2010: COMING TO KUSER MANSION - SEPTEMBER 15TH

One of the sections of the Hamilton Library Local History Collection is a plethora (very large amount) of material on the Italian Americans in our area, and the Chambersburg area in particular. Check out the graphic and get your reservations in early. There could be a sizable turnout, and seating is limited.

1915: YARDVILLE'S W.H. MOUNT RETIRES AS LOCAL POSTMASTER

Along with Charles Comp, W.H. Mount and the Mount family are a very important part of the history of "Sand Hills." This interesting bit of local history makes a unique addition to the "YARDVILLE-YARDVILLE HEIGHTS" folder in the Hamilton Library Local History Collection.

1922: TRENTON ORTHOPEDIC HOSPITAL

From the "HOSPITALS" folder in the Hamilton Library Local History collection, this photo of the building that was to house the old Trenton Othopedic Hospital on Brunswick Avenue, just a short distance from the Battle Monument area.

1937: THIS ONE'S FOR YOU, RALPH LUCARELLA

As regular followers and visitors to this blog are well aware, "Local History With A Personal Touch" is proudly printed on the regular home page graphic when one clicks on www.glover320.blogspot.com. Even though it isn't on my current Kuser Park summer program, it will return when I change back to my regular home page graphics. The late Ralph Lucarella was a card-carrying member of "The Greatest Generation" who all of us love and respect. Ralph added immeasurably to the history listed on this blog with his retrospective looks back to his younger years as a local boy growing up in what was and still can be the greatest city in New Jersey.

"Lucarella Snares City Twilight 1st Half Batting Title With .500!"

1942: SONNY SAXTON AND TOMMY GLOVER

I colored the above formerrly gray scale photo using PhotoShop.

Over these many years, I have often recalled my years as a boy growing up during the "Great Depression." I was born in 1933, right in the cusp of that horrible economic disaster. The Glover family was hit very hard by that national economic disaster. The Glover family was on the "relief" rolls in Hamilton Township for a number of years, making weekly visits to Colonial Fire House on Liberty Street for our weekly "dole" of dried prunes, dried apples, flour, and other staples. By 1942, things were beginning to look up. Even though I was still wearing my older brother Bud's knickers as seen in the photo above, we were slowly moving into a more prosperous era. Re-telling these stories in my numerous public speaking programs, I have almost always had one or more of the attendees make the observation that we were poor, but didn't know it. How very true. When I think of how my mom had to eke out nutritious food for us with WWII rationing and the financial constraints we endured, a tear comes to my eyes.

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COMMENT FROM Ralph Lucarella:

WELL TOM, YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND ONLY GOD KNOWS HOW MANY OTHERS WENT THROUGH THAT SAME PERIOD. MY FATHER HELPED BUILD JUNIOR 2 WHILE WORKING FOR ONLY A FOOD ORDER. YOU CAN ONLY USE THAT PAYMENT FOR FOOD. SO THE ONLY OTHER MONEY CAME FROM RELIEF. NOT UNTIL MY DAD WENT BACK TO HIS REGULAR JOB WERE WE ABLE TO GET THINGS WE NEEDED. THAT LASTED FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS WHILE I WAS A TEENAGER. I NEVER HAD A BICYCLE OR A CHANCE TO PLAY AN INSTRUMENT, LIKE MY BROTHER. SO ALL I DID WAS PLAY BALL AT WETZEL FIELD. THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS HOW I WON THAT BATTING TITLE IN THE TWILIGHT LEAGUE IN 1937. BUT WE ENDURED, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE AND EVERYTHING WORKED OUT FINE IN THE LATTER YEARS.

BEST REGARDS.

1991: HAMILTON TOWNSHIP IN 1950

1950: I was 16 going on 17, had an unrequited crush on Madeline Bencivengo, Pat MacBean, Mary Pyrah, Shirley Gress, and quite a few others whose names escape me these many years later. Unlike many of my classmates, I wouldn't reach the golden age of 17 and a driver's license until September 29th of that year. As you might imagine from the article I wrote those many years ago, Hamilton Township was a very different place than the megalopolis of today. A ride down Route 33 to Betty and Bill's would take us by Orsi's applicance store at the corner of White Horse Mercerville Road and Route 33, the Moser farm across from Betty and Bill's and Cedar Gardens. Kuser Road was as two lane road with open fields interspersed with deep woods.

1866: DAILY TRUE AMERICAN PRO SOUTH, LATER ANTI SOUTH

From the "CIVIL WAR" folder in the Hamilton Local History collection, this interesting article from the State Gazette chastising the Daily True American of revisionist history; a 19th century of what we know of today as "flip-flopping!" The Gazette was a Republican paper and the True American favored the Democrats. At times the attacks on each paper could safely be called "vicious." Here the Daily State Gazette accuses the True American of being disingenuous in recounting which side of the war the editor was on. As a matter of interest, there were MANY folks north of the Mason-Dixon line who sympathized with the Confederate cause.
To add a bit of local color to this graphic, I have cut and pasted a few ads from the page on which this article was located.