SORRY FOR THE INACTIVITY

All our visitors are probably wondering why the inactivity on this website over the past few weeks. The summer doldrums along with personal health issues between my wife Judy and I has commanded much of my time. We are slowly coming back to normal, and you will once again see interesting historic posts here. Sorry for the delay caused by hypothyroidism (under active thyroid on my part) and poor circulation on Judy's side of the ledger. The former "hype" is apparently under control, and the latter is being treated with a future visit to a specialist.

In the meantime, here's a photo that will be familiar to many of us old timers who remember Ward Avenue before it was re-routed and a dog leg added.

1986: NOTTINGHAM WAY AND CRESCENT AVENUE

This photo was lifted from the 1986 Hamilton Township map which Hamilton citizens receive each year. Former Mayor Jack Rafferty and his team had a very avid interest in local history. Jack Rafferty is an expert on Pre-Columbian artifacts, and has acquired countless relics from the former inhabitants of the area down by the Hamilton marshes, also known as the area which was formerly the Conrad Abbott estate. Were it not for Jack Rafferty, there would be no "Local History Collection" at the Hamilton Library. Were it not for former Councilman and friend Jack Lacy, there would be no Tom Glover connection with the Hamilton Township Public Library. It was Jack Lacy who spoke with the powers that be back in the early 90's to add me to the Hamilton Library staff.

1913: ORIGIN OF LOCAL STREET NAMES

From the "STREETS, ROADS, HIGHWAY" folder in the Hamilton Local History Collection, this
interesting look at the origin of local area streets. Note that Hamilton Township and other outlying "suburban" areas are not mentioned. Back when this article was published, Bromley, Cedar Lawn, Oldenhurst, Homedell, and other developments were beginning to change the face of Hamilton and Hamilton street names were in the distant future.

Thanks to Ralph Lucarella for the following comment regarding street names:

Tom: Referring to street names, in the Mercerville area, dating from the 1940s, my friend Bill Pintinelli developed most of the area and chose the names. He named one after himself, Pintinelli Drive. a lot of the others after members of his family. I lived on Nancy Dr. for awhile and then there's Alton Rd and many others. Bill, Joe Kisak and Art Billingham were the group that were mostly involved in that developement. Regards.

Tom,
I grew up on Donald Drive in Hamilton Twp. According to my parents, it was originally Cypress Street and was changed to Donald Drive after Donald Caldwell who I believe died in WWII. Caldwell was already taken, so it was decided to call it Donald Drive. I have no knowledge as to the connection to that area of the township.
Susan Layton Wood

MANY THANKS FOR THAT INFORMATION, SUSAN. IT'S LITTLE "ASIDES" LIKE THESE THAT ADD AN ADDITIONAL PIECE TO THE HISTORY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. I HAD NEVER HEARD THE STORY OF DONALD CALDWELL.

1937: SOUTH OLDEN AVENUE EXTENSION

Even as there was a North Olden Avenue Extension, so too was there a South Olden Avenue Extension. During the depression, my father was one of the WPA workers who worked on that road as it meandered out to White Horse. Forest Valley was a very dark and isolated area when I was a young man. In fact, on those nights when I walked to Hamilton High School for the Saturday night Canteens, I would rather have taken a short cut through St. Mary's Cemetery than traverse the spooky and lonely Olden Avenue route.

1937: ROAD WORK ON CASS STREET

HOW I LOVE THESE ROAD, STREET, AND TOWN VIEWS. THIS ONE FROM THE "TRENTON, VIEWS OF" FOLDER SHOWS A VERY DIFFERENT CASS STREET THESE 71 YEARS LATER!

ATKINS AVENUE: DATE UNKNOWN, BUT EARLY; CIRCA 1931

THESE ARE THE TYPES OF PHOTOGRAPHS I LOVE. ATKINS AVENUE IS A SIDE STREET THAT RUNS INTO SOUTH OLDEN AVENUE ONE BLOCK SOUTH FROM CEDAR LANE. A LANDMARK IS FUCELLO'S MUFFLER SHOP WHICH IS ON THE CORNER OF ATKINS AND SOUTH OLDEN AVENUE. THE PHOTO SHOWS ATKINS AS A DIRT ROAD. THE BUNGALOW IN THE FOREGROUND (LEFT) IS AT THE CORNER OF SYLVAN AVENUE AND ATKINS. PLAAG'S GROVE IS "CATTY CORNER." STRAIGHT AHEAD IS NEWKIRK AVENUE AND KUSER FARM IN THE DISTANCE. THANKS TO MS. LINDA TAYLOR FOR THE PHOTO.

