1974: MAURY ON THE 465 BILLION NATIONAL DEBT

To paraphrase that old saying, "No matter how much things change, they stay the same." America has been fighting this budget thing for all of my lifetime, and I don't see any end in sight. This Maury Perilli article from 1974 adds credibility to the aforementioned "old saying." Maury Perilli was not only a great Hamilton Township Mayor, he would have made one helluva President.

1974: MAURY PERILLI REMEMBERS DR. HERMAN COHEN AND THE 1974 GAS SHORTAGE

Dr. Cohen was the Glover family doctor back in the 1930's and 40's. In fact, it was he who delivered me, my "little brother: Donny, and maybe my older brothers. In those days, I assume due to our lack of finances, I was born in the second floor of our 119 Hartley Avenue home. We didn't have money for the hospital. My Aunt Ethel served as Mom Glover's midwife. I later learned that there were many depression children born in their family home. Doctor Cohen was among the last of the family doctors who made house calls. It was he who doctored my older brothers and sisters during the Scarlet Fever epidemic back in the 1930's. His two daughters, Eleanor and Barbara were straight A students all through their Kuser Grammar School and Hamilton High years. They were modest, soft-spoken, delightfully charming girls. 

Speaking of being born at home in Mom's bedroom, It was also the custom at the time to use the home as a viewing for a family member who passed away. I can still see the casket sitting against the wall in the dining room. Only the older visitors among us will recall those years of destitution. 

Ralph Lucarella said...

HI TOM...YOU NEEDN'T BE CONCERNED ABOUT BEING BORN AT HOME. IN THE EARLY DAYS, ESPECIALLY IN CHAMBERSBURG, MOST BABIES WERE BORN AND DELIVERED BY MID-WIVES. MY BROTHER "CHUCK" WAS THE ONLY ONE BORN IN A HOSPITAL IN OUR FAMILY. MAYBE THAT'S WHY HE TURNED OUT TO BE A DOCTOR HIMSELF. ALSO, WHEN MY DAD PASSED AWAY, WE HAD THE FUNERAL AT HOME. I RECALL THE PROBLEM WE HAD IN GETTING THE CASKET OUT THE DOOR. THOSE THINGS WERE AMONG THE HARDSHIPS WE ALL ENDURED IN DAYS GONE BY. REGARDS.

Monday, October 25, 2010

1974: JOE MCKEEVER PRESIDENT OF A.O.H. MSGR CREAN DIVISION ONE

Joe and his wife Rose were stalwarts at St. Anthony parish during my years as a parishioner. Joe and Rose could be seen every week as overseers of the weekly bingo events that were a part of the parish programs.

1887: MR. COMFORT SUGGESTS ALTERNATE SITES FOR CADWALADER PARK

This is an interesting article that was published during the time that the town fathers were mulling over the western section of  Trenton for what would become Cadwalader Park. Note that the Camp Olden site was suggested as a possibility, along with the Hutchinson farm on Cedar Lane and westward toward E. Franklin Street.

1940: NAZI SABOTAGE AT HERCULES POWDER PLANT IN KENVIL , NJ

"29 DEAD IN N.J. POWDER BLAST IS FROM SEPTEMBER 14, 1940. THE COMPLETE ARTICLE WAS TOO LARGE TO SCAN AND POST. THE ARTICLE UNDER THE RED LINE IS THE SEPTEMBER 14TH EDITION WHEREIN IT WAS SUSPECTED THAT NAZI SABOTAGE WAS THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE DISASTER.

SJBill said...

I hadn't heard of this catastrophe in North Jersey. I found another post on the web: http://www.roxburynewjersey.com/hercules.htm Nothing remains but a single house. I wonder what ever became of the Nazi sabotage allegations?

Close to where I now live, there was a huge explosion (1944) at Port Chicago of the Concord Naval Weapons Station. Thousands of tons of munitions went off, killing 320.

