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Your post on affordable housing development in Basking Ridge is very informative and eye-opening. But I don’t see any mention of the Dewey Meadow Village Development which is currently under construction.

Never new about the Red Devil Tool connection. Bill Riley ’74 Go Devils!!

We owned Hawke’s Village Hardware directly across the street from Werring’s and purchased a truck from them during that time. John Werring and his employees were good folks!

What an interesting write up; I love your posts!!!!!!!

March 16, 2020
I live in Basking Ridge and am a Revolutionary war enthusiast. I found this article very interesting with far more details than what I knew about William Alexander. I have several questions:
1) Who wrote this article?
2) When is the Lord Stirling festival this year? I would like to visit the wine cellar
3) Does Basking Ridge sponsor a walking tour related to American Revolutionary War sites? (the only ones that I am aware of are Widow White’s Tavern (sign), Presbyterian Cemetery, Lord Stirling’s manor site, Boudinot estate, log hut hospital sign). I think that there would be some interest and generate some revenue for the town)
Thanks- Bob Wong

“He was given special praise on the occasion of Independence in 1777. ”

1777? I believe that the date was 4 July 1777.

Did you come across the name Rev. Francis Peppard? We believe him to be one of the first Pastors of the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church? I am a descendant of his.

April 19, 2020
Dear Mr. Betz,
Great article on the Basking Ridge hospital. I did not know that this was THE hospital used during the Jockey Hollow encampment. a copy of the hospital is in the exhibit at basement of Washington’s Headquarters Museum in Morristown. Interesting that the 3 wards were totally separate from one another. I was not aware of James Tilton or John Morton. Is Morton’s gravesite (“behind the cemetery”) able to be visited by the public?
Thanks,
Bob Wong

Not to be critical but…..
isn’t that a Eagle, Globe and Anchor on Sgt William B Neill’s campaign hat?

I have a very special place in my heart for SHCC – my dad, Guido Matera, worked there on the grounds and inside (in addition to his full time job!). He was only 6 weeks old when the current clubhouse opened in 1918!! He spoke so highly of many of the members and also some of the professional golfers he met. He was so proud to work at SHCC. Many special moments there as a kid and also an adult – and who can forget the July 4th fireworks!

My buddies and I used to ride our bikes down Lord Sterling Rd to the airport, get a bottle of Dr Pepper out of the machine there and spend an hour or two hanging around and gawking at the airplanes. This was in the 1968-69 timeframe. Good memories of that place, sad that it’s gone.

When I moved in with my wife in Millington in 1985, I used to check out the field, sneaking in through the loosely chained gate. For years there was a derelict fuselage of what was probably a canvas covered aircraft still on the field, though I did not get to close to examine it as it was inhabited by a beehive. I’m pretty good at aircraft identification as an aviation historian, but could not identify it.

Thank you for the detailed information on Natirar, its history and the new luxury home project. The county park is one of my favorite walking paths.

I am interested in any tours that become available after the pandemic. I’m already on your mailing list.

Back in the early 70s, I used to walk there to buy cheap cigarettes- $.24 a pack plus $.01 tax. A whopping $.25 a pack.

An 1872 map of the area (link below) shows the NJ West Line was to run through the VA property towards Liberty Corner West of Millington. Lyons, Basking Ridge, Bernardsville was only a spur line to reconnect and Gladstone was only a proposed spur at the time.

I think it should be turned into a museum
Like the Museum of Life and Science in North Carolina.

http://Www.thinkmomi.org, an emerging museum in NJ could be interested in a public-private partnership.

I think they should look at the successful Bucks County horse park on how to make money from private horses great trails 👍some cross country jumps. Is the outside ring(s) in good shape with good footing? Any lights? A Friday night jumper show with open to the public food trucks would not only bring in money but would be a way to get more people interested in taking lessons. Care classes teaching grooming and tacking up. So people who may just love horses but not want to ride would be part of L.S. a IEA team. A competitive middle and high school teams this is a big part of the today’s industry. A few years back the Y did a program of a “free month” for anyone in a certain grade..to boost its membership

Living in NJ my whole life I can honestly say that Lord Stirling Stable is my favorite place. Both of my children (one of whom is handicapped) took riding lessons there. With over 50 horses and 450 acres of trails, lessons day and night, handicapped – jumping. Family fun days, hay rides, dog walks, pony rides and birthday parties.The friendliest people you will ever meet. It is truly a awesome treasure and my happy place. One of my mane (pun intended 🙂 reasons to stay in NJ. To lose this stable would be such an insurmountable loss with repercussions for generations to come. Also perhaps their is a wealthy NJ corporation or philanthropist who might pick up some of the cost? SOS save our Staple!