1930: PAVING ROADS IN THE HAMILTON AREA

WHEN THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN, WHITE HORSE-MERCERVILLE ROAD WAS A TWO LANE HIGHWAY SURROUNDED BY FARMS ON ALL SIDES.

1930: HAMILTON'S ROADS NEED ATTENTION

THE PERIOD IN WHICH THIS ROAD AND HIGHWAY PROBLEM OCCURRED IN HAMILTON IS NOT UNLIKE TODAY WHEN FINANCIAL TIMES ARE TRULY DIFFICULT. THE DEPRESSION WAS UPON US AND AMERICA WAS IN A FINANCIAL CRISIS. THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION (WPA) WAS CREATED BY THE ROOSEVELT ADMINISTRATION. THERE ARE NUMEROUS REFERENCES TO THE WPA WORKERS RESURFACING NUMEROUS HAMILTON ROADS, GIVING FINANCIAL AID TO VICTIMS OF THE DEPRESSION. THE WPA WORKERS GAVE THE TOWNSHIP INEXPENSIVE LABOR IN RETURN FOR GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT.

1934: FLOODING IN HAMILTON

FROM THE HAMILTON LIBRARY'S LOCAL HISTORY FOLDER, "STREETS, ROADS, HIGHWAYS" COMES THIS PHOTO SHOWING THE INTERSECTION OF BERG AND LIDA STREET. THIS DEVASTATING FLOOD WIPED OUT MANY AREAS. THE SOUTH TRENTON AREA WAS ESPECIALLY HARD HIT AS ILLUSTRATED ELSEWHERE ON MY SITE.

1930: HAMILTON ROADS, HAMILTON POLICE, TOWNSHIP MATTERS

HERE'S A LOOK AT HAMILTON'S GOVERNMENT BACK IN MARCH, 1930. ONE OF THE SUBJECTS DISCUSSED WAS THE PURCHASE OF CINDERS, PROBABLY TO BE USED FOR ROAD REPAIRS.

1947: The White Horse Circle

CHECK OUT THE DISINTEGRATING WHITE HORSE TAVERN! I WAS ONLY 14 WHEN THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN, BUT I SURE WOULD HAVE FOUGHT "TOOTH AND NAIL" TO PRESERVE THAT HISTORIC OLD STRUCTURE IF I HAD ANY COMMUNITY INFLUENCE BACK IN THOSE YEARS WHEN HAMILTON HAD A COMMITTEE FORM OF GOVERNMENT. WE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF OURSELVES FOR FAILING TO PRESERVE THAT HISTORIC BUILDING!

This was the way the circle was back in the 40's and early 50's as Don Slabicki, Jess Anderson and I came back to Hamilton from a trip to "Hamburger Heaven" in Bordentown, or perhaps a visit to Millside Farms down in Burlington County for one of their notorious "Banana Boats!" Hang a right at the circle as you exit Route 206, and then a left as you enter South Broad Street, and you will get a chance to stop in at "Scotty's;" a favorite Hamilton High hangout for my generation. Point of interest: Did Scotty's have a fountain....milk shakes, cokes, etc.?

1935: South Broad Street Hamilton Township

Back in the latter part of the 19th century, prominent and affluent landowners like "Kedsie" Rowan, James Rusling, and E. Willey had the section of South Broad Street from Liberty Street to White Horse widened to a 100 foot wide boulevard. The widened road is very obvious even today as one drives out of Trenton on South Broad Street at the intersection of Liberty Street.

1950's; Hamilton Avenue Greenhouses

The photo indicates that the greenhouses were those of Frenking, the Florist. I have since found that this is not the case. The photo indicating it as the home of "Frenking the Florist" is in error.
This photo brings back many, many memories of my teen years. Down the street was the home of my childhood buddy, Jesse Anderson who lived in a little cottage on Ward Avenue. Carl DeAngelo's Del Rio was also in the neighborhood, and Carl had a huge round oak table reserved for me and my buddies where he dubbed us the "Knights of the Round Table." We met there nearly every night after taking our dates home.