Find tons of professional quality photographs of the event by local Riverton photographer Christian Hochenberger at http://hochfoto.com/buy-prints/.
If you have some serious time to kill, search Historic AND Riverton AND Criterium on YouTube and you will find over a dozen vids of the 2013 crit and its two predecessors.
The 2013 official Historic Riverton Criterium results from USA Cycling.
A 18MB, 1:min 41sec video of the parts of the first race: 2013 HRC
Remember, folks, these are the good ol’ days. – John McCormick
I have a backlog of posts to get out before the Fourth of July, so here are some pix from the May 16 meeting at Riverview Estates that included entertainment by the Pine Barons Chorus. -JMc
A familiar scene, early evening, Thursday, May 16, 2013
May flowers frame the entrance to the Meditation Garden
Riverview Estates
HSR Board members set up for the meeting
HSR members, Riverview residents, and the public brought folding chairs to outdoor concert venue
HSR President Gerald Weaber (r.) introduces Harvey Sklar
Gerald Weaber presides over the final meeting of the season beneath a canopy of trees
The agenda included a Celebration of Riverton Preservation, election of HSR Board members, and a concert by the Pine Barons Chorus
A random drawing determined the fifteen winners of copies of the book by Riverton author Bay Ruff, Ruff Copy
The Pine Barons Chorus brought their A-game to the riverbank
Everyone had a front row seat to this free concert co-sponsored by Riverview Estates and the HSR
The Pine Barons are frequent performers at Riverton events
Big finish
The Historical Society of Riverton closes another season of programs and activities
Mrs. Elsie Waters watches the sunset. She will be the Parade Marshal for the 2013 July Fourth Children’s Parade.
Who is this sailor about to go to war in 1944? Our own Society Treasurer, Mr. Paul V. Daly, CPA just supplied his service photo so we can include it in our website tribute to veterans. His name was one of more than thirty that the Borough added to the original Honor Roll in May 2011 when it adopted a more inclusive policy for including names of service personnel.
Any present or former resident of the Borough of Riverton, New Jersey who served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States of America during a time of war, is eligible to have their name placed on the memorial.
To verify eligibility, you must present a copy of your DD-214 or a copy of your military orders.
Since then, Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies have accounted for adding another forty or so names of Rivertonians to that revered register. In just one week from today the VFW will perform a ceremony at the Riverton War Memorial on Sunday, May 26, 2013 at 10:30 a.m.
Memorial Day actually falls every year on the final Monday of May, so this Riverton observance is on the weekend so that more people may attend. Not to be confused with Veterans Day, it is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving, while Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, living or dead.
Former Riverton resident Mrs. Jacalyn Buckalew Hicks is one who plans to witness the installation of a new plaque bearing the names of her parents, both now passed.
Recently, we had heard from Jacalyn, now living in Delran, through the HSR website when she asked for help with how to go about getting her parents’ names, Richard (Dick) Buckalew and Theresa (Terry) Buckalew, on the Riverton War Memorial.
We directed her to Riverton’s Military & Veterans Affairs Committee thru the Borough webpage, and she applied to have the names of her parents, both veterans of World War Two, added to the War Memorial.
With both parents being veterans, there had to be a great story there and daughter Jacalyn, or Jackie, as she signs her emails, elaborated.
She explained that they were longtime Riverton residents at 225 Elm Avenue and were the original owners of the home. She was very happy to learn of the Memorial and felt that her parents would be honored to be part of it. Jackie writes:
Mom was a nurse and my father was a wounded officer. She was from Jersey City and he was from Philly and they went all the way to England to meet during the war. They were married in England and honeymooned in Scotland. I am glad you can use the couple picture (for the website). I keep it framed on my mantle. I still have her uniform jacket and I still have the boots my dad wore when he landed on the beaches on D-day.
There’s a reason we call these men and women The Greatest Generation. Do you know of a veteran whose name needs to be listed on the Riverton Honor Roll? Let’s get the paperwork started. – John McCormick, Gaslight News editor
Saturday I took my wife on a cheap date and went to PoCax 2013, the annual sale of postcards by professional dealers and exhibition of postcard collections by members of the South Jersey Postcard Club.
