1983: TOM GLOVER'S COLONIAL FIRE COMPANY

I wrote a couple columns relating to the fire company of my youth. At the time, "Big John" Lenhardt was the Chief and as you can see in the column I wrote back in 1983, I was not cut out to be a fire fighter. My buddy, the late Jess Anderson was the epitome of the perfect fireman. I can still see him parked in front of my Hartley Avenue house as the distinctive Colonial siren went off. He'd hop into the 40 Ponitac, kick over the starter and zip up Newkirk hell bent for leather. Some of the names I remember from that great Colonial gang, beside all the Lenhardt boys, were Costigan, Norm Bade, and the Peterson boys.

 

1915-1923 COLONIAL VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY

This was the fire company of my childhood. It was here that I and my 3rd grade Kuser School class went on a tour of that great old fire house which was then located on Liberty Street and Newkirk Avenue. I remember the fireman laughing when I asked him if that big bell hanging from a concrete arch was the Liberty bell. He told me it was from Trenton's City Hall. As can be seen in the two articles above, the need for a fire company was discussed back in 1915 and was really the beginning of negotiations for a fire company which 8 years later would become the Colonial Volunteer Fire Company; the name was chosen due to the fact that the new fire house would be built on land in the 1912   COLONIAL GARDENS TRACT.

1982: PATTI WILLEVER; A COLONIAL VFD STALWART

There's lovely Patti Willever, and old friend of mine who happens to be an important part of the Colonial Volunteer Fire Company; the fire company of my youth. Patti has been an active leader and member of the Ladies' Auxiliary for many years. Patti was also a fellow parishioner at St. Anthony Church where she was active in the school PTA.

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.

1987: COLONIAL FIRE COMPANY: THE FIRE DEPT. OF MY YOUTH

I can still recall lying comfortably in my bedroom on the back second floor of our 131 Hartley Avenue home on a cold, windy, and perhaps snowy evening and hearing the familiar Colonial Fire Company siren go off in the middle of the night in the middle of the winter. If you look up the words "bravery" and "dedication" in your dictionary, you will likely find photos of our fire fighters, police, and emergency medical personnel. I will always remember "Colonial" from my years at Kuser School, as we all rushed to second floor windows to watch that beautiful "Diamond T" and Peter Pirsch fire truck zoom out of the house with lights flashing and sirens blaring. My dear friend and classmate, the late Jesse Anderson was a member of the Colonial volunteers back during the time of John Lenhardt, the Costigan brothers, the Bade brothers, Tommy Argust, and others whose names escape me. Jesse lived his life as a dedicated fireman, moving to Seaside Park in the late 50's when he became a member of the Seaside Park Volunteer Fire Company.

1983: JOHN LENHARDT, COLONIAL VFD LEGEND

A couple of weeks ago it was my privilege to be the guest speaker at the monthly meeting of the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Colonial Volunteer Fire Company. This was one of the few requests i have received that didn't call for my "MUSIC WE GREW U P WITH" presentation. Rather it was to recall the many memories which I have involving that legendary fire company. I feel a special kinship with the Colonial community. My best friend, the late Jesse Anderson, the late Cliff Willever, and other names associated with the organization come to mind; the Feehans, Lenhardt's, Costigans, Bades, Rocky Ranalli, and too many others come to mind. Were it not for my emotional inability to become a fireman, I would probably count myself as a member of that wonderful group of people who are continuing the character and heritage of one of Hamilton's proud list of volunteer firemen and their respective Ladies Auxiliaries.

1973: COLONIAL FIRE CO.: GOODBYE LIBERTY STREET, HELLO KUSER ROAD

How appropriate that the new Colonial Fire house would be located on the very plot of land that "Big John" Lenhardt trod from the time of his birth up to his passing. He passed on his fire fighting to his family, all of whom are Colonial Fire Company legends. My buddy Jess Anderson was a volunteer back in the 1940's. He and I always referred to John Lenhardt as "Big John;" and big he was, physically and professionally. He was perhaps the most dedicated volunteer fireman in the history of Colonial. He was also a family friend whose sweet corn was a delight. Each week, John would bring his delicious, fresh-picked sweet corn to our neighbors in the Colonial neighborhood. The article tells of the new fire house. I note the presence of Bob Hoyer, who is a fellow parishioner of mine at Trenton's Sacred Heart Parish.

1974: Colonial Ladies to Present a Fashion Show

Lovely Patti Willever and her late husband "Cliff" were among the very active members of the Colonial Volunteer Fire Co. back in the 60's and 70's. Here we see Patti with her co-workers looking over material to publicize the fashion show fund raising event.

1938: Three of the Lenhardt Boys

These are the three Lenhardt boys I grew up with. Even though Jack has been a Chief and a leading light in the Mercerville Volunteer Fire Co. for years, his roots are planted firmly on Kuser Road where he and the Lenhardt family grew up. I can still remember seeing these three boys perched in the Lenhardt farm tractor as they tilled the fields of John Lenhardt's farm.In my mind, Colonial Volunteer Fire Company automatically brings up images of many of the Lenhardt names I recall. Let's see there was Jack, Joe, Ray, George, Bernie, Bob, Bill.....and of course who could ever forget "Big John" Lenhardt! I can still see him on his weekly delivery rounds bringing fresh Lenhardt Jersey sweet corn to our front doors. JohnLenhardt was a giant of a man with the heart of gold. Further, the Lenhardt family's dedication to fire fighting and saving lives and homes will never be forgotten by those of us who knew and know the family.

