1981: KING'S FAIRGROUND MALL

It was a very convenient mall for those of us who lived in the Mercerville-Bromley area. For a while, the mall thrived with a Shop Rite as the anchor store. As is so often the case, the character of the area changed and with it the closing of the mall and except for a few tenacious store keepers, the mall is relatively vacant. But the good news is that Walmart plans to open an outlet in the Fairgrounds Mall and if this does happen, there will be other merchants who will be eager to return to a once again busy and viable place to shop. 

1969: LOCAL MERCHANTS ADS

There are many on the above page who are no longer in business. Carlo Benedetti's Olden Pharmacy is a survivor. Any others there who are still in business? 43 years ago; reminds me of that song; "time in a bottle."

mments:

Lee Belardino said...

Tommy
I worked part time for Popkins shoes when I was 14. Nate Pokin was located on Hudson street next door to Mazzili,s grocery stoe. Worked 6-9 on weekdays and 12 to 9 on Saturdays. Rode my bike from Hamilton to the "burg" every day,rain or shine. No wonder I was a 97 pound waeklingbut I met a lot of pretty girls there.
Lee

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Ron Bound said...

Lived near Liedke's and wife went to school with one of the girls, while at Cathedral, I think.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Sally Logan Gilman said...

Hi Tom: Some familiar names here. I went to Jr. 3 with a Popkin boy and a Sloshberg girl. I have not thought of them in a very long time. Thanks for activating my memories. Regards

Thursday, October 18, 2012

SJBill said...

When I was a kid I was into cars and couldn't afford a mechanic. We changed our own clutches, camshafts, and did everythign short of actual engine and transmission builds. Andy's was our prime sourcc of parts mainly becuase they would sell to us at the same price that a garage would get.

THe first Andy's shop was along John Fitch Way, just past the Penssy Railroad bridge. And then came Urban Renewal and the new Fitch Way project.

Andy's had to move, so with city approval, they relocated to the new building shown which was located downriver, across from what was American Bridge. THe new shop was wonderful, but I'll bet it lasted for less than ten years before the city wanted to run a new stretch of highway right through the new building.

Andy's never rebuilt. They were a prime example of how poor planning cuased the demise of so many small businesses, just so state workers could get out of town to the suburbs.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Anonymous said...

Well Tom, though not quite related but one of those ads jogged my memory, the one for Fritz's auto repair.

It made me think of the first BMW dealership in the area that was Fritz's BMW and was stuffed into a little hole in the wall shop by State and Olden next to the Mechanics National Bank. With all of our auto chatter, that is one that always gets missed.

Ed Millerick

SJ or Mike, I'll gladly accept correction on that location, though it was pretty close wasn't it?

Thursday, October 18, 2012

SJBill said...

Ed,

Fritz's was out on E. State - I'm niot sure but I think it was close to where Frey's Bakery was located (best rye bread in Trenton if not the planet!).

Fritz was a great guy, but I couldn't afford a new BMW even when prices were relatively cheap. He almost sold me a BMW 1600 with a transplanted 2002tii engine back in 1968 when I left the Navy. I have been kicking myself ever since for not doing so. Instead, I bought a new Camaro from Patterson Chevy in Hamilton Square.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

With the ever changing population demographic, more commonly known as "white flight," areas that were once considered upscale slowly descend into what I call "mixed" neighborhoods. The recent influx of new immigrants from many different countries has resulted in the expansion of Hamilton Township to the south and east from the Sawmill area to the Cubberley area of Hamilton Square. As the change took place, malls and shopping centers moved to the more affluent aforementioned suburbs, leaving those of us who remain in our neighborhoods with abandoned shopping centers. Such is the case with King's Fairgrounds Mall. It was a very convenient shopping center for those of us in the Bromley and Wilbur areas.

1946: Joe Szekeres' Amoc o Station Cedar Lane and Chambers St. Hamilton

Joe Szekeres Jr. sent me this beautiful 300 dots per inch photo of his dad's Amoco station. Today it is a vacant lot directly across Chambers Street from Kisthardt Body Works. Old timers will recall those familiar black and white street signs that were found all over the area in the 30's and 40's. The detail on this photo, like many original photos is remarkably clear when reproduced in high definition. It is interesting to note that Chambers Street at the time was concrete rather than today's macadam. This vantage point would find you standing on the corner on Cedar Lane, looking toward the the intersection of Chambers and South Broad Streets.

