1952 TO 2014: MERCERVILLE'S NORTH HAMILTON AVENUE

 Here we have a splendid example of how a neighborhood changes over 60-plus years. You are at the intersection of Nottingham Way, Hamilton Avenue and North Hamilton Avenue and heading toward Mercerville's "five points." Ironically two of the cars in the photo, the 1940 Nash on the far left, and the Hudson in the foreground were the two auto marques that I lusted for back in 1952 when I was a young driver. However, the budget only allowed for the $25 1937 Ford "Business Coupe" that I bought from a guy in Morrisville.

1971: DISASTER IN MERCERVILLE: UNION METHODIST CHURCH EXPLOSION

 

I remember this disaster quite well. I had just passed the area on Quaker Bridge Road perhaps a half hour prior to the explosion as I was on my way to my New Brunswick office. One of my work mates was Al Tobias who lived on Holt Avenue, mere streets away from the explosion. It was the talk of the town way back there 42 years ago. How time has flown; it seems like just a few years ago. The church was rebuilt in the beautiful edifice on Paxon Avenue off Edinburg Road.

1936: THE MERCERVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE CO.

I will be retrieving all the Mercerville VFD articles and columns on this site and posting them in another lengthwise "photo album. Above is one I just discovered in a 1936 Trenton Evening Times newspaper.

1950's: HOW RURAL WERE WE? LET ME COUNT THE WAYS!

It is nearly impossible for the younger generation to understand how very rural Hamilton Township was just 50 short years ago. Anywhere you drove, north, south, east or west, as you left any of our local neighborhoods and ventured out into "the country," you would see fields of corn, alfalfa, and other expansive farms. Can you even try to consider today's intersection with Youngs Road and the photo above? Mind boggling!

WHOA; LOOK AT ROUTE 33 WAY BACK WHEN!

I must have spent the better part of an hour trying to place this early photo of one of Hamilton's busiest intersections. The little house on the right doesn't seen to appear as I traversed the intersection via Google Earth. The cyclone link fence on the right completely mystifies me, as does the road sign which is out of focus. Is it pointing to Mercerville and 5 points, or is it pointing to White Horse and points south. Hopefully there will be another Ralph Lucarella guy (or Ralph himeself) who can help with this, as the sign says, "DANGEROUS INTERSECTION;" No traffic lights at this busy intersection back then. Speculation invited.
As an interesting aside, I and my teen age buddies traveled this road countless times back in the late 1940's and early 50's as we drove to Betty and Bill's drive in restaurant across from the Mozer farm on Route 33. My mind is a blank. We took this intersection for granted as always being familiar.

1940: BERNIE'S HEALTH CENTER

Of course, this graphic would make you wonder if there is a relationship with today's locally noted bicycle shop on Route 33 in Mercerville. Perhaps someone who knows Bernie's family can tell us about this interesting establishment.

1964: HAMILTON MOVES FROM RURAL TO METROPOLITAN

The "MERCERVILLE" folder in the local history collection houses this 48 year old photo above which shows one of Hamilton's busiest intersections as it looked way back in 1964. I remember commuting to New Brunswick to my dead end bearing company job and encountering that dangerous
"five points" as it is commonly known. Clearly seen in the photo is Bill's Olde Tavern, and and Esso gas station where the current Trent Jewelers is located. Wow, how time has flown!

REED'S PRIDE CIGAR BOX FROM I.W. READ MERCERVILLE

This delightful relic of the past could very well have resided on the shelves of the Hooper-Chamberlain-McCabe general Store back in the early 20th century. It is a beautiful relic of the past and holds a special place in the Hamilton Township Public Library Local History Collection.

1934: SANDTOWN'S WHIPPING POST

That image of a public whipping at an old fashioned whipping post was borrowed from an old image I found in one of my tattered news clippings. It's difficult to imagine a public whipping, however back in the 19th century, public whipping was a common event as was public execution by hanging. Note the reference to the Sandtown school house. This would be the original one room school and was located on Quaker Bridge Road where the Methodist Church which was demolished in a gas explosion in the 1970's was located.

