CA. 1909: "THE TUNNEL" ON PARKWAY AVENUE AND SALLY LOGAN

 It was a daunting engineering fete back in the first decade of the 20th century when Trenton and Mercer County officials tried to figure out a way to open up the western section of the city to the suburbs. Above is the answer to the problem: build a tunnel under the canal! I am including a note from regular visitor Sally Logan Gilman, who tells an interesting story about her experiences with the tunnel. Sally's note was original published a few years ago when this article was posted. Incidentally Sally, I also made the run from Mass. to Trenton on Friday nights back in 1955. However mine were from Fort Devens to Trenton; long before there was an I-95. We came down the Boston Post Road through all those beautiful New England towns.

1934: THE PARKWAY AVENUE TUNNEL

How often I have passed under that tunnel! Judy worked for the Childrens' Home Society back in the 1950's, and I was a regular visitor to that area, along with my numerous trips to Cadwalader Park to metal detect looking for old coins. It is difficult for me to imagine the area before the construction of the tunnel.

1944: CADWALADER DEACONS BEAT BROAD STREET PARK

From the "SPORTS-MISCELLANEOUS" folder in the Local History Collection, this article give a play by play of football game between Broad Street Park and the Cadwalader Deacons.

Ralph Lucarella said...

HI TOM...I NEVER PLAYED FOOTBALL IN MY YOUNGER DAYS AND LATTER WISHED I HAD. FOOTBALL WAS A BODY CONTACT SPORT AND I NEVER HAD THE EQUIPMENT OR DESIRE TO PLAY. NOW, WITH MY BROTHER CHUCK WHO PLAYED FOOTBALL WITH TRENTON HIGH, IT GAVE HIM THE GUTS FOR BODY CONTACT. THAT HAPPENED WHEN HE STOLE HOME IN THE AMERICAN LEGION FINAL AT INDIANAPOLIS IN 1948 WITH THE SCHROTHS, BEST REGARDS.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

1917: NEWS FROM THE "WEST END"

The Cadwalader-West End area of Trenton was one of the more affluent suburbs in the city back in the early decades of the 20th century. I remember visiting Messrs. Leo and Don Bannon on Ellsworth Avenue and how impressed I was with just the front porch on the beautiful Bannon home. Yes, the front porch! It was as shiny as the oak floors on a basketball court and spotless. Working with Fritz Kuser back in the '40's brought me to a number of these beautiful homes in the western section. I also recall a similar well kept home on Fisher Place where we went one evening to show a movie to one of the Kuser relatives. Absolutely unforgettable ambiance! I also recall that many of us in the less opulent neighborhoods jealously referred to the western Cadwalader Park area as "Cracker Hill;" I could never figure what a "Cracker" was and still do not to this day.

1 Comment from Mr. Ralph Lucarella:

Hi Tom: Let me help you out in the meaning of "Cracker Hill" for that western section of Trenton. The meaning, as I recall, was the fact that those people had such high mortgages, they had to eat crackers in order to meet the payments. Laugh, if you will, but compared to our payments in the Burg, it could be very true. Best regards.

1916: CADWALADER HEIGHTS M.E. CHURCH

Here's an architect rendering of the church as it looked on Sunday morning, October 3, 1915.

This from the Trenton Historical Society website:

CADWALADER HEIGHTS M.E. CHURCH - 1860

STUYVESANT AVENUE AND OAK LANE

The Cadwalader Heights Church is the direct successor of the old Warren Street M.E. Church which was organized in 1860 as a mission by a group belonging to the First M.E. Church. In 1859 a lot was secured on North Warren Street for a Sunday school that had been meeting in a school house on the Pennington road. In 1860 this group assumed the name of the Warren Street M.E. Church, though it was not until 1876, to accommodate a growing and enterprising congregation, that a church was built on North Warren Street. The influx of business on Warren Street and the expansion of population westward prompted the congregation to sell this valuable property to the “City Rescue Mission.” During the pastorate of the Rev. Walter Atkinson a new church was built at the corner of Stuyvesant Avenue and Oak Lane. This fine church perpetuates the memory of the old Warren Street Church.

1914: CADWALADER HEIGHTS M.E. CHURCH

Lights out at Cadwalader Heights, so auto headlights are turned on for the ground breaking ceremony for the new Cadwalader Heights Methodist Episcopal Church.