Groveville Memories

Trick or Treat in Groveville

2011-11-03T12:32:00.002-04:00

There was a little discussion on Facebook about the amount of children out for Trick or Treat in Groveville, some had a fair amount and some had few, I think it’s just a sign of the times. Some mentioned that they had Trick or Treater’that they didn’t know. At my house we had about 30.

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As, I guess, a long time resident and Karl Kraft who was also in this discussion, remember when there seemed to be a very large number of Trick or Treater’s, and everyone knew each other, both children and parents, times were different when we were younger, we had a school that we all attended together and some parents walked to school with their children, not for safety, but just to have time to spend with them and other parents, doing the same, we had a post office where you had to pick up your mail, this too was another place to gather.

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We had a corner store where people actually shopped for groceries and fresh meat and again a place to chat for a bit.
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The majority of town’s people worshiped at the same church with their children in Sunday School, parents belonged to the fire company and the auxiliary, and there too were social events that involved parents and children and most of the people in town worked at the mill.

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We had a lot of children in Groveville, most born when TV was limited; leaving more time for our parents to, well never mind, there was a lot of kids. After school it was no problem for us to play Baseball, two teams, with substitutes or Football, same thing and this was just the boys.

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When we trick or treated, you went into the house, people would guess who you were, before you got your candy, it was a process, now we meet them on the porch give them their candy, wish them a “Happy Halloween” and send them on their way.
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Times change and sometimes that makes me sad, but that’s the way it is, the sad part is some towns have banned Trick or Treating, because of predators to our children, the good thing is Groveville has not come to that.

Mr. Pettit Joy - Gilford Park

2011-08-01T16:15:00.005-04:00

This is a letter to Mr. Nathaniel Pettit Joy, concerning his purchase of 3½ lots in Gilford Park, New Jersey, Dated July 31, 1924. During this time period several families in Groveville owned lots in Gilford Park, the Joys, the McEmoyl's and the Rollings. It always amazes me that people save letters like this for over 80 years.

Mr. Joy was known by his middle name of Pettit, He also had a brother Henry "Hen" Joy. Pettit was born in Bordentown in December 1894, lived in Groveville and was a Weaver at the Cotton Mill, he died in November, 1974.

Both he and his brother were original members of the Groveville Volunteer Fire Company.

Chamberlain Family, Easter Sunday, 1940

2011-07-19T15:53:00.002-04:00

Neil Chamberlain posted this great Family photo on Face book, I told him I had to steal this one for my website. This is a great photo of the Chamberlain Family and the church, not to mention the cars. This was taken on Easter Sunday, 1940.

Left to right, Donald, Betty, Marge, Jean, Neil Chamberlain.

1932 Chevrolet Sport Roadster, Charlie Beideman

2011-07-06T12:28:00.021-04:00

Received some interesting stuff from Chuck Beideman, he has kept a list of the cars owned by the Guys in Groveville, we both know someone that will jump on this list with additions as soon as I post it, Chuck and I are ready for his input.

Chuck also sent copies of his father, Charles Beideman's paperwork for his new 1932 Chevrolet, Sport Roadster, his father bought on his 17th Birthday, in 1932.

I added a photo of a 1932 Chevrolet Sport Roadster, I don't know a guy our age from Groveville that would not love to have this beauty of a car.

The cost of this car is about 7 tanks of gas in my Chevrolet Tahoe.

Chuck and I knew it would not be long before Charlie Donnell sent me a list, I got it the next day, like Charlie said "We wish we had these classics back", I'm glad we still remember them.

Charlie Donnell said he also had a 32 Ply, a 48 Chevy 4 door that he bought from Otto Warren for 300 bucks.

And Dave Seahorn had Charlie’s mother’s ole 55 Dodge.

Ronnie “Tink” Taylor had a 55 olds and a 58 Olds.

Tom "Tucker" Dwier, his 55 Chevy was turquoise exterior

Ronnie “Robbie” Robinson had a 59 Chev convertible.

Lynn “Bolton” Bolz had a 60 Chev.

Tom “Snodgrasses” Snyder 55 Chev was a 2 dr, hdtp in coral orange color that I converted to a stick shift. He also had a nice 48 Ford coupe he bought from Dave Stout that him and Bill Straley put a Chevy into and then drilled a hole into the side of the power glide trans when installing the Chev engine. Jimmy Gould soldered it up.

Barry Wright also had a 56 Chev with the twin antennas that we called the tuna boat.

Al “Buddy” Weiss had a 59 ply fury which was a rare find even then with all the power options it had. Then he went for a 1960 Pontiac 389 with a tri power 4 speed. A real classic today that we all wish we had back.

Gary “Lippy” Lippincott also had a 1952 Chev, with a 1956 GMC 270 6 cylinder, bored with Jahn’s domed pistons and three, one barrel carburetors, I locked the rear and spent all my money on axle’s at Brownies.

1932 Chevrolet Sport Roadster

Memories, Going to Church as a kid

2011-06-15T10:11:00.007-04:00

My very good friend Claire Dwier Zarr, noticed in the picture that the stained glass windows not only open from the bottom, but also from the top, she mentioned this to me in an email, which sparked a whole bunch of memories about church as a child in Groveville.

During my childhood almost every one walked to church, mainly because everyone lived local, it was nice there were two services, 8:30 and 11:00, The bell would be rung prior to the service and all the neighborhood hound dogs, would howl. As we walked to church, neighbors would also be walking to church and as you neared church the group would grow, greeting each new addition with a “Good Morning”

After getting your “Church Bulletin” you eventually found your seat, after your parents stopped talking to everyone, it was the same seat, same pew, every week, it’s still that way today, if you don’t show up for church your seat is empty.

As a child in church I was allowed to bring something to occupy myself during those long sermons, that I probably didn’t understand, I was allowed a pencil and a piece of paper, to draw on, if I was particularly “antsy” that Sunday, Mom would play Tic-Tac-Toe” with me, with the paper on the pew, never so someone could see her. Trudy Atkins told me she was allowed a small coloring book and limited crayons.

When we became teenagers, or at least reached the age where we didn’t want to be associated with our parents, some things never change, we sat together in the “Amen” Pew, the back pew in the church in the, alcove. Should we “Act up” our parents would be told and next week we were back with them, like it or not.

For a short time several of us, as teenagers were in the Choir, this was definitely not for our outstanding singing ability, I think it was so our parents and everyone else could keep an eye on us, either that or just to occupy a seat in the choir.

For a while Sunday School was held in the “Old” Community House, I believe as that building grew older Sunday school was held in the church, I remember both. My father, Ken Lippincott, was the Sunday School Leader, or Secretary of the Sunday School there was a short service, which he led, then we broke up in classes by age, Sunday School was not just for kids, it was all ages. Ray Bell still tells me how he can picture my Dad leading the singing, he didn’t sing good, but he sang loud -- and proud, always wore a suit.

I remember as a kid going to church it was so hot in the summer and I still had to wear a tie, just no jacket, now we have air conditioning and I wear shorts. I remember my Dad having to go early to open the church. No air conditioning and no screens in the windows. The nice part was as you walked to church you could hear the piano being played and those that did not go to church could hear the singing and the service, all over Church Street, because they didn't have Air Conditioning either and their house windows were open, too.

To keep you cool in church each book rack on the back of the pew contained The Methodist Hymnal, a Bible and a hand fan, made up of a stick of wood and a cardboard fan, this had a prayer on one side and advertising on the other, "Saul Funeral Home. Hamilton Square, New Jersey"

As I remember only the lady's used the fans and use them they did, they worked up a sweat just using the fan, I think the men were smart, they took advantage of the breeze they created without expending the energy.

Now the windows are never opened, we have Air conditioning; the insurance company requires that they be covered completely with heavy Lexan Plastic on the outside to protect these valuable windows. No one on the outside can hear the beautiful singing and the service from the outside and inside we can't hear the sounds of the outdoors, like happy voices of kids running past or the birds singing. Progress?

When church was over we could not wait to get out of there, get home and get that tie off, of course our parents had to talk to all the same people they talked to on the way in, Why? We had stuff to do, while they were getting religion, we were planning a baseball game for the afternoon.

I know Dad had to get home, he had the collection money, he had to get home, count it, wrap it, write it down in that big Green Book, with the Red Binder, put it in the Green zippered bag, and then get it to the Yardville National Bank, another memory. I thought it was great, my Dad had a key to the bank, what did I know, it was only the “Night Deposit”.

I know Mom and Grand mom had to get home, Mom had to get that Chicken or Roast in the oven, it was Sunday.

As much as I didn’t want to go to church as a kid, it was a wonderful experience, besides all of the other kids in town were there too. The only ones that weren’t there were the Catholics, and it seemed they went to church a whole lot more than we did.

One proud thought is that I have followed in my Father’s footsteps, being active in the church, having held several positions, just like him. Also just like him, I can’t sing either, but I do.

Memories are a wonderful thing.

Groveville United Methodist Church - 175 years old

2011-06-12T09:15:00.015-04:00

Circa 1880

In May, 2011, The Groveville United Methodist Church Celebrated 175 years of serving God and the Community. The church has been a focal point of the community since before 1830, worshiping in homes prior to the construction of a church building in 1836.

As part of our celebration we had, on Sunday, May 22, 2011, a service dedicated to the history of the church and the community. We had Pastors from the past speak in church, all recounting their time spent in Groveville. This was followed by a very nice luncheon prepared by our Kitchen Crew.
Fellowship hall was decorated with some great Memorabilia, photos of the Church, the community, the Fire Company, and the Mills & Businesses that made Groveville the place to live.

This celebration was continued on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 with an Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social. Two members of the community, and the church that have gone on to serve in the Methodist Ministry spoke and recounted how the church and the community helped to lead them down the path of life they have chosen, Elizabeth "Betty" Vaneekhoven of the Fieldsboro Methodist Church and Karl Kraft, who has served as Senior Pastor at several South Jersey United Methodist Churches.

There was also entertainment, Judy Mock and five gentlemen of the congregation, George Goldy, Al Herbert, Laddie Srahola, Jack Mock, and Dave Bergeron, performed "Hello Dolly".

Al Herbert - Dave Bergeron - Judy Mock - Jack Mock - Laddie Srahola - George Goldy

Reverend Fran Ballinger holds an Ice Cream Scoop used by Mrs. Naomi Rollings when she ran the Company Store for Morris and Company Mills. This was a Three Cent Scoop. Circa 1897.
A large variety of Ice Cream was served, everyone donated a topping, and a good time was had by all that attended, over one hundred from the church and the community. As the evening wore on it seemed no one wanted to leave, as groups chatted inside as well as outside on a nice cool evening.

A Brief History of Groveville United Methodist Church.1836 - 2011

In 1830, Groveville had only 10 houses in the entire village, but the good people met in their respective homes for worship led by Pastor Thomas Stewart of the Crosswicks Circuit. Then in 1833, a group of Christians led by John Rulon held their 1st meeting for the purpose of forming a committee to discuss the building of a house of worship. It was then to be called the Groveville Meeting House.

It wasn’t until May 25, 1836, that the plans were finalized at a meeting in the old school house on lower “Mill Road.” John Rulon was given a subscription book to be circulated from one Trustee to the other for the purpose of collecting funds.

At the same time, 1 acre of ground was to be purchased from Richard and Samuel Jaques to erect said church. John Rulon was to procure the deed for the same. Signed by: Enoch Knowles, George S. Green, Joseph Forman and John Rulon – Trustees.

Ezeck Middleton was engaged to build the pulpit and altar rail, of which each spindle was hand made with a lathe drawn by Ezeck’s horse. The cost of the pulpit and rail was $9.31. The altar was made from local trees. It might also be interesting to know that wine was used for the 1st Sacrament at a cost of 25 cents and bread for the cost of 5 cents.

On August 28, 1884, the Trustees met under the leadership of Pastor Blackeston to take subscriptions for the purpose of building a parsonage.

The amount required to assure success was estimated at $500.00. The entire project cost should not exceed $1,000.00 The Trustees agreed to buy the lot for the parsonage from John Clymer for $125.00.

On May 4, 1887, permission was given by William Morris to hold services in the Lyceum Hall while additions were being made to enlarge the church. The bid was awarded to J W. Bowers for the changes at a cost of $2,450.00, to be completed by December 1, 1887. Horse sheds were also built by Mr. Anderson at a cost of $55.00 for lumber, plus $5.30 for labor. These were situated where the Education Building now stands.

On August 15, 1887, the cornerstone was laid for the new church and on January 26, 1888, the steeple was erected at a cost of $77.00. The community progressed and on May 10, 1896 the Trustees voted to build 2 more rooms on the parsonage at a cost of $114.00.

During the next 10 years, Groveville quickly increased in population. The factories were working full time. The leaders of the community found it to their advantage to plan organized activates for our village.

On July 3, 1916, the Trustees, lead by the Rev. Charles S. Fees, voted to erect a one story building for the work of the church and community. They obtained a lot from Harry Clymer. J. W. Bowers was awarded the bid at a cost of $2,800.00. Then on September 10, 1917, the Community House was completed. The building served its purpose well as a meeting place for all religious and recreational activities.

With the completion of Groveville Gardens and new homes being built in surrounding areas, our little church bulged at the seams. In October 1956, under the leadership of Rev. David Seeland, a new Education Building was erected on the old Community House site. This was truly a Faith Project, with the estimated cost being nearly $100,000.00. With the initial loan obtained by the Trustees, mortgages were obtained at both Yardville and Bordentown banks. Each month became a struggle to meet out indebtedness. However, the years passed, and with each new pastor, the responsibility of reducing the mortgages was met.

With the help of God and the church community the goal was reached when Rev. Douglas J. Kersey was pastor. The mortgage was burned on September 19, 1974.The next major step was the renovation of the Sanctuary.

Planning began in 1996. The Trustees decided a Handicapped Accessible Ramp was needed for the church. This project was completed in 1997. Of equal importance was the restoration of the stained glass windows. This became a long term project as the renovation of the sanctuary continued. Under the leadership of Trustees Robert Plummer, Carl Frech, George Goldy, Al Herbert, Reade Holzbaur, Jon Kasper, Michael Matecha, Ed Sheldon, and John Wood, the $14,000.00 renovations were completed in 1999, except for the stained glass windows.

On October 5, 2008, with thankful hearts and giving the honor and glory to God, we celebrated the completion of the stained glass window restoration. The project was in the talented and capable hands of craftsman Joe Ratajczak, of Plowman Stained Glass. Mr. Ratajczak began the window restoration in November of 1996 and completed the work in February of 2008.

Under the present leadership of our Trustees: Gary Lippincott, Jon Kasper, Bonnie Adams, Trudy Atkins, Julie Baronowski, George Goldy, Al Herbert, Ron Robinson, and our pastor Rev. Fran B. Ballinger we look to the future of Groveville United Methodist Church with great hope as we continue to serve God and community. Whatever the future holds, we look forward to facing it with “Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors.”.

Adapted from the 1974 Mortgage Burning Booklet and the 1999 Restoration Booklet

Just a picture of Spring

2011-04-15T14:53:00.002-04:00

Two Good Friends - March 14, 1937

2011-03-31T09:10:00.009-04:00

This is a photo of Dorothy N. "Johnson" Lippincott (My Mom), "Dot" and Ethel M. "McClure" Beidman, "Dink". They were good friends growing up and remained friends until Ethel and her husband Charles, moved to Delaware. This photo was taken on the lawn between the Post Office an the Corner General Store, this is now a paved parking lot for the General Store, turned Italian Restaurant, and the Post Office, turned Beauty Shop, in 1937 there was no need for a parking lot, everyone walked to the store.