I worked for Jim Calvin as a mechanic at the airport from late 1975 to early 1977, between leaving the Navy and joining the Air Force. Also worked there for the flight school, Sky Quest Aviation, washing and fueling airplanes in trade for flying time. Bernie Tomko, also a veteran of Naval aircraft maintenance, was the other mechanic. He owned a Cessna 150 that was black with yellow wings, and modified for short takeoffs and landings.
By the mid 70’s Jim had plowed up the grass runways and would put in a corn crop, so the paved east-west runway was the only one available.

The P-51 Mustang, N6523D, actually crashed on February 4, 1960. It was purchased THAT DAY by the pilot, who landed about halfway down the runway which was not yet paved.
That aircraft is actually still flying, out in California.

My grandfather Ralph Waldo Earl owned Shalebrook Farm in the1940s. I have a few pictures of them harvesting apples and hay; Belgian horse-drawn wagons and such. They must have had dairy cows as well. I have one aerial picture of the farm, and one of their large farmhouse.

My father Richard Earl renovated an old barn, moved it across Route 202 and started Shalebrook Farm Market on the corner of Route 202 and Bailey’s Mill Road in the early 1950s. I used to sit on top of open truckloads of corn and pumpkins that he would bring up from South Jersey. He owned that market until about 1963 when we moved out of state.

As a Bristolian, I was quite amused to hear that there is a Bedminster USA, and quite a posh place by the sounds of it. Bedminster, Bristol is not posh, it is definitely a blue-collar part of town, where people still speak Bristolian dialect (like farmers, or pirates). Growing up on the other side of town, we used to call them “Bemmies”. Later, I actually lived there, on North St. It’s becoming quite gentrified now. Who’d’ve thought that! Girt Bemmie becoming trendy! Mind you, you still have to drink hard cider in the pubs there.

I remember one year, probably one of the coldest August days ever, Patty Milne and I got dunked in the dunking booth. Boy were our Moms mad.

We took our young boys there in the ‘90’s. We could walk there from our house which is close to Oak Street School in whose parking lot it took place. The boys showed our dog there in the dog show. They also purchased gold fish. It was a wonderful low key fair where you didn’t have to worry about losing a child. And everyone knew each other. Our boys have such fond memories of the fair and were so upset when they stopped having it.

Kiwanis fair was the highlight of the summer…I remember standing in line for the ferris wheel, and hearing some girls talking about Woodstock…riding ponies…and of course winning a goldfish…every year…great times…sad that future generations won’t get to experience the same

Won the raw egg toss about 1960

It was a true end of summer rite of passage for myself and my sister in the 70’s. We would leave the beach life and it was back to Basking Ridge before school started back again after Labor Day. First time I ever had cotton candy was at the Fair and every year I would win the goldfish, carry it home in the plastic bag and hope i could keep it alive until Christmas!

My wife and I went to the Blues Picnic on July 4, 1977. We sat in the tent where Muddy Waters played just a few feet from him. All the other blues artists were great as well. If that were not enough, we drove directly from the picnic to Madison Square Garden in the city for that evening’s Pink Floyd ‘Animals’ concert. We won the Floyd tickets on a WNEW-FM ticket giveaway call in. I wish I still had the stamina to do that and the luck to keep winning tickets. But I still have my wife so all still remains quite well indeed!👍

I remember going to the fair in the 1950’s . It was one of the highlights of my childhood. The Eastern Star tended the cotton candy booth back then and since my mom, Ruth Heckel, was a member, she would volunteer to make the cotton candy.
Great memories!

Went to kindergarten at Ridge High in 52/53. Rhen 4 years at Maple Avenue. Then 5th and 6th grade at Cedar Hill which was just built.
I also remember a friend of my mother had a picture of her class at Maple Avenue, probably around 1920.

