Winner of the HSR 2024 High School History Writing Prize

We are delighted to announce that Riverton resident Cadence Anderson, Palmyra High School Class of 2024, has earned our annual writing award, which comes with a $500 prize!

HSR President Faith Endicott congratulated Cadence on July 4th during the festive events of the day at Memorial Park with a certificate and check.

Cadence’s articulate and engaging entry is reproduced in its entirety below – we think you’ll enjoy reading it!

She just graduated from Palmyra High as her class valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA and plans to attend Elizabethtown College with her eye on Pre-Med. In addition to her academic and writing excellence, Cadence is a stand-out basketball player, scoring over 1,000 points this season.

Our challenge to students from Riverton this year was to submit a 1,000 word essay that best answers the question “What did Rivertonians do for fun 100 years ago?” All submissions were required to adhere to the MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines for published works.

Have a look at what Cadence wrote … and be prepared to have fun in the Riverton of 1924!

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Together, We Have Fun

            In the grand scheme of American history, the prosperity during the Roaring 20s is unprecedented. Business boomed, ground-breaking changes occurred, and luxuries that only the upper class enjoyed in the past became far more accessible to the working class. As a result, extravagances in the form of possessions and experiences were sought out by Americans everywhere. The small, square mile town of Riverton was no exception. With the gift of time and money to invest in areas other than their work lives, the citizens of Riverton fostered a tightly knit community through their activism, enjoyment of athletics, and love for a good outing that would lay the groundwork for much of the town’s present-day recreation.

            The Porch Club—which is still prominent in Riverton today—was a safe haven of sorts for all different kinds of activities outside of the typical work day, particularly for women. Although it was more of a serious undertaking rather than a fun pastime, many of the ladies would get together here for suffrage meetings at the start of the 1920s (Bowen 2), as the 19th amendment wasn’t in effect quite yet. This wasn’t unique to the locals. Participation in these movements were encouraged all over the country in order to push for granting women the right to vote after centuries of waiting. It was more difficult than ever to deny the enfranchisement of women, as their growing involvement in society became even more pivotal in maintaining America’s stability than before. As opposed to when women were strictly confined to their role of being mothers and wives, the 1920s finally gave them an opportunity to begin living for themselves. With many American men participating in the Great War, women would leave their homes to provide employment for the jobs left behind, opening doors for them to escape from the responsibilities often forced upon them at the time. Efforts such as the suffrage meetings in the Porch Club amounted to the eventual ratification of the 19th amendment in the August of 1920, which would lead to the continued collaboration of Riverton’s women in their commitment to citizenship. They established their own Women’s League of Voters (Bowen 6), demonstrating their enthusiasm for participation in politics and the solidarity formed from working to overcome societal barriers together. In addition to its historical significance for women, the Porch Club also offered a wonderful venue to host events such as townwide concerts (Bowen 14), parties, luncheons (Bowen 6) and the YWCA’s gymnastics lessons (Bowen 10) that all of Riverton’s citizens would enjoy.

            Riverton and its neighboring communities never fell short in the department of entertainment, especially with its diversity of spectator friendly sports year-round. In the springtime, citizens could flock to Palmyra High School to watch their own children and other aspiring athletes compete in track and field events or see their own baseball team (Bowen 21). The summer months provided tennis tournaments from the Country Club (Bowen 15), plus sailing and swimming races from the Yacht Club that just about anyone could appreciate (Bowen 10). Autumn and winter certainly weren’t devoid of excitement, as these seasons arguably held the most opportunities for Rivertonians hoping to catch a good competition: sailing, swimming, rowing, tilting, football, hockey, trapshooting, and basketball. The town’s love for athletics was so expansive that it allowed female competitors in hockey and swimming. Despite the 1920s introducing a number of changes that allowed women more freedom and engagement in society, there were still many limitations and conditions to these liberties. It would take several decades more for the aim of these reforms to become customary. In this sense, Riverton was far ahead of its time, as they permitted women to enjoy the thrill of competing far before the passing of Title IX, even though their choices were restricted. Not only did sports offer amusement for Riverton’s citizens, but an opportunity for them to test the limits of their bodies and minds.

