It’s amazing the things you find or receive while doing research. This envelope looks like it was mailed yesterday, just a little yellow, but no rips or tears. I came upon an opportunity to get this envelope, just why do people save envelopes for seventy years, I guess so people like me can find them and share them with others.This letter was sent from The Brookhill Farm, on the Yardville – Hamilton Square Road, with a three cent stamp and post marked Yardville, NJ, March 24, 1937, 5PM
Most people from this area know The Brookhill Farm was the property of the Simpkins Family. Robert “Bob” Simpkins knows more about Hamilton Township history than anyone in the township, being born in the township in 1905, and still active in its history. Bob just turned 103 this month, God Bless him.
As a child, I cannot count the times I have been past this farm with my parents, seeing the cows grazing in the pastures. This was a time when Yardville – Hamilton Square road was nothing but Dairy farms, as you left Yardville and crossed the railroad tracks, on your left was Bower’s Dairy Farm and its owner was Tim Bower’s, next you crossed over the bridge at Edge’s Brook or Back Creek and there was The Brookhill Farm, on the right.
On the left there was a long mysterious lane, as a child it seemed very “spooky”, lined with tall trees and slightly winding, you could never see the house at the end; we now know that as Locust Hill, The Burholme Estate, a place with a very historic past.
Continuing on you came to the Selmon Farm, at Kuser Road. Then there was nothing, except that “scary swamp” until you almost reached Hamilton Square, there was a farm on the right, across from where Reynolds Middle School is now, the farm house is still there but has been enveloped by the development.
It seems that just a seventy year old envelope sure can bring on some old memories.
If this envelope brought back memories to me can you imagine what memories Bob Simpkins would have with this?
2 comments:
I was just googling "Bob Simpkins New Jersey" and came across this page. Yes, I noticed the irony of using the internet to find a post about a 70 year old envelope.
Anyhow, in case anyone reading this remembers my Grandfather, I thought that I'd mention that he went to his heavenly home on December 10th, 2008 (yesterday, as I type).
Thanks for the memories, Bob!
Rick, Bob's passing left a big hole in the Knowledge Base of Hamilton History. I met him briefly several years ago, seems we shared the same Barber. When I acquired this Envelope I had hoped to show it to Bob, never put stuff off it could be to late.
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