I spent over an hour panning for gold among the thirty-four tables filled with boxes and boxes of postcards hoping to discover a new image of Riverton.
Lora Moore of Moore’s Postcard Museum, greeting people at the reception table at the entrance of the large conference room that held the event, introduced herself to me when she saw me signing in.
I have used a few borrowed images from her website to illustrate posts on this one (with her permission), and it was nice to put a face to the name. Her fascination with postcards started with a box of old cards that had belonged to her great-grandmother. Now with a collection of thousands of cards, she tells visitors to her blog about paper, postcard, and ephemera shows and the cards she has acquired.
I grew excited when I found a dealer with a handful of cards in the section of his box marked “RIVERTON.” My hopes almost faded when I sifted through the stack and only found Garden State Motel and Kern’s Tourist Home – did someone print like a million of these?
But, what’s this? A few precious nuggets soon surfaced.
I scored a RPPC, or real photo postcard, of Bank Avenue, another one of 3rd and Main Streets, and an Olds Community postcard showing a 1955 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday Sedan. At another table I found one more view of Bank Avenue.
Afterwards we went to Amy’s Omelette House in Cherry Hill to eat. Linda picked it because she heard that the décor makes use of old postcards. Hundreds of old-time post cards and lots of retro fifties advertising art cover the walls and border the booths.
All I could think of was I’d like to scan all of those postcards.
See, it was a date with a theme.
We came to Amy’s for the novelty, but our service was great and the food was memorable. Linda had a vegetarian cheese omelette (one of the 200 varieties of omelettes they serve) and I had 8-grain stuffed French toast with strawberries, honey, and granola.
I am not invested in Amy’s, but I just wanted to pass along the information about this unusual eatery with the nostalgic vibe to any postcard collectors in the neighborhood.
At home later, I scanned the postcards into my computer. But the three RPPCs were never mailed. How old are they?
Coincidentally, my regular sale alert email from Scview Antique Images contained some helpful information for dating RPPCs and I used it to date these postcards.
It turns out that the stamp boxes and backs of the cards are the keys to fixing approximate dates for real photo post cards.
Now I can share my good fortune with you. We welcome comments, additional information, advice and corrections, and are always happy to have additions to our archive from our viewers, wherever they might be. – John McCormick, Gaslight News editor
Scores of family and friends gathered at Westfield Friends Meeting April 6, 2013, to celebrate the life of Anne Knight Ruff who passed away in March at age 92.
The kindergarten room of the nearby Westfield Friends Schools transformed into a Bay Ruff Art Gallery – at least for the day of her Memorial Service – as relatives and friends brought with them items that Bay had so lovingly produced over the years to put on display.
Please leave a comment and know that we would very much like to post more photos or information about Bay Ruff’s extraordinary life.
We welcome corrections, or more information about any of the works in the photos – owners, when received, reason, any anecdotal information, etc. Contact us if you need help. – John McCormick, Gaslight News
Bay Ruff artwork display at Westfield Meeting 1
Bay Ruff artwork display at Westfield Meeting 2
Bay Ruff artwork display at Westfield Meeting 3
Bay Ruff artwork display at Westfield Meeting 4
Bay Ruff pots made from local clay
Bay Ruff Riverhouse 2006
Bay Ruff Quqkey Schools Instruction
Bay Ruff Quaker Schools 1998
Bay Ruff tub feet Quakers at Meeting
Bay Ruff Riverton artist chooses her canvas, BCT, Jan 3, 1983
Bay Ruff Tub Feet Quakers inside Westfield Meeting
Riverton resident Carlos Rogers goes for the hat trick June 9, 2013, 1:00 p.m., as The Historic Riverton Criterium returns this year for the third time to the gaslamp-lined streets of this near-square mile borough.
In a crit, cyclists race a specified number of laps on a closed course over public roads closed to normal traffic. In this case, athletes pedal 20-50 laps (depending on ability), around an eight-tenths mile fixed loop circuit of the Borough’s thoroughfares during a typical hour-or-so long match.
