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Over the years, I have had a number of our younger generation ask about the old circus grounds that were once moved way out into the suburbs of Trenton. It was that area of the city bounded by Hamilton Avenue, Cuyler Avenue, Greenwood Avenue and southerly to Hamilton Avenue. The above article heralds the arrival of the circus into town. The adjacent article announces the possibility of building a school on the "Cook Y" site. What was "Cook Y?" The Cook family had huge land holdings in the area of Greenwood and Olden Avenue (North and South Cook Avenue). A search of this blog will probably bring up further information on the family. When I was a boy of 10 or 12 (old enough to walk to the Gaiety or Greenwood theaters,) there was a brick building on the Southeast corner of Greenwood and South Olden Avenues directly across from the Greenwood Avenue Methodist Church. That building was known as the "Cook Y" building. It was a beautiful building that also housed a large swimming pool. I remember my cousin, Dick Walker and I went in when it was abandoned and awaiting the wrecker's ball back in the early 1940's The empty swimming pool was a sad reminder of still another Trenton artifact becoming the victim of "progress."Tom, Cook "Y" is sure familiar to me. Our house was on So Olden and backed up to the fenced in field. Many the nights we played "kick the can" in the alleys, days playing soft ball on the field and lots of bike rides all around the alleys and Jr 2's paved surroundings. The house on the right of the entrance you show is familiar; Bob Harrison lived there when I was a teen.
138 years ago, P.T. Barnum brought his popular circus to the city of Trenton. 138 years later, the same P.T. Barnum circus is performing at Trenton's Sun National Bank Center on Hamilton Avenue and South Broad Street. The difference in programs is interesting. Check out the features of the 1873 version of the circus; it makes for fascinating reading!
Ralph Lucarella said... Michael said...
