1891: "SILVER SPRING" AT BROAD STREET PARK

This exquisite photo is from a very popular and quite rare publication entitled, "TRENTON ILLUSTRATED." I have digitized most of the photos and will be posting them as time permits. This photo gives an idea of the lake before the amusement parks of the 20th century. Back in 1889, the Broad Street Land Association was advertising theis beautiful area, inviting visitors to visit Spring Lake and Lookout Point.

Anonymous said...

Those are beautiful designs. The boats are low so not affected by the wind and have a nice "work platform" at the stern. I have to wonder if they pulled the boats or sunk them end of season to keep the swollen so they didn't leak or get ice damage. That was the custom up north. Lord Tom, it is hard to visualize that area in a pristine state since it has been marsh since I was a kid in the 1950's. Now I should have remembered this a week or so ago when you had the article about Asay Springs which is close, but I didn't so allow me the liberty now. I remember a nice fellow Ray Londahl or Londell who sold bait (live killies or worms), and rented row boats right where the bridge crosses on Route 206 and I think you can see remnants of the property on the north bound side. Thank you again for these wonderful memories and they were wonderful times, indeed! We are just not nostalgic fools.

Ed Millerick

Friday, August 12, 2011

Many thanks for the input, Ed. It's folks like you who make all the hard work worthwhile.

Tom Glover

2011: WELCOME TO LOCAL HISTORY, NEWCOMERS! I HOPE YOU RETURN OFTEN.

Who says history is not of interest to many people? I had been averaging anywhere from 300 to 400 hits per day. Thanks to the Trenton Times where my Saturday, August 6th edition of "Sentimental Journey" was published, the site has exploded exponentially! People DO read the "TIMES!" As can be seen in the chart, 1278 visits were made on Saturday.

Sally Logan Gilman said...

I would expect no less from you, Tom. Your are my official "historian'' for my beloved Trenton and I would not know what to do without your website. I visit it every day -- sometimes more than once -- and although I cannot relate to much of the Hamilton etc. material I read it all and enjoy it very much. Congratulations on your success.

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Tom Glover said...

THANK YOU, SALLY. YOU ARE ONE OF MY ORIGINAL AND VERY LOYAL VISITORS FROM THE EARLIEST YEARS OF THIS WEBSITE. XO TOM GLOVER

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

1916:LAIRD PHARMACY IN THE CHAMBERSBURG SECTION OF, TRENTON

A bit of Photoshop digital magic and we have a fine example of one of Chambersburg's respected merchants from the middle of the 20th century. The Laird name is also associated with a store that once was located on the corner of East State Street and Johnston Avenue in Hamilton Township. Believe it or not, the invoice voucher and receipt from Laird's was included in a huge collection of old Hamilton files that were destined for the recycle bin way back in the 1960's. I was fortunate in acquiring them and saving them for historic purposes.

Mack said...

This was Demores Hobby Shop in my Burg day. It had that cool partially blue-green exterior which has now been changed to black within the past year:)

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

1920: WINE MAKING IN CHAMBERSBURG

Stories proliferate about how many old time Italians had their own private wine making equipment. Even today, many vintners proudly bottle their own private brand. Some of the brews will wake you up and put your socks on!

Ralph Lucarella said...

HI TOM....I CAN RECALL MY FATHER OWNED A LOT ON S.OLDEN AVE. IN THE 1920'S. HE RAISED GRAPES AND OTHER VEGETABLES AND ENDED UP SELLING IT FOR $100 DURING THE DEPRESSION. I BELIEVE HE HAD A HORSE AND WAGON SOMEWHERE ON THE LOT AND CAN REMEMBER GETTING STUNG BY BEES. I BELIEVE WE WERE LIVING ON WASHINGTON ST. AT THE TIME, ACROSS FROM PALOMBI'S STORE. HE SAVED A LOT OF MONEY RAISING HIS OWN GRAPES AND VEGETABLES IN THOSE DAYS AND HAD BARRELS OF VERY SOUGHT AFTER WINE. BEST REGARDS.

Monday, August 08, 2011

Anonymous said...

Tom - Not only Italian folks made their own wine back in the day - I remember my Mother saying that her father made wine in their home in Chambersburg, too and they were German speaking Austrians! They also grew their own fruits and vegetables as many did. They owned a plot of land in what they called "the sticks." It was actually in the undeveloped area off S. Broad St known as Forrest Valley today. They would walk there each evening from the 'Burg in the growing season to tend the garden and feed the family. Lakeside Girl

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Hi Eleanor:

The neighborhood in which I grew up was also referred to as "the sticks." There were no concrete curbs on Newkirk Avenue until the 1950's. In fact, there are still areas that never got curbing. Forrest Valley was adjacent to us. It was a short walk up Hartley Avenue hill, across So. Olden Avenue and through St. Mary's Cemetery and we were there.

