Posted in Middlesex County, New Jersey, South Amboy, tagged Remembering the Past on May 21, 2009 |
by Diane Norek Harrison
SOUTH AMBOY-This is from my own research. The cemetery for Sacred Heart Parish in South Amboy is located on Johnsons Lane in the Parlin section of Sayreville. The Sacred Heart Catholic War Veterans Post 578 erected large monuments with the names of the men who died from the parish. The one stone reads: “IN MEMORY OF ALL WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES WHILE SERVING THEIR COUNTRY IN THE TIME OF WAR.” The monuments were dedicated Nov. 11, 2001.
Posted in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Perth Amboy, Sayreville, South Amboy, tagged Remembering the Past on May 11, 2009 |
By Diane Norek Harrison
PERTH AMBOY-This is from material given to me by Rose (Tarloski) and Jerry Celecki: In 1960, Perth Amboy Police Department had one chief of police, three police captains, 11 lieutenants, fourteen sergeants, three detectives and 55 patrolmen. There were three radio cars, one detective car, one chauffeur’s car, one patrol wagon, one emergency truck, the police launch and chief’s car. There were also two motorcycles and two motor scooters.
SAYREVILLE-On May 2, 1956, six new patrolmen were appointed to the Sayreville Police Department. They were: Benjamin Boehm, Ronald Connors, James Guilfoyle, Edward Rappleyea, Francis Seaman and Stanley Swider.
Posted in Middlesex County, New Jersey, South Amboy, Woodbridge, tagged Remembering the Past on May 8, 2009 |
By Diane Norek Harrison
WOODBRIDGE-Here are memories from readers:
Woodbridge Golden Bears
I received the following in an e-mail from Mark Curran: “Hi Diane, I am the son of Joe Curran # 76 in the photo of your Feb. 27, 2009 Atom Tabloid-Citizen & Gazette article about Woodbridge, New Jersey sports memories. The photo was taken during the 1952 season. My father Joe was in his senior year at Rider College playing quarterback. The Rider College football team went undefeated that year.
“My Dad would play his collegiate games on Friday night or Saturday mornings and if he was not too banged up after his Rider College game, he would drive up to Woodbridge and play for the Golden Bears on Sunday afternoons. He was chosen as the 1952 Most Valuable Player for the Golden Bears. He is now 82 years old.”
Posted in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Union County, tagged Remembering the Past on May 5, 2009 |
By Diane Norek Harrison
ELIZABETH-Here are some memories from former Elizabeth resident Roger Stryeski: “Attached are some of my memories of Elizabeth in the 1970s. Most are concerning food and where to get it. I came to Elizabeth and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in 1974 and worked there until 1987. Coming from a small Bergen County town, this was the first city, excluding college and the Army, that I lived in. And it was a fun food town to be in and single.
“After the evening shift, there was the eternal Spirito’s and later Finnagel’s at the arch. Spirito’s was no butter and constant yelling and screaming and utensils being thrown in the kitchen. Good Friday was the big day with clam sauce. Finnagel’s had an American menu and the kitchen was open late catering to the Eastern Airlines crowd. It was the first place to have Newcastle Brown Ale.
Posted in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Woodbridge, tagged Remembering the Past on April 24, 2009 |
by Diane Norek Harrison
WOODBRIDGE-Here are a few memories from Jim Kacmarsky, in response to my Feb. 6 column on the Perth Amboy and Woodbridge clay pits.
“I grew up in Fords section of Woodbridge, and the clay pits were part of my life. They were at the end of my street (Carlton Street) in Fords. There were many ponds, where I used to catch sunfish and frogs. The main pond was called ‘Catfish Pond’, although I never caught any catfish in it. There were also lots of ponds with green water, that we called ‘acid ponds.’ No life in them – probably toxic waste. There was a ‘No Trespassing’ sign outside with ‘Mc House Clay Company’ on it, and also a US Government Reservation – ‘Keep Out’ sign outside the woods. Last time I visited, there is now a highway through the whole place.