1916: Colonial Volunteer Fire Co.: IN THE BEGINNING

Even though their equipment shows the 1920's as the founding of Colonial VFD, the local Colonial neighbors were petitioning for a new fire district in the growing Newkirk-Hamilton-Olden Avenue area.

1935: COLONIAL VFD AUXILIARY LADIES

I inserted "Katinka," the beautiful 1933 fire engine accompanying this article, into the Auxiliary article due to my belief that it was the fire truck in operation during the time the Colonial ladies appointed the committee for the year 1935.

1973: COLONIAL'S NEW FIREHOUSE

As indicated above, the article on the left is from the Mercer Messenger, heralding the grand opening of Colonial Volunteer Fire Company's brand new fire house on the Lenhardt Farm on Kuser Road. On the right is one of the fire trucks used in Colonial's early Liberty Street years.
If you look closely in the background, you will see the concrete arch from whence hung Trenton's old City Hall bell which now reposes on the front lawn of the new fire house. Behind the arch holding the bell, you will see Frese's delicatessen, also known by locals as "Freezies."

1973: COLONIAL VOLUNTEER FIRE'S HISTORIC BELL

What memories that old bell brings back to me on a personal basis. As I indicated in the lower right corner of the graphic, I thought it was the Liberty bell when I was a young student at Kuser School. Another memory is the photo of the late Cliff Willever working on installing the historic relic. And of course, Colonial wouldn't be Colonial without one of the Lenhardt boys being involved; in this case, Billy is manning the block and tackle.

Drew Kieffer said...

My Grandmother Susan Feehan rang this bell to call fireman to a fire in the 30's when it was at Newkirk and Liberty where the original CFD was. They lived adjacent to the firehouse on Newkirk. She then rang the bell to commemorate the opening of the new firehouse on Kuser road. The only porblem? Someone stole the clapper so she had to ring the bell with a hammer.

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

HI DREW:

YOUR GRANDMOM WAS ONE OF COLONIALS EARLIEST PIONEERS, AS WAS THE FEEHAN FAMILY AT THE CORNER OF NEWKIRK AVENUE AND LIBERTY STREET. I REMEMBER HER QUITE WELL AND SAW HER QUITE OFTEN ON MY DAILY WALK PAST THE FEEHAN HOME ON MY WAY TO KUSER SCHOOL.

TOM GLOVER

1974: Patti Willever - Colonial Ladies' Auxiliary

The lovely lady in the graphic spent countless hours leading the Colonial Volunteer Fire Department's Ladies' Auxiliary. Throughout the pages of local volunteer fire company history, the ladies' auxiliaries became a very necessary part of the successful operation of our local fire companies. Patti and Cliff Willever were a very important part of the Colonial family for many years.

1973: Colonial VFD Elects Officers

Colonial is the fire company of my youth. Many times I sat in the second floor during my Kuser School years and watched the firemen rush to the scene as the big doors swung open and the company's 1938 Diamond T or their Peter Pirsch fire truck sped to the scene of a fire. That was when Colonial was located at Newkirk and Liberty Streets. As seen in the article above the legendary fire company was preparing to move into their new home on John Lenhardt's property on Kuser Road, bringing them even closer to my boyhood neighborhood.

1947: COLONIAL LADIES' AUXILIARY

1928: This had to be embarassing

This is one of those rare cases where a "false alarm" was a real alarm!

1923: R.W. WILDBLOOD'S COLONIAL VFD CARNIVAL STATEMENT

HEY ALAN, ALL THE WAY OVER THERE IN DEUTCHLAND, HERE'S ANOTHER ITEM OF INTEREST. A STATEMENT FROM THE FIRE COMPANY WHICH I GREW UP WITH. LOCAL OLD TIMERS WILL RECALL WHEN COLONIAL WAS LOCATED ON LIBERTY STREET, NEAR NEWKIRK AVENUE. THEY WILL ALSO RECALL THAT TINY LITTLE COTTAGE THAT WAS DIRECTLY NEXT DOOR WHICH WAS THE HOME OF DICK AND EDDIE PETERSON WHEN I WAS A BOY.....ALSO THE "AROUND THE CORNER" HOME OF THE FEEHAN FAMILY, WHO WERE AN INTEGRAL PART OF COLONIAL'S SPLENDID HISTORICAL HERITAGE. (AND WHO CAN FORGET "FREESIES" DELI ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIREHOUSE, NEXT TO THAT CONCRETE BELL TOWER THAT I THOUGHT WAS THE ARCH OF TRIUMPH WHEN I WAS A SECOND GRADER?)

1983: TOM GLOVER HISTORY OF COLONIAL VFD PART 1

THIS IS THE FIRE COMPANY OF MY YOUTH. AS I WROTE THIS COLUMN, I RECALLED THE NAMES OF MANY OF MY FRIENDS WHO WERE ACTIVE IN THE FIRE DEPT BACK IN THE MID 20TH CENTURY. THE LENHARDT FAMILY, THE FEEHANS, THE COSTIGAN BROTHERS, THE BADES, JESS ANDERSON, TOMMY ARGUST, ROCKY RANALLI, BERNICE CUNNINGHAM, PATTY AND CLIFF WILLEVER, AND I'M SURE MANY WHOSE NAMES ESCAPE ME AT THIS TIME.

SEE THE NEXT POST FOR PART 2 OF THIS COLUMN.

1983: TOM GLOVER HISTORY OF COLONIAL VFD COLUMN, PART 2