I Pamela Koch am the Author of “For Goodness Sake : The Story Behind The Saint James 9/11 Bereavement Support Group” which took place at Saint James Church after the horrific event of 9/11. 76 families and 104 children from all over New Jersey as far away as Hoboken and Jersey City came to seek aid for their traumatic grief. Together, for two years, they worked thru their grief toward transformation while surround by 68 volunteers People of Goodness who stood along side them every step of the way. These 9/11 families have put their traumatic grief in action have made this world a better place. Basking Ridge High Library holds a copy. You can find online as well.

Excellent work on all the information. Really well done.

My dad was maintenance man for Chartwell Manor boarding school. Mr Lynch was headmaster,His wife Judy and Mrs Stimpson ran he kitchen and did Laundry. He went with them to the Mendham location. Amazing place, bathroom hidden behind wall panels, Slate floor in dining room, amazing tower staircase and the basement had many rooms like a catacomb maze. Very creepy.

It’s actually quite a marvelous story riddled with sadness and joy. We are working diligently on restorations and hope to update the website with our progress! I am also currently working on a novel which will bring to life both fiction and non- fictitious characters while weaving together my husbands and my current life. The castle had not been sold. It was withdrawn from the market and so it seems to have a mind of its own when choosing its owners. Phareloch will celebrate its 100 th birthday this year!

BTW thank you for helping to keep alive the memory of Mrs Fenwick and what she meant to our country. It is by preserving the history of service like this that we will hope to inspire a new wind of cooperation and peace in the world and a Republican party that more closely emulates the values held by Mrs. Fenwick.

Bevel’s Saddlery is now Ken Rent

Thanks to Somerset County for preserving this beautiful acreage and honoring Kate Macy Ladd’s kind-hearted philanthropy. My family (Roy & Kathleen Murdock with 4 children, myself included) lived in the Maple Cottage from the early ’50s until all us kids had married and moved elsewhere, so Mom & Dad sold to the Sheptock family in 1975. It was a wonderful place to enjoy what, in retrospect, was the post-war “golden age” of the USA in the Somerset Hills.

I often went sledding at Dead Man’s Hill in Bernardsville but being it is private property and we had to ask permission sometimes it was easier to take the path of least resistance and go to the high school. There was a perfect sledding venue behind the cafeteria of Bernard’s High that landed you on the lower playing field- not sure how much of it is left now that the additions have been built. It was fab because you went down a really steep hill and zoomed all the way across the field depending on the snow quality. We used to get in trouble for stealing the lunch trays and using them as make shift sleds when school was in session…

My grandfather, Samuel Allen (160 S. Finley Ave.), owned a pasture that went all the way downhill to S. Maple Ave. Anyone could come and enjoy sledding there. If a thick layer of ice covered the snow, a neighbor supplied a 4×8′ piece of plywood, which we piled onto, and
slid down the hill, sometimes in circles. Fortunately there were no trees to run into!
WHO REMEMBERS THE ICE STORM OF NEW YEARs DAY, 1948, on top of the big snow a few days earlier. Power lines & trees fell everywhere. No power for almost 2 weeks. No school either!
The firehouse couldn’t use the siren, so the Presbyterian Church bell was used to call volunteer firemen. It was very cold weather.

My father was John Carswell who led the BR Carol Sing for many years. After a major heart attack, he led the event one last time in 1974 before his death in May 1975. My maiden name was Betsy Carswell, and I played trombone at the Carol Sing from 1947 until
1993. What fun, despite the weather & occasional frozen trombone slide. I’m so glad this wonderful event continues. Thank you to all who make it happen.
Betsy Carswell Richards, Eastham, MA [email protected]

Thank you so much for this information. I recently learned about an ancestor, Jacob Anderson who served under Col. Thruston out of Virginia during the Revolutionary War. According to his pension application he marched to Lord Sterlin’s building on Bareshear Ridge and was stationed there in 1777. Jacob participated in the battles/skirmishes of Piscataway and Quibbletown. I wonder if he was referring to Breses Field listed in your map.

The Jacobs Ladder in Bernardsville (Pennbrook Rd). was designed in the days of horse and carriage travel. The bumps, the “plateaus” were a way to “rest” the horses as the climbed the mountain.

