“Do You Remember?” is a ‘Reader’s Digest’ version of Riverton History

Woolston Carriage Works in undated photo

If you like to look at old photos and postcards, then download the script that accompanies this PowerPoint slide show so that you can sort out the many places and players as you leaf through this huge 115 slide production, full of all kinds of historic facts and images about Riverton, NJ.  First shown at the January 2008 HSR meeting, this presentation does not contain exhaustive details on any one topic. Instead, it contains a little bit about a lot of different topics related to Riverton. (This presentation spawned two shorter spinoffs,”A Short History of Riverton Public School,” which is already posted and “A History of Dreer’s Nursery,” which will be featured later on. )

Regular readers of this column will recall the earlier posting of the shorter January 2007 slide show. This one duplicates some information found in that one and introduces more that I had learned in the interim. Topics in this 2008 sequel include:

Dreer Nursery - Victoria Trickeri Lily Pond
  • Old New Era newspaper clippings relating events from the past
  • Many vintage family photos, school portraits, and Riverton postcards
  • A short history of the famous Dreer’s Nursery
  • News accounts of the Japanese beetle scourge as well as a Riverton sighting of the Jersey Devil
  • Reports of internationally ranked swimmers involved in meets at the Riverton Yacht Club and a 150 mile bicycle race from NYC to Riverton
  • Dozens of views of local historic maps, ephemera, and real photos of places
  • A complete small 16-page booklet about Sacred Heart Church written in 1904
  • Information and photos about the men of the celebrated Riverton Athletic Association and the renowned “Riverton Nines”
  • A description of the exclusive Riverton Gun Club and its high-stakes live pigeon shoots
  • Discover these things and more that you may not know about Riverton, and please consider the slide show’s ending message, “You can help preserve historic  images and information.”
  • If you can help in this endeavor, please contact us so that we may increase the utility of this digital archive and make it available to a larger audience. We welcome your submissions for Gaslight News articles and blog postings, and invite you to support the Historical Society of Riverton by becoming a member.

Click here to download the “Do You Remember?” 38.8MB PowerPoint You’ll need the PowerPoint program or the free PowerPoint viewer in order to watch the slide show. Click here to download the PDF file of notes that accompany the slide show which serves as the narrative that explains the images as well as gives prompts for the animations and advancing the slides.   – John McCormick, Gaslight News Editor

PS – I just uploaded three new categories of vintage postcard images which brings the number of categories listed to 29; Asbury Park & Ocean Grove, 311; Bordentown & Trenton, 44; Hawaii, 9.

Rivertons Good Sports from Waaay Back

Riverton Ball Club 1872 Fred Moore, veteran of 23 seasons in center
The Phillies are playing in Clearwater now, and fan anticipation is high as the team prepares for another run at the World Series. With the re-signing of Cliff Lee, the Phillies now have in Halladay, Hamels, Oswalt, and Co. what may arguably be the one of the best starting pitching rotations ever assembled in the history of major league baseball. Years from now, a generation will look back fondly upon these as the “good ol’ days.”

Few today can remember grandparents’ tales of Riverton’s heyday of baseball during the late 19th century, but there was a time when the “Riverton Nine” was so highly regarded that Henry Chadwick, the “Father of Baseball,” recalled an 1890 game in which they played as one of the best he had ever seen. A June 4, 1895, New York Times article stated, “During the old days of baseball, perhaps no amateur club in the country was so well known as the Rivertons.”

 

1890 map detail showing Riverton Ball Club Grounds

The team first organized in 1865, and played in Biddle’s apple orchard. When the interests of the group grew to include the sports of cricket and tennis in 1881, they leased land from the Miller Grounds and improved it with about 250 train carloads each of Pennsylvania sod and soil.

1890 Sporting Life graphic

Baseball, particularly, flourished in those days and the players ultimately outgrew even that setting. Consequently, in 1885, they purchased 6¼ acres of the Lippincott property and moved there in April, 1887. In 1894, the more inclusive name change to the Riverton Athletic Association seemed appropriate for the band which was just then adopting the next new American craze—bicycling.

The newly invigorated association built “…one of the finest quarter-mile (bicycle) tracks in the world” with stands that seated nearly 3,000 spectators. (For more details see the September 2009 issue of Gaslight News for Pat Solin’s feature story, “The Fine Grounds of the Riverton Athletic Association”).

