Category: Blog

 

What: Garden Tour 2023
When: Friday, May 19, 2023, from 3 to 8 PM and Saturday, May 20, 2023, from 10 AM to 4 PM
Where: THE PORCH CLUB, Fourth & Howard Streets, Riverton, NJ 08077 and gardens in Riverton, Palmyra, and Cinnaminson, NJ
How Much: $20, Tour only; $30, Tour plus lunch SOLD OUT

This year’s tour will include nine beautiful private gardens in Riverton, Palmyra, and Cinnaminson in all their late-spring glory. The gardens are all new, none repeated from the previous tour. Come to the Porch Club for lunch on Saturday from 11 AM to 2 PM. LUNCH IS SOLD OUT.

Also included are vendors of garden-related items, displays by local environmental organizations, raffle baskets, plant and book sales, and a boutique of garden items for sale. The Porch Club is a registered 501(c)3 organization, and all proceeds help support their charitable initiatives and clubhouse.

A quilt, done by The Porch Club’s Stitchery Committee as a group project, will be raffled off at the end of the day on Saturday, along with two other baskets of garden and picnic items. Raffle tickets are available at The Porch Club.

OK, our PSA is over. Now, you know that we have to sneak in a bit of history.

Porch Club member Pat Brunker informs us that folks have been saving the dates for the Porch Club’s bi-annual Garden Tour since at least the 1980s. However, a search of area newspapers and our own archive of local newspapers and the Gaslight News has yielded little except small notices on community calendar pages.

From Pat:
The first info I have is from the tour on May 6, 1982. I scanned the program; see below. Shirley Brown provided the luncheon in 1982 – she won the Betty Crocker Cook Off award in her time. I think she won a stove… It’s our big fundraiser every two years. Proceeds support our building maintenance and charitable giving. The Garden Tour was started by the Club’s Garden Department by Chairmen Toby Hunn and Louise Vaughan.

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Pat’s clues about that early Garden Tour set me off to search further. It turns out that Shirley Brown (the woman who provided the lunch in 1982) was a Porch Club president (1978), a dedicated community volunteer, and a longtime Calvary Church member.

An avid amateur cook, the mother of six was a regional finalist in the Pillsbury Bake-Off in 1967. It’s not often that a Cordon Bleu-trained cook prepares your lunch.

In 1991, she was honored at a dinner for 20-year volunteers of FISH, a church-affiliated group that supplied medical and emergency transportation for area elderly residents.

Do you see how the smallest thread of a recollection can unravel a trove of forgotten history?

What else can we add to this chronicle of how the Garden Tour started?

 

Last week former US Marine, former Riverton Mayor, and current HSR President Bill Brown Jr. personally called upon local business owners and asked that they help get out the word by displaying a flyer. Results were super-gratifying and so typical of the support that our local businesses deliver.

The Riverton Military & Veterans Affairs Committee is renewing its efforts to identify Riverton residents who served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States of America during a time of war and honor them during a special Memorial Day ceremony.

Since 1946, the Riverton War Memorial and Honor Roll, listing names of veterans who served in the US Armed Forces during World War Two, has stood on Main Street.

This 2013 post describes how a simple change to the eligibility requirement resulted in adding dozens of veterans’ names from post-WWII conflicts being added to the Honor Roll.

The Riverton’s Veterans Affairs Committee seeks to add more names to the memorial and is also interested in obtaining service photos of veterans, old military uniforms, medals, and military equipment.

If you landed on this page, you don’t need to find a store with a flyer.

To verify eligibility, you must present a copy of your DD-214 (discharge papers) or a copy of your military orders to Bill Brown at 215-805-7866 or JYD9168@verizon.net

Thank you to Borough Hall, Nicole at The Early Bird, Juanita’s Mexican Cuisine, Guido’s Barbershop, Patty at Tillie’s Trinkets and Treasures, the Post Office, and Al at Milanese Pizza for helping us get out this important message. -JMc

…to our Local Artists Page but can’t make out the name. Any clue who it is?

The owner thinks that the artist used to live in Riverton. Any suggestions? Please let us know.

We profile seventeen people on our Local Artists Page. Please send a photo of other works by these artists or suggest someone that we missed to rivertonhistory@gmail.com. -JMc

Added 4/18/2023: After enlisting the services of people who visit our website and Facebook, we have made a start on establishing a page for William Munro, an artist who resided in Riverton. As an added bonus, we learned that his wife was also an accomplished fine artist.

