FROM THE "COMMUNITY NEWS" FOLDER

The above graphics are just a few of the growing number of community events of yesteryear that are being gradually digitized and saved in the Hamilton Library Local History database. Many of these clips provide very interesting reading.

Ron Bound said...

Reception Grade...never heard that term before...noted in the Lakeside Park Honors.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Tom Glover said...

RON:
ALL HAMILTON TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS REFERRED TO "KINDERGARTEN" AS RECEPTION GRADE. I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE CHANGE WAS MADE, BUT I WAS IN RECEPTION GRADE IN 1939.
TOM GLOVER

Monday, September 10, 2012

Ron Bound said...

No way. Should I call you Pops? I was born in 1939? LOL
Some priest,veteran of Iwo Jima, said, Pappy, when I told him I was 6, the day my Dad made the landing on Iwo (18 Feb back in the states). The priest said they were mostly 18-19 yr old kids, and "If your Dad had a 6 yr old at home, I know we called him Pappy".

Monday, September 10, 2012

79 IN TWO WEEKS, RON. TIME HAS REALLY FLOWN AND IS FLYING FASTER EVERY WEEK. CALL ME POPS, PAPPY, GRAMPS, ETC. YOU'RE THE SAME AGE AS MY BROTHER DON WHO GRADUATED HHS IN 1957. HE'S AN OLD MAN TOO.

TOM GLOVER

1940: PROPAGANDA FROM THE "BIG 3"

Back when I first entered the auto driving fraternity, I had a very unpopular preference for the "underdogs" manufactured by Studebaker, Nash, Hudson, and Willys Overland. My brother Bud's first car was a Hudson "Terraplane." It was a very reliable car and needed little inthe way of maintenance. After trading it in, he bought a 1940 Nash "Business Coupe;" a car that I really fell in love with, but at age 15 going on 16, never had a chance to buy it. When I came of age, I bought a '37 ford business coupe that rattled and rode like a horse drawn cart. Along came my buddy Ernie Plaag who sold me his 1940 Studebaker President. I sold my Ford for 25 bucks and bought Ernie's Studebaker; the car I wish I had today. It was the most reliable car I owned in my early years of driving. I had a very strong attraction to the "orphan" manufacturers who were the victim of a commonly held position back in the day that my choice of cars was not good due to the lack of trade in value when compared to the big 3. If a car was kept in good condition, you would always get a good price at trade in. I didn't buy that shop-warn propaganda then, and I don't buy it now, these 60 years later. I graduated to a 1949 Willys "Aerolark" that was for sale at Reedman Motors when they maintained a little lot at North Olden and Prospect Street back in the early '50's. What a wonderful car it was! It rode like a dream and handled the same way. I loved the "hill holder" on my '40 Studebaker and the Weather Eye on my brother's Nash. Those orphan cars were quality built and had many features that the big 3 offered in later years. My last encounter with orphans was my 1959 Rambler 4 door cedan. Two tone green with push button transmission on the dasy. I wish I had kept that one, too. Orphans? Maybe to those stuck in the "Big 3" circle, but many of us orphan owners know better!

2012 - 2013: PREVIEWS OF COMING ATTRACTIONS

Above is a very small chronological listing of just a few of the subjects from the *"AMERICAN-ITALIAN" folder in the Hamilton Township Public Library Local History Collection.

The coming of the fall and winter season brings my community activities from the Kuser Farm Gazebo to local venues where I can present my history and music programs to those citizens who are interested. F0r many years I have been collecting and saving local historical bits and pieces with the goal of presenting some the the vast collection of folders I have amassed over the past 50 years. The above colored graphic is a poster I have stored in my computer for a near future program which will be presented as an on-screen presentation. The large green space at the bottom of the graphic beginning with "An on-screen presentation..." will be replaced with the date and time which this program will be presented. Based on the number of citizens who saw the first Chambersburg presentation of a few years ago, I am sure there will be an interest in this up-dated version which will also touch on many of the articles and photos I have in an allied computer folders entitled, "American-Italian" and another "St. Joachim's Parish." My interest in the Italian families who came to America and settled in a country that at the time was not too cordial in welcoming these foreigners into the area is a fascinating story. Included are stories of how they labored at back-breaking jobs on the railroad, John A. Roebling's factory, and other labor intensive jobs, but still managed to go to night school to learn the English language, and volunteer their time to help to build a church of their own.

*My dear friend, the late Italian historian Bob Immordino corrected me many years ago when I used the then-common term "Italian-American." Bob asked me to please use the term
"AMERICAN-ITALIAN," and I do that to this very day.
RALPH LUCARELLA said...

