Month: July 2016

Riverton fire engines past and present

RFCo Engine #10. by Gary R. Weart
RFCo Engine #10. by Gary R. Weart

As Riverton’s recent July Fourth Parade attests, it’s not a parade without the fire engines and the fire fighters.

Riverton Children's Parade c.1950's
Riverton Children’s Parade c.1950’s

The purpose of this post is to consolidate some information and images from past posts on this subject.

Former Mayor Bruce Gunn provided the c.1950s Kodachrome slide for this fire engine (possibly Palmyra’s) from more than a half century earlier.

This past June, I posted this scan of a photo I bought on eBay to our Facebook page, and asked if anyone could identify the men. The only description for the small undated photo appears at the bottom – “192 American LaFrance, 750 GPM type 75, Riverton, NJ.”

American LaFrance, Riverton, NJ
American LaFrance, Riverton, NJ

A few days later, we received this response from Cara Vandy:

My mother, Mary Vandy, who was born in Riverton, says the driver is her uncle, Earnest “Ernie” Bishop and the other man is Jesse Perkins.

So now, can we assume that the photo was taken during a July Fourth Parade, or was it taken elsewhere, as was the case with this other photo I bought in 2013?

1956 photo 1926 RFD ALF 750 pumper in AC
1956 photo 1926 RFD ALF 750 pumper in AC

The seller’s description reads: “A very nice old 1956  original B & W 4 by 6 inch photo of the Riverton NJ Fire Dept  1926 ALF 750 pumper. This photo was taken by me at the  NJ State Firemen’s Parade in 1956 Atlantic City.”

If a reader can identify the driver, please advise.

See other fire apparatus photos which appeared in February and November 2011 posts.

courtesy of Mike Nowacki, Jersey Shore Photography
image courtesy of Mike Nowacki, Jersey Shore Photography

We come full-circle to Riverton Borough’s newest fire apparatus, Riverton, NJ Engine 2412, a 2015 Pierce Impel 2000/750, which made its Children’s Parade debut in 2015.

Read more of the history of Riverton Fire Company, which celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2015, in a series of articles written by former Town Historian Betty B. Hahle reprinted from July Fourth Program booklets in this June 2013 post.

Let this post serve as an invitation to readers to exhibit more photos of RFCo apparatus, old or new.

RFC1927ALF, chief's auto DGusky
RFC1927ALF and chief’s auto by DGusky

David Gusky, an avid model builder uses such photos to create incredibly detailed miniature duplicates of Riverton Fire Company vehicles.

And just maybe someone else will recognize an ancestor or acquaintance in this tribute to Riverton Fire Company equipment and fire fighters.

For more information, visit the RFCo webpage and Facebook page– JMc

The HSR sends a heartfelt Thank-You to Carlos Rogers

L-R. John McCormick, Carlos Rogers, Phyllis Rodgers
L-R. John McCormick, Carlos Rogers, Phyllis Rodgers

HSR President Phyllis Rodgers and newsletter editor John McCormick verrry gratefully accepted a check this afternoon on behalf of the Society from Carlos Rogers, creator of the Historic Riverton Criterium  – our biggest contribution ever!

THANK YOU, Carlos!!
THANK YOU, Carlos!!

This evening, Phyllis messaged her fellow Board members the awesome news:

Hello Board Members,
Carlos just brought a check for his Criterium Donation—-$4,000!!!
Many thanks to Carlos for all his efforts.
The HSR is so lucky. Life is good in Riverton!
Best to all,
Phyllis

Yes, it is good, and Carlos Rogers is one citizen who helps makes this town the great hometown it is.

Carlos Rogers directs the action at the 6th Annual HRCriterium
Carlos Rogers directs the action at the 6th Annual HRCriterium

He has devoted hundreds of hours over the past year to stage and promote the biggest and best Historic Riverton Criterium yet, drawing competitors and spectators from all over.

The Historical Society of Riverton is pleased to have again supported the event this year and truly honored to benefit from Criterium proceeds.

Thank you, Carlos, for your tireless efforts in continuing to bring such an exciting cycling event to our town. Your incredible generosity toward the many individuals and local organizations you have given to since its inception has just been a bonus! – JMc

Indexing Makes Genealogy Records Searchable Online

if you can read thisFamilySearch, the genealogy research part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a wonderful, free resource for those who are looking for family tree documents.  I have used the site and found information not otherwise available, so I have decided to do a bit of volunteer work for them in their upcoming Indexing Project.

I downloaded the software to my desktop, and completed the tutorial, both of which were simple.

The organization is looking for 72,000 volunteers to complete indexing, in English or other languages, for documents in the US or other countries, from July 15-17 (your choice of country and language).  You can index as much or as little as you like, but I think it could be addicting once you get started — not just for former librarians like me, but all who love to search and learn from historical documents.

For more information, our HSR members can go to the FamilySearch.org homepage and click on the indexing link, https://familysearch.org/indexing/

Regards,
Pat Solin

Dig this

riverton history mystery (Copy)With all of those backyards, the former grounds of Dreer’s Nursery, and the banks of the Pompeston Creek and Delaware River at Riverton’s doorstep, an afternoon spent digging often yields treasures of all sorts – Indian arrowheads, milk and patent medicine bottles, flower pots, and such.

Last December, Jennifer Chapman exhibited treasures she found on the Delaware River along with graphic compositions that shed light on their history at Palmyra Nature Cove. Here are some pix I took of that incredible display of locally dug artifacts.

More recently, Matt Mlynarczyk, a Riverton ex expatriate now residing in Alexandria, VA sent in this information about a dug bottle. Gone from this area for over 25 years, he presumably found us online and presents this mystery. He writes:

Hello Friends,

I grew up in Cinnaminson and began collecting old bottles and beer cans in 1976; I left for college in 1984 and have lived in Alexandria, Va. since 1990.

macmullin dug bottle (Copy)I’ve attached a photo of a Riverton milk bottle that I have never able to find any information about; perhaps you know something about it.

It’s 7″ tall, with a slight hint of amethyst in the glass, marked ONE PINT, and the slug plate reads, MACMULLIN RIVERTON, N.J.; the base is marked T. MFG. C.

I dug this bottle during the summer of 1978 it in Riverton, N.J. where Broad St./River Rd. crosses the Pompeston Creek. There was construction there, and another friend/collector dug for about a week and came upon a treasure trove of Burlington County bottles; most dated from 1880-1910.

I would be happy to provide you with a more detailed photo for Gaslight News if you would like to publish it to begin a dialogue.

Best regards,
Matt Mlynarczyk

OK, kids. Any ideas on the story behind this MacMullin dairy bottle? Tell us about your dug finds. – JMc

Added 7/6/2016, sent in by Mrs. Pat Smith Solin, former Riverton School librarian who loves a puzzle:

I have not been able to locate the dairy, not in NJ nor in PA, but I think I found the manufacturer of the bottle.

Thatcher Glass Manufacturing Company (T. MFG. C) was in operation c.1904-1985, but “sold dairy-related products including milk bottles that were actually made by other glass companies (1889-c.1904).”  See this link.

http://www.glassbottlemarks.com/thatcher-glass-manufacturing-company/

Found Cole Dairy (of course), Bishop, and Harding, in Riverton, but no Macmullin Dairy, anywhere — not in NJ or PA.  I checked the US Census, and there were Macmullins’ in Riverton, and some in Philly, but none of the occupations corresponded to a dairy, or similar.