Re: Brees family buried in the Presbyterian Churchyard
John Brees Sr. 1713-1803 is almost certainly buried in the cemetery, But in his sixties at the beginning of the war, it is unlikely that he served on active duty.
John Brees Jr. 1738-1829, Did serve in the war, but he is not buried in the cemetery. He emigrated after the war to Horseheads, NY where he is buried.
Stephen 1755-1833. served in the war. He lived his entire life in Basking Ridge and is buried in the cemetery. The grave is marked.

It was great to find your site and some wonderful background on the castle. I’m a great-grandson of original builder Bill Beatty and have been delighted to visit many times throughout my life. The Feldsteins are doing a wonderful job restoring it and are terrific hosts! I would like to offer a few friendly corrections to the story. Bill actually didn’t design the castle based on an ancestral home– it was just a style that captured his imagination; he sketched prototypes for years until he had the resources to actually build it. The Beattys were actually Scottish in ancestry, and have no known connection to the family of Clyde Beatty. The three children in the photo you showed were actually Bill and Sarah’s grandchildren (Bob, on the left, was my father). They lived in the castle until around 1940. The quote that you attribute to Burlingame is actually from Gene Melville, who was an employee there for several years and reportedly saw the ghost on one occasion. My great-grandmother held a number of seances at the castle, and reportedly they included some spooky noises, but they were widely regarded to be shams. However, there were quite a few other ghost sightings. One of the most credible was around 1938, when Bill’s daughter-in-law was apparently visited by an apparition in the middle of the night. I appreciate your interest and am grateful for your summary of the years after the castle left our family.

Hi nicely done. You should read my book Kidnapping the Enemy: The Special Operations to Capture Major Generals Charles Lee & Richard Prescott (Westholme, 2014). I spoke about the book in 2015 I believe at the school house at Basking Ridge. It was a nice event. I have some friends who just moved there. Best. Christian McBurney

What is the Canoe Club’s scale?

Broad St Diner in Keyport
Any breakfast item, they’re all great.

Broad Street Diner in Keyport Everything

Tick tick diner Clifton nj

Willie’s Bloomfield; current the State Street Grill!

Par Troy diner Parsippany NJ

Great food any time of day or night.

Most definitely the Broad Street Diner in Keyport. The food is always excellent and they give you huge amounts of food. And the staff and owners are always friendly and welcoming!

Great, friendly staff. Feel good delicious food!!

Approx. 70 yrs. ago the girl scout troop that met across the street from the Canoe Club held a ‘regatta’ on the river starting at the Canoe Club. It was covered in the Newark Star-Ledger and, I assume, the Cranford paper, perhaps even the Elizabeth paper. Do you have any photos or news clippings of that event?

I’ve kept all the programs from races I’ve seen in New Jersey from 1947 through 1954,
both sprint cars, midgets & stock cars. They include Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson,
Dover, Morristown, Trenton & Lodi, Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, Teanack Armory.
I’ll send the results to anyone interested.

[email protected]

Is it true that Toussaint-Guillaume La Motte-Picquet, the great French naval commander, also received the medal of the Society of Cincinnati?

Tick Tock in Clifton and Tops Diner in East Newark

I’m happy to be able to choose three because it would be so hard to only choose one!

Just downloaded the old pictures of the Cranford hotel.
My paternal grandfather,Fred Kantner, was the owner of the upholstery shop pictured. The one picture you can see my father and him standing in the doorway!!
What nice pictures to have as part of my family’s history.

My dad kept his Piper 150 tied down at Somerset Hills from the early 1960’s until it was closing.
My mom even learned to fly at the airport i n 1967. It was not so common at the time for a women to have their private pilots license. It even made the papers.
My brother Bill and I would spend hours there playing and going up for rides. We were able to ride in some pretty cool planes. Bill Tyndall owned an old Stearman bi-plane which was complete with a front and rear seat and a rudder control in each one. I remember flying in an AT-6 (which was not comfortable at all), and almost as tight a fit was the home build Pitt’s “special” biplane. If I recall, I think it was a husband an wife who flew them. Jim Calvin and my dad were friends and we all spent time together socially.
We took a photo of my dads plane from another plane flying close by, and I have that photo to this day, with a tattoo to match on my leg.
Thanks you for the memories and I can’t wait to show the article to my mom!