Tom Glover

1917: CHAMBERSBURG COMMUNITY NEWS

Each week, during the "teens," The Trenton Times devoted a page to Chambersburg and alternately the Wilbur/Bromley/E., Trenton area. The above is an extract from a full page which was too large to display due to the reduction in the size of the text as the image is enlarged. There have been numerous pages such as this posted in earlier posts.

Mack said...

Hi Tom:) Anderson's has an ad here saying it sells novels..I think they always sold newspapers as well and the store still sold newspapers and magazines in my day as I would go there in my Junior 4 days in the 1970s when it was called Broad Street News :)

Monday, August 08, 2011

1937: FRANKLIN, ROEBLING, MCCLELLAN, MOTT, AND MOSES SCHOOL

Here is another post from the Trenton Evening Times' 1937 series of articles on the schools in the city of Trenton. I have consolidated two of them into one graphic; more to come.

Mack said...

Franklin O Franklin we love thy famous name Our pride above all others no school could be the same....:)

Monday, August 08, 2011

1936: LANNING SCHOOL, EWING NEW JERSEY

I see my former boss, Ed Gainsborg in the photo, along with Bill Disbrow, whose brother George worked with me and the aforementioned boss at Trenton Bearing Co. back in the 1950's. Also in the photo is Lloyd Ruch, who went on to be the founder of Ruch's Tire establishment on North Olden Avenue Extension in Ewing.

Unfortunately, there are pathetically few visitors to this site who are over the age of 70. Equally unfortunate is the fact that those in that generation would find much of the posts on this site to be "historic treasures," as one old timer who took the time to learn how to surf the web put it in one of my guest book entries. However, we must learn to live with the fact that these newfangled computers are too difficult to learn for some, and focus on the fact that what is being preserved here will be available for future scholars and others who are interested in our local historical heritage.

Ca. 1910 READING STATION - PENNINGTON

In 1974 this exquisite structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The building was constructed in 1882 by the Reading Railroad Company.

1992: MY COLUMN ANSWERED A FELLOW COLUMNIST'S CYNICISM

Back when I was a weekly columnist for the late, great "MERCER MESSENGER" I wrote a column bemoaning the fact that America was rapidly sinking into a "cultural war" that was raging, and indeed, is raging to this day. The word "wholesome" is seldom heard in today's society. One of my colleagues wrote a "cutesy" column, obviously directed to my negative outlook on social morality. She reminded me of all the negatives of past generations: disease, segregation, crime, and numerous other human transgressions. I reminded her that I considered the glass "half full" while she saw a half empty glass. As I re-read that long forgotten column, I realize that I agree with that Tom Glover guy. In fact, I would probably update that column and write it today from that same point of view; but then again, what do you expect from a die hard "Social Conservative?"

1886: WHEN TRENTON WAS THE PITTSBURGH OF NEW JERSEY

From the "COOPER HEWITT - TRENTON IRON COMPANY" folder, comes this article that reveals the fact the South Trenton was alive with steel producers back in the 19th century and up to the early 20th. I highlighted area in a darker gray to point to the location of the American Steel and Wire Company as I recall it in the 20th century. Remember that walkway bridge that spanned Hamilton Avenue, giving workers access to the other side of the factory?

1906 AND 1869: THE SWAMP ANGEL - TRENTON N.J.

2011 is the 150th anniversary of the start of the war between the states, better known as the "Civil War." The Swamp Angel has been part of local history during all of these 150 years. The story has it that the huge Parrott gun was at the Carr Metal works in Trenton and was about to be smelted down when its historic significance was realized. The rest is history. The above articles give interesting insights into that historic old relic, now restored by the Camp Olden Civil War Roundtable organization, and placed in a pretty setting at Cadwalader Park.

1922: ANTHONY R. KUSER'S GIFT TO NEW JERSEY

A few posts ago, I posted two photos of Kuser's Woods in Hamilton's Kuser Farm Park. A visitor who signed himself "Skip" sent a comments relating to High Point in Sussex County NJ. Skip's interesting insights make it obvious that he has been there and is familiar with that popular state park..

