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Were it not for this man, there would be no
I did fairly well on this picto-quiz on those people I knew personally. However, there were a number of personalities I didn't recognize. In 1986 I was commuting out of town daily and there were a number of persons whom I never met. Old time Hamiltonians will have fun checking out the "now and then" photos.
Hamilton's Walt Bronek's Dad is shown in the photo above, as is an old friend from my Kuser Family years, Bill Howe, brother of Edna Howe Kuser of Kuser Farm. Look for more WWII photos of the many heroes from "The Greatest Generation" who made the pages of newspapers from the past.
Wow! What fascinating, interesting, and heretofore unknown snips of history I find as I page through the millions of pages in my newspaper collection! Who would have thought that 3 Hamilton Committeemen would be charged with neglecting a site in Broad Street Park where there was apparently a dumping area. Read on.
From the "CRIME-MORALS-SOCIAL VALUES" folder in the Hamilton Library digital folder comes this intriguing tale of Prosecutor vs. Committeeman replete with houses of disrepute, illegal beer, stills, gambling, and all the makings of a local scandal. Politics: Don't 'ya love it?
May Day is a big day in Soviet Russia and other Communistic countries. Here in America, there is, and has been, a number of citizens who lean beyond Socialism and give a sympathetic eye to the Communist form of government. Locally, Communist demonstrations were commonplace in the 1920's and early 30's.
This graphic details the Republican victory in Hamilton Township back in 1981. The following Graphic details the Democratic victory in Mercer County. Ahh....Politics! Note the byline showing Wayne Davis as the writer of the above article. Wayne is a dear friend of many years who is responsible for whatever success I have had as a freelance writer. It was he who recruited me one morning back in the early 1980's during an amateur radio conversation on the late, lamented "commuter net."
Here are a number of photos from prominent Mercer citizens from 27 years ago. Check out the very young looking Doug Palmer with his Clark Gable mustache. And there's the very popular Frannie McManimon, a pillar of strength in the local Democratice party. And check out that very young guy in the top row we used to call "Joe-bo;" Mercer's Joe Bochini!
Here's a photo of Bill Mathesius before he became a no nonsense judge in Mercer County. Conservative judges don't fare too well in ultra liberal New Jersey. Just one or two errant statements and it's strike 3. Some of us miss you, Bill.
He was, and is, one of the best. Not just because he is a fellow Hamilton "Hornet" from HHS '54, but because he has countless friends and colleagues who respect his selfless community service over the years. It is my privilege to be one of those countless "friends."
Franny McManimon: He was loved by all....Democrat or Republican. Here's an interesting view of the 1980 Democratic campaign.
*THE LAST LINE OF THE ABOVE GRAPHIC (COLUMN 3)
Look at all those young men; all movers and shakers in the Republican Party of thirty years ago. As that old song went, "Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end..."
Her husband Art was one of the best mayors of Trenton. He was an "old school" type of administrator and governed during a time when Trenton was a proud and vital downtown, with stores and theaters packed to capacity. The graphic above is from Betty Holland's campaign. I have no doubt that she would have been a great office holder.
From the "Notable Persons" folder in the Hamilton Library's Local History Collection comes this little press article on one of Hamilton's favorite local personalities. Frannie was known and loved by all, Republican or Democrat. Indeed the McManimon family has left an indelible imprint on the local scene.
