1895: THE STREETS OF TRENTON

As this website approaches 8,000 pages, I have found, through data supplied to me as the"webmaster," that there are basically two distinct areas of interest of the visitors who add daily to the "hits.". One lies in one of my favorite subjects, trivial nostalgic posts, and the other is another of my favorite subjects, what I choose to call "Hard Core History." Both of these subjects are coexisting quite well as the site approaches 700,000 "hits." The above is for those of us who literally treasure any and all information relating to the incredibly interesting history of Trenton. The above is a very rare set of digitized pages from noted Trenton historian Francis Bazley Lee's "HISTORY OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, the record of its early settlement and corporate progress." The volume was compiled for the STATE GAZETTE and printed in 1895 at the State Gazette print shop.

1939: ARTISAN STREET IN THE WESTERN SECTION OF TRENTON

Artisan Street is a name one seldom hears any more. It is a block away from Edgewood Avenue intersecting with Bellevue Avenue. The photo is from a collection I received many years ago from Mr. Bob Kelly who worked for a municipality in maintaining area roads. The Bing map shows the area as it is today from a copter's aerial view.

1939: ROAD WORK AT E. STATE AND S. CLINTON AVENUE

Vintage photographs of the local area are among my favorite local history subjects. I received this photo some years ago from a gentleman who worked for the N.J. State Highway Dept, Note the tower of the H.D. Lee factory in the back ground.

Ralph Lucarella said...

HI AGAIN TOM....THAT'S THE CORNER WHERE THE Y.M.C.A, WAS BUILT AND YOU COULD SEE THE BIG MANSIONS ON E. STATE ST LEADING TO THE H.D.LEE CO. ANOTHER OUTSTANDING SECTION OF THE CITY IN THE OLD DAYS. REGARDS.

Friday, August 12, 2011

1912: ANTIQUATED COBBLESTONES ON LIVINGSTON STREET, TRENTON

The Fascinating Mill area of Trenton harkens back to the cobblestone streets of the Philadelphia "Olde Towne" era. There are many, many very interesting stories of old Mill Hill in the Hamilton Township Public Library's Local History "MILL HILL" folder. The above shows the area as it was 99 years ago; a truly fascinating press photo..

1884: BEFORE THERE WAS A TRINITY CATHEDRAL

I would loved to have seen that beautiful old English style church that was once located on Academy Street in Trenton. As I have indicated in former posts, Trinity P.E. Church as seen above ultimately became Trenton's legendary Trinity Cathedral over on West State St. and Overlook Avenue.

1930: WEST STATE AND PROSPECT STREET

This intersection was dubbed "Autoists Beware of this Corner" in the May 25, 1930 edition of the Sunday Times Advertiser. I leave it to my West End gal Sally Gilman or another West Ender to identify the vantage point in the photo. I don't seem to recognize that building in the background.

1913: MORE ON THE ORIIGIN OF TRENTON STREET NAMES

I have been researching the origin of the streets in Hamilton with special emphasis on my Kuser Farm neighborhood. Atkins, Watson, Ellwood, Camp, have all been connected to Colonial Gardens which was the general area of the location of Camp Olden, Hamilton's Civil War camp location. Here's still another graphic regarding the origin of Trenton's streets which will accompany another which was recently posted. (Use the "SEARCH BLOG" feature and enter the key words STREET NAMES and you will find the other article.)

1869: CHESTNUT AVENUE: IN THE BEGINNING

"It runs through one of the very finest sections of the country in the suburbs..." This was published when the city of Trenton began to "spread its wings" and move out into the country. As indicate in earlier posts, the area of Chambersburg was largely farmland, orchards, and open fields back in the 18th century. Sandtown Road is today's Hamilton Avenue, and White Horse Road is today's So. Broad Street.

1930: Olden Avenue Extension

Realizing that the majority of visitors to this website are non-Senior Citizens, I would bet that few realize that Olden Avenue once terminated at Princeton Avenue on the north, and the East State Street area on the south. Here's a map of the proposed extension for what we know of today as Olden Avenue Extension.

1870: Old Streets of Trenton

This interesting article tells of the days in Trenton history when Mill Hill was known as "Kingsbury," there was a paper mill along the Assanpink in that area, and other historic items relating to South Trenton, the Eagle Tavern, etc. The paper mill is on this website in another post. To find it, got to "Search Blog" above left on this page, and use the key words PAPER MILL. (Upper or lower case)

1910: Once Upon a time on Beatty Street

As the offset printing process was improved upon, it is a simple matter to enhance those faded
and brown with age photos from the newspaper. Those arc-shaped lines you see on the side of the building in the foreground are known as "moire," an unfortunate "screening" problem when tweaking newspaper offset photo.

1939: WEST END AVENUE: REMEMBER ADAMS AND SICKELS?

