1937: A NIGHT OUT IN THE 1930's

Even in the depths of the Great Depression, local folks found time to lose their troubles for a night out. Perhaps for a dinner few hours at the movies.

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SJBill said...

(Upper right corner of the ad) The Ewing Riding Club was in operation back in the late 60s - early 70s. The bar-restaurant was not of high quality, but it was a cheap venue for hosting gatherings following road rallies and such. We once used the pay-phone booth to hook up a phone modem to a time-share computer which gave us "instant" scoring for each of the rally competitors (the code was written in Basic, and I believe this was a historic "first"). The bar out back was still open late in the night after we "closed" places like Murphy's Chuckwagon (I was still single then!). A greatplace to get that last "Seven & Seven". IRRC the Riding Club was out on Bear Tavern Road (on the way to Harbourton) near the small circle in the road.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

1934: FROM THE "RESTAURANTS - EATERIES" FOLDER

Most Americans were still in the throes of the Great Depression. Even so, many found the time to take a Saturday night fling and go out dining and dancing at one of the many venues available. I find these advertisements to be a fascinating look back at the Trenton area of my mother and father's day. Should this blog survive the years long after I have gone to my reward, I believe succeeding generations will also find these ads to be of historic interest.

Ralph Lucarella said...

HI TOM....NOT ONLY WERE MOST DINNERS 25 CENTS BUT SOME PLACES WERE OFFERING CHICKEN DINNERS FOR FREE. I WAS JUST A TEENAGER IN 1937 BUT WENT TO THESE RESTAURANTS WITH MY OLDER FRIENDS FOR THE FOOD. IT MAY HAVE BEEN A PERIOD OF GREAT DEPRESSION BUT THERE WERE MANY CAFES AROUND TO VISIT. BEST REGARDS.

Saturday, March 05, 2011 JoeZ said... Tom: Love these ads not only for the entertainment that was held but the food and liquor prices mentioned. Unbelievable.

Monday, March 07, 2011

1936: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Many of the eateries, saloons,bars, and restaurants in the above graphic are no longer with us. However, it's fun to look over the list and the depression era prices for a night that I always stayed up to experience.....uhh, wait, let me expand on that statement. I loved to welcome in the New Year with Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians, and that old New Years eve standard, "Should Auld Acquaintance be forgot." I abandoned ship when they decided to bring in Dick Clark, did away with that "treacly" (sugary, syrupy)  music, and decided we all wanted a "Rockin' New Years Eve." No thanks, I'll pass on that privilege. I prefer that treacly, syrupy music instead raucous noise.

1934: HOLIDAY LIESURE - TRENTON, CHRISTMAS 1934

Sorry folks, but I am addicted to these ads which list some of the places my Mom and Dad and other of my relatives and friends attended back when the city of Trenton and environs were far different from today. A large beer for a dime, a turkey or steak dinner for a quarter, Ravioli and meat balls at Casa Nova for another quarter, and the beat went on! We were in the depth of the Great Depression and even with those incredibly low prices, many families could ill afford an evening out. Poverty was rampant.

JoeZ said...

Tom these are the greatest, can not believe the prices only if they would come but once a year now. I show these to the younger people I work with who can't believe these are real.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Tom Glover said...

ME EITHER, JOE. A QUARTER WENT A LONG WAY. BUT I REMEMBER HOW MY MOM AND DAD HAD TO STRUGGLE TO MAKE THE 27.00 A MONTH PAYMENT ON OUR HOUSE. BY THE WAY, THEY PURCHASED THAT DUPLEX ON HARTLEY AVENUE WITH A HAND SHAKE. MRS. GRITZNER OF LAWRENCEVILLE WAS THE OWNER. SHE OFFERED THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DUPLEX FOR AN EXTRA 1,000 DOLLARS BUT MY DAD COULDN'T AFFORD THE EXTRA AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THE MONTHLY PAYMENT. TOM GLOVER

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Ralph Lucarella said...

HI TOM....I'D LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT MY FATHER WORKED ON THE JUNIOR 2 PROJECT IN THE 30'S FOR NOTHING BUT A FOOD ORDER AND I WAS ON THE NYA WORKING FOR $18 A MONTH. MY FATHER LOST THE HOUSE ON BERT AVE. AND BOUGHT A HOUSE ON FRANKLIN ST. FOR $1,800 WITH THE MONEY THE GOVERMENT PAID HIM ON THE FORECLOSURE. SO YOU SEE, THOSE PRICES ABOVE REFLECT THE CONDITIONS THAT EXISTED AT THE TIME AND WE MADE THE BEST OF IT. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Mack said...