The house in the background at my time growing up was the home of Jim and Betty Stackhouse. I do not know who lives there now or who lived there before Jim and Betty, but I am sure someone will read this and tell me. Yup, I told ya so, Ruth McEmoyl Knight informed me that the house in the background at the time of this photo was the home of the Borden family.

Thanks to Susan "Suzi" Beideman Burdan for this geat picture of our Moms.

Old Time Minstrel Show - March 9, 1951

2011-03-25T06:52:00.013-04:00

Growing up in Groveville there was always something going on, almost everyone belonged to either the Church or the Fire Company or both, was more like it, so any event by either organization was a "Whole Town Event".

There were the Fireman's Banquet, The Easter Service and Egg Hunt, Memorial Day was all day, parade in the morning, kids games and food on the ball field, and the Fire Company Baseball game in the late afternoon,

There was the Fireman's Picnic, The Church Picnic, The Fire Company Turkey Dinner twice a year, the Church's Chicken Dinners and Shrimp Dinners, the church's Thanksgiving Breakfast at the Community House, there were movies and dances at the Community House during the year, The PTA Street Fair every summer, The Fire Company Halloween Party and dance for the kids, Santa and the Christmas Party with gifts for the kids, at the Fire House.

The fire company brought the circus to town and they also had "Donkey Baseball" games.

There was the Church's Harvest Home Dinner on Wharton's lawn on Main Street, I can picture that now with that white picket fence, tables covered with white table cloths, blowing in the breeze, people walking down the street with covered dishes, Norman Rockwell where were you then.

There were community players with serious plays at the Community House. I remember some scary magic shows at Community House.

Lets not forget the PTA sponsored Halloween Parade, the kids paraded through town in costume, during school hours and all the town and the mill workers came out to watch you go by, the PTA provided snacks at school after the parade.

I heard of the Minstrel Shows, but was to young to attend, I think they were a little risqué for little old Groveville.

These are just the ones I remember, I am sure I will add some as people remind me.

Trenton Evening Times - July 16, 1907

2011-03-23T18:49:00.001-04:00

Two Life Long Friends

2011-03-23T16:01:00.015-04:00

Dorothy Naomi "Johnson" Lippincott (My Mom) & Doris "Nitchman" Atkins taken in 1936 they were about 16 years old.

Doris "Nitchman" Atkins - 1936

Mom and Doris were best friends growing up in Groveville, after growing up and marring they still remained good friends, Mom married Ken Lippincott and Doris married Harold "Cy" Atkins. Both families were very active in the Groveville United Methodist Church and the community. Below are two Christmas cards Doris and Cy sent to Mom and Dad, and Mom always saved them.

This one belonged to Charles and Ethel Beideman,

sent to me by Suzi Beideman Burdan

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Groveville Fire Cadets - 1990

2011-03-21T18:53:00.002-04:00

Groveville Volunteer Fire Company, Junior Cadets being honored. I will post the names in the proper order, the photo has it wrong, Left to Right, Councilman Michael Angarone, John Kaiser, David York, Tom Ricigliano, Chris Drew, and Frank Glospie.

I believe four of these men have followed careers in public service, as Police Officers, Corection Officers, Firefighters, and EMT's. The Groveville Fire Company should be proud to have sparked this intrest with these men as young men.

Yardville School - 1926

2011-03-21T18:25:00.005-04:00

This is a photo of the Yardville School 8th Grade, 1926. The is not the Yardville School we know today, this is the one located on Route 156 between Church Street and the Yardville - Crosswicks Road (Broad Street). It is now an apartment building. The photo was taken on the steps of the house across the street from the school, the house is still there but has gone through some changes, but still looks almost the same.

The name are listed on the back of the photo, only problem is they are in no order. The only people I recognize in this photo are Ann Schroeder, seated on the right wall of the steps and Charles Robinson, he is on the top right with a black bow tie.

The names are; John Petry, Charles Robinson, Jack Middleton, Victor Lanco, Harvey Archer, Albert Reed, Dick Middleton, Angelo Repole, Harold Chamberlain, Elsie McCue, Mildred Williams, Fred Jones, Edward Jones, Joe Matlack, Vi Shinn, Thelma McEmoyle, Anna Olzak, Viera Cox, Edith Gaw, Verna Luke, Iona Fackenthal, Josephine Gorman, Elva Richardson, and Anna Schroeder.

Wendell Fisher and his first car

2011-02-04T15:31:00.005-05:00

Received this from Blanche Fisher, this is a photo of Wendell with his first car, Blanche tells me it's an Austin, year unknown, but I'm searching for a year. I also wonder where this photo was taken.

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Below is a photo of Wendell's Plane, I believe this was taken at the Trenton-Robinsville Airport.

1947 Ward LaFrance -- Atlantic City, 1956

2011-01-22T22:30:00.005-05:00

Groveville Fire Company's 1947 Ward LaFrance at the New Jersey State Firemen's Convention, Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1956. Those are a few Groveville Firemen standing in front of the engine.

Groveville Dance Class - 1936

2011-01-12T22:14:00.005-05:00

This photo of the Groveville Tap Dancing Class was taken on the front steps of the Groveville Elementary School, 1936.

The class was taught by Miss Elisabeth DiGiorgio, county supervisor of dancing.

Back Row, Left to Right - Evelyn Olszak, Josephine Karch, Elisabeth Kelly, Betty Baus, Josephine Firth, Mary Ella Bucher, and Doris Harbourt.

Front Row - Dorothy Elgrim, Leona Klink, Jane Brooks, Dolores Liick, Elsie Jean Streeter, Sally Brooks, and Anna Karch.

Sally Brooks Holzbaur just stepped down as Pianist, Organist, and Musical Director of the Groveville United Methodist Church, after more than 50 years and is still quite active in the church, and is still our substitute Musical Director.

This photo borrowed from Tom Glover, Thanks, Tom

Groveville and Yardville Post Offices

2010-12-24T14:06:00.005-05:00

I just obtained these Post Cards. These post card were mailed from the Groveville and Yardville Post Office's on the last day they were independent Post Offices, after this date they were Trenton Branch Post Offices.

There is no writing or message on the reverse of these Post Cards, they were mailed only to obtain an official Groveville or Yardville post mark on this historic date.

As we can see Pete Larkin was the Yardville Postmaster at the time, I can only guess that Groveville's Postmaster was Betty Stackhouse, at he time.

Groveville PTA Play - 1937

2010-10-26T13:08:00.003-04:00

This appeared in the Trenton Times Sunday Advertiser, May 23, 1937. I believe the James Darnell mentioned in this add was really James "Jim" Donnell. I remember the old Plays at the Community House, some were too risque for me as a kid to attend, like the Minstrel Shows.

September 19, 1915 ~ Trenton Evening Times

2010-09-28T08:17:00.003-04:00

Yardville School - 1935

2010-09-16T20:49:00.006-04:00

Yardville School, the old school Building, at 212 Route 156. I parked in front of the building to compare this picture to the building to the building today, the windows are different, no longer arched at the top and with metal frames. The front door and the transom window or light are exactly the same, the side trim on the door is different. The fence in this picture is the same fence that is there today.
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I received this from Marilyn Wright McLean, through Audrey Winner.

Audrey and I could only agree on three people in this photo, top row, second from the right, Edward "Pud' McClure, front row second from the right, Mary Dwier Wright, Center Row, to the left of the teacher, tall girl with dark hair, Jeanne Bell Mushinski. I have been told the girl in the front behind the sign is Verna Luke Longmuir.
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I have been told by several, the teacher is Mae Davis, if anyone had Miss Davis and you were a guy, you still have the lumps on your head from her knuckles and if you were a girl, the hair on you head is most likely grown back from her pulling it, she did get your attention.
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Open to suggestions, please try to be accurate, hopefully these will be around for a long while and I would like the names to be correct.

Groveville Gardens - 1952

2010-09-09T10:32:00.003-04:00

This article was in the Trenton Evening Times, Friday August 15, 1952, thanks to Cheryl (Bialota) Natriello for sending this article. These homes today, with no additions or big improvements, in good condition, are selling for between 170,000 to 190,000, those with additions, enlarged second floors and garages are well over $200,000.

Groveville Reunion, August 2010

2010-08-26T00:27:00.012-04:00

These are just a few of the people that attended the reunion of kids growing up in Groveville, from what I understand a good time as had by all. I missed it, we were visiting with other former Groveille resident, Charlie & Marlene Donnell in Oyster, VA, for a week.
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If any one else has photos, email them to me and I will post them, several more were in attendance that I do not have photos for.

Bill Paradiso and Paul Matlack

Ed Beideman and Barry Parks

Chuck Beideman and Wayne Wright

Marilyn Wright McLean - Lisa Smith Wurpel - Tim Smith

Jack Britton

Sandi & Chuck Beideman - Linda Hanusckick Paradiso

Tom and Linda Weiss

Mike Engi and Linda Hanusckick Paradiso

This is a list of the attendees as best as they know.

Where did the Groveville Bell go?

2010-08-05T23:11:00.005-04:00

I had heard the stories of the ringing of the bell, one story, the story in the article was told to me by Wilbur Reynolds, on Halloween they would climb to the belfry, tie a light line or fishing line to the bell, run it across the street to my Grandmother Rollings House, where there was a large pine tree wrapped in wisteria, making it easy to climb. from up in the tree and hidden, they would ring the bell, when Constable Jack Coffey would come to see who was on the school roof they would stop, seeing no one there he would walk away, they would give him a chance to get down Church Street and they would ring it again.

When the fire house was still in Groveville, I heard stories as to where the bell went. Since I started doing this research I heard stories about the bell, both the same, as to where it went.

One is that the bell was removed to make repairs on the belfry, one prominent local person volunteered to store the bell. Once the belfry was repaired the bell was not replaced in the belfry and that the bell may still be in the hands of a person in Groveville. I don't know if this person was a School Board Member or not, guess I should check that out.

Too bad the bell is not there, as kids we would have loved to pull this prank.

Borden Cut Glass - 1926

2010-08-01T20:42:00.009-04:00

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Borden Cut Glass, Church Street, Groveville, Just another of the several manufacturing companies that made Groveville such a popular place. For such a little town of three streets, there was so much opportunity to earn a living, provide for a family, and have a safe place to raise our children.

The above adds appeared in the Trenton Evening Times from 1915 to 1926.

I have several pieces of Borden Cut Glass, as do many older Groveville residents. The Groveville United Methodist Church, has several serving dishes and cream pitchers Manufactured by Borden Cut Glass.

Groveville Kids, October 17, 1946

2010-07-19T19:07:00.004-04:00

Left to right Paul Corson, son of the Pastor of the Groveville Methodist Church, Dennis Moyer, Jill Jones, and Tim Jones. This photo was taken in front of the, then Jones home across Church Street from the Methodist Parsonage.

This was taken in 1946, I wonder who's car it was and what it was.

Edna Borden Sunday School Class

2010-07-18T19:25:00.004-04:00

The Edna Borden Sunday School Class

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On the right side of the table, front to back is Lillian "Sis" Stickles, Erdith Moyer, Sarah Brecht, Catherine Crider, Anna Craft, unknown.
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On the left side of the table, front to back Ruth Sehorn, Edna Klink, Emma Lommason, Katharine "Kate" Johnson, Minnie Luke, Etta Pommerank
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This is the Edna Borden Sunday School Class of the Groveville United Methodist Church, at a special outing. It seems each time there was a special event involving the women of Groveville, whether it was the Church, the Ladies Auxiliary of the fire Company, or the Pocahontas Lodge they always celebrated at the Hawaiian Cottage.

I can tell by the Bamboo and the imitation Palm Tree, that is where they are. The Hawaiian Cottage was located on Route 38, in Merchantville, The Hawaiian Cottage is no more, neither is Merchantville, its now known as Cherry Hill.

Too Hot For Ya ~ It Was 104* Yesterday.

2010-07-07T08:35:00.004-04:00

This was only five months ago, stare at this picture for five

minutes and I guarantee you'll feel cooler,

Enjoy your summer.

Halloween Parade - 1946

2010-06-29T16:49:00.008-04:00

The two in the mouse costume are Dennis Moyer on the left and Daryl Dwier on the right, the teacher behind them is Miss Longstreet.

One of the biggest events of attending Groveville Elementary School was our Halloween Party, I believe this was the lower grades, only. On Halloween every child came in costume, store bought or homemade, most were homemade, this was Groveville, if you had enough money to buy a costume you had enough money to have chicken twice that week.

The party usually consisted of Cookies, Cupcakes, Koolaid brought in by our parents. Then there was the parade, the entire school walked down Church Street, on the side walk, pretty much single file,and you stayed on the side walk, or else.

We walked to Main Street, turned right, walked past the Firehouse, all the way to the Mill (Anchor Thread and Mercer Textile). All of the people of the Mills would come out and watch you walk past and cheer and clap, I think it was almost as big a deal to them as it was to the kids, because they all came out.

We would turn around and walk back up Main Street, we would cross over to the other side when we reached Matlack's and Weiss's house, because that is where the side walk starts on the other side of Main Street.

We would walk all the way to Lloyd & Mary Bowers, cross over Main Street there because the sidewalk ended there, to Phoebe Robinson's side of Main and came back to Church Street and back to the School.

All the way parents, mostly Mom's, would be out on the street and out on their porches cheering, clapping and taking pictures, some ran out to straighten their child's costume, it was such a fun time.

The amazing part of this was that it was not just the parents of the children in the parade, watcing, but everyone came out for the poarade. There were no flyer's or postings that the parade was today, everyone knew, it was discussed at the Post Office and at the General Store, most of the people of Groveville "Just Knew" today was the parade.

Now days you see teachers with small groups of young children walking holding a rope between them so they don't get lost. We had no rope, we had teachers we listened too, after all we would be walking past out mothers, it was nothing for the teacher to say "Little Gary is not listening, and the reply from Mom would be, I'll take care of that when he gets home.

We had costumes with full face masks that obscured our vision, costume shoes that didn't fit because they were from our older brother, Dresses that were long and dragged the ground from our mothers and costume pants too long and rolled up to look silly and easy to trip over and we never lost a Kid. So glad we now have laws and rules to protect us from having all this fun.

This is just one more thing that the children of Groveville will have to cherish forever, I know I will.

October 1976 ~ Save Groveville School

2010-06-25T12:23:00.006-04:00

Reading this article brought a tear to my eye. Dennis Moyer dropped this and several other articles and photos off to me, from his Mom, Erdith Dwier Moyer's collection.
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This was such a "Hub" of the community, I have lived across from the school all of my life. As I mentioned earlier in my blog, Mom's used to walk their children to school, then after the bell rang the Mom's would hang out in the School Yard or on the side walk and talk, then slowly make their way down Church Street to stop at the Post Office to pick up their mail and the latest gossip (no home delivery of mail). From there they would make their way to the corner store to make sure they had something for lunch (As kids we went home for lunch from school) and pick up something for supper, the corner store had canned goods, fresh produce and fresh butchered meat, like a mini super market.
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My mother Dorthy Lippincott graduated from Hamilton High in 1939, when she went to Groveville School it went to the 8th Grade in four rooms, by the time she reached 8th Grade it only went to 7th and she was bussed to Klockner School for 8th and then on to Hamilton High.
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I graduated Hamilton High in 1962, when I went to Groveville School it went to 5th Grade in four rooms, the large basement room was the cafeteria and sometimes on rainy days we had our recess time there.
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By the time I reached the 5th Grade the school only went to 4th and we were bussed to Yardville for 5th thru 7th. Eight was at the old Steinert, now Nottingham, then on to Hamilton High, now know as West.
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It was a sad day for the community when our school closed, it was a nice school with a personal touch.

