1800's - 1900's:SEGREGATED TRENTON SCHOOLS

The history of the African-American community is and has been one of the subjects that has some very interesting historic facts. One of those subjects relates to the segregation of the African-American population not only nationwide, but locally here in the Trenton area. I have been researching material on local schools for a presentation for the Hamilton Township Historical Society which I will be making in the fall of this year. Along with such intriguing names as Friendship School, Edgebrook, etc. there are the schools which were set aside for the black children who lived in Trenton at the time. Thus far, I have found that there was a segregated school for the "colored" in the mid 1850's on Trenton's Hanover Street. Bellevue Avenue was originally known as Higbee Street. The teacher's log book shown above was from the time when the "Bellevue Avenue Public School" was located there. It is believed that this school was not a school for black students. The Lincoln School, then the Nixon School succeeded it and were schools for black children. Note that this is SPECULATION on my part, and subject to correction if someone should have information that will further enlighten those who are interested in researching the subject. 

 RALPH LUCARELLA said...

HEY MIKE, THIS IS RALPH, LETTING YOU KNOW I,M STILL AROUND. I'M GONNA BE 95 YEARS OLD IN AUGUST AND LIVING UP IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA. IT'S A CRIME THAT MY BROTHER CHUCK PASSED AWAY SO YOUNG OR ELSE HE WOULD HAVE GONE ON TO BE SOME DOCTOR. BASEBALL WAS THE BIG THING IN BOTH OUR LIVES UNTIL THINGS CHANGED ALL THAT. I OFTEN RECALL THE HAMILTON BOWLING LANES ON ROUTE 33 IN 1954 AND WHAT MY BROTHER LOU AND I DID WE WENT OUT TO INDIANAPOLIS IN 1948 TO SEE CHUCK HELP WIN THE AMERICAN LEGION WORLD SERIES. MAY GOD BLESS HIM AND MAY HE REST IN PEACE .

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

 

 Anonymous said...

Ralphie:

Glad to hear from you, and learn you are still with us.

Chuck was 2 years ahead of me in school, and I knew him as a super nice, and very accomplished guy.
I was in Jr. 4 when the Schroths won the championship. Ronnie Holford, Andy Greener and Gino Silvestro as I recall were his teamates. They too were friends of mine. I also knew his wife, and her twin sister.
All great people in a far better time of our country.
Where are you in No. Carolina. I'm in Virginia, about a half hour from the State line with NC.

Be well, and Cent Anni.

Mike Kuzma

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

 

1904: NURSERY CLUB FOR TRENTON'S LINCOLN SCHOOL

Apropos of Black History Month, this article from the growing "AFRICAN-AMERICAN" folder in the Local History Collection, this article detailing the activities of the Lincoln School Nursery which was founded by the parents in the original Lincoln School when it was located on Bellevue Avenue.

1924: THE NEW LINCOLN SCHOOL FOR "NEGRO CHILDREN"

Segregation was alive and well back in the roaring 20's. This interesting article along with a very poor copy of an engraving of the school which was located on North Montgomery street in Trenton.

Tom,

Happy New Year.

I like your post on the Lincoln School, later to become Jr. #5. I started Jr. 5 in 1948 and P.J. Hill was Principal.

To read the description from the news article I could picture the inside all over again. The biggest change is that the first floor class rooms had no direct door to the outside.

Noel

1945: LINCOLN SCHOOL TRENTON NJ BECOMES JUNIOR 5

Did you know that along with Junior 1, Junior 2, Junior 3 and Junior 4, there was a Junior 5? It was located on North Montgomery street and I suspect near the canal. I did a bit of digging and found that the newspapers of the day were placing the actual location on North Montgomery and Holland Street. I find no record of Holland Street in the area of North Montgomery in early maps of the area. Perhaps a visitor can enlighten us as to the location of the building. 
Unfortunately, the graphic showing the impressive structure which is at the top of the graphic above, is a faded black and white scan, devoid of any real detail which you are accustomed to seeing on this blog. 

Tom,

I went to Junior 5 starting in 1947. I lived on Clay Street and walked up Mercer to Montgomery to Jr 5 midblock between Holland and Princeton Ave. I believe Blakeley Laundry was next door to the school. PJ Hill was the principal and Mr. Bozo my HR teacher.I have many good memories of good old Junior 5.

Noel Goeke

Tom,

I attended Junior High #5, having survived McKinley Elementary, from Sept of '54 until June of 1957. It was indeed on North Montgomery but I don't recall the cross street. It was on the right side of N. Montgomery headed north. P.J. Hill was the principal when I attended. Many fine memories from those long ago days.

Warren Rue 

THANKS TO NOEL AND WARREN FOR ADDING THEIR EXPERIENCES TO THIS POST. 
 

1938: "SEPARATE BUT EQUAL"

HERE'S A CLASS PHOTO OF LINCOLN SCHOOL'S CLASS OF 1938. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO REALIZE THAT WE IN THE TRENTON-MERCER AREA HAD A SCHOOL DEVOTED TO EDUCATING THE BLACK COMMUNITY. THE ORIGINAL LINCOLN SCHOOL WAS LOCATED ON HIGBEE STREET, WHICH WOULD ULTIMATELY BECOME BELLEVUE AVENUE. THANKS TO ONE OF MY FAVORITE VISITORS, TOM REED, I RECEIVED AN EMAIL ADVISING ME THAT THE PHOTO ABOVE IS THE LATER LINCOLN SCHOOL IN NORTH TRENTON IN THE BATTLE MONUMENT AREA, BELIEVED TO HAVE ULTIMATELY BECOME "JUNIOR 1." THANKS TOM. GET BACK TO ME AND LET ME KNOW IF I AM CORRECT IN IDENTIFYING THE BUILDING IN THE BACKGROUND AS JUNIOR ONE.

1929: Trenton's Lincoln School Class of 1929

From the "AFRICAN-AMERICAN" and "LINCOLN SCHOOL" folders in the Hamilton Library's local history collection comes this article listing the recipients of various honors for Lincoln's class of 1920. Genealogists will probably find this listing of names of interest in their research.