HI TOM...MANY OF THE ITALIAN IMMIGRANTS IN CHAMBERSBURG STAYED IN THE NEW YORK AREA AFTER ARRIVING AT ELLIS ISLAND. MY BROTHER LOU AND SISTER ROSE WERE BORN IN NEW YORK AND MANY MADE THEIR WAY TO TRENTON TO SEEK WORK. ROEBLINGS WAS THE BIGGEST EMPLOYER BUT MY FATHER FOUND WORK IN THE POTTERY INDUSTRY. I CAN RECALL MOST OF THE FAMILES DURING THE 20'S AND THROUGHOUT MANY YEARS. REGARDS.

Tuesday, September 04, 2012

2012: THANK YOU FOR THE THANK YOU!

It's really nice after spending 7 years volunteering to bring "The Music We Grew Up With" to the local citizens. There were no visits from any Hamilton Council folks, even though I have sent one or two e-mails over the past few years suggesting that just a quick visit to those in attendance would add a bit of credibility to this volunteer effort. However, I should have realized that those folks are very busy and taking time from their weekend is a bit of a stretch. But to those who did attend, we didn't have standing room only crowds, but we did have hard core lovers of the music we loved to listen to. As I closed out the last week of summer 2012, I was emotionally moved when a young lady came to the gazebo as I was packing up to go home and left me with the signed "thank you" from those in attendance. That gesture makes all the volunteer time and effort I expend well worth while. My response, THANK YOU for your support!

1979: GROPP'S LAKE DAM BREAK

It was front page news those 33 years ago when the dam at Gropp's Lake gave way, spilling untold gallons of water into the basin on the other side of South Broad Street. Before the EPA and environmentalists came on the scene, spring-fed "Lakeside" was one of our very favorite swimming beaches. Citizens from miles around came to loll on the sandy beach and take a dip in the lovely natural waters.

Ron Bound said...

When I went back to school in 1969, I really wanted to keep our home on the lake, on Lakeview Court...to come back to, after retirement from the AF, planned for 1979. But we sold it. When this happened, I thought, how sad, but thought I made the right decision to sell the house in our nice little cul-de-sac.
Thanks for the clippings, Tom.

Thursday, September 06, 2012

1960: A MINI REUNION COMING UP IN OCTOBER 2012

Above is a "Photoshopped" 1960 yearbook which has the reunion committee superimposed. If it were my class of 1951 I would be able to identify each and every one in the photo. To any Hornets from that class, I'm sure you can too!

********
Below are the details of a "52.5" reunion to be held by the Class of 1960 at Hamilton High School Watson West. (Known to my generation as "Hamilton High.")

1951: PROSPECT STREET

Another pristine photo from the Duke University R.C. Maxwell Collection. Remember when we would see a car an immediately know it was a Buick, Dodge, etc.? Today's cars all look alike. My Subaru looks like a Toyota and many other cars that have the same very basic body design. Check out that great Buick Parked in front of the A & P. I "Photoshopped" this in the maximum number of dots per inch and when it is enlarged, you feel like you can walk into that A & P and have them grind you a pound of "Red Circle" or "Bokar" coffee! (Remember them?)

1923 (Ca) East State Street Approaching Rider College

What a delightful photo! There is no date on this Maxwell photo, but an un-educated guess places it as about 1923. The diner, the Jones Jewelry Store and the Marmon sign lend a very interesting view of that section of Trenton during the "Roaring Twenties."

RALPH LUCARELLA said...

HI TOM....IT'S STRANGE TO SEE WHAT THAT AREA LOOKED LIKE BEFORE THE POST OFFICE AND FEDERAL BUILDING WAS BUILT NEXT TO RIDER C0LLEGE. I WORKED THERE FROM 1941 TO 1955 AND THAT DINER WAS ACROSS THE STREET AT THAT TIME, NEXT TO THE MOOSE HOME. YOU KNOW, I ALSO HAVE A SUBERU AND THAT'S ONE THING WE HAVE IN COMMON. REGARDS AND GLAD TO SEE YOU BACK.

Wednesday, September 05, 2012

1952: SANHICAN DRIVE AND HILVISTA BOULEVARD

I won't even try to identify this location. A Google Earth view has this intersection completely blocked out by trees. Moving to the "Google Street View" revealed no intersection of Sanhican Drive with Hilvista. I leave it to a visitor who is familiar with the area to enlighten us as to the occupant of the fenced in areas on both sides of the street. (I sure would like to have that "Merc" tooling toward the cameraman!)

