2010: FAREWELL GEORGE, YOU WERE THE BEST

Hamilton Township has lost a legendary member of "The Greatest Generation" in the passing of former Hamilton Police Chief George Zimmer. As can be seen in the obit from this morning's TIMES, Zimmer was also a hero of WWII. You will be missed, sir; you and your family are in our prayers.

1906: HAMILTON'S HISTORIC ANDERSON FAMILY FARM (BROMLEY)

I am researching the evolution of the neighborhoods in Hamilton Township and in that research I am coming up with very interesting material which points to the true rural character that was once the location of huge farms. Right now I am looking for a very elusive subject: The Anderson Farm, which goes back to Revolutionary War years. I have found that the Anderson Farm homestead was located in the area of today's Atlantic and Greenwood Avenueand that the Anderson Farm extended all the way to Greenwood Cemetery; mute testimony to the size of these local farms. 

vicki said...

I hope you can come up with more information please! This was my Great Grandparents Family. There must be old maps in the survey office maybe?

Monday, April 11, 2011

      vicki said...decendants?

      1860 United States Federal Census about James Anderson
Name: James Anderson ge in 1860: 62
Birth Year: about 1798
Birthplace: New Jersey
Home in 1860: Hamilton, Mercer, New Jersey
Gender: Male
Post Office: Trenton
Household Members:
James Anderson 62
Thirza Anderson 55
Hezekiah A Anderson 35
Matilda Anderson 33
Adaline A Anderson 31
Mary J Anderson 29
Caroline Anderson 26
Aaron Anderson 24
Ellen A Anderson 22
Charles C Anderson 20
George A Anderson 19
Thirza Anderson 17
Louisa R Anderson 13
Phebe C Allen sister of Thirza 52
There were more Anderson's in Hamilton also: Original Farm Sold in 1874 eventually to Greenwood Cemetery Assn.

Hi Vicki: Many thanks for the interesting addition to the Anderson family. My home lies within a city block of where the original Anderson homestead originally stood in the area of Woodlawn Avenue. My research indicates that the farm extended all the way from just over the Trenton border, (today's North and South Logan Avenue) all the way to Greenwood Cemetery; a huge plot of land. As to a map, if you find one, I would love to know about it. I have been searching for years.Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope you return often. If I find additional information on the Andersons, I will post it.

Tom Glover

1928: HAMILTON TOWNSHIP POLICE GET A RAISE

Then as now, the men in blue earn every single penny doing their job. That job can vacillate from pleasant to tragic in the blink of an eye. Crime, fatal traffic and other assorted accidents, public mistrust in some citizens, complete trust in others, all go together to make up the career of our men in blue. The graphic above is from the early years of the Hamilton Township Police Department which was formally organized in 1928.

1994: HAMILTON POLICE OFFICERS KIWANIS VEST FUND

The Hamilton Policemen received protective vests thanks to the community outreach of our local Kiwanis Club. There's Hamilton Officer Mike Kelvy in the photo. Mike's Dad was a classmate of mine the the class of ;51 at Hamilton High. Mike was also the very capable Hamilton officer who covered my area of Bromley a number of years ago.

1909: HAMILTON POLICE GET A RAISE

Let me see if I got this right: $1,000 appropriated for the Hamilton Township Police Department by the Hamilton Township Committee..... Wow! With four districts.....let me see....Hmmmm. $250 for each district! What will they do with all that money?

1981: HAMILTON'S FINEST "ON THE RANGE"

What an interesting photo! Can any visitor tell me where the range is located, and is it still in operation?

1927: Hamilton Police Joins the PBA

I have been looking for definitive information on the local press coverage of the formal establishment of the Hamilton Township Police Department. This graphic from 1927 indicates that the new department was formally announced in June, 1927. I'm looking.

1973: HAMILTON'S FINEST RECEIVE CITATIONS

I published the photo above a day or so ago, without the article I subsequently found from Mayor Maury Perilli's column on the heroic policemen who were honored back in 1973. Herewith an updated post giving those Hamilton men in blue the recognition they reserve, and preserving it for posterity. As my calling card states,

"Digitizing Local History, One Page at a Time!"

1973: HAMILTON POLICE OFFICERS RECEIVE CITATIONS

Whenever our men and women in blue are mentioned in the local press, it is usually in a negative situation. It's refreshing to uncover a photo of the guys above as they receive well-deserved thanks from Hamilton Township for their collective parts in fighting crime in our area. How familar those names are! Al Varga, a long time family friend, Bob Mohr is a Bromleyite. Bob's sister Lois was in Hamilton High's Class of '51 with me. Everybody knows Pete Schroeder, who went on to be a very popular "officer friendly." Officer Richard Taylor went on to become Hamilton's Chief, and of course, who could forget a dear friend, Maury Perilli.

