridge Avenue was where one could get what I can only describe as baked delicacies. After Mr. and Mrs Nowak passed away, son Stanley took over the business and the family baking formulas for the various products. Mine happened to be the Nowak Coconut Melt aways. This bakery was so popular folks had to get there early on a Sunday morning before they sold out. They limited their baking schedule to only one per day. Stan old me how he would get up each Sunday morning at 3 A.M. and bake until dawn and open the shop. Any Facebook visitor to this page will agree with my assessment of what I consider to be the very bast bake shop that unfortunately is now a vacant building. How I miss those Sunday morning melt-aways and "sticky buns!"

When I started my volunteer "singalong" program at Kuser Park 9 years ago, I found that there are many local area citizens who love to remember the "MUSIC WE GREW UP WITH;" which just happens to be the moniker I chose for this weekly summer Sunday concert series. As I explained to my friend, former Mayor Glenn Gilmore back in the early 90's, when I volunteered to do this weekly program, I am not a professional vocalist, but according to Miss Louise Baird, my Hamilton High School vocal music teacher, I am among those fortunate enough to be gifted with what is called "perfect pitch." I have been singing for well over 75 of my 80 plus years from our countless around-the-piano family singing when I was only 4 or 5, all through my grammar and high school years, and even when I formed a group of 3 other buddies from my company in the U.S. Army where we sang for hours and hours during my time in the army. The accompanying photo was taken by a member of my partner Jack Pyrah's family. We were, singing along to "In the Garden:" ("I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses, and the song I hear falling on my ear, the son of God discloses....and He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am his own..": The young lady standing with my partner Jack is Miss Kathleen Fennimore. She got out on the dance floor as I was singing "Far Away Places" at our program yesterday afternoon, and as I sang she was dancing and "signing" the lyrics (hand signs for the hearing impaired). It was one of "those moments" for all who were there as Kathleen visually interpreted each word I sang.

1945: THE WAR IS OVER; LET'S CELEBRATE!

The war to end all wars was over and it was time to welcome in the new year of 1946. Thirteen year old Tommy Glover was entering Hamilton High School as a Freshman at the Kuser School's Kuser Annex, where his neighborhood attended before going to 10th grade sophomore year at Hamilton High. Look at all those places one could go to celebrate! It was the year of "The Bells of St. Mary's" with Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman in a move that still brings me to tears as a convert to the Faith. So beautiful! As to the full page graphic, there are countless venues I recognize and many of my visitors will too

1935: WHEN TIMES WERE TOUGH AND A ROAST BEEF DINNER COULD BE HAD FOR FIFTEEN CENTS!

Fifteen cents for a roast beef platter! Note: The Delaware Inn was advertising back during the depression year of 1935. That old historic inn is being restored and the last I heard it was going to become a museum. 150 years or so ago, that old inn was a stopping over place for old river barges that were carrying coal, stone and other material down the Delaware to Philadelphia and points south. This is a huge graphic and may not be legible here on Facebook. The full size readable version can be found at www.glover320.blogspot.com

2015: HERE COMES SEPTEMBERFEST, 2015!

 

Here are a few of the graphics I have digitized from the "SEPTEMBER FEST" folder in the Hamilton Township Public Library Local History Collection. The top graphic brings us then Mayor Jack Rafferty's ingeniously named "Seymore of Hamilton;" a beaver who delighted many a young child. Jack Rafferty was not only a great Hamilton Mayor, he also had some very progressive (as in progress, not political) ideas including the enhancement of former Hamilton Mayor Maury Perilli's "Hamilton Park" into "Veterans Park.) acquisition of Kuser Park, Sayen Gardens, the Kuser Park summer concerts which brought quality big name entertainers like Bob Smith's Lamplighters, Benny Snyder Orchestra, Dick Chime Polka band and many other quality programs that filled the gazebo area of Kuser Park with local citizens who loved nostalgic music in as bucolic Victorian setting. 

1936: SCOUT MASTER WEBSTER GRIMM

Old friend of the Glover family, Webster "Webb" Grimm; Scoutmaster in Hamilton. Webb worked with my brother, the late Len Glover leading a group of young boys in the "Lynx" club. Webb was one of my fellow singers at the senior group "Happy Hearts" where I presented my music program back in the 80's and early 90's. Webb has a very respectably singing voice. The Grimm family has an interesting historical heritage in Hamilton. Willard Grimm was a respected Judge in Hamilton. His son Webster a graduate of Hamilton High School, carried on the Grimm family heritage with his insurance agency on Greenwood Avenue in Bromley. Indeed he was my insurance agent all during my married years until he retired. Carrying on the Grimm family heritage is our mayor, the Lovely Kelly Yaede, whose mom Cindy Grimm Yaede is the daughter of Webster Grimm.

1941: GRAND OPENING OF THE WHITE HORSE BOWLING ACADEMY

I dare say that grand old bowling palace was the most popular venue back in the day. I wasn't and am not a bowling person, but most of my buddies were. Indeed, I would guess that most of the local community visited this legendary bowling academy at one time or another. 

A PERSONAL NOTE FROM TOM:
This is a re-run of a post from 2010, complete with the comments that resulted. (See below). Close scrutiny will show that the source is mine.  This graphic has appeared numerous times at different web locations and not identified by the post person crediting the Hamilton Township Public Library Local History Collection. It is a time consuming task putting these graphics together and as ethics dictate, credit should go where credit is due. Please note that this is not accusing anyone of wrong doing; rather it is a reminder that any and all graphics on my website are free for you to download for whatever reason, but I humbly request that you cite this website as the source when you post elsewhere. As you might guess, posting the 8,000 plus pages on this site has made me quite familiar with graphics that have a unique character.  (Date, size, headings, etc.) This post has the identifying info in a very inconspicuous location at the top of the page over the "Who is this beautiful masked rider?"