Hi Tom:) These listings are some of my favorite posts of yours:) I would never know these things about the former names of the local taverns/eateries without them. Marvelous!!:)

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

GLAD YOU LIKE THEM, MACK. I ALSO LOVE TO RE-FORMAT THE PAGE AND POST THEM. THERE WILL BE MORE AS THE SEASON CHANGES. STAY TUNED. AND RALPH, AN INTERESTING STORY ON JUNIOR 2 AND THE HOME FORECLOSURE. CAN YOU IMAGING BUYING A HOUSE FOR A LITTLE UNDER $2,000?

TOM

1940: POPULAR LOCAL EATERIES AND OTHER DESTINATIONS

1940: LONDON WAS BEING BOMBED ON A DAILY BASIS. OVER HERE, AMERICA WAS GETTING READY FOR THE INEVITABLE WAR AS THE STORMY WAR CLOUDS GATHERED. IN OUR LOCAL AREA, MOMS AND DADS WERE BECOMING APPREHENSIVE AS THE PROSPECTS OF THEIR SONS GOING TO THAT INEVITABLE WAR LOOMED EVER CLOSER. HOWEVER, LEISURE ACTIVITIES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A SAFE HAVEN FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO DINE AND DANCE AND ENJOY A FEW HOURS AWAY FROM THE EVERYDAY CONFLICTS OF THE WORLD. THE ADVERTISERS IN THE ABOVE GRAPHIC PROVIDED THAT ESCAPE. EVEN BACK THEN THERE WAS A PROLIFERATION OF NIGHTSPOTS AND RESTAURANTS IN CHAMBERSBURG. CHECK 'EM OUT.

Mack said...

Hi Tom:) I love when you do these as I often discover new names of places. This is the first time I ever saw 559 Emory (Emory Cafe in my day) called "Persi's Tap Room" for example:)

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Ralph Lucarella said...

HI TOM....I NEVER REALIZED WE HAD THAT MANY PLACES TO SPEND A NIGHT OUT IN THOSE DAYS. AND DID YOU NOTICE THOSE PRICES FOR FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT. HOW COULD ANYONE QUESTION THE FACT THAT WE WERE NOT MUCH BETTER OFF THEN. BEST REGARDS

Thursday, October 28, 2010

1941: Remember "Anything May Happen?"

"Anything May Happen" was an annual affair conducted by the

officers of the Trenton Police PBA.

It is speculation on my part, but I would guess that those very popular

fundraisers were discontinued in the 1950's.

1931: SUMMER OF '31

CARNIVALS, CONCERTS, MOVIES, DANCES......THINGS HAVEN'T CHANGED THAT MUCH OVER THESE 77 YEARS. THERE'S AN AD FOR THE LATE, LAMENTED WOODLAWN POOL WHICH IS PRETTY CLOSE TO MY BACK YARD, ALSO THE CONCERTS AT CADWALADER PARK WERE EXTREMELY POPULAR. 1931 WAS TWO YEARS INTO THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND TIMES WERE REALLY ROUGH BACK THEN.

1946: BEFORE TELEVISION CAME ON THE SCENE

THESE KIDS FROM THE "BURG" ARE HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME AT A COLUMBUS PARK DANCE PARTY. NOTE THAT BOTH VERY YOUNG AND OLDER ADULTS ARE JOINING IN THE FUN.

1946: CARNIVALS: THOSE WERE THE DAYS

THE PAGES OF THE PAST ARE FILLED WITH CARNIVALS ALL OVER THE MERCER COUNTY AREA. HERE'S AN INTERESTING ONE WHERE THE GUYS AND GALS AT THE RUSLING AND WHITE HORSE VFD COMPANYS JOINED FORCES AND HELD THEIR CARNIVAL IN DE COU VFD'S AREA. THANKFULLY OUR OWN ST. GREGORY THE GREAT PARISH IS KEEPING THE FLAME BURNING WITH THEIR ANNUAL AND VERY SUCCESSFUL SUMMER CARNIVALS. FOR MANY YEARS WHEN I WAS A PARISHIONER AT ST. ANTHONY PARISH, I WAS THE "BILLY BIGELOW" BARKER AT OUR ANNUAL CARNIVAL. AS ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN CARNIVAL WORK WILL ATTEST, IT IS A GREULING ORDEAL; HOT HUMID NIGHTS, UN-EXPECTED PROBLEMS AND IN THE CASE OF ST. ANTHONY, ONE OF THE REASONS CARNIVALS WERE DISPENSED WITH: TROUBLE MAKERS WHO ARE THERE ONLY TO START FIGHTS. A TIP OF THE HAT TO ALL THOSE LOYAL ST. GREG'S PARISHIONERS WHO GIVE SO UN-SELFISHLY OF THEMSELVES EVERY YEAR!

1936 Delaware River at the Foot of Cliff Street

When I was a boy in the 1940's, the Delaware River was a very popular swimming spot. Here are lifeguards practicing their craft and keeping up with the latest in lifesaving apparatus.

WHITE CITY - HAMILTON'S "CONEY ISLAND"