I started yesterday by describing in my feeble way a partial picture of Runnemede's main street -- the Black Horse Pike. I shall continue my dialog by heading north on the pike, starting at Clements Bridge Road. If you all want to see a map of Runnemede click on this link.
On the corner, was the Misses Dodge's house. It was an old house, two story home, and Camilla and Josephine Dodge lived there. When I knew them they were very old -- at least 70 plus -- maybe not quite that old, but they were really elderly. Miss Camilla was the lady who would click her tongue in derision whenever she saw a woman or girl in "pants" -- man's clothes. Not a good thing. I know I avoided her at all costs whenever I had on overalls. Miss Josephine was the sweetest lady ever. She always had some candy for the children, and she was a Sunday school teacher at our church. I remember Miss Camilla more than Miss Josephine. And yes, they went by those names for as long as I knew them.
Moving north on the Pike we came to what was the post office. I know this because I spent a lot of time there, and went to get the mail with my father on many occasions. Next to that was a deli -- the best deli ever. When it went out of business in the late 50s, we started going to Vince's (on Clements Bridge just next to the railroad tracks) and his shop was a good replacement for the best deli (always crowded) ever. The smell -- oh my! I can still smell those pickles, the salami, and other garlic-infused goodies that were all over the shop.
Now is where my mind becomes muddy. I don't recall any other buildings -- although I'm sure there were either homes or something -- until you came upon Mr. Leap's super grocery store. He, too, had a pickle barrel. But his grocery store was just that. He carried the things you COULD get in the deli (like cheese and lunch meats), but he didn't carry the good Italian bread that the deli carried. Mr. Leap's store also had the other things that no deli ever carried, like cereal, coffee, Wonder bread (which my mother never bought and which we kids really wanted), some frozen foods, which were a new-fangled thing -- you know like peas, spinach,, green beans. Until we tasted frozen peas we didn't know what real peas tasted like. Peas weren't something you could get fresh very often, and canned peas don't taste like peas. I don't know what they taste like. I guess they just taste like canned peas. Mr. Leap's store was on the corner of the Pike and Second Avenue, across from the gas station, and two blocks down from our house.
I'm going to walk up (going north was up, going south was down) the Pike another block. On the NW corner of Second and Pike was an empty lot. Then you came upon Joe's soda shop. And boy were those soda's good. He had a regular soda bar in the back of the store, and magazines in the front. In between were all sorts of goodies. School supplies, kiddie jewelry, etc. Loved that store. Then next to Joe's there was another grocery of sorts.
What I can't figure out is why Runnemede had so many grocery stores. The one on the corner of Third (next to Joe's) had a lot of floor space, but not so much food.
And my mother shopped them all. I guess she thought it was her duty to help keep them all in business, and with four children, she certainly bought enough food. And mom bought something every day, it seemed like. Actually, I -- me, myself, and I -- did the buying from the time I was six or seven, mom sent me to one or the other of the stores for something. And when I started getting my dime allowance, I did my own shopping (usually a pickle was included in my weekly shopping).
On the NW corner of Third Avenue was Marston's Jewelry store. Actually, I think that store went in later, but I remember that corner always having a jewelry store on it.
I have one more "main street" dialog which I'll post another day.
ttfn
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Main Street -- Runnemede 1950
Main street, of course, is The Pike (Black Horse Pike). After a conversation with my sister today, I'm ready to update you on THE STREET as it was in the late 40s, early 50s, more likely the late 40s. I would have been 6 or 7 then. I can always depend on my sister to bring back some memories, even though she is three years younger than I. And, of course, she remembers things I don't recall at all because of our age difference.
I know, three years doesn't seem like a big difference, but, believe me, it was. I was OLD, she was a BABY. We did very little together, except fight over the cleanliness of our room. But our remembrances of our tiny home town are so similar in so many ways.
So, here's The Pike as I remember it in 1950, starting on the eastern side of the Pike at Second Avenue and heading south toward Clements Bridge Road. Some of these shops were only in existence for a short period of time.
First was the Gulf Station, then the fire station. Next was an empty lot, full of trees and weeds, and I think it was the back yard of what was to become later on, Jake's Five and Ten. And yes, it was Jake, not Jack.