It must have been in the mid-late 60’s when some of my friends–brothers Pete and Gary Gavornik–(we were teenagers) went up for a ride and the plane crashed. It’s been a long time, but I think it was on take-off and crashed on the other side of the road. They were both seriously injured, and for a while they weren’t sure Gary would live (he did). I believe the pilot survived also.

Again, it’s been a long time, so don’t quote me on the specifics, but it did happen. If anybody remembers more detail it would be good to hear…

was Jane Dunham that attended Ridge HS in the early 60’s related?

Great story. Very inspirational for sure.
Good journey and may the force be with you

Good morning! I’m kin to Stephen Ogden who lived across the street from the Widow White’s Tavern. I’m so curious about the soldiers who might be buried there, and I have a couple of questions for you:
1. Was Ogden’s widow, Elizabeth, still living there in 1776, when Lee was captured? Stephen Ogden died in 1768. She remarried, “2d m. Jan. 21, 1768, Samuel Roberts of Barnardstown, N. J., her dau. Elizabeth 2 -! 2 being married the same day to Dr. Oliver Barnet, of ” Barnet Hall.”
2. Has anyone investigated the burial sites of the two or more Continental soldiers who were killed when Harcourt’s light-horse arrived?

Ogden, Charles Burr; Van Alstyne, Lawrence; Wheeler, William Ogden. The Ogden family in America, Elizabethtown branch, and their English ancestry; John Ogden, the Pilgrim, and his descendants, 1640-1906 . Philadelphia, Printed for private circulation by J.B. Lippincott company. Kindle Edition.

WOW is an understatement. I moved to the area in 1990 and first came upon the Fairgrounds on my way to St Elizabeth’s Church. I have often walked the track for both mental and physical nourishment. So peaceful are the sounds of the river on one side , and the structures resembling a NormanRockwell painting of Stockbridge on the other.
Sitting on a bench near the bleachers under the waving American flag stirs a love of country.
Thank you all for history behind all the beginnings,

Excellent article!

Great article about the legendary Jolly Trolley. I was very close to one of the founding partners, Peter deLamos who meet and teamed up with Westfield native, David Monier at the Illikai in Hawaii. Someone asked about the salad dressing. I have the recipe tucked away some where. I am on Nantucket until August but will try to find it when I return to NJ in August.. Barnacle Bill’s is still thriviing in Rumson as is the formed What’s Your Beef now Victory Park Tavern. The legendary Lock, Stock and Barrel in neighboring Fair Haven is now Nauvoo Grill

This is an amazing write up. I grew up in the town over, Cranford, and have always wondered what happened to that diner after it was shipped to Germany.

Thanks for such a wonderful post

As a West Millington resident during the change over, I was sad to see the renaming to Basking Ridge. Not that I did not like being associated with BR, it is just that I was sad to see W Millington go away. So yes, after living in West Millington for some 20 years before the name was changed, the zip code was changed as well from 07946 to 07920, and Millington retained the zip code.

What about the Childs Family. Is is not worth mentioning the project to build the farm houses in Childs Road?

Thank you. My 5th Great Grandmother was Ida Mellick, married to Godfrey Kline. I did glean from the book His father was Christian, as was his son. So I add another 6th Gr Grandfather. Still looking for Ida in genealogies.

There has never been a King James III of England. The King of England in 1717 was George I.

James Francis Edward Stuart, the son of the deposed James II, was a pretender to the throne. He styled himself as the King James III of England. He left England as an infant in 1688 during the Glorious Revolution. He never set foot in England again; was never coronated; and never ruled England, Ireland or Scotland.

Hi there! My name is Debbie Meyer Biedenharn and my grandfather was Bill Meyer, who was one of the original founders of Sky Farm. I wanted to share a story with you. My mother passed away about a month ago and the night before her funeral my father, Bill Meyer Jr was sharing stories with us about Sky Farm. My dad, Bill Jr, spent his summers at there as a young boy in the 40s and early 50s. Dad is 85 years old and not a computer wiz and was so elated when his granddaughter googled information about Sky Farm in which Leni and Bill Meyer were referenced. Obviously losing his wife of 63 years was sad and this was a bright light for him. He has many fond memories of Sky Farm.

Debbie Meyer Biedenharn

About 35+ years ago, there were two massive Civil-War era Naval cannons flanking that flagpole. Are they still there?