Riverton’s Bicycle track – undated photo from Ed Gilmore

In 1895, the club hosted the New York Times Tri-State 150-Mile Relay Bicycle which included 163 cyclists. All preparatory aspects of the event were closely followed in the pages of the New York Times for weeks preceding the event. The race started out from the offices of the Times in New York City and climaxed with the winner crossing the finish line at Riverton’s own quarter-mile track.

Riverton’s long and illustrious sports tradition includes much more, of course: the sailing competitions and regattas at the Riverton Yacht Club, founded 1865; the live-pigeon trap shooting competitions held at the famed Riverton Gun Club (1877-1906); the individual efforts of athletes in national swim meets held at the Yacht Club during the 1920s; the play of men and women golfers of the Riverton Golf Club; as well as the stunning performance of 1923 women’s AAU track phenomenon, Frances Ruppert.

Look for images representing some of these accomplishments on the Images Page. We welcome the submission of photographs, programs, printed material, schedules, team rosters, and personal anecdotes or family stories which may serve as topics for future postings. John McCormick, Gaslight News Editor

 

 

Wednesday, March 23, 7:30 pm meeting reminder

March 2011 publicity flyer

As reported in the Feb. 2011 issue of Gaslight News, announced by flyers displayed around town, and through a recent postcard reminder, the general membership meeting and program will be held at Riverton School next Wednesday.

If you enjoyed the old postcards on the Images page, you’ll see that there are lots of new, well… old, really, additions.

  • 7 more Palmyra images added; now 75 total
  • 1 more Riverside image added; 32 in all
  • new category added – Wildwood/Cape May, NJ – 25 images
  • new category added – Mt. Holly, NJ area – 23 images
  • new category added – Camden, NJ – 97 images
  • new category added – Burlington, NJ – 30 images

Check back again and see what’s new.  – John McCormick, Gaslight News Editor

A New Batch is Served for Vintage Postcard Buffs

HSR purpose and function

This entry is short on verbiage and long on visuals. I just uploaded four additional Palmyra images (bringing the total now to 69), several dozen more Moorestown images (to make a total of 131), and 154 Stone Harbor images.

Yeah, I know the masthead says Riverton Historical Society, but I have some friends who are serious postcard collectors who let me scan their cards, and I just can’t keep these beauties to myself. Here is a list of the many people who have so generously contributed to this digital archive.

Please consider either donating to the Society, loaning for scanning, or providing a scan or photo of your item of local historical interest to what we hope will be a valuable regional resource. Check back again, because I have tons more to display.

– John McCormick, Gaslight News Editor

Riverton History 101

Mr. McC’s history classroom

I started collecting images and information about Riverton’s early days to use in instructing my middle school students at Riverton School on local history. When I couldn’t buy on eBay, I borrowed from other collectors who generously loaned me items to scan.

The result was a virtual collection of hundreds of vintage images from which I reproduced prints and enlargements to raise money toward the purchase of a digital projector for my classroom. While my first goal was to help my students learn about their town’s local history, I soon learned that even many adults had not seen the images in this expanding digital compilation.

When Priscilla Taylor and Patricia Brunker approached me during Victorian Day 2006 festivities and drafted me into the Historical Society of Riverton, I mistakenly thought that one needed to live in Riverton to join. Au contraire, mon frère. There is no residency requirement. In fact, only about 60% of the addresses on the Gaslight News mailing list are for Riverton; the rest of the locations range from New Jersey to California and Maine to Florida. Rivertonians, current and former, are a far-flung lot. Hence, my wish to bring the show to the Internet. (Here’s a membership flyer, or go to the Contact page.)

screenshot of presentation title frame

Since joining the HSR, I’ve been tapped to do several presentations; some solo, some collaborating with others. I have never charged the HSR a speaker’s fee. In a classic case of “you get what you pay for,” or perhaps hoping that I’ll one day get it right, the Board continues to invite me back.

This was the first presentation that I gave to a HSR meeting in January 2007. Billed as a show of vintage postcards and photos, it played to a SRO crowd in the Riverton School Library, a feat not duplicated since. Maybe there was nothing on TV that night. For whatever reason, the turnout both surprised and gratified Bob Bednarek, the president at that time. Me, I was just nervous, as you may hear.

