The construction of the new grandstand for Riverton Memorial Park reached another milestone with the fitting of the concrete joists to the configuration that is shaping up for completion, possibly in a month or so.
Borough Councilman Joe Creighton passes on these shots of a crane lowering the joists into place on September 27.
Just days before, Keith Herndon joined his brother, Mark, and son, Korey, as the family business proceeded to raise courses of perfectly aligned brick veneer on the cinder block structure.
Mark tells me that an electrician and plumber have started their work as the masonry work continues, but I have not been by at the right time to catch them.
Find other references to Riverton Memorial Park’s original grandstand and this new one by searching for “grandstand” in the search query box at the top of the page.
The following photos illustrate the exacting work of these skilled masons as well as another step in the progress of this much-anticipated borough project. – John McCormick
If fall is in the air, then it must mean that the Historical Society of Riverton will rev up its meetings and programs soon, and their newsletter will resume publication. By now the September Gaslight Newsshould be in members’ hands.
I don’t consider a newsletter issue a triumph unless I have made at least a serious grammatical error or typo with bonus points for misstatements of fact. The PDF file linked above fixes my misspelling of the name of my longtime teaching colleague, friend, and now HSR President, Mrs. Phyllis Rodgers.
There goes my Christmas bonus.
Come see what else is new at the first meeting of the season on Thursday, October 10 at 7:00 pm, at Riverton School when Scandals, Rumors, and Dirty Rotten Lies will be the presentation.
As always, Readers, do let us know about errors or weigh in with your own reaction to any topic or image seen here.
I was at work (my excuse for infrequent posts this summer) when one of our rivertonhistory.com stringers, Susan Dechnik, sent me a text message:
“An enormous tree fell, just missing my house. If you aren’t at work you might want a pic. It’s a town tree, mr. Edmonds says…”
Don’t you love autocorrect? That had to be Barry Emens. Mr. Emens is the authority on all things of the arbor variety since he is chairperson of Riverton’s Shade Tree Board.
I wrote back:
“If you get any more details or take photos pls forward. I will try to post them.”
town tree near Cedar Street 2
Susan lost several shrubs when the tree fell, but she managed to save three cucumbers, two tomatoes, and one black swallowtail caterpillar from the wreckage.
Later, she confirmed with Barry Emens that the black oak tree was the biggest town tree in Riverton.
At right, you see May Tree Service cutting up and hauling off the fallen tree. Part of it remained standing.
The preliminary forensic examination shows that the tree fell about 12:30 a.m. September 16 because it had rotted inside and was not due to storm damage.
There is a flattened garden under that fallen tree.
This whole episode gave me reason to check out the Shade Tree Board’s page on the Borough website. Clearly, Riverton is a place that takes its trees seriously. The National Arbor Day Foundation has recognized Riverton as a “TREE CITY USA” for the past 25 years.
Among other things, the Shade Tree Board conducts a census of our trees to tell us the species, location, size and health of each one in town.
The garden before the tree fell
So if we are keeping score, Riverton’s tree population of 2474 just diminished by one.
Lucky for Mrs. D that it was a town tree. It means that it is on town property so the removal will not be at her expense. It was fortunate, too, that it happened at night and not when she was out tending her beautiful garden.
True or false?
A homeowner may fertilize a tree at the curb.
Tree City sign, Riverton Rd.
It is OK to attach a ‘lost cat” sign or a yard sale to a tree advertising a yard sale to a tree in the park.
It is OK to plant a tree at the street to replace one that died without a permit.
Tree City sign on Broad near Nat’l Casein
We’ll make this easy. They are all false. Chapter 35 of the Borough of Riverton’s Tree Ordinances explaining the organization and function of the Shade Tree Board and the care and maintenance of town trees may make for dull reading, but the information you find there may answer some questions you may have about what one may do, or not do, regarding the trees at the street.