My garage was moved from the Basking Ridge airport in summer of 1943. Still stands today. I posted photos on the Facebook post.

Winner

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In the staff photo, I’m pretty sure I see Jean Bock in between Helen & Barbara.

Hey, Peter V, supernatural scientist. I’ve spent a long while studying the devils tomb and surrounding areas. Although the lore and mystery behind the tomb is what gives it its name, ill shed some light on the situation. Although there are no doors or windows, there are 2, 2ft x2ft steel plates on the roof where 2 chimminies used to be which has led my team to our conclusion that it was a quarantine cremation site. There must’ve been a bought of illness and this is the final resting place of the monks and nuns who fell ill. Or it is just an old carriage house that was at the top of the easement for the horses(aka Jacob’s Ladder).

Mel Blaufus was the ScoutMaster for Troop 9 in Chester for 76 years. He had the scout cabin built in 1942, and it was just resided this year. The scout cabin at Main and Collis in the borough has some of the rental skis mounted on the balcony wall and some additional photos rescued as we cleaned out Mel’s home after he passed. Mel and Shirley are buried in the Peapack Union Cemetery almost within sight, in winter, of where he grew up on East Fox Chase Road. He collected arrowheads on the farm and across the street in Mt Paul Park named after Chief Paul. The story goes that Chief Paul brought evergreen trees to to the top of Mount Paul from the Jersey coast. Paul is supposed to be buried near that summit.

Although I did my first ski’ing in Austria, I grew up in Gladstone 1942-62 when I married. recently driving by and looking across from what was Ruth Earles’ place, no ski tow! Add tows, as you note, to that of the losses of what were also once a number of working mills, as Cooper in Chester. MIssing the past, Adrienne Brown

This site is now my mothers house. Our family often is visited by a male ghost. Wonder if it is Morton or someone else who may have passed at the hospital.

From my home at the corner of Hampton and Eastman, my brother Ted and I would skate up to Nomahegan, and then all the way back down to the dam in town. Total length 3 miles. Absolutely magical when we skated sometimes after dark.

LOVE IT!!!

Bedminster also contains the hamlets of Burnt Mills and Union Grove. A good source of the history can be found at: http://bedminsternj.hosted.civiclive.com/government/bedminster_history

Thanks for this, Brooks!

Any information on Daniel Hollingshead after he sold this land? Where he might be buried? I am a descendant of his.

This was an excellent read! So grateful to learn about Mr. Terry.

Cape May County is home to 9 to 12 sand pits.

Harbourton School, it’s on the corner of Harbourton Pennington Road and Harbourton in Hopewell Township, New Jersey. Last I saw it was still red. It is privately owned. I did go to school there along with all my brothers and sisters in 1950s and 1960s.

I am so happy someone finally made an article about the “Sand Pits!” MAN does this bring back memories! The climb up to them from Washington (and having to move over for dirt bikes), The “U” jump and log…The place was basically like a giant figure “8” with two 15-20 ft deep half pipes with “tabletops” so you could just fly up and onto/over one, make a loop around some trees and dive down into the second pipe, rinse and repeat. I had my first kiss at the Pits in 7th grade! Wrote a girl I liked a note and passed it to her in class (remember passing notes?!) at William Annin (which my brother and I rode to school from Manchester Drive most days, because we wanted to hit the Pits as soon as dismissal bell rang out) and set up the whole romantic gesture with her. When the bell ring, we both biked over to the sand pits and my nerves were tested with every step up the hill to the jumps. We kissed, and it was a moment forever etched in my mind. A few seconds later I thought I heard paintball guns going off, and went to investigate…or maybe I just used that as an excuse to congratulate and compose myself LOL. The Sand Pits was the type of place that kids just knew about, experienced and closely guarded. It was the type of place we need more of in today’s world of overdevelopment. It was our version of The Sandlot.

We loved playing Somerset Hills, as guests of Mike and Margie Gottscho. Our children also enjoyed many a snow day sledding off the back of the clubhouse with Mrs. Gottscho, who was quite the daredevil. Our kids were also introduced to tennis on the lovely grass courts there. We eventually joined Roxiticus, and very much enjoyed being members there. SHCC
is a beautiful place to play, and a wonderful environment after golf.