For many years Dot Jones, still of Groveville, was our crossing guard at the corner of Church and Main Streets, she knew every student and their parents.
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One of our teachers, Sarah Brecht, lived on Main Street, and could be seen walking to school along with the children. She was also my Sunday School teacher.

When I was young we had a crossing guard at the school, a maintenance man, a janitor, a man in charge of the boiler, and a teacher's assistant, it was all the same man, Nimrod "Uncle Nim" Dwier, when he spoke you listened.

We didn't have a Principal at the school or a School nurse, The Principal and the School Nurse were at Yardville School, they were also responsible for Yardville Hights School. Many times a nurse would be need for a scraped knee or a bumped head and the nurse would not be available, they would go across the street to my house and get my Mother, Dot Lippincott, to come over, she was a Registered Nurse, she would dab on the Mercurochrome and a band aid.
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I am gratful the building is still there and is well maintained by the township, I just wish it was a school that my daughter could have attended. Its now used as our community center and the place where we vote, since the Fire Company left town, but that is another story.
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I have more articles to post on the school, but I want to get this up and work on the others.

Groveville-Yardville Memorial Day Parade - 140 Years

2010-06-15T22:07:00.006-04:00

Ironton, Ohio lays claim to the nation's oldest continuously running Memorial Day parade, it has been a tradition since 1868. The first parade was held May 5, 1868.

The Groveville - Yardville Memorial Day Parade was first held in May of 1870, we celebrated the 140th anniversary, this year, could this mean that we are the second oldest parade in the country, I am sure we may be the oldest continuing in the state. I am still searching for an older parade.

Groveville Fire Company - 1950 Banquet Committee

2010-06-07T15:24:00.012-04:00

Groveville Fire Company - 1950 Banquet Committee

Standing, Left to Right, Ted Wacowicz - Charles "Charlie" Thompson - Edward "Eddie" Jones

Seated, Left to Right, Joseph "Jo~Jo" DeMent - Mildred "Millie" Williams - Nimrod "Nim" Dwier

Yes, that is a real band in the background, no DJ's back then, you listened to what they played, and it was all good music.

Groveville Veterans of WWII

2010-05-31T19:15:00.013-04:00

This is a photo of the men and women of Groveville after returning from serving our country during World War II.

The amazing point is, at the time Groveville was comprised of three streets, Church Street, Main Street, Allen Street, and a portion of the Yardville-Crosswicks Road (Broad Street) and there are 56 men and women veterans in this photo, that is a lot of people from such a small area, that same spirit still exists today as almost every house in Groveville flies an American Flag.

A committee was formed from the men and women of the the Groveville Volunteer Fire Company and the Groveville United Methodist Church and a Dinner Dance was given to these men and women. The Dinner Dance was held in the almost completed Groveville Fire House that was being built by the men of the community.

Those seated are the men and women veterans, those standing are a portion of the committee that arraigned this Dinner Dance.

I am trying to put together the names of these Veterans, I do know some, but not all.

I am proud to say that one of the veterans is my father, Ken Lippincott and my uncle, Alfred Johnson, I am also proud to say that one of the women standing as one of the people putting on this affair is my Great Grandmother Naomi Rollings and my Grandmother, Katharine "Kate" Johnson. I'll bet that every person that spots a relative in this photo is just as proud as me.

Thanks to Denny Moyer for this photo, his Grandfather, Nimrod "Nim" Dwier and his mother, Erdith Moyer, are both in this photo, as one of those organizing the dinner.

There are two photos because this is almost a panoramic photo and my scanner does not do pieces this long, one way or another, I was either cutting off Victor "Vic" Champion on one side or William "Bill" Straley on the other.

Just Some Groveville Kids, Late 1950's

2010-05-23T14:31:00.008-04:00

Thanks to Carol Heaton for these pictures, I still have more from Carol, but I wanted to get some up and will do the rest later. Carol, I didn't forget you want these back, I have these in an envelope ready to go this week, just want to make sure, one more time, I scanned them all.

Carol Heaton

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Daryl Dwier

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Jean Miller
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Robert "Bob" Matlack
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Jill Jones
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Albert "Buddy" Weiss

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Groveville Baseball - 1920

2010-05-03T12:52:00.005-04:00

Front Row, kneeling, Charles Stackhouse ~ Fred Luke ~ Len Purdy ~ Everett Sutts ~ Charles Bennett ~ Cap Cole ~ Archie "Arch" Middleton ~ Charles "Pud" McClure ~ Bat Boy Charles "Dusty" McClure.

2nd Row, Standing, Harry Inman ~ Alfred McClure ~ William "Bill" Tantum ~ Wilbur Carey ~ Raymond "Ray" Danley ~ Ray "Bick" McClure ~ Walt McCabe ~ Unknown. Gentleman in the background with tie is Ed Berkeheiser.

If you ever saw he movie "Field of Dreams, with Kevin Costner, these men look like they walked out of the movie with these uniforms.

This is the Groveville Baseball Team, 1920, this had nothing to do with the fire company, this was made up from the people of Groveville. The top photo is the complete photo, the bottom has been cropped to show the men better.

This was taken on Main Street, on the right side leaving Groveville, where it bends to the right, past the Cemetery entrance. The building on the right is a portion of the barn owned by the Bowers family, at the time this was the last house on Main Street. The house in the background was the house last owned by Mina Shelton.

This is where the town Baseball Field was located and was know to all as the Peach Orchard, for obvious reasons at the time.

It is hard to believe but at this time between this point in Groveville and the town of Crosswicks there was nothing but fields and woods and two farms.

Thanks to Joan McClure for finding this in her collection for me. Her husband, Pud, is on the right, next to the dog.

Groveville Volunteer Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary ~ 1950's

2010-03-15T00:49:00.008-04:00

Standing Left to Right; Unknown ~ Unknown ~ Jenny Miller ~ Emma Lommason ~ Stella "Stell" Sellers ~ Betty Chamberlain Simpson ~ Mildred "Millie" Williams ~ Gertrude "Gert" Inman.

Seated Left to Right; Helen Bell ~ Noma Bell Eades ~ Vivian "Viv" Heaton ~ Jean Bell Mushinski ~ Mabel Haggerty ~ Katharine "Kate" Rollings Johnson ~ Mary Etta Simpson ~ Verna Rollings.

The Groveville Volunteer Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary, mid 1950's. The Groveville Firemen were a great bunch of community minded men that did more for the community than fight fires, but these women and the women before them and the women after them were the support of the fire company. No one will ever know how hard they worked to make the fire company a success.

On a big fire these women would be at the fire making soup or sandwiches, providing Hot coffee and cold drinks. During fund raisers, like our Turkey Dinners, the combined Carnival with the DeCou Fire Company or our annual fund drive, our Halloween parties for the children and of course Santa on Christmas Eve, the ladies of the auxiliary were with out a doubt indispensable.

Many of the women were wives of the firemen, but some were not, just women of the community that wanted to make a difference. These were all great women.

The women I have marked "Unknown" are ones I think I know, but want to be positive before I post a name.

Groveville's Boy Preacher - 1899

2010-03-04T09:49:00.000-05:00

I received this article from my friend Cheryl, it is a little hard to read, but she asked if I had heard of this, I had not. the article is interesting, but I am not sure of its validity. Before posting this I asked several people if the had ever heard of Charlie Fisher being referred to as the "Boy Preacher", no one had.
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This would be Wendel's father, so I asked Blanche, Wendel's wife,Charlie's daughter-in-law, if she ever heard him referred to in this way and she had not.
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Stories are told over and over, and last for generations in Groveville, but no one recalls this. The other thing questionable is the part where he preached to a flock of sheep, no one recalls anyone in Groveville raising sheep or there being a farm to raise them.
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Why in 1899 did it get published in a New Brunswick Newspaper?
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To bad Wendel is not alive so we could get the facts, but then if Wendel were alive I would have a lot more to write, he had great stories.
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All in all its a good story.

Groveville Fire Company~Mid 1950's

2010-02-16T18:42:00.006-05:00

Front Row Left to Right – Don Snyder - Ray M. Bell - Frank Ferris - John “Johnny” Engle - Albert J. “AJ” Simpson - Charles Thompson - Peter “Pete” Mickschutz - Unknown

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Second Row Left to Right – Unknown - Unknown - Edward Jones - Howard Jones - Nimrod Dwier – Unknown - Edward “Murph” Mushinski – Russell “Russ” Taylor - Joseph “Jo~Jo” DeMent

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Third Row, Standing - Robert “Bob” Simpson - Robert “Bob” Heaton - Joe Zeppa - Wendel Fisher - Raymond “Bill” Dwier - Jake Sellers – Unknown - Vince Symczk

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Fourth Row, Standing – James “Jim or Stackie” Stackhouse - William “Bill” Rousseau - Unknown – William “Bill” Henry – Edward “Eddie” Klink – Unknown - Charles “Deacon” Inman

Just some Groveville thoughts

2010-02-16T14:48:00.004-05:00

In January I was invited to Charlie and Marlene Donnell’s 50th anniversary, they now live in Virginia, on the Easter Shore. Charlie grew up on Church Street across the street from me, he had TV before us, so every night at 5:00 pm it was “Howdy Doody Time”,(until we out grew that) but I had to be home at 5:30 pm, because that’s what time Dad got home for supper. His anniversary was like a gathering of old friends, those that did not attend had a medical excuse. It was so worth the trip.

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Last night I had a visit from Carol Heaton Brown and her husband Dave, they were up from South Carolina to visit family and have read my site and we keep in touch; they put me on the visit list. Carol is my age and grew up on Main Street, just across from and down the hill from the Fire House; Dave lived on the same side of Main Street as the Fire House, the last house, next to the Mercer Textile Mill. We spent the entire night talking about old times and of course we said what everyone has said that experienced growing up in Groveville has said “It was a great place to grow up, everyone’s parent looked out for you, and if you did something wrong, your parents knew about it before you got home.

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Carol brought me a folder full of pictures, which I promised to scan and send back to her. This is an example of the love people have for Groveville, like Carol, they have a little piece of Groveville in the photos they and their families have saved over the years and everyone is proud of them and want to pass them on to others. We could have talked for hours, and we did. Most all of my future photos are from Carol.

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It is so great when any of us get together, it’s like family. For years people of our age group held a reunion, no set time, it could happen anytime, someone would get the idea we need a reunion and it would start, but now most of us are retired and moved to faraway places and can’t make it back for a reunion, but they sure were fun, the last few were held at the Crosswicks Fire House.

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I have been told that many people have found a connection with old friends and family through my site and that makes it all worth it.

I have heard from Groveville people from California, Oregon, Washington State, Florida, Maine, Michigan and other states, I even have received emails about my site from someone serving on a ship in the Gulf, he did say he could not say which Gulf, I could understand that, I don’t need to know.

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It’s amazing how many people I have know just in my lifetime that have grown up in Groveville and moved away, but still have held their memories of his little town with streets that go nowhere, so dear to their hearts. By that I mean if you are in Yardville and going to Crosswicks, Allentown, Robbinsville or Bordentown, there is no need to pass through Groveville, the only people that come to Groveville either live here or are lost. The people that have lived here, even for a short time kept its memory dear.

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Groveville’s cemetery is filled with the names of those that came here, found work, raised their families here and never left, those are the ones that made this little town memorable. I have asked people why their family came to Groveville, what drew them here, these are the newer families of Groveville, those whose family came within the last on hundred years, almost every one that knew their family history told me they came here because the word was out there were jobs in Groveville.

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The Textile and thread mills were the big draw, from the maintenance job that kept the mill clean and running, to the man with the chemical background to perfect dyes and every job in between. There was the Company Store, a Barber Shop, Bakery, Shoe Repair, and the General Store on the corner; we had our own Post Office, School, and later our Fire Company. There were two Borden companies, Borden’s Mincemeat and Borden Cut Glass Company. There was also the McEmoyle Basket Company, manufacturers of canvas products, they invented and produced the canvas wheeled baskets you see in the Post Offices and in Hospitals for linens.
In the early days there were, just over the Yardville border on Church Street, a Grist Mill and a Sawmill.

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Later many Groveville men worked at the Chandler Palruba Oil Cloth Factory in Yardville, some even ventured as far away as the other side of Hamilton Township to the DeLaval Plant.

Every time I see a Revolving Door, I think that was invented by Mr. VanKannel of Groveville

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What really brought people here was the little town with the very busy Mills.

Groveville Elementary School 1944 ~ 45

2010-02-11T00:20:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the help of Kathleen Colgan Catana and Janice Rollings Schultz, all of the photos have names associated, this is why I have moved this back to the top.

The teacher in this photo is Miss Longstreet. The names were written next to the photos, some were incomplete and some had no names, if you can help I would appreciate it, here is what I have, the ones with ? after their names are the ones I am not sure of, or their names were unreadable;

Top Row, Left to Right; Janice Rollings, Donald Heaton, Fayette "Fay" Waters, Joan Mason, Joan Blanchard, Kathleen Colgan.

Second Row, Left to Right; Kenny Stickles, Connie ?, Alice Brecht, Norman Mount, Mae Grove, Joe "Jo-Jo" Dement.

Third Row, Left to Right; Frances ?, Anita Pomerank, Tommy Mason, Leigh "Lee" Jones ?, Carolyn Ann Fine, Bobby Inman.

Bottom Row, Left to Right; Janice Patterson, Danny Mozer, Colin Stackhouse, Sue Lavin, Richard "Richie" Sellers, Tommy Lippincott.

I received some help from Daryl Dwier Bitner and Carolyn Ann Fine Perialas with some of the names

This is a photo of the Groveville Elementary School, Reception and First Grades 1944 - 45, I am working on posting the names, but at least we are moving forward.

Mrs. Doris Atkins, Sunday School Class ~ 1957

2010-01-24T20:35:00.010-05:00

Dave Sehorn sent me this photo of his Sunday School Class, he believes this was taken in 1957.

From left to right back row: Eddie Atkins, Leon Gennet, Bill Helfry, Roland Wills, Dave Sehorn, Billy Rouseau, Emma-Jane Reynolds, Frank Bendy, the boy in the stripped jacket is unknown .Front row: The Girl in white is unknown,and the little boy looking away I believe is Tommy Atkins, and of course, Doris Atkins, Teacher.

This photo was taken in front of the Groveville Methodist Church, the house in the background with the screened in porch is the home of Mildred Williams & Family and the house to the right was the Sellers Family and Rose & Tim Palinski's Home.

I believe the dark car in the background belonged to Helen Rouseau, not sure about the other, I will be surprised if I don't get and email from Charlie Donnell, telling me who owned these cars, he always knows that stuff.