Tree City sign on Broad across from Stan’s Auto
It’s not all rules, though. There is a Homeowner’s Guide to Beautiful, Safe, and Healthy Trees in Riverton, and information on getting a federal tax deduction for making a donation for the purchase of new street trees and how to get free wood chip mulch.
According to the National Arbor Day Foundation, planting trees around your home doesn’t cost, it pays off in increased property values and lower fuel costs. Just seeing a tree can help reduce stress. And don’t forget all of those eco-science benefits you learned in junior high about absorbing carbon dioxide and pumping out oxygen.
There may be one less tree now in this Tree City, but it is good to know that the ones left are in good care. – Gaslight News editor, John McCormick
With almost an inch of rain falling in Moorestown, the nearest weather station, our weather for August first may continue this trending pattern of wet weather for the rest of the summer.
According to NOAA‘s (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s) National Weather Service this has been the wettest summer on record in the Philadelphia region. Official climate records for Philadelphia date back to 1872.
How many times have you heard someone compare our weather to Florida’s recently?
Blue skies and fair weather mean meeting project timelines
Although today was a washout, that was not the case yesterday as courses of cinderblock walls rose to trace the outline of Riverton’s new grandstand.
I have stalked, er… visited the crew so often, they may soon get me a union card.
Through summer heat and mud, Mark (r.) and his nephew Korey have toiled to build Riverton’s new grandstand.
Some days have had more or fewer workers depending on the task at hand, but this pair have worked most days under the searing sun of several heat waves as well as laboring ankle-deep in the mud rendered by these frequent rainstorms.
The current projects page of the J.H. Williams Enterprises, Inc. website displays a 16-picture slideshow of the work that company is doing. Some of their photos show building milestones that I missed when I recorded the construction progress here.
What are your thoughts on the demolition of the old grandstand or the anticipation of getting a new one? – John McCormick
This slim Historical Society membership appeal hitched a ride in the property tax bill envelopes which should already have arrived in Riverton Borough mailboxes. Delays with the adoption of Burlington County’s budget caused the delay of many local property tax bills, including Riverton’s.
True, asking for residents to shell out another twenty bucks to join the Historical Society may be a hard sell when they have just been invoiced for a large sum over which they have little choice.
However, we sincerely hope that a dozen or so of the near one thousand households receiving bills will choose to endorse the work of the Society by becoming members of the only organization that strives to preserve and promote our local history through research, special events and public education programs.
Those of you seeing this from across the miles who find this site worthwhile may also consider this a solicitation for your membership.
The support of the Society by members with their dues determines the very nature of programs, events, and projects the Board may plan as it allocates resources for the upcoming season. Quite literally, Every Member Counts, not only for their financial stake, but the group benefits when individuals bring their unique skills, knowledge, and perspective to the organization.
The pages of Riverton history abound with intriguing authors, artists, inventors, entrepreneurs, innovators, industrialists, abolitionists, and social and political activists who have influenced the outcomes of events here and elsewhere.
Please help us continue to serve this great community of local history fans with compelling content about new discoveries, be they found within these scant square-mile borders or across the nation.
Riverton Grandstand Sept. 17, 20111954 Riverton Little League, picture credit: Benjamin Percival
Longtime residents of Riverton will recognize this photo of a structure which generations of area families came to think of as an integral part of the Riverton landscape.
Now gone, the Riverton Grandstand witnessed not only countless league baseball games played by adults and children, but it also served many years as the backdrop for Riverton School Field Day events, and other community activities.
May Queen ceremony – photo credit Pam Deitz
Just the reminder of it can evoke strong memories of one’s life milestones passed within sight of the iconic landmark. Countless friendships forged there have outlived its demolished cinderblock walls.
1938 Riverton Athletic Assn. Baseball Team – picture credit Francis C. Cole
So it was not without much debate and study of alternatives that Borough Council decided the best course was to raze the deteriorated Grandstand earlier this year and build a new one.
