QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS: tglover320@optimum.net
This intersection is completely different today. I tried a Google street view and came away completely confused. Old time residents of the western section will find this photo to be quite familiar.
Hi Tom: I learn something new from you every day. I never heard my mother or grandmother talk about a poultry "ranch'' in West Trenton where we lived. I guess they just knew it was there and went about their lives and never mentioned it. It's a new one on me. Regards
My Mom grew up in a farmhouse on Cherry Street across from Columbus School. Till they brought the barn down in the early 30's, they had chickens and a pig or two. Kind of spooky because when I was a kid in the 50's they still had the old "chopping block" in the yard.
Ed Millerick
Many posts in this blog come under the heading "CADWALADER AREA." Here is a graphic I composed utilizing the details of the house tours which I received from Mr. Mike Nalbone, a committee member of the Association. These homes are the Cadillac of Trenton real estate. They were built with the goal of maintaining a delightful living environment. For nearly 80 years, the Hiltonia neighborhood has been one of Trenton's most desirable neighborhoods.
Before there were those newfangled "Super Markets," we had the neighborhood grocery store. It was usually a relatively small room with shelves around 3 walls with the counter taking over the 4th wall. The grocer had the shelves stocked floor to ceiling and in order to reach a product on the top shelf he utilized that "grocery grabber" and retrieved it from it storage space on high. We all had a neighborhood grocer. Service was highly personalized and our friendly neighborhood grocer knew us all by name. Most of us had a running IOU with the trusting grocer. In our neighborhood it was Palombi's on South Olden Avenue. Then along came the precursor to today's supermarket; a new innovation known as "American Stores." They were a bit larger and held a more comprehensive stock. The rest is history. In the late 40's or early 50's the supermarket was introduced to the American consumer. Remember "Food Fair?"
How I do love these views of the Trenton of many years ago! This photo was taken from across Prospect Street, looking toward the intersoections of Spring and West Hanover Streets in the area of the now defunct "Spring Street Widows' Home."
The Cadwalader-West End area of Trenton was one of the more affluent suburbs in the city back in the early decades of the 20th century. I remember visiting Messrs. Leo and Don Bannon on Ellsworth Avenue and how impressed I was with just the front porch on the beautiful Bannon home. Yes, the front porch! It was as shiny as the oak floors on a basketball court and spotless. Working with Fritz Kuser back in the '40's brought me to a number of these beautiful homes in the western section. I also recall a similar well kept home on Fisher Place where we went one evening to show a movie to one of the Kuser relatives. Absolutely unforgettable ambiance! I also recall that many of us in the less opulent neighborhoods jealously referred to the western Cadwalader Park area as "Cracker Hill;" I could never figure what a "Cracker" was and still do not to this day.Hi Tom: Let me help you out in the meaning of "Cracker Hill" for that western section of Trenton. The meaning, as I recall, was the fact that those people had such high mortgages, they had to eat crackers in order to meet the payments. Laugh, if you will, but compared to our payments in the Burg, it could be very true. Best regards.
That tired old father-son story, "Son, when I was your age, we had to walk to school. There were many mornings when the snow was up to our knees, but we still had school....." You all know the drill. But in retrospect, we did have a lot of cold and snowy winters back in the 1940's. Many of our younger generation have yet to witness an over 6 inch snow fall. The folks in the photo above are enjoying an old fashioned 1940's winter.
There are quite a number of visitors to my website from the "West End" section of Trenton: Cadwalader Place, Glen Afton, Hiltonia, etc. Here's a nice clear Times photo. Perhaps a visitor will recognize a relative. These boys would now be in their 80's.
From the "Neighborhood Development" folder, comes this fascinating piece of history which has been buried for over a century "The Montgomery Farm." I have heard of "Moses Woods," and other interesting areas which were in various areas of Trenton before the developments began. Here we find that there was a "Montgomery Farm;" the site of today's West End area in the West State Street and Prospect Street area. The shaded area above shows a portion of the homes Berry built back in the early 1900's.
I remember when the western section of Trenton along W. State Street out in what we called the "western section" was prime real estate. Doctors', Dentists' and other professional offices proliferated in the beautiful homes that lined an equally beautiful street. My wife Judy's relatives had a home over in an area near Cadwalader Park which we called "Cracker Hill." I have no idea what the cracker was supposed to mean, but the "Cracker Hill" area was a delightful area of stately trees, beautifully maintained streets, and exquisite homes. It was the habitat of Trenton's more affluent citizens. 
There are nearly 100 graphics and articles on the Kuser Family in my "KUSER FAMILY" folder. This clip reminded me of an evening back in 1945, 46, oir 47 when Don Slabicki and I went to the Kuser home in the western section, assisting Fritz Kuser as he presented a movie to those in attendance. I can't recall whether it was a feature film or short subjects for a young person's birthday. All I do recall was the cozy atmosphere and beautiful furnishings in the home.
This remarkably clear photo gives a visual idea of the details of the swimming area in the Hermitage Avenue area of the city. There even appears to be a diving board! I will again depend on my numerous "west end" visitors to enhance the description of this interesting graphic.
Thanks to Mr. Bob Kelly for this vintage photo of a stretch of Edgewood Avenue as it looked in 1936.
This photo of Edgewood Avenue is in my "STREETS, ROADS, HIGHWAYS" folder. I am not familiar with that area of the western section and will depend on Sally Gilman or another| Hi Tom: I hope I can help ID the street off Edgewood. If it is looking north, which I think it is, then the street to the left is either Overbrook Avenue or Gouverneur Avenue. Both run parallel to Edgewood which is one street over from Carteret where I lived. It looks like the houses on the left side of Edgewood may have been where my cousin's family lived. It's hard to tell and I wish I could be more sure of my info. Maybe another old-timer will respond. Sally Logan Gilman |
Mr. Teunon was a very active real estate developer during the early 20th century. His developments include Glen Afton as seen above, and earlier the development of Hamilton Township's Lakeside Park in 1912-13.
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.
HI TOM....YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD WITH THAT IOU STATEMENT. IN OUR STORE ON MOTT STREET MY MOTHER SAID ALMOST ALL THE PEOPLE BOUGHT THINGS IOU AND TOO MANY NEVER PAID. WITH AMERICAN STORES AND A AND P YOU COULD'NT DO THAT. WE ONLY HAD THE STORE A SHORT WHILE BEFORE WE MOVED TO BERT AVE. DURING THE 20'S. REGARDS.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
In the 1960's The Sanhican had a wonderful soda shop. We would get off the Hiltonia after class and after dropping off the school books shuffle through the leaves down state to have soda or malt with that special girl.
Ed Millerick
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Tom:
The building pictured, housed my first very own Real Estate & Insurance office back in 1962, when I partnered with Laura Garman.
This was behind what is pictured as the market, fronting on a widened expanse of Edgewood Ave. they opened up to develope with Apartments and stores.
You would remember Glen Garr's orchestre from wqy back when, Glen Garr was Charlie Garman, Laura's husband who had Bill Buffin the Sacred Heart mainstay as his lead singer.
The market ultimately became John Brown's ( Braun) Uncle to Tooter Braun of the St. Louis Cardinal's.) barber shop.
Ed Mentions the soda fountain. The guy who ran that was my landlord for the office, his name was Thelbert (Bob) Sharpley.
That neighborhood had the "Loggie", the canal feeder which became Rt. 29 freeway, and the famous "Shakey Bridge" located next to the Filtration plant.
Still there, but no longer enjoyable.
Regards from the South
Mike Kuzma