Capitalizing on the success of the last two competitions, Carlos’ HRC Facebook page has already drawn pro and amateur contenders signing up for the USA Cycling sanctioned series of bicycle races, which includes USAC CATEGORIES 3/4, 45+, and Pro/1/2.
Find out more about registration, race categories, directions, the cash purses and cash premes, lots of photos and results of the past races, and all particulars on that Facebook page.
Contributors have opened their checkbooks, and several sponsors have returned to throw in their support behind this exciting community event that already has a history of giving back to the local area’s groups and organizations.
The popular Kids Race returns and you might want to get your cameras ready for the Fireman’s Fun Lap!
From Left: Carlos and Adrienne Rogers , Karen Healey ( RFL President) Michael Robinson (RFL Manager)
Since 2011, the HRC has been committed to supporting Riverton and its surrounding communities by making financial contributions to various organizations to aid and benefit our friends and neighbors. See the HRC Missions Proceeds Sheet here. ( Word .docx) This year’s proceeds benefit the Riverton Fire Company.
Jeannie O’Sullivan, Staff writer for the Burlington County Times, wrote a great color piece on last year’s day at the races, and if you search “criterium” in our search box at the upper right of your screen, you will be directed to several other references to the 2011 and 2012 races as well as Riverton’s vintage bicycle races of the 1890s.
I am ready – I found my cowbell from last year. – John McCormick, Gaslight News editor
Lady Sybil’s death on Downton Abbey Sunday night really had us depressed. We needed some cheering up.
A few of us Anglophiles tuned in on Thursday, January 31 to a program that was being shown for one night only. And we didn’t need cable to do it.
Fifty-one intrepid history lovers from the area braved the cold damp January evening to rub elbows with royalty as Alisa DuPuy, the cultivated first-person historical interpreter, brought her program about Queen Victoria to Riverton’s New Leaf Tea Room.
Her Highness shows a portrait of her beloved Prince Albert
There could not have been a better venue for this intimate audience with Her Highness than in the century-old Victorian building that is the home of Mrs. Phyllis Rogers’ elegant yet cozy New Leaf Tea Room.
Guests at the Royal Reception helped themselves to an assortment of confections and cheese to accompany their freshly brewed tea.
She spoke at length about her childhood, her life at court, her romance with Albert, and each of their nine children. I describe it so, because this was no talk given in the third person but an hour-long dramatically acted one woman play.
The performer so seamlessly incorporated solid historical research into her conversation that one could easily mistake the scene for a late 19th-century lyceum lecture by a visiting head of state.
This one dressed to the nines and wore the family jewels. She brought family photos of Albert and the kids and her favorite dog. She utterly captivated everyone as she related so many dramatic stories in the life of England’s longest reigning monarch.
Find out more about Alisa DuPuy and the rest of the cast of characters that she portrays.
Check out The New Leaf Tea Room, a top-ranked tea room by teaMap.com.
A Word from Gerald Weaber, President of the Society:
Our appreciation to Phyllis Rodgers and her New Leaf Tea Room and Gift Shoppe for hosting the Historical Society’s Tea with Queen Victoria program. The Society welcomed both members and visitors for tea from Claymont, Delanco, Moorestown, Hainesport, and Laurel Springs New Jersey including Sharon Paden, Rosemary Flatley, Patricia Iannucci, Christine Maiorano, and Rosemarie Milza and friends.
Kudos to Alisa DuPuy for her flawless portrayal of Queen Victoria to the delight of the fifty-one guests at the New Leaf Tea Room. Join the Society as a member and enjoy programs like this and a subscription to the Gaslight News our fascinatingly written and illustrated newsletter by Editor John McCormick.
Annual membership is $15 per person or $20 for a household. Send your check to Nancy Hall, Historical Society of Riverton, P.O. Box #112, Riverton, NJ 08077. Thank you all for making our tea such a fun event in Riverton!
There is a photo gallery below. Please add any comments or send a photo and I’ll post it. Or, if you have a Facebook account, please”like” us and consider posting pictures and comments there.The New Leaf would welcome your shout out as well. – John McCormick, Gaslight News editor
The New Leaf, 606 Main Street, Riverton, NJ
Proprietor, Mrs. Phyllis Rogers, set out tablecloths and china teacups for this royal reception.