Saturday, October 23, 2010 Mack said... My Great Grandfather Alexander MacNicoll died in the Eddystone PA Munitions Plant Explosion April 10th 1917. Foul play suspected but unproven. To this day he has no death certificate as he died unidentified.

Monday, October 25, 2010

 

1922: NEW TEACHER AT YARDVILLE HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Yardville Heights and Greenwood School were both opened in 1919. The above form from Mr. William Robinson, District Clerk at the time,  shows the township's rules and regulations expected of teachers in the school year of 1922-1923 at the astronomical salary of $100 per week! (Tenure? Benefits?....I think not!)

1941: FORD MASS PRODUCES THE CONSOLIDATED B-24 LIBERATOR BOMBER

http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/15654030/1604819366/name/bomber_plant.wmvhttp://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/15654030/1604819366/name/bomber_plant.wmv

Clicking on the link above will give an idea of just how efficient American industry was during WWII when we had to mobilize. The Ford Motor Company Willow Run assembly plant was turning out one of these huge bombers at the rate of one per minute! Thanks to my amateur radio buddy Bob Cherry (WB2F) who sent me this link,  I have saved this video and it will become an integral part of my "WWII" and "AIRCRAFT" folders. My brother Len flew 34 missions over Nazi Germany during WWII as a waist gunner/radio man in the U.S. Army 8th Air Force. He tells the story of the time they were on a bombing run over Dusseldorf and one of the bombs got hung up in the bomb bay door. He was ordered to dislodge it by holding on to the nearest rigid interior part of the aircraft while kicking on the bomb and trying to dislodge it. He did, and he still remembers looking way way down through the gaping bomb bay and thousands of feet of open air. A truly scary story.

1905: VILLA PARK IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY

On Wednesday evening November 3rd at St. Anthony Community room, I will be bringing some of the material I have collected over the years that refer to the very interesting history of Hamilton's across the street neighbor, Villa Park. The area is steeped in local history from the years when it was the race track of noted Trenton horseman, David Quintin and his family. Above is a graphic I crafted from my 1905 Atlas of the City of Trenton. It has been re-formatted from the original.

Ralph Lucarella said...

HI TOM....ACCORDING TO THAT MAP VILLA PARK DID NOT INCLUDE COMMONWEALTH, BERT AND COLUMBUS AVES. WE BOUGHT OUR HOUSE ON BERT IN THE EARLY 1920'S AND AT THAT TIME THERE WERE ONLY A FEW LOTS LEFT. WERE THOSE THREE STREETS A PART OF VILLA PARK THEN. I ALWAYS THOUGHT VILLA PARK INCLUDED ALL THE STREETS BETWEEN CHAMBERS AND OLDEN AND THOSE BETWEEN HAMILTON AND LIBERTY. BEST REGARDS.

Tom Glover said...

Hi Ralph:

To the best of my knowledge, they were all a part of Villa Park. Villa Park was bounded within the confines of Liberty Street, Hamilton Avenue, Chambers Street, and South Olden Avenue. Tom

Thursday, October 21, 2010 Mack said... I sorta always thought of Villa Park as "The Upper Burg" meaning so many folks from there were in the Burg every day and Villa Park homes on average were a bit bitter and nicer than the Burg. Monday, October 25, 201

1896: THE JAMES MOSES SCHOOL

The late, lamented James Moses School that once stood on Park Avenue near Jersey Street in Villa Park. It was the grammar school of many residents of the Villa Park area of Trenton. Villa Park was once the site of Quintin's horse racing track.It is difficult to see where the track was located with the many homes that have since been constructed over the past 100 years. However, I would bet that the ground laid out for the park at Villa Park *was in the center of the original track.(*Complete speculation on my part; I have yet to find definitive information 

on the boundaries of the race track.)