I knew Charlie would come through, its amazing how one picture leads to so many stories, Charlie writes; The car on the right side was Mildred Williams 4 dr. 1953 Pontiac. Orange & white in color. Helen Rouseau had a Pink (kind of Pink) with a white top 1955 Plymouth (I don't think she'd let ole Frank drive it). Brother Jim Donnell had just moved out from the side next to Millie and went to his new house on Broad street. A polish guy named Stosh Havulruski or some name such as that, moved there after Jim, (and I worked with his son as a welder for years and still can't pronounce or spell the name) Jim moved to broad St. in 1956. Stosh worked for Kaye Tex. Mabel Haggerty lived there before Jim. Around 1952 she moved to Broad St. too.

Merry Christmas - 2009

2009-12-16T09:38:00.005-05:00

I would like to wish everyone that has supported and enjoyed my site a very Merry Christmas.

. I wish all of you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy and Healthy New Year, may God Bless you all.

Gary

The Mill at Crosswicks

2009-10-20T11:35:00.019-04:00

This is the mill at Crosswicks, New Jersey, The mill was powered by the Crosswicks Creek, There is no sign of a Water Wheel or the type of Mill Race that would power and external wheel, by these deductions I presume the mill was driven by a water turbine.

These arches not only were the support of the mill they were the out flow of the water that powered the mill.

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I have searched for the exact date of the first mill on the Crosswicks Creek at Crosswicks, but could not locate one. The best I could come up with were references to a mill at Crosswicks in the late 1700’s. The dam at Crosswicks is registered with the State of NJ Historical Society Historic Register as “The Old Eagle Dam”, this and the present foundation of the mill are registered as one of the oldest in the state.
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The Crosswicks Creek has powered several mills and contributed to the growth of several towns along its path, Timmins Mill, Ocean County, the former name of New Egypt, which just happens to be the approximate Geographical Center of New Jersey, Waln’s Mill, in Walnford, Monmouth County, The mill there built in the 1800’s, The mansion 1774. The Mill at Crosswicks and the mills at Groveville, Mercer County, all of these mills were Grist Mills, with the exception of the mills at Groveville.

The Crosswicks Creek was a hub of transportation from Groveville, South. With Ships picking up and delivering goods to the mills at Groveville and the docks of Houston and Green in Yardville, connecting these companies with Philadelphia, via the Delaware River and New York and north via the Delaware - Raritan Canal.

There were also Grist Mills that dotted the area along Doctors Creek, one at Grovevlle and also a Saw Mill, two at Allentown, and one at Imlaystown. Marlene Donnell mentioned that there was also a prominent mill in Cream Ridge on the Miry Run. The Miry Run was a branch of the Crosswicks Creek, just up stream from Walnford and Waln's Mill. The mill was originally owned by Judge Lawrence. Joseph Holmes purchased it in 1873 and sold it the next year. He again purchased it and it remained part of the farm for almost a century. The mill was a red 5 story clapboard structure. Farms brought grain to the mill to be ground. The building was torn down in the early 40's. The feed house and millers home are still on Holmes Mill Rd. The milling stone remained on the property for many years. During the restoration of Walns Mill, the stone was transported to that mill, where it remains today.

I was fortunate to have the last owner of the Mill at Crosswicks find my web site and contact me. His story was very interesting; the photos he sent me were great.
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What I have found is that the Mill at Crosswicks was originally built as a Grist Mill, at the time this area of New Jersey; Monmouth, Burlington, and Mercer County, were large producers of grains. Like any good business they must produce year round, when the Mill Ponds froze and there was no flowing water to run the mills, without the possible damage to the mechanism of the wheel, they cut ice from the pond and stored it and sold it for use in the summer, this was the case with the Crosswicks Mill.
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A separate building was constructed to store ice. The ice in the pond was cut into “Cakes”. “Cakes” were more or less standard size, 22 inches by 12 inches, weighing about a hundred pounds. After the cakes were cut, they were poled through the water to shore. Here a long plank sloped into the water; the trick was to give the cake of ice enough momentum so that its weight would carry it up where someone with a pair of tongs could snag it..... The ice was hauled to the ice house on two-horse bobsleds. Layer by layer the ice house was filled. A sprinkling of dry sawdust was scattered between each layer of cakes. This made them easier to separate when they were taken out. A two-foot-wide layer of sawdust was tamped lightly between the ice and sides of the building. After the last layer was pushed up the long, oak plank, the whole heap was covered a yard deep with sawdust.
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If a family were cutting ice for personal use it took an average of three hundred cakes to last a family through the summer.

Harvesting the Ice from the Mill Pond

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As time changed the growing of grains diminished as farms changed to growing vegetables and dairy, lessening the need for Grist Mills, but with the invention of equipment to commercially produce Ice, the entire facility was changed from a Grist Mill to an Ice House, manufacturing Ice and a Cold Storage facility
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The facility changed hands over the years, in 1920 the new ice producing equipment was installed and Ice was sold to many commercial companies in the area including the Hildebrecht Ice Cream Company, of Trenton. At this time in the 1920’s it was owned by Charles W. Brick, Also during this period a large fire destroyed a large portion of the original mill.
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The last owner purchased the mill and the entire 22 acre parcel of land in the 1980’s, with the hopes of continuing the manufacture of ice, restoring the buildings and the dam to their original condition. The plan was to produce Hydro Electric power; “Old Eagle Dam” had been registered as a utility company, to power the Mill Facilities and the surrounding community with electric power. Due to government restraints as to what could and could not be done with the structures, as time passed the building fell in to such disrepair that they were not able to be restored and had to be demolished. This was a great loss not only to the owner, but the community and the history of the community.

The Dam at Crosswicks, forming the Crosswicks Mill Pond

These two boys are fishing at the entrance to the Mill Race. The Race is to the left. The walk-way is to allow the cleaning of the wooden screen that blocks debris from entering the Race and damaging the Wheel or Turbine.

The Dam at Crosswicks, registered with the State Of New Jersey as "The Old Eagle Dam".

Everyone benefited by the pond, even the livestock.

The interior of the mill.

The Mill, the Ice House, and the Cold Storage Facility

Work being done on the restoration.

The Cold Storage Facility.

Groveville's Water Supply

2009-10-05T07:24:00.004-04:00

This is a photo, taken in 1947, this is Gary Lippincott (me) and my cousin and next door neighbor, Janice Rollings. This photo was taken in front of the water tower belonging to the Groveville Water Company, operated by George Rollings, Janice's Grandfather, Gary's Great grandfather, this was Groveville's water supply.

The tower was located at the top of the hill at the edge of the woods across from the Groveville Elementary School, behind the Rollings home, which is no longer there.

The four concrete pillars that supported the tower are still there on the property now owned by Chuck and Joann Elliott and located next to their house.

My mother has told me the switch that controlled the pump that filled the tower was located in the Rollings house cellar. The pump would be turned on and allowed to fill the tower, there was no automatic switch. When the tower was full, someone would yell "The Tower is Full" as the water tower overflowed. Someone, would run to the cellar and pull the switch. Mom said not only was the cellar of the house "Scary", long, dark, & narrow, like a tunnel, but the switch you had to throw was a "Knife" Switch, she said like the kind in the horror movies, and when you threw the switch big sparks came from the switch.

The tower, the pump, and the pump house were removed in the 1950's by Bob Heaton, long time Groveville resident, Groveville Fire Company member, who's business was tearing down buildings and salvage.

The concrete reservoir still remains at the base of the hill on the edge of the swamp, still filled with water, the roof over the reservoir and the long wooden steps that extended from the base of the tower, down into the woods to the Reservoir and pump house are long gone also.

Groveville, from "The History of Mercer County".

2009-10-01T13:20:00.007-04:00

This is not my writting, this is from the "History of Mercer County, I want that understood, I don't want that "Plagiarism" thing raising it's ugly head again, like it did in Mr. VanAllen's 11th Grade History Class, HHS, how was I to know that someone had writen about the "Civl War" before me, using those same words, earned me a failing grade for that "Mistake" . ;-)

History of Mercer County

GROVEVILLE. - Settlements were made at a comparatively early date south of Doctor's Creek, about half a mile from the central portion of Yardville. This place is now known as Groveville. In 1821 there were here a small woolen- and grist-mill, a saw-mill, and a store, all the property of John Longstreet, and fifteen dwellings.

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At the date mentioned George S. Green and Churchill Houston purchased of Longstreet all of this hamlet except two or three houses, and built new manufacturing establishments elsewhere referred to, and the place entered upon an era of growth.

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The hotel here has been kept open most of the time for many years. The present occupant is Mrs. Elizabeth Allen.

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There are two stores in the village, which were formerly kept by the successive proprietors of the mills. The merchants at this time are E. A. Beaumont and Randolph Rider.

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The first blacksmith was William Chitty, who opened his shop about 1845. He had several successors, the last of whom was John Gamble, who, in company with William Gamble, manufactured augers about two years.

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Groveville consists of two stores, a hotel, a school-house, a warp-factory, a Methodist Episcopal Church, and sixty dwellings, a good share of the population depending on the manufactory mentioned for employment.

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Educational. - The history of the public schools of Hamilton does not differ materially from that of other townships in New Jersey similarly circumstanced. The early schools were select schools, kept in log houses. These were followed by pay schools, very little different in organization or operation, in houses which were no great improvement on the first ones.

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The public school law of the State brought about a systematization of the educational facilities of the township, and school districts were formed, and one after another better school-houses were built. There are now nine school districts, known as Washington District, No. 26; Mercerville District, No. 27; Hamilton Square District, No. 28; Edge Brook District, No. 29; Groveville District, No. 30; Yardville District, No. 31; White Horse District, No. 32; Friendship District, No. 33; and Farmingdale District, No. 35.

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In 1880 the school statistics of Hamilton were as follows:
Amount of appropriation from the State fund, $2950.27; total amount received from all sources for school purposes, $3025.27; value of school property, $9650; number of children of the school age, 817; number enrolled in the school registers, 540; estimated number who attended private schools, 57; estimated number who attended no school, 248; number of teachers employed, three males, seven females, average monthly salary, males, $36.60, females, $29.77.

Buckley's Tavern and Restaurant, Yardville, New Jersey

2009-09-24T15:34:00.010-04:00

Buckley's Tavern and Restaurant ~ Route 130, Yardville, New Jersey

This ashtray is just a little Memorabilia
I have from Buckley's
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Buckley’s Tavern, a Yardville institution for many years. I really wish I could find more about the history, I have been told it was the Buckley Family Homestead and became The Buckley family’s tavern and restaurant.

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Buckley’s was the place to go, back when it was a rural and out of the way Tavern and Restaurant, back when Route 130 (AKA Route 25) was a two lane highway, back when the only thing between Yardville and Robbinsville was Buckley’s Tavern, Edgebrook School, Sadley’s Apple Farm (now Hamilton Market Place), and another small farm north of where I-195 crosses.

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The food was home cooking at its best. Almost everyone that worked there was a Buckley or Buckley family, everyone knew everyone by name, the waiters & bartenders wore black pants, white shirts, sometimes an apron, the waitresses wore black skirts and white blouses, it was the time before casual dining, no one wore shorts or jeans, it was a place where you went for Sunday Dinner, the men wore jackets and ties, the women wore dresses, it was a place where you felt comfortable, people would have a drink, an appetizer, their meal, then coffee and desert, people would chat with friends at other tables and share a drink at the bar before leaving. Buckley's was not a place where you rushed through your meal, because you had to be somewhere in a hurry, it was a place where you sat and took your time and enjoyed a meal and conversation.

During the week they had the "After Work" crowd. Saturday nights there was music, Marlene Donnell mentioned that her Mom and Dad Spent many a Saturday night listening and dancing to the Chubby Britton Band, Chubby's wife was also a Buckley.

When you sat in one of the dining rooms you were actually sitting in what was the living room or the dining room of the Buckley Homestead, it does not get much homier than that. Except for the large bar on the back of the building it could have been someone’s house, it was, it was the Buckley’s house.

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I believe it was in the 1980’s the Tavern left the Buckley family and became “Casey Jones Restaurant”, along with that name came seventy five feet of Railroad Track, a Railroad Box Car and a Caboose, just to boost the new theme of the restaurant. You could dine in the Rail cars or in the dining rooms. At that time the kitchen was expanded.

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That name lasted a few years then it became “Spikes”, I guess what you would call a “Fun Eatery”, part of the Railroad Box Car became a game room for kids, with prizes. The menu was geared toward kids with lots of fun and finger foods, to attract a more family group, with children.

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Around 2000 it became Savoy’s, geared to a twenty to Thirty year old crowd, with live bands, and outdoor deck was added and they featured “Lawn parties”, this kind of went with the ban on indoor smoking.

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Savoy’s closed about two years ago and the building has sat vacant ever since, rumor has it the building has been slated to be torn down, a sad loss for the area.

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The building and its charm was lost when it left the Buckley Family, it was the end of an era, when men and women dressed up to go out for Sunday Dinner, it was an era where people spoke to the people at the other table, not hidden in their own little booth. It was when food was prepared in the kitchen, not thawed and reheated from some kitchen in Tennessee or Texas.
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That is when the Tavern closed back in the 1980’s, when it was no longer Buckley’s.

Groveville Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary~ 1950

2009-09-15T14:53:00.003-04:00

Groveville Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary, at the New Jersey State Fireman's Convention in Atlantic City.

Left to right (standing), Helen Bell, Noma Bell Eades, Stella Sellers, & Emma Lommason. (seated) Jean Bell Mushinski, Lillian Brooks, Katharine "Kate" Johnson (my Grandmother) and seated on the Running Board is Betty Senf. I notice Grand Mom has her hat on backwards, the ladies must have been trying to keep up with the Firemen and stopped at at Tavern or two.

J.P. Golden and Son, Yardville Roller Mills

2009-09-05T17:18:00.002-04:00

I received this from some one that has had this around the house for the last 90 years and now has decided to part with it, so glad it came to me. The part scratched out after the name is "DR.", not sure what that might be for.

The top lines of the receipt are for Rye, it's difficult to read, but the bottom line is for Corn. $191.12 that is a lot of money in 1919, and with our current economy its a lot of money now.

Back in September 9, 2007 I posted a copy of a bill from this company. I received that as a copy, by Email and was told by the sender that this was at one time the name of the Grist Mill, on Church Street, powered by the water power of the Groveville Pond on Doctor's Creek

HamiltonSpace.com

2009-09-01T13:26:00.006-04:00

I was honored to have been contacted by Kimberly Baldwin and the staff of the Hamilton Post Newspaper and HamiltonSpace.com. of the Community News Service, LLC. They had read my Blog, I guess found it interesting, and asked if I would be interested in an interview. Seems they felt there were some folks out there that had not read my blog (bet there is a lot of people that have not read my blog) and they felt it was something worth sharing. I proudly consented to the interview and here is the result. Someone You Should Know: Gary Lippincott - HamiltonSpace

The Van Kannel Estate on Church Street ~ Revisited

2009-08-25T22:46:00.026-04:00

We are revisiting the Van Kannel Estate on Church Street. Most people living today do not realize what a beautiful estate this was. Many stories and rumors have been told, many are interesting, but most are lore.

I have been fortunate to have been contacted by Mr. Jack Van Kannel, nephew of Theophilus Van Kannel and been given some wonderful photos and some interesting facts about the man and the estate. I would love to have met this man; he must have been quite interesting.

One misconception, earlier I found that Mr. Theophilus Van Kannel was of Dutch ancestry, then today while researching him on Wikipedia; it stated that he was a Swiss-American inventor. The truth from Mr. Jack Van Kannel is that we are not of Dutch ancestry, but Austrian. Our original name was von Kanel. A spelling mistake was made when Abraham came over. Much to the dismay of his relatives in Europe, he kept the new name for "good luck in America.