Added 4/30/2023: We have a huge update to the story about William Munro on our Local Artist page written by Edith Munro. It’s an endearing story of what it was like to grow up in a family that nurtured and encouraged creative endeavors in 1960s Riverton, and it serves as a sweet tribute to the lives of her parents, Bill and Jeanne Munro. Click here to be directed.

Saw this at Marion Laffey’s place, and now I think I really want one.

When these were around years ago, the New Leaf had them for sale – maybe Victorian Thymes, too. I guess the market got saturated, and demand dwindled. Now I can’t find them anywhere.

The design is not printed but is a woven jacquard pattern. Am I correct that some other towns like Palmyra and Moorestown had their versions? If you have one, please send a photo.

Please advise if you know of a vendor that can make these.

Maybe it’s time to update the layout.

What scenes do you imagine that today’s Rivertonians would respond to? Please respond in the spot below. -JMc

Alternatively, you can just send an email to rivertonhistory@gmail.com

Introduction: We are fortunate to have Public Historian Tyler Putman, Senior Manager of Gallery Interpretation at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, serving as one of our Board Members. Last year Tyler interviewed Anna Delaney, a state forensic scientist, and he wrote the following update to our story from seven years ago about the finding of human remains in the 600 block of Bank Avenue. -JMc, Editor

An Update on the Human Remains Found at 603 Bank Avenue

by Tyler Putman, Ph.D.

An older generation recalls where they were when JFK was shot.

For the children of Riverton, the day of infamy was in the summer of 1985 when they heard that MaryLou’s Candy Store was closing forever after twenty-seven years!

When Mary Odorizzi retired, Emily Barth coordinated a sweet surprise party at Memorial Park for the beloved Candy Lady attended by scores of children and some adults who had patronized the store when they were kids — and they brought their kids.

In a news article published then, Mary observed that she opened in 1958 with 85 kinds of penny candy. By 1985, her stock of penny candy had dwindled to ten varieties, and candy bars had increased to 35 cents.

When Mary passed twelve years later, the news headline read, “Town mourns death of its ‘Candy Lady.'”

In her own way, the mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, Sacred Heart Church member, and Riverton Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary member memorialized in her 1997 BCT obituary certainly made another page in Riverton’s history book.

Several readers have expressed interest in wanting to know if we had any information or photos of the store back in the day, but until Marion Laffey, Mary Odorizzi’s daughter, called me recently, our archive was lacking.

Word had trickled down from their friends on social media to Marion’s daughters, Theresa Laffey Englehart and Eileen Laffey Conville, that we were seeking material on MaryLou’s.

I visited Marion Laffey, who let me borrow the following photos and news clippings. A bonus was seeing her two daughters, whom I had taught at Riverton School.

What was your go-to confection back in your day? Please leave your memory of Mary Odorizzi and the store she lovingly oversaw for 27 years. -JMc

Just adding some comments here that readers sent in by email or Facebook.

4/13/2023 from Chuck C Cattell: Piggy banks, change stashes, sofas and every square inch of my house was searched for every possible penny we could locate for each memorable visit to Marylou’s.

4/13/2023 from Susan Sheets Smith: Any time my friend Cyndee and I had change, we would run to MaryLous for a bag of penny candy, at lunchtime or after school. My mother loved the candy cigarettes and us kids would always buy her a whole (big) box for Mothers Day or her Birthday. MaryLou also sold Stockings, hankies and some greeting cards, I loved walking around her shop looking at everything. Great childhood memories 

4/14/2023 from Susan Dechnik: Loved going to Mary Lou’s with my kids and seeing my Riverton students there carefully making their choices and putting each piece in the little bowl. Next step was to count the pieces and pay. MaryLou would coach them and expect them to know how to count the coins!
Yes, and I taught granddaughter, Theresa!

4/14/2023 from Elana Lotman Fariss: Sometimes I had spare change, or a few extra pennies, and my immediate thought was what I could get if I went to MaryLou’s shop. I’d get so excited because with just a few pennies, I could satisfy my sweet tooth. My favorite was the red Swedish fish. I also liked squirrel nut zippers, and Maryjanes. I think that the MaryLou shop was a favorite for every kid that I knew from Riverton.

4/14/2023 from Susan Esworthy: I remember going to MaryLou’s for candy at lunch break buying penny candy. It was the highlight of my day!

4/15/2023 from Doug Wargny: I would scour the sofa for change and spent almost every penny on strawberry shoestring licorice. It was on the counter in front of Marylou in a long box and you could pick them one at a time for a penny each. They had a tiny bit of white powdered confection of sorts to keep them from sticking together. Man I miss those days!