1938: MILLIE'S BEAUTY SALON, HAMILTON AVENUE

She was movie star beautiful. I remember her and her little 'beauty shop" on Hamilton Avenue between South Logan and South Olden Avenues. Many local ladies patronized Millie's shop.

FROM MY KUSER SCHOOL - HAMILTON HIGH WEST CLASSMATE, AUDREY WURFEL:

Millie was indeed very lovely, but my strongest memory is of her giving me a machine permanent wave when I was only 5 years old. I was so scared of those wires hanging down and the smells too, but she calmed me as best she could and all did turn out right and I ended up with "Shirley Temple" curls. I miss the old area and have many fond memories. Audrey Wurfel Kish (chrismakes5@aol.com)

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

1915: W.H. MOUNT GROCERIES, CIGARS, GENERAL MERCHANDISE

Slowly but surely, piece by piece, graphic by graphic, the digital files in the Hamilton Library Local History Collection begin to connect to each other. Above is a photo of Yardville's legendary Mount general store on South Broad Street, immediately below is an invoice to the Board of Education for supplies. Wonderful and interesting history!

1935: MARTIN BROTHERS GARAGE YARDVILLE

I combined the James Farley invoice for coal with the front facade of the Martin Garage in Yardville. To save graphic size, I have deleted part of the original Martin Garage photo. The original can be found by entering MARTIN GARAGE in the upper left "SEARCH BLOG" text entry white space.

1953: AMERICAN STANDARD EMPLOYEES

Coinciding with Alan Wildblood's recent request to identify American Standard employees, I found this photo in my "BUSINESSES-FACTORIES, HAMILTON." None of the men in the photo are identified. The only entry on the other side of the photo is "1953."

1940'S: CAN YOU HELP IDENTIFY THESE FOLKS?

With the many visitors to my website, I thought that perhaps someone might recognize some of these American Radiator and Standard & Sanitary Company employees from the 1940's. Alan Wildblood's Dad is the only one we can identify (lower left). If you can identify any of them, please use the numbers which are with each photo.

Alan wrote:

Dear Tom,

Could you please help me identify some people by posting several uncaptioned photos from an album of my father, Harold Wildblood. Your readership is vastly superior to any circle of Trentonians I could reach through any other channel available to me. These pictures were taken at American-Standard in Hamilton, formerly Maddock Pottery, which was under construction in 1924, prior to his departure from the firm on October 31, 1947. Harold worked in the shipping department so most of the people depicted will have been from that department. They are posing with crates, probably containing toilets, labeled “Standard Fixtures, Trenton Works."

Two of the pictures are marked “Lou 1”, possibly meaning Lou was to get a print of himself and his girl or a girl he admired.

Harold’s 1947 farewell card was signed by the following people, some of whom may be the unknown Tillie and Timmy the Toilers:

ASSOCIATED NAMES:

Ruth Capewell, Helen M. Orban née Roche, Angie Persiani neé Cerino, Charles O'Brien, Burton J. Evans (shipping), Robert Burns, Joseph Cleary, Harvey Trimmer, Harold E. Sexton, Irvin Frisbie, Miss Mona J. Kritser, Edward J. Goldenbaum, Vincent Gavigan, Florence M. Hendrickson, Mrs. Helen M. Furman, Miss Helen Citkowski, Miss June De Valle, Karl A. Mundt, Al Steinmetz, Mrs. Ethel Steber, Jane Wolverton (telephone operator), Miss Mary Samsal, Miss Marjorie McCoy, Stan Puhalski, Miss Dot Eib, Mary Priest, Frank Yopp, Lee Mathews Jr., Harry J. Case, Carroll Mayers, William E. Hannisch (shipping orders), Berrell Bowne, Richard Jamilewicz, Al M. White (accountant), Rudy C. Metzler, Bob M. Everett, Jack Bayer, Miss Doris (Dickie) MacBean, Miss Audrey Howarth, Miss Vivian Eagle.