1974: MAYOR MAURY PERILLI: HAMILTON HAS EXPERIENCED INCREDIBLE PROGRESS

Many in my generation remember Hamilton as being a very rural area with large farms stretching for miles on the back roads of White Horse-Mercerville Road, Yardville-Hamilton Square Road, Kuser and Klockner Roads, Edinburgh Road, Flock Road, and many other areas of the township. I recall driving down a narrow two lane Kuser Road when a sapling would snap up against your windshield or rear view mirror. Maury Perilli was an integral part of that transition as it occurred back in the late 60's and into the 80's and then into the incredible megalopolis that Hamilton has become in the 21st century.

1974: LAWRENCEVILLE'S QUAKER BRIDGE MALL

It's a huge complex, and very busy. It has also added immeasurably to the incredible traffic on U.S. Route 1 North in the Lawrenceville-Quaker Bridge Road area. The above article goes to the very genesis of this very popular mall.The aerial view shows Route 1 in the lower portion, and Quaker Bridge Road at the very top.

Ralph Lucarella said...

HI TOM...MY SON ANDI STAYED AT THE COMFORT INN BY THE MALL A FEW YEARS AGO AND IT WAS ABIG MESS TO DRIVE AROUND. ROUTE 1 WAS UNBELIEVABLE AND WE HAD TO DRIVE THROUGH A CAR DEALER'S PLACE TO GET TO THE MOTEL. I THINK A MOTEL SOMEWHERE IN THE MERCERVILLE AREA WOULD SOLVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS. MY BROTHER LOU AND I DECIDED THE TOWNSHIP NEEDED MORE BOWLING LANES IN THE 50'S SO WE FOUND A WAY, ALONG WITH THE HELP OF MANY OTHERS TO BUILD THE HAMILTON BOWLING LANES ON ROUTE 33. WHY SOMEONE DOES'NT DO THE SAME THING WITH A FEW MOTELS IN THE AREA IS BEYOUND ME. BEST REGARDS.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010 Mack said... Let me speak for my generation. Thank GOD for Quakerbridge and Oxford Valley Malls. Downtown was done by the time we were old enough to go to stores ourselves. Quakerbridge was safe clean and NEW as was Oxford Valley. A great place for the kids of my day to hang out. Of course the kids that came after my generation were too rowdy and they had to close the theatre and the video game place..but once upon a time...:)

Monday, October 25, 2010

1940: A TENT CITY GOES UP AT FORT DIX

My cousin was among the first of our family to enter the service during world war II. The interesting thing about this graphic lies in the fact that two very different photos come together at a particular moment in time. On the left is a photo of the soldiers putting together a "tent city" as America prepared for war. On the right is my cousin John "Goog" Williamson and his sisters as a Buck Private in Uncle Sam's army, standing in front of one of those tents.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the photo of my late mother in law June Williamson - Noreen Hvasta

Monday, October 25, 2010

NOREEN: JUNE WAS MY FAVORITE COUSIN. SHE HAD A SENSE OF HUMOR THAT WAS AS DRY AS A MARTINI. UNFORTUNATELY THE HEALTH PROBLEM SHE HAS AS A YOUNG GIRL WITH HER LUNGS FINALLY CAUGHT UP WITH HER. RUTH AND JUNE WERE BOTH VERY CLOSE TO MY MOM AND DAD. GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

TOM GLOVER

1940: REMEMBERING "TRENTON OLD STOCK"

I have never been a beer drinker. However, Trenton Old Stock did have an honored place in the Glover refrigerator those many years ago. The Peoples' Brewing Company on Lamberton and Lalor Streets were the manufacturers of this once-popular local brew. It was a staple at Plaag's Grove in my neighborhood those many years ago.

Ralph Lucarella said...