Then came Jake's 5 and 10 (which became an optometrist shop by the time I was in 6th grade). Next door to Jakes, on the corner of First Avenue was Finaro's shoe store. Mr. F was a cobbler, shoemaker extraordinaire. And he had one of those x-ray machines in his store. I do recall my sister and I loved going in there just to see our feet through our shoes. How neat was that.
Across First Avenue was Pitt's Drug Store, butted up by Mr. DiCecco's Tailor Shop, then came Weber's Bakery, then the hardware store. Dink's was next, but I think that was originally a small eatery, which I think was also owned by the Weber's. I recall that it was only one store wide, whereas Dink's was two stores wide, so it may be that Dinks was next to the restaurant before he expanded to the double width, and that the restaurant was next to Dinks butted up against the grocery store.
The restaurant had a very small menu, about six booths and maybe four other tables, if that many. I recall going there on a couple of Sunday's after church when I was very small, and it was just me, my mother and my father. Debbie, my sister was probably still on the bottle. She doesn't remember the place. I don't believe we ever went out to eat after she was big enough to cost my mom and dad money (except down at the Boardwalk, but I already wrote about that ).
Then there was on the corner of Clements Bridge and Black Horse Pike, still on the east side, the grocery store, which became a Firestone tire store, which became the vacuum cleaner store.
If you cross the street, and work your way up the pike, you'd find some other shops, buildings that changed hands over the years, but neither I nor my sister could remember all those buildings, or their uses, so I'm not going to talk about them for now. If I find out what their uses were I'll BLOG about them.
Just had to say that parking on the pike was not difficult back then, traffic on the pike was very light. Of course, not every home had a car yet, men were just getting home from the War (WWII) and houses were being built all over town. My dad was still bicycling around the town.
When I go home in a few months I'll take pictures of each and every building as they are now, and then I'll reconstruct how they were back when. I know a lot has been done to "reface" the main street (The Pike) in the last few years, and many of the shops will no longer be distinguishable in the new frontage.
ttfn
I know, three years doesn't seem like a big difference, but, believe me, it was. I was OLD, she was a BABY. We did very little together, except fight over the cleanliness of our room. But our remembrances of our tiny home town are so similar in so many ways.
So, here's The Pike as I remember it in 1950, starting on the eastern side of the Pike at Second Avenue and heading south toward Clements Bridge Road. Some of these shops were only in existence for a short period of time.
First was the Gulf Station, then the fire station. Next was an empty lot, full of trees and weeds, and I think it was the back yard of what was to become later on, Jake's Five and Ten. And yes, it was Jake, not Jack.
Then came Jake's 5 and 10 (which became an optometrist shop by the time I was in 6th grade). Next door to Jakes, on the corner of First Avenue was Finaro's shoe store. Mr. F was a cobbler, shoemaker extraordinaire. And he had one of those x-ray machines in his store. I do recall my sister and I loved going in there just to see our feet through our shoes. How neat was that.
Across First Avenue was Pitt's Drug Store, butted up by Mr. DiCecco's Tailor Shop, then came Weber's Bakery, then the hardware store. Dink's was next, but I think that was originally a small eatery, which I think was also owned by the Weber's. I recall that it was only one store wide, whereas Dink's was two stores wide, so it may be that Dinks was next to the restaurant before he expanded to the double width, and that the restaurant was next to Dinks butted up against the grocery store.
The restaurant had a very small menu, about six booths and maybe four other tables, if that many. I recall going there on a couple of Sunday's after church when I was very small, and it was just me, my mother and my father. Debbie, my sister was probably still on the bottle. She doesn't remember the place. I don't believe we ever went out to eat after she was big enough to cost my mom and dad money (except down at the Boardwalk, but I already wrote about that ).
Then there was on the corner of Clements Bridge and Black Horse Pike, still on the east side, the grocery store, which became a Firestone tire store, which became the vacuum cleaner store.
If you cross the street, and work your way up the pike, you'd find some other shops, buildings that changed hands over the years, but neither I nor my sister could remember all those buildings, or their uses, so I'm not going to talk about them for now. If I find out what their uses were I'll BLOG about them.