The new grandstand scheduled for completion in late September, holds the promise of again becoming a venue for many future athletic events and Borough functions. Rising in the same footprint as the original, it may also soon help build some new memories as well as become a symbol of community pride that echoes the legacy of its predecessor.
These recent snapshots illustrate the progress of construction thus far and hint at the considerable scope of the job.
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Please add your recollections about the original structure or your thoughts on the new one to this growing account of past and present information on Riverton’s Grandstand. – John McCormick
As families and friends again congregated on Independence Day in Riverton, inevitably many paused to reflect on other Fourths of days gone by.
No doubt this year’s Parade Marshal Mrs. Elsie Waters has stored up many memories since that photo was taken of her and brother John sitting in wonderment at the 1920 July Fourth celebration.
FUN FACT: As July 4 fell on Sunday in 1920, Riverton’s Glorious Fourth was held on Monday the fifth.
1920 Fourth of July Celebration Program
Previous posts have addressed the origin and changes in Riverton’s Glorious Fourth over the past 116 years since the parade began in 1897, much of it gleaned from the research of Mrs. Betty B. Hahle, Town Historian, now passed. More than 100 of her signature “Yesterday” columns written for the Historical Society of Riverton’s newsletter, the Gaslight News still serve as the most authoritative record of our town’s early days.
This previously posted four-page 1920 Program (above, right) details the activities enjoyed that day. HSR member Gerald Blaney generously allowed us to scan his rare eBay find and display it here.
The clipping at left from the July 2, 1920 New Era newspaper advises readers of two added features to the program that included a presentation of gold rings to veterans of World War I.
Later, the New Era recapped the results of the many games and summarized the patriotic observances witnessed by “fully five-thousand men, women, and children.” The Children’s Parade had 792 kids vying for prizes such as best decorated baby coach, velocipede, or kiddie car.
July 4, 2013 Palm Card
Children gathered on the riverbank and scrambled as a Curtiss F. Boat hydroplane brought over for the occasion showered them with hundreds of tickets good for merchandise at either one of three local stores.
You can see the issue as a PDF file just as it appeared to Rivertonians 93 years ago. (You will need the free Adobe Reader program if you do not have Adobe Acrobat.) Scroll down to see PDF page 3 For the July 2 issue and PDF page 7 for the July 9, 1920 issue.
Follow the Leader – photo by Susan Dechnik
Were they the good ol’ days? Absolutely.
However, we do not dwell on the past, but simply acknowledge it as we value the contributions of those countless citizens who have helped Riverton develop into the unique place it is today.
The following photos and video demonstrate that for many, the experiences of this July 4, 2013 may just as well be recalled in the not too distant future as “the good ol’ days.” Absolutely!
Photographer Richard W. Pringle, Jr. kindly sent these photos that include a few great close-ups.
Wade McDaniels, the Snow Cone Man, brings cool treats and cheer to the Riverton Parade.
You never know who you will meet on the Fourth. Here is my former Riverton School colleague and snow cone entrepreneur, Wade McDaniels. After selling the frosty confections here for over twenty years, I guess that feat qualifies Mr. McDaniels to be included in the record of Riverton history.
Read more about my friend Wade in the phillyburbs.com post by Burlington County Times Staff Writer Peg Quann. She interviewed the coolest Riverton School maintenance supervisor who has been moonlighting on this summer job since his first gig selling at a Beach Boys concert in Philadelphia during the 1976 Bicentennial. Chilly treats a tradition on Riverton’s Fourth by Peg Quann
The image gallery below illustrates what we remember in any typical Riverton Fourth of July observance: family, friends, flags, festivities, fire engines, fun, and food. What does a Classic Riverton Fourth of July mean to you?
The Fourth is often a time for reconnecting with others who have put some miles and years between themselves and their old hometown. Palmyra native and PHS alum Gary Weart stopped by to see Phyllis Rodgers and family while vacationing from his home in South Carolina. Here he is talking to Phyllis as she tallies the 320 children participating in this year’s parade.