Her Highness made her entrance through a door with a prophetic message.
Jaws dropped at the sight of that stunning gown with its authentic details.
Ahhhh. At last, a cuppa’ tea,
Her Highness meets Gerald Weaber, our President – of the Historical Society, that is.
Phyllis and Em kept the hot pots of tea coming as Queen Victoria engaged each table in conversation.
Bill Hall, left, is enjoying his fame as author of a recent Gaslight News article.
Many remarked at the the Queen’s incredible memory for facts, names, and dates.
Everybody wanted to get a picture of Queen Victoria and she graciously obliged.
HSR members Nancy Hall, left, and Linda McCormick, middle, compliment our guest. Look at the rich detail of the hair ornamentation.
Please send us some of these photos.
Donald Deitz became a fan of Queen Victoria when he saw Irene Dunne play her role in the 1950 film, The Mudlark.
The Grandmother of Europe denied saying, “We are not amused.” In fact, her comments this evening evoked laughter from the audience several times – and at other times, melancholy.
Five weeks ago I invited readers of this column to return in one week for another vintage Yuletide season postcard. However, life intervened and my attention was diverted to other matters.
Santa in a hot-air balloon
Apologies for the lapse, but with only a week left before Christmas Eve, the Society catches up on lost time and offers these charming early 20th century holiday greeting postcards with an aeronautical theme for your enjoyment.
Above, Santa delivers toys suspended from a basket attached to a zeppelin, or airship, while at right he dangles beneath a hot-air balloon.
Santa in a bi-plane
At left, St. Nick drops presents from what is ostensibly a Wright Brothers era aircraft.
Perhaps the artist did not fully understand the principles of powered air flight since Santa might not complete his rounds without an engine and propeller. No doubt, some sort of secret from Santa’s Workshop kept the craft aloft.
Santa in a bi-plane, John Winsch 1913
Ten years after the famous first flight of the Wright Brothers this 1913 design by John Winsch, at right, still has Santa buzzing snow-covered rooftops and dropping presents to children from an unpowered glider. Better not question Santa’s propulsion system too closely, kids.
The penned message found on the other side of this card reads: “Little niece, Hope he spills his pack over your house like this, don’t you? Love, Aunt Blanche” Mailed from Canastota (sic), NY and addressed to Baby Margurite Flick, RD No. 2, Box 59, in Pawnee Rock, Kansas.
Up to Date X’mas Greetings, 1909 E.H. Conwell
Even if the artists did not depict quite accurately what was then the cutting-edge science of the day, their intention was clear — to show that St. Nick was a thoroughly modern guy and to capture some of the public’s enthusiasm for such emerging technology and have it translate to greater postcard sales.
Apparently, it worked, for according to US Post Office figures, in 1913, the number of postcards sent in the US alone was 968,000,000, more than 7 per person.*
Santa in an airship, 1915
We close with this 1915 holiday greeting which reads: “Now I use my airship / On my annual Xmas trip / It’s full of Toys and Candy too / And I’m flying straight to you.”
What does a modern 21st century Santa use for transportation in 2012? Does he travel by space shuttle, airbus, or will he subcontract the job out to a common carrier?
The Historical Society of Riverton wishes you the Warmest Greetings of the Season and Best Wishes for Happiness in the New Year. – John McCormick, Gaslight News editor
P.S. The next edition of the Gaslight News, expected out shortly after the first of the year, will have a dues renewal form in it for the convenience of members as well as details of the next meeting scheduled for January 24th.
Bouquets of patriotic red, white, and blue decorations have burst into bloom this past week as Riverton readies for its 115th “Glorious Fourth.”
Patriotic displays have sprouted up all over town – Jim McQuaide, manager of Tristate HVAC, has decked out the landmark building for its first Independence Day under new ownership.Now if the predicted thunderstorms will just hold off, the shoreline (shown above on July 2) should be awash in a flood of spectators viewing the Sixth Annual Great Riverton Raft Race at about 5:30 p.m. tomorrow.