Just had to say that parking on the pike was not difficult back then, traffic on the pike was very light. Of course, not every home had a car yet, men were just getting home from the War (WWII) and houses were being built all over town. My dad was still bicycling around the town.
When I go home in a few months I'll take pictures of each and every building as they are now, and then I'll reconstruct how they were back when. I know a lot has been done to "reface" the main street (The Pike) in the last few years, and many of the shops will no longer be distinguishable in the new frontage.
ttfn
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Returning to Runnemede -- for Real
Yes, I'm going back to Runnemede, for real, in late May. The church in which I grew up is celebrating it's 100th anniversary, and my family, since dad was the pastor at the church for more than half of the church's existence, will be coming to town in droves, so to speak, at the end of May.
Most my children and grandchidren, several of my nieces and nephews, and their children, are going to descend on Runnemede. We're all looking forward to a great family reunion, as well as a reunion with some of the church members who are still around.
I guess the last time I visited the church was five years ago when our nephew (on my husband's side) got married. We arranged it so that we would visit the church on the morning after the wedding and worship with them and then head home after that. The only thing we missed that trip was the trip to Phily diner after church, which was a custom in the last years of my father's life. How he loved that place. And they loved him. He was a big tipper!
One of the ladies on the celebration committee called me today to let me know some of what is going on, and as time goes by, I'll add "events" to my BLOG. The church has quite a few planned starting in late May and going through December, with a planned Christmas celebration to mimic one they had in 1910. Ledgers written by the church "secretary" have given the committee lots of insight as to what it was like in 1910 and one of the events for which they have an old ledger is Christmas in the early 1900s. I would so love to see those old papers and read through them. Imagine what history there is in them?
So, I'm really gearing up for this trip "home". Maybe as the trip time gets closer my memory will be jogged and I'll be able to post more things remembered about Runnemede.
I am also enjoying the Facebook page: I grew up in ole Runnemede, NJ. It's a bunch of us oldsters talking about what we did as children and the memories we have of the town in which we were raised. You can read the entries by going to Facebook.com and then search to Runnemede. One of the search responses is the "I grew up..." site and you can read what many of us have written. I especially like the history discussion group.
So, for now, I'll say ta-ta. Be writing soon.
ttfn
Most my children and grandchidren, several of my nieces and nephews, and their children, are going to descend on Runnemede. We're all looking forward to a great family reunion, as well as a reunion with some of the church members who are still around.
I guess the last time I visited the church was five years ago when our nephew (on my husband's side) got married. We arranged it so that we would visit the church on the morning after the wedding and worship with them and then head home after that. The only thing we missed that trip was the trip to Phily diner after church, which was a custom in the last years of my father's life. How he loved that place. And they loved him. He was a big tipper!
One of the ladies on the celebration committee called me today to let me know some of what is going on, and as time goes by, I'll add "events" to my BLOG. The church has quite a few planned starting in late May and going through December, with a planned Christmas celebration to mimic one they had in 1910. Ledgers written by the church "secretary" have given the committee lots of insight as to what it was like in 1910 and one of the events for which they have an old ledger is Christmas in the early 1900s. I would so love to see those old papers and read through them. Imagine what history there is in them?
So, I'm really gearing up for this trip "home". Maybe as the trip time gets closer my memory will be jogged and I'll be able to post more things remembered about Runnemede.
I am also enjoying the Facebook page: I grew up in ole Runnemede, NJ. It's a bunch of us oldsters talking about what we did as children and the memories we have of the town in which we were raised. You can read the entries by going to Facebook.com and then search to Runnemede. One of the search responses is the "I grew up..." site and you can read what many of us have written. I especially like the history discussion group.
So, for now, I'll say ta-ta. Be writing soon.
ttfn
Sunday, January 17, 2010
The town tailor
In reading Mr. Leap's book about Runnemede, he mentioned Mr. DiCecco. Mr. DiCecco was the town tailor, and his shop was on the Pike between Pitt's Drug Store and Weber's Bakery. It was a tiny shop. And if it was tiny when I was tiny, it must really have been tiny.
I don't recall whether Mr. D sold new suits in his shop, but I do remember going in with my father on one occasion when dad was having his trousers altered. Not the pair he was wearing, but another pair.