Sally Logan Gilman said...

Hi Tom: West Trenton is my old neighborhood and if I remember correctly -- and it's a long shot at best -- Hilvista Blvd. ran between the Trenton State Hospital and the Delaware and Raritan canal. Maybe the two fences abut those properties. I don't remember Sanhican Drive crossing Hilvista. But it's been a long, long time. Regards

Wednesday, September 05, 2012

Anonymous said...

Tom,
I believe that your looking down the hill from Sullivan way towards Hilvista blvd. That is probably the bus returning to Trenton from west Trenton. Ffence is from the old school that still stands. I believe it was called "Brookfield School" same name as the apartments on the island
Tom Buker

Wednesday, September 05, 2012

Anonymous said...

Tom
Fence on your left is state hospital property and that is not a bus going down the hill. I just have buses on my mind
Tom Buker

Wednesday, September 05, 2012

Anonymous said...

Tom:

It would seem that the taker of this photograph was standing on "Sullivan Way" looking down at the intersection of Hlvista Blvd ( look over the top of the bus} which Sullivan Way Blended into. The Mmaxwell sign would be at the foot of the railroad bridge and canal feeder.Trenton State Hospital would be on the right, and Oaklands Country club (TCC) on the right. A short section of Sanhican Dr. ran past the terminus of Edgewood Ave. and the Sunoco Station just before Joe Loths Carpet and Floor covering shop. The Sunoco Station was actually the beginning of River Rd.
Glen Afton. Across from the termiuns of the aforementioned Edgewood Ave. was "School Lane"
Opened my first real Estate office in this neighborhood in 1957/59.
The memory grows fuzzy!!!!

Regards

Mike Kuzma

Wednesday, September 05, 2012

Anonymous said...

Tom, I agree with Mike, that this is Sullivan Way. That institutional fencing; sun to the west, appears to be that of the State Hospital, across from the chain link of the Trenton Country Club. My area maps of 1955 indicate that there was no connection of Hilvista and Sanhican.

Ed Millerick

Wednesday, September 05, 2012

Tony S said...

There is no doubt in mind this is Sullivan Way heading down a hill to Hilvista Boulevard (and then on to Hiltonia if one went straight)past the NJ State Hospital. I lived near here and have been on this road many, many times over the years. Sanhican Drive was not in the vicinity of this site as I lived at 50 Sanhican until 1954.

Thursday, September 06, 2012

Tom Glover said...

GOOD WORK, TONY I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. EACH AND EVERY ONE ENHANCES THE HISTORIC VALUE OF SPECIFIC POSTS. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS JOURNEY BACK TO YOUR YOUNGER YEARS!

TOM GLOVER

Thursday, September 06, 2012

1941: 2104 NOTTINGHAM WAY

This 71 year old photo is a graphic and fascinating look at the rural character of Hamilton Township's Nottingham Way. The mailbox seen in the photo says "Reeves - 2104," which would make this scene the location between the mini shopping center on Nottingham Way and the U.S. Army Reserve complex. At the age of 8, I would not have been familiar with this strange enviornment; especially when one considers how the 2012 Nottingham Way landscape has changed over these 71 years.

Anonymous said...

It is between the Stryker Army Reserve Bldg & Klockner Rd.

Wednesday, September 05, 2012

THANKS FOR KEEPING ME HONEST, "ANONYMOUS." FURTHER INVESTIGATION FINDS THAT 2104 WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STREET AS I ORIGINALLY INDICATED, AND BETWEEN THAT MINI SHOPPING CENTER AND THE U.S. ARMY RESERVE CENTER. I HAVE CHANGED MY INCORRECT ENTRY. (ACTUALLY THE GOOGLE EARTH VIEW SHOWS THAT 2104 WOULD HAVE BEEN BEFORE REACHING THE STRYKER ARMY RESERVE BLDG. AND KLOCKNER ROAD.)

Tom;

Bing and Google maps leave a lot to be desired. The house pictured still stands there. There was an older stock car driver that lived either in that house or next door to that location.. His name escapes me right now. Might have been Wally Marx or Marks. It is across from the Red White & Thrift Store.

Harry Z

THANKS AGAIN, HARRY FOR ZEROING IN ON THIS LOCATION. ONE OF THE GOALS OF THIS WEBSITE IS TO IMMEDIATELY CORRECT ANY MISTAKES I MAKE WHEN I POST INCORRECT AND SOMETIMES SPECULATIVE INFORMATION. FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL BE UTILIZING THIS INFORMATION, ASSUMING FUTURE TECHNICAL ADVANCES FINDS THIS WEBSITE STILL A VIABLE REFERENCE.