Posted in Edison, Middlesex County, New Jersey, tagged Diane Norek Harrison, Menlo Park Mall, Remembering the Past on April 15, 2009 |
by Diane Norek Harrison
EDISON-I received an e-mail from Ted Pastusczak which reads: “Hi Diane, I just read your article from Jan. 30 on Menlo Park – great stuff.
“I remember when the mall opened in 1960 or so. It had a Martin Paint store, Wallachs Men’s Shop, Archie Jacobson, Soundarama records, Canadians, and so forth.
“It also had two supermarkets – a Shop Rite and a Finest, and its own post office.
Posted in Middlesex County, New Jersey, South Amboy, tagged Dierker Farm, Remembering the Past, South Amboy Women’s Club on April 9, 2009 |
by Diane Norek Harrison
SOUTH AMBOY-This item is from my cousin Deborah Cooney Marion. Deb owned the home on the corner of Highland Street and Hillcrest Avenue in the 1980s. She was told it was the original Dieker farm house from Bordentown Avenue in Sayreville. She was also told by the late Mr. Dieker himself, that it was the house he was born in when it was on Bordentown Avenue. It was moved from the Bordentown Avenue location, circa 1920s. Deb was told it was wrapped in chains and pulled to Highland St. by horses with logs on the bottom of it that had soap on them.
Here is a memory from former South Amboy resident Chris Kierst. He remembers walking over the Raritan River Railroad bridge on Bordentown Avenue, next to where the Raritan Diner was located, when a steam locomotive passed underneath and was enveloped in smoke.
Posted in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Woodbridge, tagged Remembering the Past, Woodbridge Clay Pits on March 20, 2009 | 1 Comment »
By Diane Norek Harrison
WOODBRIDGE-I received the following email from a reader: “Hi Diane, We read with interest your excerpt about the Perth Amboy and Woodbridge Clay Pits in the Feb. 6 Atom Tabloid. You might be interested in this material from “The Clays and Clay Industry of New Jersey by Heinrich Ries and Henry Kummel in 1904.” We appreciate your efforts in describing local historic content.”
Here is an excerpt from the material: The Woodbridge Clays: Beneath the “Feldspar-Kaolin” sands, there occurs the Woodbridge clay bed, the most important and most widely worked of all the subdivisions of the Raritan formation. Its importance is due to its great thickness (50 to 80 feet where not eroded), to its wide outcrop, and to its character.
Posted in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Perth Amboy, South Amboy, tagged Remembering the Past on March 17, 2009 |
by Diane Norek Harrison
PERTH AMBOY- Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Division No. 3 and Ladies’ Auxiliary Ancient Order of Hibernians (A.O.H.) held their annual ball and card party on Monday evening, April 2, 1923 in the new auditorium. Music was by O’Brien’s Royal Serenaders. The committee for the activity was: H.P. McCardle, Mrs. Mary Green, Andrew Lahey, Thomas Daly, Mrs. Alice Smith, Mrs. Mary Kennedy, John S. Clark and Thomas Haney.
SOUTH AMBOY-March 17, 1978, was the 29th year of the Irish flag raising. The flag raising was always sponsored by the Ancient Order of Hibernians, prior to the formation of the South Amboy Irish American Association.
Posted in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Sayreville, tagged Diane Harrison, Edward Patten, Remembering the Past on March 13, 2009 |
by Diane Norek Harrison
SAYREVILLE-This first part was given to me for my column. Circa 1917, there was the Victorian Troop Marching Band. The members at this time were: William Hockenjos, Moon Bailey, Frank Johnson, John McCutcheon, Charles Burkshot, Emit Karwatt, Willis Shuler, Neal Chevalier, Otto Weck, John Sugrue, Ed Engelhart, Andy Nelson, William McCutcheon, Mike Kynch, Fred Fortenbacker, Joe Fritz, William Letts, John Hartman, Douglas Lochs, James (Clarence) Guilfoyle, F. Freeman, Joe Kupsch, Ed Fritz, Eric Shuler, Francis Wagner, Walter Karwatt and Joseph Smith. Have similar material from any town?