Topics include The New Era, Dreer’s Nursery, Vintage Postcards and Photos, and Local Maps

However, once seen by the group of people who venture out for a particular meeting, the program’s content, however worthwhile, just languishes in the hard drive of my computer. While I have always wanted to post these presentations on the Internet, the large file sizes that result from creating PowerPoints from the vintage postcards and maps, graphics, and animations which illustrate my talks have been problematic.

Computer wunderkind Mike Solin once again shows his old teacher new tricks
Short story: I told Mike Solin, my former Riverton School student, now computer consultant, of my wish, and he figured out how to add that feature to the WordPress template that he continues to tweak to meet our needs.

 

Following is the link to download the large PowerPoint file for that first program containing images and information about historic Riverton. To be fair, it’s really more eye candy than in-depth information—the reason for the freshman course title of this blog post. I would learn at that first presentation, and on successive ones since, that when coming to address the Riverton citizenry on their history, I could expect to receive schooling in such matters myself.

Although I cannot find my handwritten presenter’s notes which explained the slides, somehow, through computer crashes and changeovers, I found on my hard drive a rather poor quality audio file recording of that evening’s program, complete with no small amount of audience participation. You may want to download the audio file and listen as you advance through the slides.

You can hear that my lecture certainly benefited from the many recollections and personal anecdotes furnished by the group. I have come to value the fact-checking, insights, and historical perspectives contributed by people in the audience.

Then, as now, I invite viewers to comment on the presentation, particularly if they would note an error or provide more information. One mistake in this presentation was my identification of a long-gone building that I thought was the Evans Lumber Building; it turned out to be the Woolston Carriage Works.

Click here to download the 74.3MB PowerPoint slide show, “HSR slide show 1-29-2007.” Click here to download the 52m, 06s 24.1MB wma. audio file which I recorded as I gave the presentation that evening. You will hear that my solitary “talk” instead turned into more of a town meeting, with the slides serving as an itinerary for a group excursion down Riverton’s Memory Lane. You are invited along, and it’s not too late for you to add your voice to the chorus.

John McCormick

I welcome comments from this larger audience and I’ll be glad to try to answer any questions that you may have. Please contact me if you can add to our knowledge base by donating relevant items, by loaning items so that we can scan them, or by sending text or image files as email attachments.  – John McCormick, Gaslight News Editor

Reprising a Popular HSR Program

 

Alumni, staff, parents, and board members marked the 100th birthday of the present school building
As her AVA guy, I themed much of the design of the slideshow around Mrs. Kloos’s personal memories. Mrs. Kloos invited “class participation” as she reminisced about her alma mater and her thirty-three years as a teacher in the school. – JMc

On January 19, 2010, sixty former students, staff, and interested community members assembled in the Riverton School gym to observe the 100th birthday of the present school building. Retired teacher, Mrs. Mabel Kloos, showed a PowerPoint presentation called “A Short History of Riverton Public School” created by myself which was very much enjoyed by those in attendance. You can read the March 2010 issue of Gaslight News for a fuller recap of the events of that evening.

Since then, several people have expressed regret that they had missed it. Now, if you wish, you can replay the entire slide show from that night.

 

RPS Grade 3 1921 Mabel’s dad 3rd from right
Click here to download the 23MB PowerPoint, “A Short History of Riverton School.” If you do not already have it, you’ll need the free PowerPoint viewer or the PowerPoint program in order to watch the slide show.

Click here to download the PDF file of notes that go with the slide show and you’ll also have the narrative which explains the images as well as prompts for the animations and advancing the slides.  – John McCormick, Gaslight News

Recap of February 2011 HSR Meeting

In another case of "The Student becomes the Master," young Michael Solin has patiently tutored his former teacher in the intricacies of WordPress web design. Now retired, Mr. McCormick expresses his deep appreciation to Mike for making the website possible. Acknowledging Mike's prodigious computer skills, Mr. McCormick quipped, "I have sweaters older than this guy, and now he's showing me how to do things that I've always wanted to do on this website, but couldn't." Mrs. Natalie Ragomo (2nd from right), who taught Mike in kindergarten, is amused.
Congratulations on a successful roll-out of the new web site for the Historical Society of Riverton. Our appreciation goes out to the web site development team led by John McCormick and the Solins – Mike and Pat.

 

 

Members of the Society marveled at the rich content and beautiful stereo slides and postcard images of life in the 1920s. John McCormick’s blog is a fresh and informative perspective on Riverton, its people and historic structures.