Well, Mr. DiCecco seeing me with my father, told me to wait in the outside area of the shop and not go behind the curtain where he was going to measure my father for the alterations to his pants. My dad would have none of that and told Mr. D: "She's my daughter, it's okay if she comes back with me." I don't' think Mr. D was very happy about that. I guess he though that if I saw my dad in his scivvies I'd be morally corrupted or something.
Come on! We lived in a house with one bathroom, and at that time two bedrooms. It was a home where there was little privacy, and daddy didn't get entirely dressed in the bathroom. I had seen my father in his undies on more occasions than I could remember, even at the age of 6 or 7.
Needless to say, Mr. D completed his measurements in record time, saving me from being corrupted, I suppose, not that I was even caring about my dad being in a partial state of undress. I was too busy reading a new comic book.
It didn't keep daddy from going down to Mr. D's shop. I went with him on several more forays into that store.
I loved Runnemede!
I don't recall whether Mr. D sold new suits in his shop, but I do remember going in with my father on one occasion when dad was having his trousers altered. Not the pair he was wearing, but another pair.
Well, Mr. DiCecco seeing me with my father, told me to wait in the outside area of the shop and not go behind the curtain where he was going to measure my father for the alterations to his pants. My dad would have none of that and told Mr. D: "She's my daughter, it's okay if she comes back with me." I don't' think Mr. D was very happy about that. I guess he though that if I saw my dad in his scivvies I'd be morally corrupted or something.
Come on! We lived in a house with one bathroom, and at that time two bedrooms. It was a home where there was little privacy, and daddy didn't get entirely dressed in the bathroom. I had seen my father in his undies on more occasions than I could remember, even at the age of 6 or 7.
Needless to say, Mr. D completed his measurements in record time, saving me from being corrupted, I suppose, not that I was even caring about my dad being in a partial state of undress. I was too busy reading a new comic book.
It didn't keep daddy from going down to Mr. D's shop. I went with him on several more forays into that store.
I loved Runnemede!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Weber's Bakery
Reading through some Facebook entries from the "I grew up in ole Runnemede, NJ" page, I was reminded of something I do not believe I have ever mentioned.
There was a bakery in Runnemede, on the pike. It was between First and Clements Bridge Road on the east side of the pike. It was either right next to Pitt's or the tailor was next to Pitt's and then the bakery was next in the line of stores, followed by the hardware store.
Weber's Bakery was a place I loved to just walk by and smell what was being baked. Since my mom wasn't much of a baker, I didn't know what I was missing by not getting something from that store.
My dad took me into the shop a couple of times. He would go in and get some cinnamon buns. Rarely he would get me a cream donut. We usually stopped in the store when he went to the tailor shop. I guess that tells you how often we went to the bakery. I mean, my father did get his clothes tailored very often. It seems to me that the tailor also did some shirt washing and starching. I might have that wrong, but I might have that right. If anybody reading this knows, let me know.
I know I've mentioned the cream donuts that I used to get from Kelly's Bakery, down in Glendora, but I had forgotten that we had a good bakery in Runnemede for a few years. Kelly's was a hike, but worth the hike. Weber's was a two block walk. Getting there, too, was worth the trip.
So -- here's to Weber's Bakery. See, I eventually will remember or be reminded of things forgotten but stored in the computer in my head.
ttfn
There was a bakery in Runnemede, on the pike. It was between First and Clements Bridge Road on the east side of the pike. It was either right next to Pitt's or the tailor was next to Pitt's and then the bakery was next in the line of stores, followed by the hardware store.
Weber's Bakery was a place I loved to just walk by and smell what was being baked. Since my mom wasn't much of a baker, I didn't know what I was missing by not getting something from that store.
My dad took me into the shop a couple of times. He would go in and get some cinnamon buns. Rarely he would get me a cream donut. We usually stopped in the store when he went to the tailor shop. I guess that tells you how often we went to the bakery. I mean, my father did get his clothes tailored very often. It seems to me that the tailor also did some shirt washing and starching. I might have that wrong, but I might have that right. If anybody reading this knows, let me know.