Skip wrote:

Well those Kusers certainly did so much good with their land the memories they left. I spent some of my best summers at the old Kuser Summer Camp which we now know as High Point State Park. The huge stone building that I lived in and had to myself is still standing, built solid and from native stone. Tom, that portion too was a CCC project so you should perhaps include that into your Conservation Corps legend and lure. The State was renting rooms in the old wooden "Estate House" that was demolished in the 1990's but that old stone building is still standing strong. High Point is such a treasure hidden in the farthest corner of the state and shows how far and wide the Kuser family reached out, one minute I was Trenton bound and the next thing I knew I was wandering the northern woods and getting paid to do it too, each evening was blessed by a sunset amid the scrub pines with a handful of wild blueberry. Skip

Thursday, August 04, 2011

Great retrospective, Skip. Many thanks.

Tom Glover

1920:ITALIAN WINEMAKERS PROLIFERATE IN TRENTON'S CHAMBERSBURG

"The kick of a mule!" Wow, those Italian vintners in the Chambersburg of the 1920's concocted many a wine production that would wake you up and put your pants on. One of my dear friends from the old Triangle Conduit and Cable Company in New Brunswick brought me a mason jar filled with his home brew. It was a stiffer drink than a double shot of Southern Comfort. There are still many who carry on that old wine making custom which they imported from the old country.

Ralph Lucarella said...

HI TOM....WINE MAKING IN CHAMBERSBURG WAS A COMMON PRACTICE IN THE OLD DAYS. I RECALL MY FATHER BUYING BOXES OF WINE GRAPES EACH YEAR AND GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS. THE GRAPES WERE DIFFERENT THAN THOSE YOU BUY AT THE STORE. THEY HAD A THICK SKIN AND WERE NOT PLEASANT TO EAT. HE HAD THE CRUSHER AND BARRELS AND EVERYTHING ELSE NEEDED. A PERMIT WAS REQUIRED TO ALLOW WINE TO BE MADE AT HOME. YOU COULD MAKE IT FOR YOUR OWN USE, ,GIVE IT AWAY OR STORE IT. MY FATHER'S WINE WAS WELL KNOWN AMONG FRIENDS AND OTHERS. I RECALL MY MOTHER HOPING SOME WOULD NOT TURN OUT WELL SO SHE COULD USE IT FOR WINE VINEGAR. AT ANY RATE, YOU WOULD SEE BOXES AND BOXES OF WINE GRAPES THROUGHOUT THE BURG. BEST REGARDS.

Friday, August 05, 2011

Ralph Lucarella said...

ONE MORE THING TOM...MY FATHER'S WINE WAS SO STRONG, I RECALL HE HAD TO MIX IT WITH SELTZER WATER. I DON'T THINK HE EVER WENT INTO A BAR FOR A DRINK. HE ALSO MADE HIS OWN ANISETTE, AN ITALIAN LIQUEUR.

Friday, August 05, 2011

Lee Belardino said...

Tommy My grandfathers living on Hudson and Mott made their own wine.The crusher and the barrels kept in the cellar. My job was to carry the boxes of grapes down the cellar. They weighed 20 lbs. Also I had to re fill the empty gallons during family dinners. one time I made a mistake and filled from the vinegar barrel. Grand-pop was mad. Kids could only drink wine if it was mixed with 7-up. Ladies too. The burg in the 40's Lee

Friday, August 05, 2011

1938: MORE OF BEAT PATROLMAN STANLEY CHORAZY'S NOTEBOOK

This is a page from officer Stan Chorazy's "beat notebook." The family name of the juvenile has been redacted for obvious reasons. There will be more Charazy page extracts in future posts. Stanley's entries provide a fascinating insight to the city of Trenton as it was in the post depression years. Below is a comment I received from Jim Chorazy.

JIM WROTE:

Patrolman Chorazy was my uncle Stanley Chorazy. Stanley was the oldest of the 5 Chorazy brothers (& 1 sister).. My dad, Joseph, was in the middle & the only one that strayed far from home (to Oregon via the CCCs & later married in Oregon). Dad's sister married and had a son, Joseph R. Fink (b. 1940). Dr. J. R. Fink retires next month as the president of Dominican College of California (San Rafael). Stanley was the only one of the Chorazy brothers who wasn't in the military in WW2. I was in the Army in the Fulda Gap in Germany for the October 1962 Crisis.

1902: TRENTON POLICE: "WHAT IS A 'YEGG'?"