MY BROTHER CHUCK WORKED AT TRENTON OLD STOCK WHILE HE WAS GOING TO WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY IN NORTH CAROLINA. EACH SUMMER IT WAS ONE OF THE PLACES THAT HIRED COLLEGE KIDS HOME FROM SCHOOL IN THE 1950S.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

1945: "LITTLE EDDIE" MEARA TAKES A TENNIS CROWN

Eddie is my dear wife Judy's cousin, and I knew him long before I met my wife-to-be, Judy Britton Glover. Eddie was a regular at the Kuser Farm Tennis Club. He was also one of the nicest men you would ever meet. Look up the word "gentleman," and you should see Eddie's photo. Calm, confident, and un-assuming, Eddie Meara went on to be a very important member of Trenton society, serving for years as the leader of our local Chamber of Commerce.

1945: V-J DAY ON SANFORD STREET, TRENTON

How time has flies! It was sixty six years ago! 

I was 12 years old and the memory is as fresh as if it were yesterday. Rusling Hose's Klaxon horn was piercing the air, Colonial, Hamilton-Enterprise, and indeed sirens from all over the central Jersey area were heralding the end of the war. Cars paraded down the streets with horns blaring, newspaper being tossed all over the place, convertibles flying by with passengers sitting on the back of the seats in clear, joyful pandemonium. I was on Don Slabicki's front porch at 914 Sylvan Avenue when the spectacle began, and I will never forget it. Mom Glover cried, as did mothers all over America. Mom had two boys in the fight, and both of them came out of it unscathed.
Teresa Wilson Rogers said...
Hi, Tom - My father-in-law, Alvin S. Rogers, Jr. who was from Trenton, was on a mission in the East China Sea on the USS Nevada when the end of the war was announced. He was just 19 years old. A short article was published in the Trenton Evening Times about the celebration on the Nevada when the announcement was made. You can read it on my blog if you are interested, http://rogersfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2010/09/sailors-celebrate-war-is-over.html. Best regards, Teresa Rogers

Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Ralph Lucarella said...
HI TOM....MY MEMORY ALSO SEEMS LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY. SAILING UNDER THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE IN SAN FRANCISCO AND HEARING LES BROWN AND DORIS DAY PLAYING "SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY" ON A SHIP NEARBY. ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I DID WAS DRINK A LARGE GLASS OF MILK AFTER DRINKING POWERED MILK ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WAS POWERED ON THE ISLANDS. SO HERE IT IS AFTER MANY YEARS AND I STILL FEEL VERY GRATEFUL. BEST REGARDS.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

omad said...

Remember the day well. Cook Y field was in back of my house and all the kids marched around the "alleys" that surrounded the field with pots and pans, banging away and shouting and singing. Only 10 at the time but understood what it meant. Joyous times.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

1914: HAMILTON SCHOOLS LIBRARY BOOKS?

Interesting! With Trenton's renowned Traver's Book Store in downtown Trenton, one naturally would wonder why Hamilton would reach to Philadelphia for a supply of books that appear to be destined to go to libraries in the various schools. Perhaps the price from Wanamaker's was more in line than Travers. .

HAMILTON'S FARMINGDALE SCHOOL

My passion for learning the history of our local schools probably dates back to my early teens when I wanted in the worse way to be a history teacher. Alas, it turned out to be an unrequited ambition, with tuition at Trenton State Teachers' College a then-astronomical $900-plus; a sum that was far in excess of Mom and Pop Glover's financial capability. The Hamilton Township Public Library's Local History Collection has a large and growing collection of files and folders relating to the public and parochial school system in Hamilton, Trenton, and the surrounding Mercer County communities. Concentrating on the older schools from the 19th and early 20th century, future plans will include the newer schools to be included in the future. Farmingdale school is of special interest, it being what I believe to be the oldest school in Hamilton. (Unless someone comes along with material earlier that the 1850's Farmingdale material in my collection.)