            With increased accessibility to Henry Ford’s model-T car taking the nation by storm, Rivertonians were no longer limited to activities within a walkable or horse and carriage distance from their homes. Purchasing a vehicle meant that they could adventure to surrounding communities more efficiently and participate in their fun without having to worry about using up the entire day. Whether this entailed a visit to the Maple Shade Fire Company’s carnival (Bowen 10), sending their children to Daily Vacation Bible school (Bowen 1) so they could have a few moments to themselves, or traveling to see the summer horse races in Mt. Holly (Bowen 6), the possession of an automobile meant an expanded range of entertainment on a day to day basis. Cars also enhanced the festivities at home, as they added another layer to Riverton’s Fourth of July celebrations. An automobile decorating contest would eventually join the town’s parade, yacht races, canoe and swimming events, music, and fireworks (Bowen 2). It’s safe to say that all Rivertonians found this quite fun, as many of the present-day transitions mirror that of Independence Day in the 1920s!

            Although cars were revolutionary for the time period, they certainly weren’t essential for the Rivertonians to have a good time. The fun that took place within the Riverton community came from the time and effort that its citizens put towards making each other happy. These efforts weren’t reserved for the young students and families that would benefit from the PTA’s annual Christmas parties (Bowen 11), but also for the people exploring the path of life without children, who more than likely enjoyed the adult dress up competitions during the Knights of Columbus Halloween Frolic and Bal Masque (Bowen 5). There were no regulations on who could or couldn’t have fun in Riverton, all because of the strong bonds formed between its community members. It didn’t matter where they happened to be or when. Being in each others’ company was enough. The real question is, what didn’t Rivertonians do for fun?

Works Cited

Bowen, Walter L. “Bal Masque Brilliant: K. of C. Hallowe’en Frolic Proves Most Colorful Event”. The New Era, vol. 33, no. 44, 3 November 1922, pp. 5. New Jersey State Library Archives.

Bowen, Walter L. “Charter Luncheon at Porch Club”. The New Era, vol. 33, no. 19, 12 May 1922, pp. 6. New Jersey State Library Archives.

Bowen, Walter L. “Everybody Went to the Christmas Party”. The New Era, vol. 31, no. 51, 17 December 1920, pp. 11. New Jersey State Library Archives.

Bowen, Walter L. “League of Women Voters”. The New Era, vol. 33, no. 44, 3 November 1922, pp. 6. New Jersey State Library Archives.

Bowen, Walter L. “Porch Club”. The New Era, vol. 31, no. 10, 5 March 1920, pp. 2. New Jersey State Library Archives.

Bowen, Walter L. “Porch Club News”, The New Era, vol. 33, no. 44, 17 November 1922, pp. 14. New Jersey State Library Archives.

Bowen, Walter L. “Summer Horse Racing at Mt. Holly”. The New Era, vol. 31, no. 24, 11 June 1920, pp. 6. New Jersey State Library Archives.

Bowen, Walter L. “Swimming Carnival”. The New Era, vol. 31, no. 25, 18 June 1920, pp. 10. New Jersey State Library Archives.

Bowen, Walter L. “Tennis”. The New Era, vol. 31, no. 26, 25 June 1920, pp. 15. New Jersey State Library Archives

Bowen, Walter L. “The Fourth in Riverton”. The New Era, vol. 32, no. 26, 1 July 1921, pp. 2. New Jersey State Library Archives.

Bowen, Walter L. The New Era, vol. 32, no. 16, 22 April 1921, pp. 21. New Jersey State Library Archives.

Bowen, Walter L. “Vacation School Big Success”. The New Era, vol. 33, no. 31, 4 August 1922, pp. 1. New Jersey State Library Archives.

Bowen, Walter L. “Weekly News Budget for Riverton and Vicinity”. The New Era, vol. 31, no. 25, 18 June 1920, pp. 10. New Jersey State Library Archives.

Bowen, Walter L. “Y.W.C.A.”. The New Era, vol. 33, no. 7, 17 February 1922, pp. 10. New Jersey State Library Archives.