1919: MERCERVILLE'S "MERCER MANOR"

In and article I wrote some 20 years ago, during the years when I was suggesting that Hamilton Township was woefully inadequate in recording and appreciating its historic heritage. It seemed that all history revolved around Hamilton Square, and the only reliable source of history originated in the West family of Hamilton Square. As a result, very little was ever written about Yardville, Edgebrook, Deutzville, Bromley, Groveville, White Horse and all the farm land in between. Thanks to former mayor Jack Rafferty, Joe Bellina, and Maurice "Mo" Rossi, they were sold on Tom Glover's concept of at least starting a recorded history of the township. I suggested to the gentlemen that the historic John Abbott II house, the Watson House, the Isaac Pearson house, and other COLONIAL historic spots in Hamilton were important, but not all history involved the colonial experience. What about the evolution of Hamilton to a burgeoning megalopolis? What about the beginnings of Bromley, the McGalliard family, the antiquity of Groveville, etc.?
To make a long story short, I found that I was really preaching to the choir. Jack Rafferty is and always was very interested in local history. As a result, I have been zealously building a comprehensive digital and physical database of Hamilton and little recognized material from the surrounding areas of Hamilton. The project is a lifetime project and will continue for generations to come.

Mack said...
"Mercer Manor" is where I live. Many of the streets named after members of president Wilsons administration.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

1987: TOM GLOVER ON MERCERVILLE SCHOOL

This year of 2011 will mark the 30th year I have been writing history and nostalgia for the local press. When I began writing in 1981 for the Mercer Messenger, I carefully piled each and every column in a box for storage. It wasn't too long before I realized that saving those columns was not practical and I abandoned the project. However, I have access to most of my past columns and will post some of them from a stack that is in my collection. These columns were written before I acquired a computer, and were transcribed from my old yellow lined paper, then typed into manuscript form, and hand-carried to Wayne Davis, my Messenger Editor at the Route 33 office in Mercerville. 

As I read these old columns, I realize that the transcribed information I recorded from the millions of pages in my Trenton newspaper collection, along with my friend and then-Superintendent Al DeMartin's, generous loan of the Hamilton Township Board of Education's meeting minutes, have combined to record little known history which is interesting to local readers in this year of 2011.

1907:ANDERSON'S GENERAL STORE AND POST OFFICE

 

There are a number of little "itches" that plague those of us who are researching history. For me, one of them is the actual location of the Anderson General store. It is known that it was on Mercerville's "five points" at Nottingham Way, Quaker Bridge Road, White Horse-Mercerville Road, and Edinburg Road. However, there have been conflicting statements given to me over the years as to just where it was at that intersection. According to the current Hamilton Township history book published by the Historical Society of Hamilton Township, the store was located on the southwest corner of Nottingham Way at five points, opposite Bill's Olde Tavern. Once again, I have scanned this detailed photo in so that you can visit that old store....maybe even pick up a pack of "Sweet Caporal" cigarettes, or a bottle of "Lydia Pinkham's" for the little lady of the house.

An aside: Going bare foot as you see by the boys in this 1907photo, was a common occurrence in years gone by. Even back in the 1930's and 40's, we were often running around the neighborhood barefooted. (and boy did it hurt when we stepped on one of those straw colored burrs that grew along the path!)

CIRCA 1910-1912 FIVE POINTS IN MERCERVILLE

What a great photo! Don't miss the "Mercerville Road House" on the extreme right. This photo had a bit of "noise" and other imperfections, but with a bit of "tl

c," we have a nice view of downtown Mercerville in the first decade of the 20th century.