A NOTE FROM TOM:

THERE ARE MANY MORE FARMINGDALE SCHOOL GRAPHICS ON THIS WEB SITE. GO TO THE UPPER RIGHT OF THE HOME PAGE. TYPE IN FARMINGDALE IN THE "SEARCH BLOG" BOX, CLICK ON THE MAGNIFYING GLASS AND LOOK IMMEDIATELY TO THE BOTTOM RIGHT OF THE HOME PAGE FOR THE GREEN PROGRESS BAR AS THE MATERIAL IS LOADED. ARROW DOWN AND YOU WILL FIND THE MANY FARMINGDALE POSTS.

2010: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MR. AND MRS RICK DELORENZO!

The young fella you see in the top photos is from Rick DeLorenzo Junior, who has taken over the tradition of turning out those extra delicious and quite unique DeLorenzo tomato pies. Rick has taken a well-deserved retirement with his lovely wife shown in the accompanying photo, also courtesy of "young Rick." We all wish you both a very happy and healthy retirement. My dear wife Judy said she will miss calling on a Friday afternoon to order, and being greeted with Rick's ever present Cary Grant type greeting, "Joody, Joody."

Mack said...
Great post Tom:)
All the DeLorenzos are Burg and Villa Park royalty and I love the Delo's in Risoldi's on Quakerbridge Road too:)

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Michael said...

Hey Tom: What a great photo of two great and wonderful people. I'm sitting here smiling at how well they look. Not much different from an Easter Sunday 60 years ago when these two kids, joined me and my date Marie for the Easter stroll along the boardwalk in Atlantic City. Rick and I were Jr.4 classmates, and if anyone has a 1948 Argus yearbook, I defy them to tell the difference between Rick and I in the Track team picture. He of course Italian, and me a Polish kid from South Trenton look like identical twins. A wonderful family, who deserve all the best. Regards Mike Kuzma of Virginia

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

 Thanks, Mike and Mack:

     Your guest book entries, and others similar to it, is what makes  "Local History with a Personal Touch" a popular local website.

Tom

1936: HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL'S "HI-Y" CLUB

To paraphrase the late Jackie Gleason, "HOW SWEET IT IS!" It is such a nice experience to find two separate historical subjects in two very obscure places, and bring them together into the original subject. The Warwick photo is from a December 8 1936 Trenton Times sports page photo. The letter is a carbon copy of just one of the countless Hamilton Township Board of Education files that were going to be THROWN AWAY! The above graphic lucidly explains what I mean when I say I am "preserving local history one page at a time!"

Ralph Lucarella said...

TOM.....I WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE WARWICK FAMILY. THEY WERE OUTSTANDING ATHLETES DURING MY TIME AND ALSO PARTICIPATED IN POLITICS. WAS IT GENE WHO WAS MAYOR OF THE TOWNSHIP AT ONE TIME? I RECALL COMPETING AGAINST THEM MANY TIMES. REGARDS.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Anonymous said...

An interesting banquet for a couple of reasons. The Hamilton High soccer team won the State Championship that year (1936-37 school year). Also the guest speaker was a football player and Hamilton High did not have a football team yet!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

1936: IMMACULATE CONCEPTION HIGH SCHOOL DRAMATICS CLUB

 The above graphic is from the "TRENTON CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL" folder in the Hamilton Library's Local History Collection. There's the late Mayor Art Holland, whom I consider the best Mayor of Trenton during my lifetime, also Claire and Edward McManimon, and lo and behold, my very favorite Kuser School 8th grade teacher, Margaret Gaydos! I'm sure other visitors will find many friends and relatives in the photos.

Ralph Lucarella said...