4/16/2023 from Lauren Perkins: Favorite memory is after coming home for lunch. My brother and I could rush to Mary Lou’s with the quarters our mom gave us and get our candy. We always had to agree to get her a couple caramel creams and bring them to her after school.

To this day, whenever I see caramel creams, I think of my little brown bag of candy with them in it from Mary Lou’s.

Her store was part of a great childhood!

4/17/2023 from Julie Dziak: What a wonderful tribute to our beautiful Grandmother, the sweetest woman ever ❤.

Ain’t We Got Fun?: The 2023 History Writing Prize Question

Summary:

The Historical Society of Riverton (HSR) is awarding a cash prize of $500 for a 1500 word essay that answers a question about Riverton’s history. The winning entry will be featured on rivertonhistory.com. Noteworthy essays that do not win the primary prize may also be published on the HSR’s website. Essays will follow MLA guidelines for published works (see below).

The Question: What did Rivertonians do for fun 100 years ago?

In your essay, discuss the ways people entertained themselves in the 1920s. How and with whom did they socialize? Where did they go to have fun when they weren’t working? What social, political, economic, and technological changes were happening nationally and in this region that affected what people did for fun in the 1920s?

Where to start?

Our website includes many photographs and articles on Riverton’s history that may help inform and illustrate your essay. The HSR has many issues of historic Riverton-area newspapers digitized and available online at:
https://rivertonhistory.com/historical-local-newspapers/.

Who may submit an essay?

Any high school student living in Riverton may apply.

Questions?

Essays and questions related to the prize should be submitted to HSR’s Membership Chair, Heather Huffnagle, at heather.mary.macintosh@gmail.com, (856) 505-7087.

Review Committee

The Review Committee will be comprised of HSR Board Members and professionals among its membership with education and/or experience in historical research, education, and writing.

Timeline:

Entries will be accepted until May 15th. Awardees will be contacted on May 31st.

General Guidelines for Submissions

MLA Paper Format General Guidelines
• Use standard 8.5 x 11 white paper.
• Number your pages.
• 1-inch margins (all sides)
• Readable font
• Double-spaced
• Indent new paragraphs.
• Only one space between sentences

MLA cover page includes a few things like:
• Title of your paper
• Your name
• Your email
• Your school’s name

What should an MLA paper look like?
An MLA paper has a standard look for every page, including 1-inch margins, a readable font, a running header including your last name and page number, and author-page in-text citations. At the end of your paper, you will include a works cited with a list of all the sources used in the paper.

Click here for PDF files: History Writing Prize, 2023 and Guidelines,HSR Essay Contest 

The HSR’s History Writing Prize debuted last year and was won by Palmyra High School senior Ben Small. The winner of this year’s award will be recognized in a ceremony in Riverton Park on the 4th of July.

According to the Courier-Post, the tornado that spread ruin through Camden in 1926 struck Riverton, then moved on to Merchantville and East Camden.

Although tornadoes are much less common in New Jersey, compared to the southern and central US, the state averages around two yearly.

As evidenced by the events of last Saturday, we hope that maybe we’ve already had our quota for the year.

Jim Walsh of the Courier-Post reported:

CINNAMINSON – A tornado that hit Saturday evening traveled six miles from Cinnaminson into Delran and Moorestown, according to the National Weather Service.

And it was preceded by a “downburst event” that toppled trees in Palmyra and Riverton.

No injuries were reported.

The twister, although graded as a “weak” EF-1 tornado, had peak winds of 100 mph that took down trees and power lines, the Weather Service said in a preliminary report Sunday evening.

The tornado began at 6:59 p.m. and ended just six minutes later, the agency said.

The National Weather Service published a preliminary report on Sunday. News crews from the Courier-Post, 6abc News, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Fox29 News each put their narrative spin on the event, some even including photos and video. 6abc News produced the video below.

Riverton Mayor Suzanne Cairns Wells issued the following statement:

About now, you’re wondering how much tornado damage Riverton has sustained before. Searching our newspaper archive, the internet, and other area periodicals doesn’t turn up much.

Hurricane and storm damage, yes – tornadoes, not so much.

However, we have had some close calls, with nearby towns sustaining damage.

In 1899, “a gust of wind that amounted to almost a tornado” blew off part of Morgan Hall’s roof in Palmyra, toppled several large trees, and knocked a carriage house off its foundation. It demolished a barn and damaged another in Moorestown, then caused more havoc in Mt. Holly.