I really love these photos of various local neighborhoods this one depicting the intersection of West State Street and West End Avenue. My brother Bud spent 42 years as an employee of the Tattersall Company who had a branch location on West End Ave. Many changes have taken place since the above photo was taken. Perhaps a visitor can add some interesting commentary to the above photo. If you feel so inclined, please do! I will post your commentary. Let me know if you want to remain anonymous.

I receieved this bit of local color from Sally Logan Gilman, a regular visitor to my website. Sally lived in the Edgebrook-West End area. Sally Writes:

Greetings Tom:

First off, your website has a new, really spiffy look and I love the array of other intersting websites on the side. I have not "visited'' in a bit and was thrilled to see the "old'' scene of West State Street and West End Avenue. The pix was a few years before I was hiking around there, but my family attended Prospect St. Presybyterian Church and we would hang a sharp right onto West End when we walked home to Carteret Avevnue after services. I also went to a hairdreser on West End -- Mr. Haltmyer (I hope it's spelled correctly). West End was a sort of short cut down to Edgewood Avenue and home. Keep up the good work and a belated Happy New Year. Sally Logan Gilman

1938: TRENTON GOES "HI-TECH" WITH A NEW STREET SWEEPER

CHECK OUT THE PRICE THE CITY PAID FOR THAT SWEEPER. I WOULD BET THAT RICH BALGOWAN OF HAMILTON'S PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE A FEW OF THOSE UNITS AT THE OUTRAGEOUS PRICE OF $3,500.

1876: WHY BROAD STREET IS NOT GREENE STREET

MANY CITIZENS WERE COMPLETELY AGAINST CHANGING THE NAME OF GREENE STREET TO BROAD STREET. IN THE CENTENNIAL YEAR OF 1976, MANY QUESTIONED THE MOTIVES AND PATRIOTISM OF THOSE WHO APPARENTLY FORGOT GENERAL GREENE, ONE OF THE HEROES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. OBVIOUSLY, THE "BROADSTREETERS" WON OUT.

1933: HERMITAGE AVENUE IN THE 1930'S

I HAVEN'T BEEN DOWN IN THE HERMITAGE-BELLEVUE AVENUE AREA IN YEARS, BUT I DO RECALL THE BEAUTY OF THOSE TREES FROM CHILDHOOD VISITS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. HAS IT CHANGED MUCH OVER THE YEARS? PERHAPS A VISITOR CAN LET US KNOW.

1936: EDGEWOOD AVENUE

THIS IS AN EXQUISITE PHOTO OF THE EDGEWOOD AVENUE AREA AS IT APPEARED IN 1936. I AM NOT TOO FAMILAR WITH THAT AREA OF TRENTON, BUT IF ANY VIEWER IS, I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.

THANKS TO SALLY GILMAN FOR THE FOLLOWING COMMENT ON THE PHOTO ABOVE, PINPOINTING THE VANTAGE POINT FROM WHENCE THE PHOTO WAS TAKEN.

THANKS, SALLY!:
====================================
Hi Tom: Although the photo of Edgewood Ave. is a bit before my time, it was one street over from Carteret Ave. where I grew up. It's in West Trenton, with the 900 block just off Parkside Avenue. We had great fun in the winter sledding on the lawns in front of the big homes on the 800 block. The homes backed up to what was known as Niagara Alley where the people had their garages and parked their cars. It was just below the Delaware and Raritan Canal Feeder. You can post this in your blog. Thanks again for the great memories, Sally Logan Gilman.

1934: THE FLOOD OF SPRING, 1934

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF GRAPHICS SHOWING THE RESULTS OF THE FLOOD WHICH OCCURRED IN THE SPRING OF 1934. AS THE WINTER SNOWS THAWED UP-RIVER, THE DELAWARE OVERFLOWED HER BANKS AND MANY TOWNS WERE IN A STATE OF EMERGENCY.

1922: WHEN CHURCH STREET AND SPRING STREET WERE RURAL

THAT AREA IS ALSO THE LOCATION OF THE FORMER WIDOWS AND SINGLE WOMENS'
HOME WHICH WAS THEN AN UPSCALE NEIGHBORHOOD. MANY OF THE HOMES ON SPRING STREET STILL REVEAL BEAUTIFUL VICTORIAN ARCHITECTURE.

1922: E. sTATE STREET Ca. 1860

1873: TRENTON AREA EAST OF E. STATE STREET AND CLINTON

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MOST INTERSTING TO SEE THE AREA EAST OF EAST STATE STREET AND CLINTON AVENUE AS THE AREA BEGAN TO DEVELOP. THE PERDICARIS FAMILY HAD LAND THERE AND THERE WAS AN AREA ON WHICH "THE COTTAGES" WERE SITUATED.