HI TOM....NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW THAT ART HOLLAND DISCUSSED WITH ME ABOUT HIS INTENTION EARLY IN LIFE TO ATTEND A SEMINARY AND BECOME A PRIEST. I WAS CLOSE AND VERY FRIENDLY WITH MANY PEOPLE IN THE GROUP ABOVE, A FEW WERE JOE SORRENTO, PETE MARCELLA AND JOHN KELTY. JOE SORRENTO'S BROTHER BECAME A PRIEST AND TAUGHT AT TRENTON CATHOLIC AND ALSO WAS A TEAMMATE ALONG WITH ART HOLLAND ON THE SOUTHARDS BASEBALL TEAM. FRED SORRENTO WAS WRESTLING COACH AT TCHS, PETE MARCELLA WAS AN OUTSTANDING BALL PLAYER WHILE THE KELTYS EXCELLED IN BASKETBALL. I ALSO RECOGNIZED MANY OF THE GIRLS FROM THE BURG. BEST REGARDS.

Monday, October 18, 2010

HI TOM....NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW THAT ART HOLLAND DISCUSSED WITH ME ABOUT HIS INTENTION EARLY IN LIFE TO ATTEND A SEMINARY AND BECOME A PRIEST. I WAS CLOSE AND VERY FRIENDLY WITH MANY PEOPLE IN THE GROUP ABOVE, A FEW WERE JOE SORRENTO, PETE MARCELLA AND JOHN KELTY. JOE SORRENTO'S BROTHER BECAME A PRIEST AND TAUGHT AT TRENTON CATHOLIC AND ALSO WAS A TEAMMATE ALONG WITH ART HOLLAND ON THE SOUTHARDS BASEBALL TEAM. FRED SORRENTO WAS WRESTLING COACH AT TCHS, PETE MARCELLA WAS AN OUTSTANDING BALL PLAYER WHILE THE KELTYS EXCELLED IN BASKETBALL. I ALSO RECOGNIZED MANY OF THE GIRLS FROM THE BURG. BEST REGARDS.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Stephen said...

Tom, This was the last year (1935-1936) that Immaculate Conception High School was co-ed. The following school year, ICHS was all boys and Cathedral was all girls. ICHS changed its name to Trenton Catholic Boys HS at the beginning of the 1938-39 school year.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Tom Glover said...

STEPHEN! THANKS FOR THAT INTERESTING BIT OF HISTORY. FOR ME AT LEAST, YOU ANSWERED A QUESTION I HAD LONG WONDERED ABOUT. THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENT AND THANKS FOR VISITING MY BLOG. I HOPE YOU RETURN OFTEN. TOM GLOVER

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

1909: IT'S HALLOWEEN SEASON AND TIME FOR THE "JERSEY DEVIL!"

Back in 1983, I wrote a story on the Jersey Devil for the "Mercer Messenger." In it, I told of my visit to Kuser Farm one night way back in time and on one of those typical windy, leaf-blowing nights. The engraving which accompanied that article has been lifted from my "HOLIDAYS' folder. A very talented young lady by the name of Sharon Tondreau drew it from the description I furnished to her based on material found in my
:"JERSEY DEVIL" folder. Jersey newspapers from the first decade of the 20th century contained many stories of the legendary devil whom some say still roams the pines of South Jersey.

Ralph Lucarella said...

HI TOM....THE NICK NAME OF THE NEW JERSET TEAM IN THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE IS DEVILS. I WONDER IF THEY ARE REFERRING TO THE ARTICLE YOU ARE WRITING ABOUT TODAY.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Tom Glover said...

HI RALPH: I'M SURE THEY ARE NAMED FOR THAT VERY FAMOUS DEVIL. TOM

1928: SOUTH BROAD STREET MILL HILL - JOHN RAUM'S BIRTH PLACE

The mini article extraction above is from October 1928. It locates the birthplace of Trenton's most important historian, John Raum, whose "History of Trenton" is a favorite of those of us who love the incredibly interesting stories of old time Trenton. My interest in Mill Hill has increased over the past 20 years, as I became a parishioner at Sacred Heart parish, just up the street from the photo, on the other side of South Broad Street. Covello's Pizza shop is listed as 312 So. Broad Street, and it is assumed that the Raum home site would be in the area of the buildings in the far distance in the photo.