Jack Van Kannel stated that Theophilus Van Kannel was a great uncle of his. Jack's father, Dr. Harvey Van Kannel, was mentored by Ben Van Kannel, the man Theophilus lived with before he died in 1919. The papers, documents and mementoes came down to him through that line. Jack's father was especially involved in those papers and published two books that chronicled Theophilus's journals.

Jack Van Kannel said that Theophilus Van Kannel kept notes, letters, drawings and almost anything of interest to him, these papers were saved by Ben Van Kannel who was a mentor for Jack's father, Dr. Harvey Van Kannel. Jack's Dad organized and published some these documents into two volumes called T. Van Kannel, The Inventor: His autobiography and Journal. Unfortunately, the journal itself does not take us up past the 1870's, long before his moving to New York in 1899. There are a number of personal letters and notes that have come down to me. For example, He wrote a letter to his wife in '06 finishing with "I hope all is well at Vanhurst with the farm and park, this was the first reference to the name “Vanhurst”, Jack states he does refer to the estate as Vanhurst several times after that.

In doing some research on my own, I found that the word “Hurst” translated into German or could be Austrian, it’s just over the border and spelled “Hyrst” means “Wooded Hill”, if this is right it would be quite appropriate.

A little note about Mrs. VanKannel on July 21, 1939 Mrs. Elizabeth Van Kannel celebrated her 96th birthday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Adelaide R. Powers of Reeder Ave, Bordentown. She was born in Salem, NJ in 1843 and spent 50 years of her life there. In 1893 she moved to New York City and remained there until 1911. Since 1911 she has resided with her daughter in Bordentown. Her late husband, Theopholis Van Kannel, was the inventor of the modern revolving door. The company in New york City is still doing business. There are four children, 3 daughters and 1 son: Mrs. Paul Miller of Philadelphia, Mrs. George House of Salem, Mrs. A. Powers of Bordentown, and Mark Fowler of Trenton.

The following are the photos that Jack Van Kannel sent to me, they are fantastic, quite an addition to this chronicle of history for our area, I can’t thank him enough,

This is the man that invented, among other things, the “Revolving Door”, something seen in every large building, I think of the joy he gave children, just spinning in a revolving door, who has not done that.

The following photos appear as snap shots, not posed, but if you notice in each of the photos, except one, there is a discretely placed white sign, leaning against the base of a tree. I could not read this sign and was about to inquire as to what was on it, when I received a set of photos with the sign visible if I enlarge the photo, it states “Sep 22, 1917”. Guess these photos were not as “Spur of the moment” as I thought.
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This entrance is on Church Street, the pillar on the left is the only surviving remnant of the Estate. At some later date a Pump House was erected blocking this drive, about where the men are standing. The Main Entrance was about fifty yards to the left and climbed the hill you see in the left side of this photo.

If you enlarge this photo by clicking on it and look the the left of the two men, you will see a tree, a very Dark tree. If you look near the top of this tree you will see a set of steps coming down the hill, these steps led from the upper drive, near the garden, to the lower drive. I do not know what purpose these steps served as they were not near any of the houses, I do know we spent a lot of time running up and down these steps. These were very long and sturdy, decorative concrete steps.

This photo shows the Carriage House to the left, the main house is at the end of the straight drive in the trees past the car. This photo would have been taken if you were standing on the property with your back towards Bordentown and facing Church Street, Route 130 (if it was built) would be behind the Carriage House.

This is the main house on the hill, the porch seen in the left of the photo is the Carriage House, once again you would be standing with your back towards Bordentown and facing Church Street.

This is the Carriage House, the right side would have been the Chauffeur's quarters, the upper right side would have been for the stable help, the center and the lower right would have been for the carriages and horses,and later cars.

I believe the horses would be in the far left, judging by the stable like windows and it would be best to have the horses as far from the Chauffeur's Quarters as possible

Behind this building was the log cabin, Doctors Creek and later Route 130. When I was younger I was always amazed by the clock tower, visible from Route 130 and Route 156, protruding high above the tree tops. Its hands were still at that time, but at one time it was operational, visible then only to the Estate and the South Amboy - Bordentown Road

Carriage House, with log cabin in view behind, this taken facing south, towards Bordentown.

This is the log cabin behind the Carriage House, this was used as a "tenant House" for the hired help. This was build on a large stone structure which extender over the hill to "Doctors Creek". The lower floor served as the "Pump House"

This is the Log Cabin showing how high the stone structure was that supported it. You can see the rear of the Carriage house in the upper left of the photo. .

Story has it there was a tunnel from the cellar of this building to the cellar of the main house to be used as an escape tunnel, should the house be raided during the thirty's when there was a large illegal liquor operation here during Prohibition, long after it left the Van Kannel's ownership.

Most likely this was used to carry pipes to the main house to refill the water storage tank in the attic. I really like the escape tunnel story better. When I saw this building the Log Cabin had collapsed and had fallen in to the stone cellar, guess this is why I didn't see the tunnel.

This is the spring we all drank from, the pipe was shorter when we saw it. The spring was located along Doctors creek about fifty yards from the Church Street Bridge on the Groveville side of the creek.
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The girl is holding a glass and the boy is drinking straight from the pipe, as he should, that's the way we did it. When I was young people came for miles to fill their jugs at this spring. My Grandfather Fred Lippincott moved from Groveville to a farm in Georgetown, past Chesterfield, he still came back to fill his drinking water jugs.
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The Spring photo would be taken if you were standing with your back to Church Street, with Doctors Creek to your right. The bridge in the background is the Bordentown-South Amboy Turnpike, now State route 156, the State Route 130 bridge was not built till around 1950.

This photo was taken with the people in the photo either looking through an opening in the trees facing Yardville or Bordentown, my guess is Yardville due to the high hill in the distance.

Some Groveville People & Family

2009-08-23T19:02:00.007-04:00

My cousin Carol Jones found some old family photos and thought I might like to have them. Carol is now retired and living on the cost of Connecticut. Carol grew up in Groveville living with her Mother Edith Rollings Jones and her Father James Melvin Jones, along with her Brother James Melvin "Jimmy" Jones, on Church Street in the big house that used to be across from the Groveville Elementary School. All that is left of the house is the large Sycamore Tree and the Boxwood Hedge.

When we were kids, Carol was just ten years older than me and she would come to our house, next door, get me pinned under my mothers piano and tickle me until I could not stand it anymore, guess that is what older cousins do.

Carolyn Jones, age 10, Memorial Day, 1944, in Groveville Cemetery

Katharine Anna Rollings Johnson - Naomi Rollings - Edith Rollings Jones

Here is a photo of Kate, Edith and their Mother Naomi, standing behind the large house that used to be across from the Groveville School.

Kate and Edith were life long Groveville residents, Naomi was born in South Wolverhampton, England.

Kate was married to John A. Johnson, they had two children Alfred Rollings "Al"Johnson, who had one daughter Cindy A. Johnson Landholt, now of Rochester Hills, Michigan. Kate also had a daughter Dorothy Naomi "Dot"Johnson Lippincott, who had one son, Kenneth Gary Lippincott (me)

Groveville Fire Co. ~ Our 1957 Ward LaFrance Comes Home

2009-08-17T22:37:00.017-04:00

Groveville Fire Company's 1957 Ward LaFrance came home to the Fire House, August, 2009. It is not the shining beauty of a truck that left, so many years ago but it will be. It may never fight another fire or save another life, but once again we can all be proud of the beauty of a classic.

The following is a little history of the 1957 Ward LaFrance, the color Gray and the color Yellow, and how they came about.

Memorial Day ~ 1967 ~ Gary Lippincott, Driver

Memorial Day ~ 1967

1957 Ward LaFrance, followed by 1947 Ward LaFrance, followed by

Ladies Auxiliary Chevrolet Canteen Truck

1957 Ward LaFrance ~ 1947 Ward LaFrance ~ 1958 Ford Utility Truck

In 1956 the Groveville Volunteer Fire Company had two pieces of apparatus, a 1941 Ward LaFrance and a 1947 Ward LaFrance, both 500 GPM pumps. The company decided it was time to replace the 1941 Ward LaFrance. New equipment and new technology along with the age of the equipment prompted this decision. There was also discussion of the purchase of a utility truck, something to carry a portable pump and portable generator, lights, and something that this new technology in firefighting was coming into use, Masks, to breathe fresh air while fighting a fire, older Engines or Pumpers did not have compartments for such frivolous equipment, so the discussion of a third piece of apparatus meant the need for another apparatus bay.

The fire company had purchased the home next-door where the Mickshultz family lived, this by the way was one of the homes that had the capability of receiving fire calls, the fire calls when you called for help came into the fire house (sometimes someone was there) or the Mickshultz home, or the Post Office on Church Street to Jim and Betty Stackhouse, all three had the capability to activate the siren.

Jim and Betty Stackhouse, also received emergency calls and dispatched the Yardville First Aid Squad. They were also a second radio base for both organizations, should there be no one at either building, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, there was no charge for their service, this was the way they served the community, they also ran the Post Office & store, were active members of both organizations, and their auxiliary. What spare time?
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The Mickshultz family moved to a new home on Main Street, a brick house just past Richbell Road, and the fire company demolished their home to make room for the new apparatus bay.

The new Engine arrived, a 1957 Ward LaFrance, 750 GPM, 3 Stage, High Pressure Pump, state of the art for 1957, the color, a special gray blend, know as “DuPont Groveville Gray”. This truck was housed in the “New Bay” and a new 1958 Ford, 1 ½ ton, Reading Body, Utility Truck, DuPont Groveville Gray, was housed in the vacant bay in the old part of the building.

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The 1957 Ward LaFrance, served as our first run piece of equipment until 1968 when it became necessary to replace the 1947 Ward LaFrance, only because of its age, at the time the Fire Underwriters deem a piece of fire Apparatus (Pumpers or Engines) at the end of their serviceability after 20 years. The 1947 Ward LaFrance was sold to the Crosswicks Volunteer Fire Company to be used as their second run or back up piece of apparatus. It was at this time The Groveville Fire Company purchased a 1968 Hahn Engine, Gasoline Powered (Diesel was an expensive option in 1968) and the 1957 moved to be our second run piece of apparatus.

It was at this time that the Fire Commissioners decided to change the Fire Company’s color from DuPont Groveville Gray to DuPont Chrome Yellow, After a study back then in the mid '60's by the National Safety Council, studies had shown that Chrome Yellow was the safest and most visible color especially at night. But the 'icing on the cake' for Chrome Yellow came while the Fire Commissioners & Fire Company officers (I was fortunate to be there) were at the Hahn factory checking on Groveville's new 1968 Hahn just prior to painting, there was new Chrome Yellow Hahn fire truck destined for Honolulu, Hawaii and another going to Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania. There it was at this time at the Hahn factory, the Fire Commissioners decided to change the Fire Company’s color from DuPont “Groveville Gray” to DuPont “Chrome Yellow”. It was the birth of the “Nick Name” “Groveville’s Yellow Birds”.

In 1974, while returning from a fire call the 1957 Ward LaFrance was involved in a motor vehicle accident at the intersection of Route 156 & South Broad Street. The apparatus returning with all lights on entered the intersection, a car coming from the Crosswicks direction failed to heed the stop sign, hit the truck in the drivers side just ahead of the pump panel, the operator of the car was thrown from the vehicle, under the apparatus and subsequently lost his life. The truck ended up on the grass, by the large house across from the old Yardville School (apartments).

The driver, Bob Simpson and the officer on the truck were not injured, but Roy “Smut” Champion was thrown from the Tail Board of the truck to the street and received minor injuries.

Gary Lippincott drove the Apparatus back to the fire house where it remained, out of service, until it could be evaluated by the mechanic. The mechanic found that the pump had been moved out of alignment and there was some slight frame damage, this all could have been repaired, but the Fire Commissioners were not comfortable with returning the Engine to service, they felt this was something that lives depended on and determined that replacement of the engine was the best route to take.

The 1957 Ward LaFrance was sold to the mechanic, to be used as a temporary replacement Engine, should he have to place someone’s Engine out of service for repair. It was then that the Fire Commissioners purchased the 1975 Hahn, Detroit 6-71 Diesel, 1000 GPM Pump.

After some time the 1957 Ward LaFrance was acquired by former Groveville Fire Chief Lyle Mushinski, and recently donated back to the company for restoration, a restoration back to the original color of DuPont Groveville Gray. When I saw this truck again it brought back so many memories, mostly good, it was like seeing an old friend again, the kind that gives you that old lump in the throat.

The story of the DuPont Groveville Gray color, as told to me was when the 1941 Ward LaFrance was in service during World War II, it was necessary during blackouts to have all reflective items painted a dull color, so even the Bumpers, fittings and light housings were painted Gray so as not to reflect.

Lyle heard a somewhat different story about the color, Groveville Gray. There was a 'G' in the paint code which had meant something else and not gray but the master painter in Wards paint dept. thought the 'G' was for 'gray' paint. And thus Groveville Gray was born. After the war someone had a slight accident with the '41 Ward's front bumper and scratched some of the gray paint off the bumper reveling the chrome underneath. That’s when someone decided to scratch the rest of the paint off and well, there you go, a shinny chrome bumper!

Just like every good story at the fire house, they all have different versions and get better each time they are told, somewhere in all the different versions lies the truth, I just hope the truth is as interesting as the others or it won’t be told.

The bulk of the restoration will take place at the Groveville Fire Company, by the Volunteers and the Career Staff; we are lucky to have George Meyers as part of our Career Staff, George has the knowledge and the love of old fire equipment that is needed to undertake a job like this, George and his group of restorers of old fire equipment will direct this giant undertaking. Believe me George will have this truck looking like 1957 again. I know trucks, I have been a truck mechanic, but if I looked at this, my first words would be “Where Do I Start”, that’s what is good about George, he knows where to start, he’s even happy about this.

We all wish we had that car we had in our twenty’s, this is the fire company’s chance to get back the apparatus it had when it was a mere thirty years old.

To me this looks like an “Old Friend” holding on, waiting for the miracle that will bring them back to health. That “Miracle” is here.

This is what they have to work with; George said it will look new again.

John C. "Jim" Donnell

2009-08-15T20:28:00.010-04:00

John "Jim" Donnell seated on left, others in the photo,

including the dog, unknown. Location of photo,

unknown also.

Jim Donnell & Wilbur Reynolds, next to the house

on Church Street next to the Cemetery.

Jim during his time in the US Navy, during WW II , next to the house

on Church Street, next to the cemetery .

Jim was a life long Groveville resident, he was life long active member of the Groveville Volunteer Fire Company, he was employed as a fireman at Fort Dix and was extremely knowledgeable of fire fighting techniques, he like his friend Wendell Fisher, also a fireman at Groveville and a fireman at Fort Dix could teach you the practical side of firefighting, the stuff that in a pinch could save your butt. Jim, like so many of the men of the fire company, would be there no matter what the emergency or the need, you could count on him.

After Jim's retirement he had a small produce stand in front of his house, during the summer, most of the produce was grown in his garden. It was nice to buy fresh produce from Jim, the only problem I would be there almost an hour telling stories, good interesting stories, if Jim was still around today Jim it would make writing this blog a lot easier, he would have a lot of the answers to my Groveville questions. Jim passed away several years ago, he has been missed by many.