Mr. Gerald Weaber addresses the twenty-two ardent local history fans who braved a cold drizzle to attend the screening of Mr. Francis Cole's oral history video and take a hands-on tour of the HSR website.
Thanks to the many Society members and friends who have shared their images on the web site.

 

Dr. Cliff Johnson attended the Society meeting to hear the oral history of Francis Cole whose family owned Cole Dairy at 501 Main Street in Riverton. Dr. Johnson, who was born in 1920, and lived in the Riverton-Palmyra areas since he was three years old, commented tonight, “I went to school with the girl who painted your masthead- Anne Knight Ruff,” and he went on to identify the members of the Palmyra Police Department during the Depression when Police Chief Maurice Beck and patrolman Bucky Wallace led the force.

 

HSR Pres. Gerald Weaber and Dr. Cliff Johnson confer as Mike Solin watches Ms. Cheryl Smekal explore the HSR website. In back, Ms. Peggy Trauger Crook and Mr. Jeff Chambers check out the site.
Dr. Johnson is the father of Society member Cheryl Johnson Smekal.  Dr. Johnson’s dentistry practice was located at 433 Thomas Avenue in Riverton and is still the oldest structure on that street dating from circa 1869. Dr. Johnson purchased the home from the Coddington family which operated a paint and wallpaper store in town.

 

 

The mysteries of Riverton’s past continue to be revealed as more people explore the web site and contribute images, memories and identify the faces of town folk long forgotten yet whose contributions to our community made Riverton such a special place to live along the banks of the Delaware River in New Jersey.  – Gerald Weaber, HSR President

Riverton in 3D Old Hat for This Esteemed Riverton Family


ice jam on Riverton Yacht Club pier. January 1920
Riverton Fire Co. 1925

I am privileged to know Mrs. Elsie Waters through our membership in the Historical Society. Among the many things which she has permitted the HSR the use of are some of her family’s treasured photographs. These stereoviews are just a few of the photos, stereoviews, and movies which chronicle the history and growth of Elsie’s many kin.

The Waters/Knight/Wright/Flach Family Tree has a considerable history, parts of which have been entangled in many of the significant chapters of Riverton’s saga.

July 4, 1924

I am motivated by the increased ability of our amped up website to display media, and so I am revisiting resources such as this in order to  bring them to a new audience. Jim Flach and his dad, Richard Flach, generously sent me these higher resolution files via Internet from Florida.

Click on each thumbnail for a hi-res file.

With some time on the PhotoShop bench, I was able to unwarp the curve in the cardboard mount.

I have wondered if one were to print these at actual size (3½” x 7″), how they would look in a stereoscope viewer. Somebody, let me know.

– John McCormick, Gaslight News Editor

Another Palmyra Keepsake

It seems to be “Palmyra Week” here at the HSR website. This great Palmyra keepsake comes from “across the miles” via the Internet from a collector friend in Ohio. I have seen a few of these Palmyra Souvenir Folders, but rarely is one found in this very fine unused condition. Too often, they are taken apart and the cards are sold à la carte. Click on the image at left to see the animation. Check out larger images in the IMAGES section under PALMYRA SOUVENIR FOLDER. – John McCormick, Gaslight News Editor

My Vertical Climb on the Blogger’s Learning Curve

We have never had the capability on our website until now to post video clips. Turns out that HSR President Gerald Weaber has a stash of video clips recorded at various events over the last few years. He set us up with a YouTube account, and Mike Solin, our computer guy, added a YouTube button to my WordPress Dashboard, so I’ll take this new feature for a test drive.

Surely, there are many more Riverton related videos, vintage photos, and missing bits of information out there in cyberspace. When I get the hang of making use of the social networking potential of Facebook, we can make the resources of a wider community of history lovers available and start some discussions.

This first video is a slide show about Riverton’s 2006 Victorian Day.

The next three are from Victorian day 2007. Here is the first of three short clips,  “Civil War reenactor, Miss Amanda, on Victorian Day 2007, at HSR Museum for a Day.”

“Civil War reenactor, Mr. Allan, on Victorian Day 2007, at HSR Museum for a Day”

Last, is this too short clip of maestro William “Willie” Harris, who passed away in December 2010.

I look forward to receiving and posting  more files for videos, texts, slideshows, and scans of photos, maps, and ephemera from Rivertonians near and far. – John McCormick, Gaslight News Editor