I know I've mentioned the cream donuts that I used to get from Kelly's Bakery, down in Glendora, but I had forgotten that we had a good bakery in Runnemede for a few years. Kelly's was a hike, but worth the hike. Weber's was a two block walk. Getting there, too, was worth the trip.
So -- here's to Weber's Bakery. See, I eventually will remember or be reminded of things forgotten but stored in the computer in my head.
ttfn
Monday, January 11, 2010
The Round House
This is truly a "Runnemede Remembered" item.
When I was a child I would bike all over Runnemede and Glendora (the town just south of Runnemede). Located in Glendora, not far from the Runnemede border of Evesham Road there was a house which all us children found fascinating. It was fascinating because it was ROUND. Who ever heard of a round house? Well, there it was on Rowand Avenue in Glendora, having been building in 1947. It's still there. I would ride my bike past it and gawk at it hoping to see someone who lived there, imagining what the layout could possibly be, and wondering what it would be like to have a bedroom with a curved wall -- imagining having any room with a curved wall.
We knew someone resided there because the lawn was kept, there were blooming plants, in season, and you could see lights in the windows should you ride past the place late in the afternoon.
This is just a memory that I had forgotten, but knew someday it would be one of those which I would find and take out of one of the corners of my mind (sounds like a line from a song?).
Picture is of the round house, now titled and referred to as The Cookie Jar House.
ttfn
Addendum to Triton fight
I had a request for more information about that rebellion that took place in 1961, I believe it was in late March or early April.
Gerry Drinkwater, as far as I knew, did not organize the don't drink milk/cafeteria strike. In fact, he ate and bought his lunch as he normally did. The line was very short, so everyone knew who was NOT going with the flow. Gerry was a laid-back guy, football player, getting ready to head out to Brigham Young University, when he was told "no prom."
Sorry to say, he was not permitted to attend. The school administration did not back down, and I guess we just got hungry or wanted milk, but the rebellion lasted as I remember for about one week.
You know how these things start? One person is upset by what has happened, thinking the punishment was unjust, and someone else says, "There has to be something we can do." Alas, in those days parents didn't file lawsuits or even threaten them if they felt their child had been maligned in any way, not that Gerry's parents thought that. I think someone suggested the saying, "Don't drink milk, drink water" and the strike was off and running.
We still ate our lunches, we just didn't BUY anything in the cafeteria. I don't recall that we made signs or carried any banners or formed a parade, we just didn't buy anything in the cafeteria.
I bet the kids who didn't go along with the crowd, and decided to buy their lunches anyway, loved the support for Gerry, because lunch line was non-existent. You just went up to the counter and got your lunch. What a blessing because on a GOOD day you would wait in line for 15 minutes. There were even days (usually pizza day) when the line was still moving when the bell rang. What did those kids do? Skip lunch or skip class? I often wondered about that.
ttfn
Gerry Drinkwater, as far as I knew, did not organize the don't drink milk/cafeteria strike. In fact, he ate and bought his lunch as he normally did. The line was very short, so everyone knew who was NOT going with the flow. Gerry was a laid-back guy, football player, getting ready to head out to Brigham Young University, when he was told "no prom."
Sorry to say, he was not permitted to attend. The school administration did not back down, and I guess we just got hungry or wanted milk, but the rebellion lasted as I remember for about one week.
You know how these things start? One person is upset by what has happened, thinking the punishment was unjust, and someone else says, "There has to be something we can do." Alas, in those days parents didn't file lawsuits or even threaten them if they felt their child had been maligned in any way, not that Gerry's parents thought that. I think someone suggested the saying, "Don't drink milk, drink water" and the strike was off and running.
We still ate our lunches, we just didn't BUY anything in the cafeteria. I don't recall that we made signs or carried any banners or formed a parade, we just didn't buy anything in the cafeteria.
I bet the kids who didn't go along with the crowd, and decided to buy their lunches anyway, loved the support for Gerry, because lunch line was non-existent. You just went up to the counter and got your lunch. What a blessing because on a GOOD day you would wait in line for 15 minutes. There were even days (usually pizza day) when the line was still moving when the bell rang. What did those kids do? Skip lunch or skip class? I often wondered about that.
ttfn
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