Three Crosses Along the Highway

2009-08-12T10:01:00.003-04:00

This has nothing to do with Groveville, but I found it interesting. I just returned from a vacation that took me through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland.

I had seen these crosses in years past, but never knew their meaning, this time I had my laptop and looked it up one night and found it quite interesting.

The story goes;

Have you ever been driving down the highway and wondered about the three crosses you've seen along the roadside?

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They were put up by a man named Bernard Coffindaffer, who was born in Craigsville, West Virginia. At 42 years of age, Mr. Coffindaffer became a Christian and had a vision to "plant crosses".

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He raised and spent $3,000,000 planting 1,864 trios of crosses in 29 states, Zambia and the Philippines. West Virginia has 352 sets of crosses, the most of any state.
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The crosses are for everyone, he said. Not for saints or sinners, but for everyone, just a reminder of Jesus as you drive by.

You can't see it from the highway, but the crosses have three nails in them, symbolic of where a body would be.

Mr. Coffindaffer died at his home in 1993. His crosses are now cared for by the people who own the land, or by nearby churches who "adopt" the crosses.
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Almost anywhere I drive, I pass crosses. I am inspired that one person could present such a strong reminder to the world in such a simple way. With just a glance as I whiz by at 70 miles per hour along the Interstate, I receive a gentle message.

Minutes of the First Meeting, Groveville Vol. Fire Co.

2009-08-05T14:14:00.005-04:00

August 20, 1919

20 Men in Attendance

G. Rollings
A.J. Simpson
Robert Rogers
Louis Cook
W. Vogts
C. Berkeyhieser
E. McClure
C. McClure
C. Gravatt
Frank Whitman
Sam Pancoast
C. Doughty
A. Griffiths
Walter Dwier
William Trickett
Charles Fisher
William McEmoyle
J. Bougeault
George Borden
William Henry Sr.

William Tricket elected President
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Charles Fisher elected Secretary
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Frank Whitman elected Treasurer
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Committee set up to write By-Laws
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Maurice Doughty elected Chief
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Walter Dwier elected Assistant Chief
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Committee to get prices on Apparatus
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Meeting Adjourned

The Storm, July 26, 2009

2009-07-27T23:46:00.014-04:00

Sunday, July, 26, 2009, I was driving home from Hightstown around 6:45 PM, I could see the dark skies to the South East, as I passed through Yardville I could see straight line lightning.

As I got home as it started to rain, I double checked the windows in my daughters room, sometimes they are left open. As I came down stairs I heard the wind picking up and could hear hail hitting the house. On my back deck I have a roll up awning, I went out on the deck to roll it up, it was too late, the wind and rain was picking up, if I loosened it now the wind could catch it and I would most likely be seen "Hang Gliding" over Yardville on my awning, I decided to take a chance, it survived.

As I stood on the deck under the awning surveying the situation, I noticed a tree I have next to the deck and 8" across and 20' high really starting to move, I looked to my left and my neighbors, Joe & Donna, have an over 100 year old Buttonwood or Sycamore Tree in their yard about 40' high, which was whipping in the wind, but standing strong. All of a sudden the Buttonwood began to move towards me, there was a large crack and the tree toppled over the yard and into my pool, just 10 feet in front of me, The water splashed out of my pool and onto my truck, I stepped back into the house, then ventured back out. I called two of my neighbors to tell them, only to find that an eighty foot Poplar, five back yards away had uprooted and fallen over into the Buttonwood and taking most of the Buttonwood down and covering the backyards and my pool. In the process the Poplar Tree crushed a van owned by Bob and Brenda and their Starlight Dry Cleaners, and trapping three of their other vehicles in their yard.

A large tree fell on Church Street near the Ray Dwier Center, taking down the top PSE&G Wires, 28,000 Volts to the ground and arcing on the ground, with all of their calls it was almost and hour before the power was shut off, the only damage there was too the road way.

In the darkness everyone gathered on Church Street, flashlight in hand to discuss the situation in the total darkness, as we all stood on Church Street, lit only by the arching wires over the hill, the eerie thing was it was so dark it was hard to see each other's face, but the emergency lights of the Groveville Methodist Church shown through the stained glass windows with a strange glow, it gave us the feeling that someone was watching over us.

As the sun came up this morning we saw the extent of the damage, several trees had fallen on the property behind Church Street, a large tree uprooted on Main Street, and lay behind a new Ranch Style house along the creek. and a large limb had fallen from a tree on to the roof of a finished garage and family room, next to the Sunday School Building, owned by Beta Chappel, this had crushed the roof and blown out the back wall. This is Beta's Garage below.

Today the town of Groveville and a lot of the surrounding towns was filled with the sound of Chain Saws and Chippers, Mr. Herdt from Crosswicks giving a lot of fence estimates and people calling their homeowners insurance.

As far as we know, in Groveville there was a lot of property damage, but no one was injured, so just as the town stood in total darkness with only the light from the church, someone was watching over us. God Blessed us all.

Groveville Cotton MIlls Circa ~ 1900

2009-07-17T15:22:00.003-04:00

This is the photo side of a post card, taken around 1900. Now if you put this on a post card to send to someone, there must not be much to look at, this has to be the bleakest post car I have ever see.

This photo was taken as if the camera was positioned just around the bend of Main Street, approaching the Crosswicks Creek Bridge, in fact the photographer may have been standing on the bridge over the raceway.

Main Street after it made the bend to the right just before the bridge, at that point it became known as Camden Road.

Groveville Fire Company Officers - 1970

2009-06-10T10:34:00.005-04:00

Standing left to right George Senf - Vice President, William "Bill" Henry - Sergeant at Arms

Seated Left to Right; Edward Dowd - Treasurer, Robert Simpson - President, Mark Voorhees - Financial Secretary

Left to Right William Rousseau - Chaplin, Mark Voorhees - Captain, Gary Lippincott - 2nd Assistant Chief , Robert Zimba - 1st Assistant Chief, Victor Champion - Chief

Sorry

2009-06-04T10:16:00.001-04:00

Sorry, Dad has been down with the flu since before Memorial Day, he will resume posting when he feels better.

Kati

As Memorial Day Draws Near

2009-05-13T14:32:00.007-04:00

I just had to post this and who better to share it with than my friends that read this site.

Today I visited the Veterans Cemetery in Arneytown, yes it has a Wrightstown address but we all know Wrightstown is 10 miles away (10.11 to be exact), Brig. Gen. Wm. C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery, to be exact. If you ever feel your patriotism wavering or in need of recharge this is the place to go.

There is almost a funeral a day, sometimes more, I find that when I have been there and attended a military funeral I stand a little straighter and a lot more proud. I have atteded two, several years ago.

There is a web site called “Find-A-Grave”, it’s for those looking for the graves of loved ones or famous people, but someone has to post it first. Myself and Cheryl have been trying to post some of the graves in Groveville Cemetery.

You can also sign up as a volunteer photographer and fulfill requests of people all over the world to photograph their loved ones graves, many times it will be the request of someone in another state that cannot get here and would like to see the grave of a loved one or family member. You tell them how far of a radius you will travel and they will email you, you are not obligated, I have signed up as a volunteer photographer.

Today I was there fulfilling three requests, as I was walking from one to another I noticed an elderly man, maybe in his Eighties, walking carrying a folding chair. As I was photographing my last grave and walking back I saw him unfold the chair and sit down in the middle of a field of graves. My path took me near him, so I made it a point to walk closer. When I got to him I said “Good Morning”, he looked up and responded with a “Good Morning”. I said “Sure is a nice day” and he agreed. I looked at the grave and asked “A Friend”, he responded “I come here to visit my son”. I said “He is lucky to have you”, suddenly I was speachless, I could not say anything, I wished him a nice day, and I walked away.

It must have been my glasses or the sun, but suddenly everything was blurry, it was difficult to walk to my truck without tripping, so sad.

Several years ago I was there and there was a young woman with a small boy, the boy was about 6 he was wearing a Camo jacket, like a Military Field Jacket, they were sitting on a grave and the boy had some small toy trucks he was playing with and the mother was reading, I can only think she was visiting her husband and he, his father, once again my vision became blurry, it must have been the same glasses.

Visiting His Son

So many give so much that we can be free

Just Some Groveville People ~ Graduation 1937~39

2009-05-09T10:49:00.015-04:00

Dorothy Naomi Johnson Lippincott

(My Mom)

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Delores Alexander Dawson Johnson

(My Aunt)

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Edward "Ed" Shelton

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Helen Dufficy Rousseau

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Frank Griggs

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Doris Hartman

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Ethel McClure Beideman

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Betty Skirm Stackouse

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Charles B. Brick

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Groveville Fire Prevention Night ~ 1968

2009-04-29T20:55:00.006-04:00

Kneeling left to right; Otto Warren, (slightly standing) Mark "Markie" Voorhees, George "Senfie" Senf Jr., Roy "Smut" Champion, Leon "Digger" Gennett, Joe "Jo-Jo" DeMent.

Standing left to right; Charlie Glukowlski, Robert "Bob" Thompson ~ Chief, Walter "Walt" Taylor, Smokey The Bear, aka "Gary Lippincott", Victor "Champ" Champion~ 1st Asst. Chief, George "Big George" Weiss ~ 2nd Asst. Chief.

This is our Annual Fire Prevention Night Committee for 1968. It was always an exciting night for the kids, with Gifts, Prizes and learning sessions. There were also gifts and educational items for adults.

We had a wooded area for "Smokey", which consisted of a Grass Mat borrowed from the gentleman that dug the graves in the cemetery and trees donated by Stearns Tree Farm on Yardville~Allentown Road. We had home safety displays, using different types of mannequins borrowed from S.P. Dunham Department Store. Demonstrations of Fire Company Equipment and tours of the trucks. The Ladies Auxiliary served a variety of food and drinks.

It was just a time for the Fire Company and the Ladies Auxiliary to get together and have a good time and benefit the community. It was also another chance for us to gather the community together and spend some time together. It was always quality time for everyone.

Groveville: One Engagement, One Birth and Several Weddings

2009-04-22T16:13:00.016-04:00

Just some old newspaper clippings with a birth announcement, and engagement announcement, and several wedding announcements from the 1930's.

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Mildred Miller ~ Edward Gravatt Wedding

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Sally Ann Jones ~ 1938

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Sarah Dwier ~ Charles Brecht Wedding ~ 1933

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Elsie McCue ~ Joseph Paul Zeppa Wedding

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Dorothy M. Jones ~ George A. Fetter
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Mina Rose ~ Howard C. Shelton Wedding
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Doris Steinert ~ Albert Dwier Wedding ~ 1938
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Verna Luke ~ Robert Longmuir Wedding - 1937

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Thelma McEmoyle ~ Walter K. Marshall Wedding ~ 1937

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Just a Little Bit of Crosswicks, NJ

2009-04-08T13:27:00.037-04:00

These are some postcards, maps and clippings I have had and some I just received, but it gave me enough to post a little bit about Crosswicks.

September 15, 1920

Charles W. Brick plant totally destroyed,

with loss of $20,000

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The receipt above is quite an example of how prices have increased 200 pounds of Gluten $1.80 and 50 pounds of Flour $2.80. The recipe is for a sale to a Mr. Samuel Emory, June 14, 1896.

I am always amazed that some of the documents I have acquired are well over 100 years old, that someone held on to these and saved them for such a long time and now I hold them in my hand. It is an awesome responsibility..If you look at the map below you will see the location of the W.S. Hartman Carriages. If you follow Main Street off the right side of the map you will see W.S. Hartman Carriages. They are still repairing carriages in the same location today,113 years later, only now they have motors and are much more complex, it is now Pete Lestician Auto Repair at 445 Ellisdale Rd, Crosswicks, NJ.

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Crosswicks -1876
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The Crosswicks Creek Bridge, Crosswicks, NJ - Removed 1907

This bridge was constructed just next to the present day bridge on the up stream side. If you are coming down the hill from Crosswicks, as you approach the present bridge, look to the right and you will see I believe three houses below you, they were located on the approach to this bridge, and after you cross the present day bridge, look to the right and you will see the remains of some old oak trees in a row (that may be the Oak Trees in the photo), these were along the road from the old bridge on the North Crosswicks side.
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The present day bridge was not the replacement for the Covered Bridge in this picture, there was a bridge constructed with steel and black top with pipe type rails, constructed in 1908 and removed when the present day bridge was constructed. This bridge and the present day bridge were constructed much higher than the Covered Bridge, so to decrease the grade from the top of the hill in Crosswicks and the Bridge.

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This is the Crosswicks Mill Pond on the up stream side of the bridge or on the right if coming down the hill from Crosswicks. the small building in the picture is a boat house, the water is lower than normal in this photo, the water is usually up to the door of the boat house. I remember when my Grandfather had his farm in Georgetown, we used to cross the pond quite often on our way back to Groveville, this was when the bridge was an open pipe rail bridge and you could see the water from the back of dad's "50" Hudson, I often wondered what type of boat they had that deserved its own house. I can still picture the boat house today, it was bright red with white trim.

This is the reverse of the above Mill Pond Card.
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This is the stove in the Friends Meeting House of Crosswicks. The stove is manufactured from Bog Ore, Iron mined from the Bogs of South Jersey, if you look close you can see the name of Atsion on the front of this stove.
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This stove was manufactured at the Atsion Iron Works of Atsion, New Jersey, which began operation about 1765 and closed down in the late 1840's when Iron mining in Pennsylvania was found to be cheaper. Atsion forge was just one of several Iron Manufacturing operations in South Jersey with forges with names like Batsto, Weymouth, Walker, Gloucester, Martha, Hanover, and The Howell Works.

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Crosswicks Oak at The Crosswicks Friends Meeting House

Reverse side of Crosswicks Oak Card

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Crosswicks Obituary

Rosa J. Lieberman
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Harry Lieberman

1938

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Crosswicks Engagement

Miss Margaret Baker Ellis

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Crosswicks Wedding

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Crosswicks Fire House - 1934

1937

Ralph Perine Joseph D. Goodenough

Francis W. Ellis
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Baseball was big entertainment, each small town had a team, Groveville, Yardville, Crosswicks, and Hamilton Square. The head line of the picture below would have a whole different meaning if it appeared today. These articles appeared in the Trenton Evening Times 1904 - 1906.

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Teams did what ever it took to win, even hired the

best players, their towns pride was at stake

Groveville Volunteer Fire Co. Officers - 1936

2009-04-04T06:57:00.005-04:00

Officers of the Groveville Volunteer Fire Company, 1936.

Last year a good friend and life long Groveille resident Harold Wills passed away, Harold was known for his great garden, his love of life, his gentleness and his love of the Groveville United Methodist Church. This photo and a lot of my future photos are from a scrapbook that Harold kept.

This scrap book has Groveville wedding announcements, graduation photos, obituary clippings, Harold was quite a guy.

His daughter, Elaine, had this book and passed it off to Charlie Brecht. Charlie, knowing of my "Groveville Memories" site, called me and asked if I would be interested in seeing this scrap book. I borrowed the book and the pages are falling apart, the clippings are glued to the pages, so I scanned all of the pages and then I could electronically cut the pictures from the pages with out damaging the book. It is friends like this that keep this site going.

Thanks to all.

The Wesley Grove, Methodist Camp Meeting .