2012 July 4th Program – Click on image to download PDF file of entire bookletYou can see the entire schedule of events in the 2012 July 4th Program found here. Click here for the official website of the July 4th Committee.
The cover illustration from this year’s July Fourth Program shows an image of the famous “Riverton Nine” baseball team of 1872 taken from the baseball memorabilia collection of Bob Beishline of Palmyra.
Bob Beishline’s original photo of 1872 Riverton baseball teamIn 2002, Bob, Mike Robinson, Betty Hahle and a few others were among the first to help me start what has eventually grown into a huge virtual online collection of vintage images by kindly letting me scan their postcard collections.
Bill Hall’s Sporting Life clippingLater, Bill Hall provided me with a Sporting Life magazine clipping showing the same team. When I showed the photos during a presentation at a Society meeting, it was William Harris who explained the caption in the photo. FREDERICK K. MOORE CENTER simply meant that Moore was in the center.
“Frannie” Cole, 1938 Riverton Athletic Assn. baseball team
All of this concern about baseball is because Mr. Fran Cole, HSR member and lifetime resident of Riverton, who is Parade Marshall this year, used to be quite a baseball athlete and remains among the most fanatic of Phillies fans. He was even inducted into the Palmyra High School Sports Hall of Fame.
As a result of interviewing Mr. Cole about his memories as a young man working for his grandparents’ Cole Dairy during the 1930s, I had several photos of Fran from his baseball playing days. (See related 2010 Gaslight News story here and his oral history interview in three segments here: Mr. Francis Cole Remembers Cole Dairy Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. )
Fran Cole – photo by Bennett Landsman
So by an extraordinary amount of luck and best laid plans we here at the Society just happened to be able to help out July Fourth Committee Chairperson, Mrs. Tracy Hansen Foedisch, when she asked for a hand with supplying some images for this year’s program booklet. It’s nice when we can help reveal some part of Riverton’s past with what we have collected. In a past post I compared the task to completing a jigsaw puzzle.
It is an extraordinary privilege, and no small responsibility, to be able to curate the archives of the Historical Society of Riverton for the use of Rivertonians. As family and friends congregate during this July Fourth celebration, may I interrupt for a commercial message?
Please help preserve Riverton history by donating your Riverton related photos, collectibles, documents, and memorabilia, or at least send us a scan or photo. If you can help us in this endeavor, please contact us.
2012 July 4th Palm Card – both sides
During the parade HSR members Paul Daly, Gerald Weaber, and myself will be distributing this year’s edition of the Historical Society’s July 4th Palm Cards. The earliest one I have of these is from 1987. Former HSR President Dan Campbell may have started the tradition which seems to have continued through 2004 when it apparently stopped.
We resumed the tradition again last year when HSR Treasurer Paul Daly wondered out loud, ” How come we don’t give out those cards on July Fourth anymore?” (See more July 4th Palm Cards here.) If you have any cards for years not shown in this list, please send us a scan of both sides. July 4th Palm Cards: 1987-1990, 1993-1995, 1997, 1999, 2000-2004.
Tristate HVAC, a former post office, decked out for Independence DayIf you have some time to kill, type “July 4” or “July Fourth” in the search box at the top right of the home page. That should result in many hits for earlier posts and images related to the holiday.
Have a Glorious and Safe Fourth of July wherever you find yourself. Check back here later for more July Fourth posts. – John McCormick, Gaslight News editor
In case you missed the bi-annual Garden Tour on June 2nd, sponsored by the Porch Club, you don’t have to wait two years for the next one because HSR President Gerald Weaber took these photos.
In advance of the Garden Tour, Christina Paciolla, a local journalist connected with CinnaminsonPatch, interviewed Rita Vittese and June Emens, co-chairs of this year’s event, about the eight private gardens on the tour. Her article, along with a map and descriptions of the garden locations, is found at this link.
Kristen Coppock, staff writer for phillyBurbs.com, questioned the Porch Club co-chairs about the prize-winning Ladies Garden Quilt being raffled off, and she also previewed three of the gardens and posted several photos. Find that complete article at this link.
As always, we welcome your comments and contributions. – John McCormick, Gaslight News editor