This is a soon-to-be 100year old article that gives a number of revealing and interesting insights to the history of the Trenton Police Department of a century ago. These kinds of articles are particularly interesting when 100 years later we witness the sad state of Trenton's financial and social problems.

Anonymous said...

Did you ask this once before? For some reason I remember finding that it was traced to the name of an actual culprit and or, there may be a reference to this in the Pinkerton's history? Skip So, the answer would be that it became for a short while slang for a burglar or thief, extracted from a real name?

Thursday, August 04, 2011

I may have asked about the source of the "Yegg" word some time ago, Skip; I often wondered about that term which I have heard numerous times over the years. As to the Pinkerton connection, I would have to research that and will at some time, or perhaps a visitor can Google and answer.

Tom Glover

1936: TRENTON POLICE NEW "FIX-PROOF" SUMMONS

Anonymous said...

Tpm - Just a thought - the dark blue line covering the post under the polie ticket makes the wording almost illegible. Just a thought... Lakeside Girl

Thursday, August 04, 2011

Tom Glover said...

THANKS FOR THE OBSERVATION, ELEANOR. THERE IS A YET-TO-BE-FOUND GLITCH IN THIS POST THAT WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO CAPTION WITH A WHITE BACKGROUND. I TRIED NUMEROUS TIMES TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION, BUT TO NO AVAIL: BLUE BACKGROUND WITH BLACK TEXT. THE "BACKGROUND COLOR" CHOICE IN THE MENU WILL NOT REMOVE THE BLUE, EVEN AS I CHOOSE A WHITE BACKGROUND. BOTTOM LINE: I REMOVED THE CAPTION. THE TITLE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENT.

1897: THE EXTINCT "EVENING" NEWSPAPER

THE TOM GLOVER COLLECTION OF RARE TRENTON NEWSPAPERS NOW HOUSED IN THE LOCAL HISTORY COLLECTION OF THE HAMILTON TOWNSHIP PUBLIC LIBRARY

I grew up reading the "Trenton Evening Times;" as I recall a paper delivered to our door by Tony Olympio. I can still see that paper lying on our door step and even remember how it was folded! The afternoon and evening newspaper has gone the way of the passenger pigeon, but I still remember opening that broad sheet and turning to my favorite comic at the time, Joe Jinks and Dynamite Dunn.

Sally Logan Gilman said...

Hi Tom: If my fading memory is correct, I think The Trenton Evening Times was folded in thirds and one of the sections was tucked inside and some how it held together and hit the door mat with a distinct plop. Due to newsprint costs, the daily paper has gotten narrower and narrower. Most are a.m. editions. Regards

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Anonymous said...

Oh! I remember too well and woe to the poor boy who brought home the "Final" when under strict instructions to get only the "Late Final". Honestly, the logic still evades me today; how can you have a final and than a second final which means that the other final wasn't really the "Final" was it? There was also a "City" edition too that came out in the early afternoon. We got our paper at the Ianni Brother's because the paper boy only brought one of the other editions. Skip

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

1902: 109 YEARS AGO IN TRENTON - "THE OLDEST PROFESSION" PROLIFERATES

It's known far and wide as "The Oldest Profession." It has been with mankind since Eve talked Adam into taking a bite from that apple. The above article from the "Daily True American" is drawn from the "POLICE-TRENTON" folder in the Hamilton Library Local History Collection. The "Bing" map pinpoints the intersection referred to in the 1902 article that had the police and local citizens up in arms.

SJBill said...

Lawyers?

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Tom Glover said...

No Bill, but you are getting closer. These folks predate lawyers. Tom

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

1937: NOW THIS IS A DEFINITE MONEY SAVER!

Wow, who would have believed it? Loading their own cartridges! From the "POLICE-TRENTON" folder, this very intriguing, interesting and rare news photo of  Mr. Roy Denson turning out bullets for the Trenton Police Department. A fascinating bit of history that I dare say many area residents never knew, and indeed, the current members of the Trenton Police Department are aware of.

2011: THE SUMMER IS FLEETING-HOW TIME FLIES!