1921: PUBLIC SERVICE TROLLEY IN HAMILTON TOWNSHIP

Thanks to Mr. Bob Schopp for this great photo of the old Public Service trolley which cut through Hamilton Township from the Liberty Street-Sylvan Avenue area and headed north to New Brunswick and points north. Bob Writes:
Tom,

I enjoy your column and website.

I found a poor quality photo in a union booklet on the Public Service Railroad published in 1968. Photos of the Public Service Fast line in Hamilton Township are not very common. My best guess is that the photo was taken just east of Hoover Avenue in Mercerville. I base this on the earth cut to the right of the trolley. I was surprised that the high tension (voltage) towers were there while the trolleys were still running. The trolley is going toward Trenton. A scan of the photo is attached.

Bob Schopp

1948: MERCERVILLE SCHOOL CLASS OF '48

Many thanks to Ms. Lois Marriott Lawrence, Mercerville class of 1948 for this pristine photo of her class. It is always nice when the students are identified.

From Tom: Apologies if I mis-spelled any names, as I superimposed the class names at the bottom of the photo. And to you Lois Marriott Lawrence, many thanks for this welcome addition to the Hamilton history website!

1959: Mercerville's United Methodist Church

Here are the lovely young ladies from the Brownie Scouts as the partipate in "Fly Up" exercises in the church which was once located on Quaker Bridge Road. You will recall that the church was destroyed in a massive explosion back in the 1960's. (?) The replacement church is now on Paxon Avenue right off of Edinburg Road.

1912 Ca. 1912 View of the Mercerville Roadhouse

I purposely scanned this photo in using 300 dpi in order to allow you to place your physical body right in the middle of Nottingham Way near "five points." With just a bit of imagination you can take a walk down that busy 2009 road and get a very good idea what it was like in the early part of the 20th century. Do I ever love these old street and town views! The trolley isheading back to downtown Trenton, passing the Mercerville Roadhouse which we all know of today as being Bill's Olde Tavern. It is said that the very first settlers in "Sandtown" lived in log cabins.

1890: SANDTOWN AND SAND HILLS

Read the above article and learn why Mercerville was once known as "Sandtown," and Yardville "Sand Hills." Indeed, a very large part of southern Mercer County was the recipient of sandy sediment which I assume went back to the age of gaciers.

THANKS, TOM REED

Tom Reed has been a glover320.blogspot.com visitor since the very beginning. Tom is also the nephew of legendary fire fighter "Cap" Dempster. Thanks for this interesting photo, Tom. Thanks also for your support. If there are any former Trenton "Goose Town" residents who visit this site, Tom would like to hear from you.
TOM: ABOVE IS A PHOTO OF A GENTLEMAN STANDING ON A BRIDGE AT REED'S MILL ON QUAKER BRIDGE ROAD. MAYBE THIS IS PHOTO IS NAMED FOR YOUR FAMILY. I AM ALSO INCLUDING A PHOTO OF THE DAM BREAK AT REED'S MILL. I THOUGHT THAT THESE REEDS MAY BE RELATIVES.

Tom writes:

Tom,

I'm sending a picture of a family reunion at Grand pop James Reed's farm in Hamilton, taken in the early 1930's. That's me on Mom's lap in the left front. The tall man in the white shirt in the back row is Uncle "Cap" Dempster whom the Mercer County Fire School/Museum is named for. Beyond the fence is a cemetery. In my trips to Trenton, I've stopped many times at the Hamilton Tax office to try to look up the location of the property, but everyone was always very busy. G'pop sold it in the later 1930's and it may be part of one of the cemeteries now.

1959: MERCERVILLE UNION METHODIST CHURCH GIRL SCOUTS

The Union Methodist Church of Mercerville was demolished in a gas explosion. As I recall it was back in the 1980's when I was commuting daily to New Brunswick.

Once again, thanks to my history-genealogy expert (and he really is), Alan Wildblood for advising me that the church was known as "Union Methodist Church," not "United M.E. Church" as I erroneously posted.