1978: TRENTON LOSING FACTORIES

There were a number of reasons why Trenton lost so many factories and businesses over the last 50 years of residing in Trenton. Cheaper labor wages and sometimes better tax relief from southern and other states, imports, and civil strife all came together and in my opinion (and mine alone) the exodus began.

1845: TRENTON MACHINE WORKS

Back in the early 1950's when I was a newly hired driver for my dead end job at the bearing company, one of my frequent deliveries was to the old New Jersey Agricultural Works facility on Hamilton Avenue at the railroad crossing. It wasn't until I un-covered the graphic above that I learned that there was a connection of the R. Butterworth's Trenton Machine Works and the aforementioned N.J. Agricultural Works. The era of flat belt driven overhead "line shafts" was on its way out and babbitted bearings were being replaced with ball and roller bearing pillow blocks. All of which brings me to a very poignant observation: One's memory only needs a slight gleam of recognition to bring into focus a subject that has been heretofore completely buried deeply within my memory bank; in this case, the New Jersey Agricultural Works Hamilton Avenue facility. .

1935: STAR PORCELAIN PICNIC

I was only 2 years old, so obviously was not among those who "snuck" in as we used to say about gaining entrance to Hamilton's Plagg's Grove. Had this picnic been held 10 years later, I would be you would have seen me and many of my childhood buddies who always managed to gain access to the picnic area via a secret entrance we we made in the old corrugated steel fence that surrounded the area. Interestingly, I see a Joseph Geraci in the photo. I was in "Kay's Follies" when I was in the St. Joachim/St. Anthony PTA vaudeville group. Joe Geraci (Jr.) was our talented choreographer.