Gary Weart, standing, pauses from taking photos to talk to Phyllis Rodgers, HSR President.
It turns out the former teacher, whose great-grandfather James Taylor Weart served as Palmyra’s first mayor from 1923-1928, is a keen photo enthusiast who captures images with a truly memorable perspective.
Enjoy this slideshow by Mr. Gary Weart, book author, former social studies teacher, administrator, and athletic coach who founded Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE), and received the Presidential Service Award from President Bill Clinton.
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There is still a little room left here for your own memories and recollections of July Fourth – actually for any year at all that you wish to share. Just contact us at rivertonhistory@usa.com – John McCormick
Just a short note to show you the picture that I wish I had taken.
Arriving just before ten and parking way out on Elm, I missed the start of the parade and Parade Marshal Elsie Waters’ grand entrance on a carriage.
Actually, I probably missed a lot. Hence the reason for this appeal for some of our HSR peeps to please send us some photos and commentary about your July Fourth celebration.
Luckily for me, my friend Susan Dechnik captured this photo.
In a day or two I will post some more of my own very uneven coverage of the Parade along with some more people may send in by email (rivertonhistory@gmail.com) or that I may find through our Facebook friends. We would love to see any and all aspects of the celebration – the Bill Oliver 5K Run, the Downhill Race, Raft Races, family get-togethers, etc. – John McCormick
Sometimes the weather makes history, such as when the Blizzard of 1888 caused snow drifts to reach fifteen to thirty feet high along the riverbank, or when Hurricane Sandy brought devastation to the Jersey Shore.
We just finished the wettest June ever recorded in this area, and these first few days of July seem to be continuing the pace. Let’s hope the pattern breaks for Riverton’s celebration of the Fourth of July.
Some other Historical Society of Riverton members and I will be handing out 2013 July 4th Palm Cards at the parade in a few hours.
With friends and family again gathering for the homecoming ritual that is the Fourth of July in Riverton, a visit to our images pages, or browsing back issues of the Gaslight Newsor vintage local newspapers may be cause for reminiscing.
Visit our Facebook page and let us know how you and your family mark July 4, 2013, let us know a topic you would like to see written about in our newsletter, tell us about a program you would like to see us present, ask a question, or whatever.
Check back in a few days and I will have a post about the Riverton celebration. – John McCormick
When my friend sent me a scan of his latest eBay auction win I had to agree with him.
It doesn’t hardly get any better than this! This vintage real photo post card shows an early 20th century Camden neighborhood putting on an enthusiastic patriotic display.
You have to click on this, fill your screen, and take a virtual walk down Fifth Street, circa 1910.
A large banner flanked by huge American flags spans the street proclaiming, “Welcome To Pyne Poynt.” Numerous festive paper lanterns and more 48-star American Flags frame the entire street.
Is that a Sullivan’s storefront or a political campaign office?
The boys with their knee-length knickers, white shirts and ties, the girls with their lovely short-sleeve summer dresses and bows in their hair, and of course, the young men with their bow ties, hats, and skimmers all elicit an involuntary smile from the appreciative viewer.
Catch the brave character in the jeff cap at the roof line. Has he just completed attaching flags above that first second-floor window and tying off the line suspending the banner?
Perhaps the occasion recorded here was July 4, 1910. This mailed divided-back post card bears a Camden, N.J. postmark, stamped SEP 9, 1910. The message addressed to a recipient living on River Avenue in Camden reads, “Best Wishes from Edith.”
Photographer Wm. B. Cooper of Medford, N.J. captured this amazing moment a neighborhood’s history over a century ago.
Capture some amazing moments of your own this Glorious Fourth 2013, wherever you are. – John McCormick
The construction of the new grandstand for Riverton Memorial Park reached another milestone with the fitting of the concrete joists to the configuration that is shaping up for completion, possibly in a month or so.
Find other references to Riverton Memorial Park’s original grandstand and this new one by searching for “grandstand” in the search query box at the top of the page.
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