Another “almost” tornado struck Palmyra in 1921, causing a great deal of tree damage and tossing about two heavy baggage trucks at the railroad station.

A tornado tossed a two-story building housing 1,400 chickens on Moorestown’s Flying Feather Farm in 1958.

A list documenting each tornado touchdown in New Jersey since 1950 that the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist compiled sheds more light on local tornadoes.

More recently, tornadoes tormented neighboring Mt. Holly in 1991, battered Hainesport and Florence in 2003, visited Mt. Laurel twice in 2019, and struck Edgewater Park in 2021. While for most years since 2000, New Jersey only had from zero to three tornadoes annually, 2019 saw nine, and 2021 saw thirteen!

And this just in from the NWS, 2:58 PM Tuesday, April 4: We’ve confirmed an EF-1 tornado in Mays Landing from Saturday night. Here is an updated list of all the damage survey results. We will work on posting tornado path maps as time allows. You can find detailed survey information here: https://bit.ly/3UbaT2x #NJwx #DEwx #PAwx

OK, tornadoes have my attention now. Seven NJ tornadoes in one day ties a 1989 record for the biggest single-day tornado outbreak in New Jersey! That is seriously three years’ worth of twisters visited on us in a single day.

Tornado broadcast warnings are not just for those living in Tornado Alley. The next time one of those annoying Emergency Alert System notices squawks and takes over my TV screen, I will pay better attention and take cover. Just wish this condo had a basement. -JMc

Given the nostalgic reveries I see on Facebook from some of my former Riverton School students (now middle-aged adults), they may be interested in these photos of their old alma mater that I took last week when I was there for Ned Gilmore’s presentation on fossils.

Out front, in addition to an attractive historical marker, visitors find locked doors, video surveillance, and an intercom for requesting permission to enter, measures unheard of during the “Wonder Years” of our youth.

Inside, dozens of award plaques and trophies displayed in glass cabinets are a testament to many years of student achievement.

Painted stars on the hallway floor are a somber reminder of the social-distancing requirement that is no longer in effect. Be glad that you missed that.

Dozens of framed eighth-grade graduation photos line the walls of the first-floor hallway, a custom started by former principal/superintendent Ronald (Rip) Kline. Mr. Kline was a great proponent of awarding and publicizing student achievement. The quantity and variety of student award plaques expanded during his administration starting in 1974.

One might assume that the school would have class photos going back to when the school was built, but most were missing when we started. We began the display with only a handful of photos.

I say ‘we’ because, back then, the school offered summer employment to some teachers to perform summer maintenance tasks such as cleaning windows and painting classrooms. Ron Cosgrove, Paul Hashagen, and I installed the aluminum tracking used to display the framed photos and student work.

Over several years I sought out more class photos by word of mouth and acquired 23 additional scans of graduation photos. After some photo restoration, I had prints made and donated them to the school.

Thank You to the following folks for helping
to recover 23 missing 8th-Grade class photos

Annette Brown, Tracey Brown, Jeff Cole, Peggy Trauger Crook, Don and Pam Deitz, Ed Gilmore, Judy Jacobsen, Mabel Kloos, Cheryl Smekal, Elsie Waters, Steve Weeks

I retired in 2009, but former teacher Mabel Kloos asked me to prepare for her a slide show entitled “A Short History of Riverton School” for the 100th Anniversary Celebration in 2010. I posted the slideshow and notes here in 2012.

I included in that presentation an appeal for others to come forward with missing photos with the aim of completing the record of eighth-grade graduation photos.

Another post in 2012 repeated the request, but that was ages ago, so we appeal to our readers again.

Note that at least 25 graduation photos remain missing.

Students of Riverton history will recall that public education in Riverton did not start with the construction of the current school in 1910. There may well be more graduation photos that go back to the 1892 school.

Every passing year diminishes the likelihood that more photos will surface.

Where can you look, or who can you check with to help complete the set?

More photos follow of every class photo on display in the hallway. The resolution isn’t great, but you might see someone you know. -JMc

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At the request of William C. Brown Jr. of the Riverton Military & Veterans Affairs Committee, we added a new page that explains the eligibility for adding names to the Riverton War Memorial Honor Roll.

If you are viewing this on a computer, use the menu that is visible at the left side of the screen to navigate to the Riverton War Memorial – Veteran Eligibility page.

If, instead, you view this website on a mobile phone, access the menu by tapping on the menu icon (three horizontal lines ≡)  at the top of your screen.