TOM

2013: PREVIEWS OF COMING ATTRACTIONS

Above is a very small chronological listing of just a few of the subjects from the *"AMERICAN-ITALIAN" folder in the Hamilton Township Public Library Local History Collection.

The coming of the fall and winter season brings my summer 2012 music programs at the Kuser Farm Gazebo to a close. With the seasonal change comes change in venue the Kuser Farm Mansion where I will be presenting my history and music programs to those citizens who are interested. I have been collecting. digitizing enhancing and saving local historical bits and pieces of local history in subjects ranging from "A" (Abbott) to "Y;" (Yardville.) I will be presenting some the the vast collection of folders I have amassed over the past 50 years and are a part of what is becoming a huge database of local history in the Local History Collection of the Hamilton Township Public Library. Above a preview of coming attractions that I have have stored in my computer for just one of the future program which will be presented as an on-screen presentation at the Kuser Farm Theater. The large green space at the bottom of the graphic beginning with "An on-screen presentation..." will be replaced with the date and time which this program will be presented. Based on the number of citizens who saw the first Chambersburg presentation of a few years ago, I am sure there will be an interest in this up-dated version which will also touch on many of the articles and photos I have in an allied computer folders entitled, "American-Italian" and another "St. Joachim's Parish." My interest in the Italian families who came to America and settled in a country that at the time was not too cordial in welcoming these foreigners into the area is a fascinating story. Included are stories of how they labored at back-breaking jobs on the railroad, John A. Roebling's factory, and other labor intensive jobs, but still managed to go to night school to learn the English language, and volunteer their time to help to build a church of their own.

*My dear friend, the late Italian historian Bob Immordino corrected me many years ago when I used the then-common term "Italian-American." Bob asked me to please use the term
"AMERICAN-ITALIAN," and I do that to this very day.
RALPH LUCARELLA said...

HI TOM...MANY OF THE ITALIAN IMMIGRANTS IN CHAMBERSBURG STAYED IN THE NEW YORK AREA AFTER ARRIVING AT ELLIS ISLAND. MY BROTHER LOU AND SISTER ROSE WERE BORN IN NEW YORK AND MANY MADE THEIR WAY TO TRENTON TO SEEK WORK. ROEBLINGS WAS THE BIGGEST EMPLOYER BUT MY FATHER FOUND WORK IN THE POTTERY INDUSTRY. I CAN RECALL MOST OF THE FAMILES DURING THE 20'S AND THROUGHOUT MANY YEARS. REGARDS.

Tuesday, September 04, 2012

1952: HHS CLASS OF '52 TO CELEBRATE 60 GOLDEN YEARS!

With the remote possibility that there are any visitors to my website who are from the class of 1952 at Hamilton High School, and even more doubtful if there is indeed a member of that class who took the time to learn computing, here are the details of the reunion which will be held at the Mercer County Boathouse Marina on October 6th. It will be my privilege to sing the music of the early 1950's and specifically 1952 to those in attendance in an old fashioned sing along. Fate placed me in the class of 1951. I would have been a class of '52 alumnus had I not skipped the first grade way back in my early years. I harbor a special affection for this class and were closely tied to many of that class. Indeed, one of those lovely ladies stole my heart back in my teen years, but alas, she wanted nothing to do with me. Unrequited love!

RALPH LUCARELLA said...

HI TOM....WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I HOPE EVERYTHING IS OKAY . TODAY WAS MY BIRTHDAY AND WAS HOPING TO READ SOMETHING AMONG US OLDTIMERS THAT WOULD BOOST OUR MORAL. I'M GONNA BE 94 YEARS OLD ON MY NEXT ONE AND ONLY GOD KNOWS IF THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN. I'M HOPING TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON AND PRAY YOU'RE DOING WELL. BEST REGARDS.

Monday, September 03, 2012

Tom Glover said...

EVERYTHING IS JUST FINE, RALPH. THANKS FOR ASKING. I TOOK A LONG WEEKEND. THE FIRST ONE I HAVE TAKEN IN MANY MONTHS. I'LL BE BACK AT THE HELM TOMORROW (TUESDAY).

TOM GLOVER

Monday, September 03, 2012

RALPH LUCARELLA said...

HI TOM....GLAD TO HEAR YOU'RE GONNA BE BACK IN THE GROOVE TODAY. I'M SURE EVERY ONE WAS CONCERNED AND LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR GOOD WORK.-BEST REGARDS.

Tuesday, September 04, 2012