1986: NEW POLICE OFFICERS SWORN IN

Hamilton received an influx of cash in the form of the "Safe Streets" grant from the state of New Jersey.

1988: PROMOTIONS AT THE HAMILTON P.D.

HERE'S A GOLDEN OLDIE FOR ALL OF YOU LOCAL HISTORY BUFFS OUT THERE. HOW WE HAVE AGED!

HERE'S A GOLDEN OLDIE FOR ALL OF YOU LOCAL HISTORY BUFFS OUT THERE. HOW WE HAVE AGED!

YOU WILL NOTE THAT MANY OF MY RECENT POSTS COME WITH CREDIT DUE TO "THE JACK LACY COLLECTION." JACK WAS THE PUBLISHER OF THE MERCER MESSENGER WAY BACK IN THE MID 80'S WHEN I WAS WRITING "THE WAY WE WERE." JACK DONATED HIS COLLECTION OF MERCER MESSENGERS TO THE HAMILTON LIBRARY'S LOCAL HISTORY COLLECTION. ALONG WITH EXISTING COPIES IN MY COLLECTION AND THE LIBRARY'S FILES, THERE ARE ENOUGH HISTORIC ARTICLES AND PHOTOS TO LAST FOR MANY YEARS. THANKS, JACK!

THANKS, JACK!

1989: New Chevy "Caprices'" for the Hamilton Police

Back in the 40's, Hamilton had "black and whites" as they do today. I also remember when the Hamilton police cars were red. Here we see the "new" Chevys outside of the police headquarters on White Horse-Mercerville Road.

1987: SWEARING IN NEW POLICE OFFICERS

HERE WE SEE THE INDUCTION OF ADDITIONAL MEMBERS OF "HAMILTON'S FINEST." AS I RECALL, OFFICER LISA GEMMEL WAS THE FIRST FEMALE OFFICER ON THE FORCE.

1987: SIX NEW HAMILTON TOWNSHIP POLICE OFFICERS

Here they are, Hamilton's new inductees into the "Men (and women) in Blue" fraternity. As I recall officer Lisa Gemmel was the first female officer on Hamilton's force. The original photo identified Timothy Wilkes as "Wikes;" I assumed that was an error and corrected it. If I am in error, please let me know and I will revert back to "Wikes."

1934: HAMILTON POLICE PBA BANQUET

CHIEF BRETELL, WALT METZGER, TOM SIMPSON: ALL VERY FAMILIAR NAMES TO THOSE OF US WHO GO BACK 60 AND 70 YEARS IN HAMILTON.

1929: HAMILTON MOTORCYCLE POLICE OFFICERS

HERE'S AN INTERESTING EXTRACT FROM THE VERY LONG PANORAMIC PHOTO FROM THE 1929 DEDICATION OF THE NEW HAMILTON TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL BUILDING AT 2090 GREENWOOD AVENUE. WOULDN'T IT BE NICE TO SEE A LARGER NUMBER OF MOTORCYCLE OFFICERS ON THE STREETS DURING THE WARMER WEATHER? I WOULD THINK THAT THEIR PRESENCE WOULD ALLOW FOR FAR MORE MOBILITY THAN A CLOSED SQUAD CAR. UNFORTUNATELY THE MUNICIPAL BUDGET AND LACK OF MANPOWER PRECLUDES THAT STRATEGY. NOTE THE RUSLING HOSE MODEL "T" FIRE TRUCK.

1988: MARLA HELPS TO SPRUCE UP SAFETY TOWN

TYPICAL OF ALL HAMILTON HORNETS, MARLA BASZCZOWSKI GIVES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.

1988: TWENTY YEARS AGO!

CHIEF GEORGE ZIMMER, LT. GEORGE ZIMMER, LT. TOM BUCCA.....HOW FAMILIAR THESE NAMES!

1927: HAMILTON TOWNSHIP TO FORM A POLICE DEPARTMENT

HERE'S A SCAN OF A 1927 ORDINCE TO ESTABLISH A POLICE DEPARTMENT IN HAMILTON. IN EARLIER YEARS, HAMILTON DEPENDED ON CONSTABLES TO INFORCE THE LAW.

1944: DUCK ISLAND MURDERS

THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE NUMEROUS DUCK ISLAND MURDERS WHICH ONCE TOOK PLACE ALONG THAT LONELY STRETCH OF LAMBERTON STREET IN SOUTH TRENTON WHERE LOVERS FOUND A SECLUDED PARKING PLACE.