2009-03-20T22:41:00.003-04:00

Wesley Grove was originally know as Davis’s Woods and was used for picnics and church outinge before “The Wesley Grove Camp Meeting” was established.

For those of you that don't know, Wesley Grove is located on the Yardville - Crosswicks Road (the continuation of Broad Street) Between Route 130 and Main Street, in Groveville.

This was always a mysterious place to us kids growing up in Groveville, each summer people would come there at different times of the summer. It was a retreat for those who followed the faith of the Wesleyan Methodists, this group, named after the founder of the Methodism and the Methodist Church, John Wesley 1703 - 1791.

Some weeks there would be adults only at the Grove, other weeks it would be Families and then there would be the retreats for teenagers.

John Wesley was an Evangelist and a strong proponent of “Open Air Sermons” and this is what was practiced there, something we did not see in the Groveville Methodist Church.

There was a large Worship area, this was known as “The Main Auditorium” and in keeping with John Wesley’s love for outdoor sermons, this was a large roof structure held up by large square wooden pillars, otherwise it was completely open.

Sometime later this large building was partially enclosed, it had permanent walls that extended only about four feet from the floor, then the upper wall sections to the roof were hinged so they could be raised outward to form an awning around the building and leaving the building wide open to the outside, this way the building could be closed and weatherproof during the off season.

Inside were wooden benches with a podium for the speaker. On both sides of the podium was an open area, usually covered in straw for those of the congregation that wished to, and often did, profess their love of God, very exuberantly. This was something that also peaked the curiosity of us attending the Groveville Methodist Church, where our parents told us to “Sit still, be quiet and listen”, and quite a change for us. As kids we would sneak up through the woods behind this building to observe the worship.

The area consisted of small cottages or tiny bungalows, these were only used during the summer retreats, the rest of the year they sat empty and closed. Most of the cottages are still there along the Yardville – Crosswicks Road and along the adjoining, Pilgrim Way. Today most of these small cottages are permanent residences; they have been improved and added on to.

At one time there was a large three story dormitory or rooming house, the rooms on the second floor were suitable for one or maybe two persons on the third floor was a large dormitory type room. There was also a large dining area and kitchen or Mess Hall on the first floor. This building was destroyed by fire in the 1960’s and some of the other buildings were removed, including the Main Auditorium

At one time there was a well in the center of the area where water could be drawn by a bucket, also there was a large divided “Bathhouse and Shower Building” still there today.

There is still the Chapel and some other adjoining buildings there and in use today, for regular Sunday Worship.

I found the more I researched the more information I found. Every time I would plan to post what I had about Wesley Grove I found a more interesting story to post. I found several hundred articles concerning Wesley Grove, I stopped counting and looking, but I would be willing to state there were almost a thousand if not more, articles printed on Wesley Grove

As one of these articles states there were at one time as many as 1500 visitors at the Grove. The Trenton Traction Company, our local Trolley company, had laid tracks and wires to Crosswicks, in hopes of capitalizing on the summer traffic to the Grove. The tracks were laid and the wires run, but the trolley never ran. The Trenton Traction Company was never able to secure permission to cross the Pennsylvania Railroad in Yardville, so even though everything was in place, no Trolley.

As a child I don’t remember the actual tracks, my mother does, but I do remember if you were driving toward Crosswicks from Yardville, the left shoulder of the roadway was much wider than the right, almost like it was another lane of traffic wide, this is where the tracks once ran.

One article mentions that the Grove sits on a beautiful lake, suitable for swimming or boating, this beautiful lake was the Groveville Mill Pond, this lake extended from the dam on Church Street, extending around the Grove, all the way to the Springdale Amusement Park on the Yardville Allentown Road, located across from the present Yardville School, now home of the CYO Camp.

This is the Main Building, I have been told this building was used by guest speakers and those of importance that visited the Grove. The second floor were bedrooms and the lower floor was a kitchen and dining area and a large common area or living room. To the right is the Young Peoples Temple.

Just one of hundreds of articles written about

the Wesley Grove Camp Meeting.

E.S. Willey is just one of the many people of the area that donated and helped make this Methodist Camp Meeting, a success. E.S. Willey is the owner of E.S. Willey Lumber and Real Estate, South Broad Street and Rowan Avenues, in Hamilton.

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Pictured above is Rev. N.H. Barrett, Vice-President of the Wesley Grove Camp Meeting Association

This is the Main Building, the small house to the left is the home

of the Pastor or Director of the Grove.

Front of Postcard, showing the Main Auditorium

This is the back of the post card. Seems like someone was enjoying their stay at "The Camp". Wonder where "Anita" is today.

Programs and speakers were well advertised, I found so many articles advertising programs and speakers for the Wesley Grove Camp Meeting

This article shows the Young Peoples Temple in November, 1917

This is the Young Peoples Temple today.

These are some of the older cabins at the park, the age of these cabins are reflected in the age of the automobile, the rear of the automobile can be see in the left of this photo. This may be "Camp" and it may be "Rustic", but as we can see the men still wore ties.

This article is only one of many, very many, I found expressing concern and dismay over the trolley problem, or the lack of trolley.

Stephen Foster Operetta ~ 1948

2009-03-12T19:02:00.007-04:00

The Groveville United Methodist Church and the Yardville Presbyterian Church combined their Community Theater groups and would do productions at the Groveville Community House on Church Street.

The second floor of the building was an auditorium, with a stage, back stage, wings on the side of the stage and a movie screen. There they would hold youth dances, weekend movies, Halloween Parties Minstrel Shows, Magic Shows, community theatre shows and town meetings. Sometimes it was used for Sunday School.

The downstairs was a full court Basketball Court, originally it was complete with a wooden floor, until the dampness was the demise of the wooden floor and then it was just concrete. Groveville had a Basketball Team, (pictured earlier in this site) the last one coached by Ed Jones, of Church Street.

There was also a full kitchen in the back of the downstairs and many a community dinner was held here.

The Cast

Loyd Bowers on Left

Mary Bowers & Unknown

Anyone recognizing any of the cast feel free to email me.

Groveville Cemetery

2009-02-25T22:37:00.001-05:00

My friend Cheryl jerseyties@hotmail.com has to this date registered 263 memorials to Find-A-Grave. She is in Florida and I am in New Jersey, so I started to photograph graves in the Groveville Cemetery for her to post. I have also begun to photograph graves and post them myself and I am photographing graves that Cheryl has already listed, adding photos to her postings. Cheryl has told me this is a great help to those searching their heritage.

To view a posted grave in the Groveville Cemetery click on the link to the right, this will also take you to Find-A-Grave to locate posted Graves all over the world.

We hope to have all of the graves in the Groveville Cemetery photographed and posted eventually, but if you have one you would like to see here feel free to email either of us. Cheryl is great with the information and I will get the photos.

Groveville Methodist Church Directory~ 1930

2009-02-12T22:36:00.025-05:00

The other night at a Church Meeting, Noma Bell Eades brought me this directory of the church from 1930. This is the property of Noma's sister, Jeanne Bell Mushinski. Jeanne wanted to make sure I got this directory to add to this web site. It's just a loan, but this is how I get so much to put on this site. I am so glad I have so many friends that have contributed to this site, with valuable memorabilia like this.
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Reverend Fran was reading the book when I arrived, I sat next to her and she gave me the book. During the meeting I kept peeking at the book. The pastor looked at me and said "I should have given you the book after the meeting", I was really fascinated.
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The book is not only interesting because of the people listed, but the advertisers that have sponsored the book.

First Grand Carnival ~ Groveville Fire Co. ~ 1922

2009-01-31T12:22:00.008-05:00

This article appeared in the Trenton Evening Times on May 24, 1922. Not only dose this advertise The first carnival of the Groveville Fire Co. it contains a nice advertisement for WoodLawn Park, The largest amusement park in Central Jersey, so the article says.

The Woodlawn Park advertisement touts "Joseph Delucca, Worlds Greatest Ephonium Artist" My first thought was what in the world is a "Ephonium", well below is a photo of an "Ephonium", kind of like a Trumpet on Steroids, but not quite a Tuba or French Horn.

Pretty exciting stuff, this is also a learning experience, for me at least.

A Fireman's Story

2009-01-27T08:36:00.006-05:00

This is a great article about Wendell Fisher; I borrowed the newspaper portion above from Tom Glove’s site.

Mark Cozens in this article is now a Captain Ladder #2, City of Trenton Fire Department. Wendell Fisher passed away in April of 2004.

Mark was an inspiration to new, young members; he stressed physical fitness, training, and keeping up with new technology, as the key to a good firefighter. As I look back it was amazing to see two men, from different generations strive toward the same goal, in different ways.

The fire Mark talks about being his hottest, at Eagle Rock Apartments was my apartment April 4, 1987, I was glad I was away on vacation at the time, as a volunteer I would have been torn as to stay with my home or run to the firehouse to drive a truck, glad I was not faced with that decision.

Growing up in Groveville and in the fire company Wendell was one of my heros. Through my years in the Groveville Volunteer Fire Company I learned a lot. As I have said before Wendell taught you the stuff that you did not find in a book, the practical stuff, the common sense stuff, the stuff that when in a jam would save your “butt”.

During the beginning of my time there, Thursday, May 17, 1962, we did not have a Mercer County Fire Training Center, like we do now. If we received any training, other than “in house” training it was at Ancora State Hospital, in south Jersey or weekend classes, at the fire school held annually at the New Jersey National Guard facility in Sea Girt, New Jersey, I did both. We were lucky, at the time I joined; we had three members that were employed as firemen at Fort Dix, Jim Donnell, Jim Stackhouse, and Wendell Fisher and later Ray Bell.

These men received almost constant training and updates on the latest equipment, products, and theories, they brought home their training and shared and taught it to us.

Wendell always had a joke, I mean always. I can still hear him today saying “Hey Lippy, did ya hear the one about the guy that wanted to learn to Skydive” and I still tell that joke today, ask me, I’ll tell it.

In 1963 New Jersey had a very dry Forest Fire Season, in April of that year it was particularly dry. South Jersey was plagued with fires that kept almost every fire company in south Jersey busy every day. Allentown Fire Company had been called early in the morning to help battle fires throughout Ocean County, particularly Jackson Township; they had sent all of their manpower to the fire scene, leaving Allentown unprotected. In this case Allentown called Groveville Fire Company to send one truck and a crew to Allentown for fire protection; this is standard practice even today.

When we arrived the crew consisted of Wendell Fisher, Driver- Ray Bell, Officer In Charge, and firefighters Carl Cubberley, Ron Robinson, Tom Dwier and Gary Lippincott. We were prepared to spend the day, but being young volunteers we were really hoping to be called into action at the fire scene.

After being there from early morning, without a call, we were told that a relief crew was coming out to relieve us but we had to return in an hour because our relief could not stay.

When we returned we found that our relief crew and our truck had been deployed to somewhere in Jackson Township. They were still calling for more help in the Jackson Township area, which was when something unheard of back then happened. We always had a very close relationship with the Allentown Fire Company, they all knew Wendell and Ray, they offered us to take their lone truck, which had been left behind, so we climbed on Allentown’s truck and we were given orders to report to the Forest Fire Warden at Route 526 and Route 571 at the Sawmill.

When we arrived we were instructed to start a back fire along the western side of Burnt Tavern Road, and report back. As Tom and I were lighting the backfire a man pulled up in a pickup truck and began to yell at Wendell, he told Wendell that it was his property we were setting on fire and he wanted us to stop. He said there is a stream between us and the fire and there was no need to burn his land. Wendell asked how wide the stream was, the man responded “It’s about 4 feet wide”, Wendell looked at the gentleman and said, only four feet? then I suggest you get down there and start splashing, now please leave before I have the State Police remove you.

Once we completed our assignment we were told to report to a Forest Fire Warden in Leesville, Jackson Township. As we passed through the little town of Holmeson people were in front of their homes calling for us to stop and protect their homes, as much as we would have liked to, but it was not our decision to make, we had to follow orders, we felt bad, because on our way home some of those homes were nothing but a chimney and a refrigerator standing.

When we arrived at Leesville the fire was miles away, we younger guys were disappointed, but Wendell had been in this position before and knew what to expect. we were ordered to proceed down a lane and set up to protect a house in the path of the fire. The owner had a large Auto Salvage Yard (Junk Yard); we were not to worry about that just the house.

Wendell positioned the truck behind the house on the opposite side from the fires path and far enough that should we lose the house, the truck would be safe. It was a small one story home, so we stretched two lines around each side to the front of the house. The fire was still just a glow in the distance, but Wendell kept expressing the impending danger.

The house was in a small clearing, but surrounded by what we used to call “Indian Grass” a tall very dry grass that when it burns it burns hot like lighting Diesel fuel, a very hot, orange flame. The game plan was as the fire approached we would knock it down in front of the house, follow it around the sides of the house and let the fire go on by, there was no way we could stop this fire, just protect the house. Wendell kept impressing on us to not open the hose till absolutely necessary, “Remember, you only have 500 gallons of water and nowhere to get more”. We young guys response “yea, yea, we heard it before” but not to Wendell’s face did we say that.

We were told that in the Junk yards was a 1922 Durant Roadster and seeing as how the fire as still just a glow in the distance we younger guys thought there was no harm in wandering over to take a look, after all if all went as planned the antique would be “Toast“ soon anyway. It was about 100 yards to the junk yard so we walked over, when Wendell found we were gone he came after us and when he found us he chewed us out all the way back to the fire truck. He told us we did not understand, when that fire comes through it will be like a freight train without a whistle. Our response, under our breath was “Yea, yea, yea, big time Fort Dix fireman, thinks he knows it all”.

So we sat by the hose lines; as the fire approached, the lines were charged and Wendell kept saying not yet, not yet, don’t open the hose its only 500 gallons. Soon, for no apparent reason a strong wind came from our back, but the fire was still coming towards us as the fire reached the edged of the clearing the wind got stronger, the fire was creating its own draft. As it got nearer the large Pine trees began explode and split as the sap boiled and created steam, these trees were fire from top to bottom.

Our faces were so hot and we were so scared it gives me chills still today, finally when the heat was almost too much to bear, Wendell said OK, now! and we knocked the fire down just in front of the house. Wendell and Ray stayed with each hose line as we worked our way around the house; telling to shut the water off, now open it up, just to conserve our water. The house was fine and the fire went on its way and the Junk Yard and the 1922 Durant Roadster was “Toast”

I don’t know if I have ever been that scared, but if it were not for Wendell we all might have been “Toast”

We witnessed the Dodge “Brush Truck” from the Mission Volunteer Fire Company of Bordentown Township, traveling down a small, narrow sand road, near Leesville, loaded with firemen as the fire rolled over the truck and the men and the truck disappeared in to the smoke and flames, it was not until the next day when we were headed home that we found that everyone on that truck was OK.

Years later I told Wendell how scared we were and what we had said under our breath and we all had a good laugh about it.

One Tuesday morning, in 1986 there was a bunch of us standing around the fire house drinking coffee and “Fighting Old Fires” and the TV was on. We were all talking about the upcoming launch of the space shuttle, that morning. As the time grew near we all began to watch the launch preparation. We had all seen a few launches, because in 1986 there had only been a few. As the Challenger lifted off we watched in amazement, little comments like “If Wilbur and Orville Wright could see that” were heard. As it climbed higher and higher, we just watched, then the smoke and steam that followed the shuttle split into two columns and then one of those columns split again, no one said a word, even the TV fell silent, the commentator that had been speaking almost nonstop was quiet. Wendell was the first to speak an in a very serious tone he said “I don’t much about space travel, but I don’t think it’s supposed to do that, I think they have trouble up there.” As we all know now they did have trouble.