This part is from my accumulation of looking for the past in Sayreville: The 1954 Members of the Governing Body were: Mayor Anthony J. Popowski, Councilmen were: my grandfather; Edwin J. Baumann, Charles P. Buchanan, Alex P. Loniewski, Raymond J. Presnal, Alfred W. Schussler and Joseph F. Ziemba.
Posted in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Perth Amboy, Woodbridge, tagged Remembering the Past on February 27, 2009 | 1 Comment »
WOODBRIDGE-PERTH AMBOY-Here are more memories I received in an email from former area resident Tom Saboy: ” Dear Ms. Harrison, I was born in Hopelawn in 1935. I attended Hopelawn # 10 school from 1940 to 1948 and Woodbridge High School from 1948 to 1952.
“I read your articles on the internet. I do have some first hand information of the Woodbridge Golden Bears, Woodbridge High School Barrons, Perth Amboy Panthers, Perth Amboy Semi Pro football teams and a handed down story of the Hopelawn Greyhounds.
Posted in New Jersey, Rahway, Union County, tagged Remembering the Past on February 26, 2009 |
RAHWAY-Here are some memories from former Rahway resident Sydney Beech-Blicharz, Rahway High School Class of 1971:
“I lived in the first house directly behind Rocky’s Bar and Grill and Demblings Grocery Store on West Grant Avenue from 1955-1980. I have many memories of both places through the years. The original owner (of Rocky’s) was Rocky Romeo. His son, Anthony (Joseph) Romeo, who went by Joe, also ran the bar. It was sold to new owners three years ago.
Posted in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Perth Amboy, sports, Woodbridge, tagged 1940s, Diane Norek Harrison, high school footbal, Perth Amboy High School, Perth Amboy Panthers, Remembering the Past, Woodbridge Golden Bears, Woodbridge High School, Woodbridge High School Barrons on February 19, 2009 |
by Diane Norek Harrison
WOODBRIDGE/PERTH AMBOY—I received these memories in an email from former area resident Tom Saboy:
“Dear Ms. Harrison, I was born in Hopelawn in 1935. I attended Hopelawn # 10 school from 1940 to 1948 and Woodbridge High School from 1948 to 1952.
“I read your articles on the internet. I do have some first hand information of the Woodbridge Golden Bears, Woodbridge High School Barrons, Perth Amboy Panthers, Perth Amboy semi-pro football teams and a handed down story of the Hopelawn Greyhounds.
Posted in Carteret, Middlesex County, New Jersey, tagged Diane Norek Harrison, Remembering the Past on February 16, 2009 |
by Diane Norek Harrison
CARTERET-This is from my own research. The Carteret Boat Club was mostly a canoeing and rowing club, known as the home of the “Rocking Chair Fleet.” It was on Front Street between Gordon and Markets streets, where the Municipal Marina is now.
In 1965, Dr. Wallace J. Durst, dentist was practicing in Carteret. Also there in 1965: Ciszak Plumbing and Heating on Roosevelt Avenue. Bond – “New Jersey’s Favorite” — Cleaners had a special in August. Trousers or slacks to be cleaned were 54 cents each. Extra bonus special during the month of August was any shorts or shells (mix or match), 2 for 79 cents. A single item regularly cost 59 cents for cleaned and finished.
Posted in Clark, Elizabeth, Middlesex County, New Jersey, Perth Amboy, Union County, tagged Clark Fire Department, Diane Norek Harrison, Elmora, Remembering the Past, sledding, trolley, trolley cars, winter on February 13, 2009 |
by Diane Norek Harrison
ELIZABETH-This came in a letter from Marilyn Thorne: “Dear Ms. Harrison, I’ve been enjoying reading ‘Remembering The Past’ in the Clark Patriot for some time now. Here’s a fond memory of mine of winter days when I grew up in the Elmora section of Elizabeth.
“Near our street was Wyoming Avenue-a long hilly street about four blocks in length. Whenever we had a significant snow fall (which seems to have been much more often than now) the police would barricade the side entrances to Wyoming Avenue, creating a virtual paradise of sledding fun! We’d head up there as soon as school closed and sled down that hilly street until we all were too cold to go on! What fun it was and what a great memory!”
Thank you Mrs. Thorpe for sharing your great memory in my column!
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