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tom - So who was that masked mystery rider on the White Horse? Does anyone know?
Lakeside Girl

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Anonymous said...

Tom,"Girl"

I think this might be Millie Roase, who became the Wife of Carney Rose. Millie was a nurse before marrying Carney and an excellent horsewoman in her own right. To support this theory, they both ran a hack stable just a short ride west of the site of the White horse lanes where the Sewer plant was ultimately built.
I spent many years with Carney and Mille as a kid.
Regards
Mike Kuzma, AKA Lash LaRue a name Carney Tagged me with.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Tom Glover said...

Lash LaRue! Mike, he was one of my western movie heroes along with Ken Maynard, George O'Brien, Hopalong, and all those guys in the white hats riding on white horses.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

SJBill said...

White Horse Bowling Academy - not ever your average bowling alley was it?

We rode from S. Clinton in the Burg to White Horse on Saturday mornings for a Junior Bowling League - in which we perofred rather well. I was in Jr. 4 at the time, and can still remember most of my team mates names.

It as at the snack bar where I learned the secret delights of dipping french fries in ketchup.

Wasn't there a fire in the 50s that burned down much of the establishment? They rebuilt and re-opened with double the lanes, and they were all AMF automatic pinsetters. Our days as pinboys at Heil's were numbered.

Yet another "academy was nearby: Rose's Riding Academy. Again we rode bikes down Independence Drive up to Carney's ranch and rented his finest stallions for about an hour. I rode one that had to be 30+ years old named Colonel. All he could do was walk - he had NO gallup gear whatsoever. And when I rode him he usually wanted to roll over on his side and try to crush me. We had to ride the oval track by the road. Kids were not allowed to venture down the paths to White City. Oh, what wonderful memories!

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Laura Sheffield said...

What a goof I am I guess........at first I thought ZORRO!!!!!!!! LOL

Sunday, January 26, 2014

1941: HARRY PODMORE'S "TRENTON IN BYGONE DAYS"

 

Harry Podmore, and John Cleary before him were always of interest to me as a young boy. I became an avid follower of these two historians and their "Bygone Days" columns right up to the time when the late, great Bill Dwyer took over the reins. Now to the above graphics. They are from the same January 1941 column and took up nearly 12 inches of the newspaper page. It occurred to me that it would be much more relevant to historians and researchers if extracts from different subjects were to be cut and pasted into an easily read article featuring one specific subject. Additionally, the original Dolton's Block Bygone Days portion was extracted, and from my own history database a vintage newspaper photo of the Dolton building was placed aside the BGD column with a mini map of the area showing where the building is located. Unfortunately, I am unable to determine whether the building was on the South or Northwest corner of the intersection. 
As this blog approaches 900,000 "hits," it is nice to know that part of its success is due to visitors who add historical articles, photos and maps to those which I post. Such was the case with visitor Rich Sauers who was kind enough to do research and come up with these two graphics which focus on the actual location of Dolton's Block. Many thanks Rich; your two scans are much appreciated and I can now remove the last line of my original caption "I am unable to determine whether the building was on the South or Northwest corner of the intersection."Rich's scans follow along with his email to me. THANKS, RICH!

Mr. Glover,

Great blog, been reading for quite a while.

Today's post about Dolton's Block caught my eye, and sent me online for a bit of internet research this evening.

A panoramic map of Trenton by Thaddeus Mortimer Fowler in 1874 had Dolton's Block highlighted as number 10. That view (detail from map attached) shows that the photo in your article shows Dolton's Block facing Warren Street, and from Google Maps it looks to have been directly across the street from today's Warren Street Plaza. Evert and Stewart's 1875 county atlas also marked the block's location (also attached).

1934: CHAMBERSBURG DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION

Here's a full page devoted to "the old Borough" as it was known back in the early 1930's. Note the incredible bargains in those years when money was hard to come by. Guys from my g eneration will remember those "High Tops" with the penknife on the side of the boot.

1937: ETTA KETT PAPER DOLL FROM THE "NOSTALGIA" FOLDER

"I'm gonna buy a paper doll that I can call my own,

A doll that other fellows cannot steal,

And then those flirty flirty guys with their flirty flirty eyes,

Will have to flirt with dollies that are real.

When I get home at night she'll be there waiting,

She'll be the truest doll in all the world,

I'd rather have a paper doll that I could call my own,

Than have a fickle minded real live girl"

Yeah, I've sung that one at a number of my music programs. As It was a hit back in the 1940's when the "Ink Spots" sang it back during the big band era, which just happens to be the era along with the 1950's that I prefer. There were no "wardrobe malfunctions" or "twerking teenagers" just singers of dreamy songs. The music had uplifting, wholesome and melodic character. Not that there weren't songs that were "borderline" insofar as social acceptability was concerned. I remember when Mom Glover heard that bawdy 1940's song, "Take it off, take it off cried the boys in the rear...." (Queenie the cutey of the burlesque show") She was sure the country was rapidly becoming Sodom and Gomorrah. As to the Etta Kett paper doll, I remember my sister had a collection of them and traded them with her friend Dolores Slabicki just like I traded many of my baseball and war cards.

1961: ST. ANTHONY HIGH SCHOOL - IN THE BEGINNING

I remember standing among the corn stubble on the Kuser Farm cornfield with many of our St. Anthony parishioners as the field was blessed and result in what I call  "miracle of labor." The above article will recall those early years and refer to many of the "movers and shakers" literally spent countless hours in hard labor making Monsignor McCorristin's dream come true. Read on.