There was a time when one of our fire trucks was down with a warped cylinder head, the mechanic, Marty, Suggested we replace both heads. The heads for our Ward LaFrance and its Waukesha Engine were not available at your local Pep Boys, The closest place was the Ward LaFrance Factory in Elmira, New York and truck shipping could take over a week. There was no overnight shipping of heavy items back then, so Wendell, being a licensed Pilot volunteered to fly to Elmira, NY and bring back the heads.

Wendell and his friend, Wayne, who worked at Schroeder’s Esso in Yardville and their wives, flew out of Robbinsville Airport to Elmira, NY.

Wendell joked when the heads were loaded, the plane was near its maximum safe weight load, he and Wayne had a decision to make, Should they leave the wives behind or not, all made it home safely.

Wendell, like so many of the men and women of the fire company gave so much of their time, their families and themselves that I could write and entire blog on the selflessness of these people. Much like the people of the church and most times they were the same people, they gave so much to the community, in so many ways.

Anchor Thread Park ~ January 15, 2009

2009-01-15T15:31:00.010-05:00

I could not resist breaking out the camera when I looked at the park this morning. As I stood there in the quiet of the snow and the stillness of the park building I could almost hear the sounds I used to hear, peering in the windows there, the Clack-Clack-Clack of the looms of Mercer Textile, and the Clickity-Clickity-Clack-Clack of the winding and coning machines of Anchor Thread, two very different sounds.

Standing in the park, alone, in the quiet of a new snow fall, you could imagine all the sights and sounds that we heard growing up around the mill, it was almost eerie. Just standing there alone you could picture the people that worked there, the ones that I remember, my Aunt Edith Jones, Ed and Howard Jones, Eddie and Bertha Klink, Vince Symczyk, Roy “Smut “ Champion, “Dutchy” Cubberley these are just a few that come to mind.

The site of the Anchor Thread Company and the Mercer Textile Company, once the bustling manufacturing center of Groveville, working three shifts to produce goods and keep the people of Groveville working and prosperous, now the scene of a quite tranquil park.

In early times coal came to the mills by barge and goods left by barge, in later years by tractor trailer. I remember seeing those large red and white tractor-trailers from Avondale Mills, in Alabama, as a kid I was amazed that trucks would come that far to Groveville.

The buildings and pieces of building that are left as a monument and a tribute to the men and women that made these companies work for well over 100 years.

Groveville Cook Book - 1963

2009-01-08T19:08:00.018-05:00

The other day at a funeral for a good friend and long time Groveville resident, Kathy Dufficy, Dean Robinson approached me and said that his brother Ron had something for me that they had found in his Mom's attic (Phoebe Robinson). I told Dean if it's been in your Mom's attic I don't need it, I have enough junk (excuse me - Memorabilla) in my own. It's a funny thing about people in Groveville, they never throw anything away, it can always be re purposed, or at least we think it can, somewhere down the road.

I am not putting down the people of Groveville, I am one of the savers. A few years ago we gave the basement a good cleaning, some of it got moved to the attic, now I am afraid the house might tip over. I could name names of the savers but they are the ones reading this and smiling and nodding.

Sunday Ron Robinson was in church and afterwards at our luncheon he gave me this cook book, there was no date, but a group of us sitting around determined it was about 1963. Ruth McEmoyl Knight saw the book and was wondering if a desert her mother used to make was in the book, she had been looking for it for years, it was in the book. Several people were very interested in the book, Alice Plummer saw the book and remarked " I have that cookbook, it sits on my counter, I use it all the time.

They gave the cook book to the right person, because they know I will make some of them and serve them at our after church luncheons, I do my best to keep everyone well fed.

I didn't copy the recipes, there are to many, but I did post the advertisers, they are so interesting to see.

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For those that don't remember this was on Ervin Drive, in the old McEmoyl Basket Factory.

The Moyer Family

2009-01-02T16:59:00.006-05:00

This is a photo of Charles and Erdith Moyer, the gentleman on the far left is Mr. MacMaster,taken during a return vist to the Moyer Family. He and his family rented the Moyer's upstairs apartment, during the 1950's. The dog is un-named until someone emails me with the name and that should not take long. That did not take long, Claire emailed me, the dogs name was 'Shaggy".

I received this photo from Mr. Macmaster's son, John MacMaster from Douglasville, GA , John's father was a Tradesman Electrician and traveled from job to Job For two years he lived in the Moyer's upstairs apartment on Main Street. The MacMasters were originally from Gardiner, Maine and moved to Groveville in 1955, while his father was working on a job in New Jersey.

John recalls fondly the years he spent in Groveville, here is an excerpt of what he said in his email accompanying the photo.

I remember the back yard where Michael (Moyer) and I would devise these walkie-talkies - then just string and some tin cans. We'd walk to the corner grocery store, and the school was easily within walking distance "around the corner". I remember the schools being so much harder than those in Maine. I remember at the end of Main St there was this "dumpy area" where we could forage through small sand pits and find all sorts of construction items....junk mainly. The years I was there TV was just coming into its own. My father brought home a black and white that we watched until the stations went off the air. We'd watch every commercial as we'd watch every feature show - fascinated - like everyone else - over the picture transmission.

It is such a testament to living in Groveville, that people that live here for a short period of time in 1955, fifty four years ago, still have such fond memories of our little town and cherish a photo of his father and a family that touched him so briefly, so long ago.

World War Memorials

2008-12-29T16:49:00.005-05:00

These are two photos of the Groveville World War I and World War II Memorials that I just received. These are great clear photos.

This Photo of the World War I Memorial was taken, November 16, 1943. The building to the right is the Groveville United Methodist Church Parsonage. The building to the rear was a small one car garage.

The large tree behind the Memorial was on the edge of the Groveville Fire Company Baseball Field. The tree was a Mulberry Tree, white Mulberries. They were so sweet we would eat them till we got sick, but we had to beat the birds to the good ones.

This is a great photo of the World War II Memorial. This photo is so clear that when I enlarge it I can read all of the names very clear, this is great. I stated before that at this time the Memorial was located Next to the Post Office (now beauty shop) on Church Street. The Memorial was later moved across Church Street to a location between the World War I Memorial and the old Community House.

On the original location a small Cape Cod style house was build by Catharine Crider, which still remains today.

The Memorial remained on Church Street until 1957, when the Community House and the Memorial were removed to make way for the Groveville United Methodist Church Educational Building, constructed in 1958. The Memorial was never rebuilt, but a hand copied plaque remains in the Educational Building.

Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year ~ 2008

2008-12-21T07:53:00.003-05:00

I want to wish everyone that enjoys my site and has sent me stories, memories, photos and yes, even those that have sent me corrections, a very Merry Christmas. I have enjoyed passing on all that I have learned so much.

Please Remember, I am only the messenger, it is everyone else that contributes to this site that keeps it working. I am just as fascinated by the wealth of knowledge that people have about "Little Ole Groveville" as you are.

I can't thank everyone that contributes, and those that enjoy this site enough for your support.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Happy New Year.

Birds Eye View of Groveville

2008-12-18T08:33:00.006-05:00

This is another one of my favorite pieces of Groveville Memorabilia, this is an original print of the Birdseye View of Groveville, that also hangs on my living room wall. I scanned this, before I matted and framed it and used the copies through out my web site. It has also been copied and placed in the information board at the Anchor Thread Park, by the Boy Scouts.

The inscription at the bottom of the print reads:

Birds Eye View of Groveville,

Hamilton Tp. Mercer County, N.J.

Property of Ezra W. Keeler

Manufacturers of Cotton Yarns, Clarence Warp, Twines, Batting

Local Maps ~ Cica 1875

2008-12-12T23:53:00.011-05:00

I have had this framed page of maps hanging on my living room wall for some time and have not posted them. When I saw the map on Tom's site today, I realized I had all these maps in front of me every day and never posted them.

There are some interesting engravings on the back that I have scanned and will post them later. Besides the maps of Yardville, Groveville, and Crosswicks, there are maps of Winsor, Hamilton Square, Woodville, Mount Rose, and Milford.

If you notice there are only six houses on Church Street, and three of them are no longer there. The one marked G. Holman was where the Church Parking lot is now, next to the Parsonage and was last owned by the Chamberlain Family. The one listed as W. West, was across from the Groveville Elementary School and was the home of my Great Grandparents, Mr. & Mrs. George Rollings, and the one listed as T. Cubberly, was in front of the Eagle Rock Apartments and was the home of Mr. George Mozer.

This also clearly shows how the Mill Race ran at the Anchor Thread, then the Clarence Cotton Mill.

The only Street missing in the one that ran in front of the Asay Home, it was know as Asay's Alley, not sure if that was official, but that is what my Dad always called it. It ran from Allen Street to Main Street, in front of the Asay home. At the Main Street end is the Mifflin Home, but at that time it was Asay's Barber Shop and Pool Room.

Most of the houses listed in North Crosswicks are still in place, just the names have changed, the only thing missing is the mill.

The part that I like about this map is that it clearly shows the Mill Pond and the raceway with the two mills on it. The other thing I wonder about is by this map it looks like Martins Lane goes off the top of the map and actually went somewhere at one time, it shows it going past the railroad tracks.

If you notice where the now vacant Blauth Lumber Supply is located at the Broad Street Railroad Crossing, there was a one time a Hotel, a perfect place for one, across the tracks from the Rail Station.

Another interesting fact by this map is that the building at the corner of Route 156 and Church Street, that looks like a General Store, was one, not only that but it was the Post Office. At "Five Points" where the Yardville Presbyterian Church is located was the Yardville School.

It also shows the the road that cut through the old VanKannel Estate, listed as S. Biddle, was at one time a through road.

Yardville Sand Company

2008-11-29T10:30:00.008-05:00

This is a letter I recently received. I do not know where the Yardville Sand Company was located, strange there is no address on the letterhead. My thoughts were that the Yardville Sand Company may have become the Crosswicks Sand and Gravel Company, owned by Mr George Mozer. This was located where the Eagle Rock Apartments are now, on Church Street, in Groveville.

Mr. Mozer later started, owned and operated the Yardville Concrete Company, which after growing to sell much more than just concrete it later became Yardville Supply.

When I receive letters and envelopes like this My thoughts always turn to ask "Why does someone hold on to something like a letter or an envelope for one hundred years". What was the importance of this letter to be held onto this long.

Another interesting point is the phone number, the Yardville Sand Company number was Bell Phone 2204-W and Mr Seabury's was Bell Phone 201-Y. I guess this is what you told the operator when you rang her up, because you sure were not dialing numbers in 1909.

When I look at the quality of the typing of this letter it reminds me of my father typing reports and letters for church on his old L.C.Smith Typewriter, which I still have. If you made a mistake the delete button was called an ink eraser, then along came "White Out", but that was years later, that was not much better than the eraser. I remember most times if he wanted it to look professional he would start the letter over.

Skating on Groveville Mill Pond

2008-10-31T21:48:00.005-04:00

This is a photo of Dolores Simpson Straley and Bertha Stout, skating on Groveville Mill Pond, February, 1938. From the stories my parents and the older men at the firehouse told, a lot of fun was had at the pond, from Skating, Sledding on the “Indian Trail” that took you right out on to the pond, to the good fishing in the summer time. Too bad the pond dam was never rebuilt, even though Ray Dwier tried to get it through, under the Green Acres Program, it never made it. What a great recreation area that would have been.

The Bell, Groveville United Methodist Church

2008-10-22T09:41:00.013-04:00

This article is about the bell in the steeple or belfry of the Groveville United Methodist Church and appeared in The Hamilton Observer in 1987. This celebrates the 100th anniversary of the bell. That would make the bell 121 years old this year and it is still rang every Sunday.

The bell, manufactured by the Cincinnati Bell Foundry Company, is one of several companies manufacturing bells in Cincinnati, Ohio.

I remember as a child you were never allowed to touch the bell rope, let alone ring the bell, if you were it was with supervision and a great honor. Growing up, my father was very active in the church, I remember him coming home from church and saying that someone had pulled the rope to hard and the bell was stuck upside down, he would change from his suit to his old clothes and head back to the church to climb into the belfry to “right” the bell. I remember that one of my Dad’s chief complaints of having to climb into the Belfry was the large accumulation of pigeon “Exhaust” that had accumulated around the bell. This still happens to the bell today and not that long ago someone had to climb into the belfry and “right” the bell.

I remember my father, Ken Lippincott, along with Pete Taylor, Cy Atkins, and Ed Shelton making a weekend project of cleaning and repairing the inside of the belfry. I was just a kid and only allowed to watch, not help, this really didn’t bother me and I really did not want to help. I do remember the odor of what they shoveled out was very acrid, kind of what I remember from my grandfather’s chicken coup. They fastened “Chicken Wire” around the inside to keep the pigeons out, since then new heavier duty wire fencing has been installed, that’s progress.

As a child growing up in Groveville, it seem that every one of the men were hunters, this meant that most of the men had Hound Dogs. These dogs were kept in the back yards, in either pens or tethered to dog houses. On Sunday Mornings when the bell was rang to announce the start of church all of the dogs of Groveville would howl in unison. They would not stop howling until the ringing stopped, it was a beautiful choir.

Still today the children of the church get great joy from being allowed to pull the rope and ring the bell. I think they enjoy that if the child is small enough the bell on its return will lift them off the floor, what ever it is it always puts a smile on their face.

Groveville Fire Company's New Dodge - 1935

2008-10-15T12:06:00.010-04:00

Groveville Volunteer Fire Company, New Truck Dedication Parade 1935

Hamilton Square American Legion Post Marching Unit

The top photo is Groveville Fire Company’s brand new Dodge Pumper. This is the dedication parade. The person taking the photo was standing across from the Groveville Elementary School, in front of the Rollings house, which has since been torn down. They were facing down the hill towards Yardville; the house in the background is the one on the hill above Church Street and Zachary Lane.

The writing on the back of the photo says “Dedication Day – New engine climbing Groveville Hill. Ray Dwier, Chief Driver, Driving, October 19, 1935.”

Also written on the back is “Dickey Swope behind mudguard”. (what's a "Mudguard?)

The bottom photo says on the back “Dedication Parade, American Legion, Hamilton Square Post. Marching up Groveville Hill”

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These photos were developed February 4 1936

Groveville Elementary School - 1932

2008-10-08T07:09:00.004-04:00

This is a photo of one of the classes of the Groveville Elementary School, June 1932. The only person I recognize in this photo is my mother Dorothy Naomi Johnson Lippincott. She is the second row, center, with the dark hair. Two of the boys in the top row are familiar, but I until I am sure I don't want to put names on them. I am sure some one will see this and fill me in, that is what usually happens.

I knew someone would come through, Linda showed the photo to her Mom, Mabel Becker LeJambre and she recognized a few, even though this group is older than she is.

The girl, second from the right in the all white dress is Gert Stout

The girl to the left of my Mom, second row short, with short blond hair is Peggie Shelton, the tall girl to the right of my Mom in the second row is Virginia Herbert. The boy in the second row all the way to the right, next to the fence pole is William "Bill" Straley.

The boy,third row, second from the right, next to a girl, is Roy "Smut' Champion.

I believe the boy, top row, second from the left, is Edward Shelton.