Above is a photo of the sign announcing my 2011 summer concert series which was placed at the intersection of Newkirk and Leonard Avenues back in the late spring by the folks at the Hamilton Township sign shop. Were it not for Jessica Robinson Purdy in the department of recreation, this program would not have been possible. Many thanks to Walt Hughes from Hamilton Buildings and Grounds, and loyal attendee Joe Battiste, both of whom took the time to help me with setting up and dismantling the equipment. Thanks also to Foreman "Bobby DiPastina" and the guys at Kuser Park for the use of the township staple gun to post my "PARKING" signs which effectively led people away from parking along the roadway. This year, and throughout these many years, there has always been a question of publicity. I am in a strange situation along that line. I do have my "Sentimental Journey" Trenton Times column to publicize the event, but there are many citizens who opt for other news sources. This website and www.hamiltonnj.com are also publicity sources, but unfortunately the majority of visitors in the over 70 generation are not into computing. I did see public service listings for the event in the Times in 8 point type. For for those of us who are "optically challenged," it was largely overlooked by senior citizens and those approaching senior status. Were I more financially endowed, I would have placed small 1 or 2 column inch display ads in the local press which would have undoubtedly added to the number of attendees at the park. My thanks to Allie Ward and Joe Emanski at http://www.mercerspace.com for the nice article published in last month's edition of the "HAMILTON POST.". Many visitors read that article and attended the events. Overall, attendance was very satisfactory before a very appreciative audience. Even though these past summer Sundays were in the mid to high 90's, we got by without a rain cancellation. Those in attendance were what I call "folks in the nickel seats" who are music lovers, and really enjoy 2 hours of listenable, singable, but most importantly, spiritually uplifting music. To all who followed these musical programs over the years, thanks! It has been fun. For me, it was the comments I received from the WWII veterans and numerous members of the "Greatest Generation" who attended over those weeks. They told me how they enjoyed "their" music. For them it was a spiritually uplifting experience as they recalled the era in which they grew up. They are the reason for this volunteer effort. May God bless them.

1904: SPEAKING OF ST. JOACHIM'S CHURCH AND PARISH........

Unfortunately, many of the old graphics from the early 20th century were still not as clear as those of today. The art of offset printing was still in its infancy. The above graphics attest to that fact. However, the text is quite readable and this one takes us back 107 years ago to the cornerstone laying ceremony of that historic church.

Mack said...

Hi Tom:)
Great stuff. And Ole Saint Joachim's still looks magnificent to this very day:)

Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Thia from Ralph Lucarella:
HI TOM....I CAN CLEARLY RECALL HOW IMPORTANT THAT CHURCH MEANT TO PEOPLE OF CHAMBERSBURG. IN THE 20'S, MY GRANDMA AND MANY OTHERS ATTENDED MASS EVERY DAY AND MADE SURE THE KIDS WENT TO CATECHISM FOR THEIR HOLY COMMUNION. I RECALL FATHER PALUMBO AND THE NUNS WHO TAUGHT THE KIDS NOT PUTTING UP WITH ANYTHING BUT GETTING THAT DONE. HAVING VISITED CASANDRINO IN ITALY SEVERAL TIMES I ALSO SAW WHERE IT ALL BEGAN. GOD BLESS ST. JOACHIM'S AND ALL THOSE WHO WERE RESPONSIBLE IN ESTABLISHING THEIR FAITH IN THE BURG. BEST REGARDS.

Tuesday, August 02, 2011

1903: CORNERSTONE OF TRENTON'S ST. JOACHIM PARISH

 Below is an interesting view of the home in which Monsignor Pozzi lived during the very earliest years of St. Joachim parish before there was a rectory.The corner building shown on the lower left on the corner of Dye and Genesee Streets with "100" superimposed is the location of Monsignor Pozzi's abode.

 

Over the past week or so, I have been delving into the illustrious past of St. Joachim Parish on Bayard Street in Chambersburg. The ever growing "CHAMBERSBURG" and the "AMERICAN-ITALIAN" folders have been a subject of intense interest to me in view of the fact that the area has gone through such massive change. The late Bob Immordino and I spent many hours working on a computer generated presentation on Chambersburg, detailing the borough from its earliest years, and concentrating on the Italian experience. The first version of the presentation was presented on screen at the Kuser Farm mansion theater during the period of time when the mansion was available for my nostalgia and historic programs. "Chambersburg: An intimate thumbnail sketch" was very well received. The "ASTOUND!" presentation software allows me to add subsequent photos and articles as they are found, and they are and will be added.

Lee Belardino said...

HI Tommy I spent 3 months in St. Joachims kindergarten before being transferred to Washington school.The nuns couldn't put up with me. Spent 3 years there then moved to Hamilton and went to Rowan,Willy,Lalor and 1951 to Hamilton and to the worlds greatest human being and music teacher. Life is strange. Lee

Monday, August 01, 2011