Is there any mention of a beacon being placed on hi tor mountain in haverstraw? I’ve read multiple websites saying they used that point for a beacon because of its elevation above the Hudson.

My house was apparently a one room schoolhouse in Stockton, NJ.

There is a postcard of Echo Lake, Pluckemin in Steck’s Deli. Where is Echo Lake or where was it and what happened to it?

David Burkes Dixie Lee Bakery. In Keansburg nj. Also try the coconut buns.

B & W all the way!

What’s with you guys, Dickie Dees was the original Italian hotdog place never abandoned Newark. Still same location for 96 years. Former Newarker.

I’m 78 years old I used to live in Newark New Jersey and Irvington and we used to go to Jimmy Buff’s when I was 10-15 years old every Friday night that was our dinner treat to this day Jimmy Buff’s has the best hot dog anywhere on this planet we make our own Jimmy buff hot dogs they’re not as good but they’re pretty good that’s the closest thing we can come to get in the Jimmy Buff hot dog. Once you have a Jimmy buff hot dogs from their store you’ll never want to eat anywhere else

I have a picture of my Jolley Trolley softball jersey. Please tell me how to post.

I am the grandson of William Beatty… my mother Jane often reminisced fondly about her time in the castle and her father. I now live in Alaska but someday I would love to visit. Thank you for the article. Scott Branham

There was a drag strip between mcGuire AFB and Fort Dix. I think it was on an old airport runnway or road. When I was in basic training the summer of 1969, we would watch them once in a while. I think it was just a place to try out your car.

My Godparents were the caretakers of the Peapack home, from the 70’s to the 90’s.

I enjoyed spending time there. It was a very understated home. Simple but elegant.

A few things that I remember about the estate. The art books and classical music records in the living room. The gas pump by the side of the garage. I read that it was installed by the Secret Service. The small swimming pool with chicken wire around it.

I also remember the horse barn down the road from the property. On the other side of the road after turning right out of the estate. My cousin had a horse there, if I remember correctly.

My 7th great grandfather, James McCoy (1688-1747), died near Bound Brook at age 59. He was the first elder of the Bound Brook Presbyterian Church when it formed in 1738. His will says he resided “between the first and second mountains in Somerset Co.” Is that closest to Bernard? His will names wife Mary and daughters Margaret, Sarah, and Elizabeth McCoy, plus two slaves. Like him, his first wife Sarah (1693-1744) was buried in the Old Presbyterian Graveyard in Bound Brook. Her stone is the oldest there. I know little else about them. I do not know his parents or where he resided during his first 50 years of life. Can you tell me anything about him? Was he among the earliest settlers of the county? Might he have come from New Brunswick NJ since the Bound Brook church was formed from the New Brunswick Presbyterian church? Can you suggest any leads?

Hojo’s was the best! There was one in Garden City Park, N.Y. 11040 on Long Island. Ah such a good Memory….

Greetings and Happy New Year – I happened across this site because I was trying to find information regarding the builder/s of the AT&T buildings. My Uncle Ernest J. Reisinger was a builder and I have vague information connecting him to this complex. He built most or all of our neighborhood on Fairview Drive (We moved west in 1952), and I recently learned he was somehow involved with the AT&T site. Do you have any information or suggestions how I might proceed to find more information about him and his business?

My Best

Mark

Just came across your article and need some clarification. Is the Sky Top tower 295ft tall? I cannot seem to locate a true height of the structure.

Much thanks!
Dennis

I believe at some point after AT&T left this site, that Pfizer acquired it, but maybe never used it?

Thank you. Pfizer merged with Pharmacia in 2003. (My husband worked for Pfizer in Groton/New London, CT as did my father in Maywood, NJ.) I grew up in Basking Ridge from 1969 through 1979. My parents lived there until 2004.

Re Harbourton Elementary School: Google Maps shows it as 1501 Harbourton Rocktown Road, and it was indeed still red as of 4 months ago 🙂

I am a docent at James Monroe’s Birthplace, and an amateur historian who has studied Monroe’s live in great detail. Interestingly, there is no mention of anyone named Nannie Brown in the life stories of James Monroe. I also take offense to the statement that Monroe was a “school dropout” and a “farm hand”. James Monroe was home taught until he was enrolled by his parents in the highly respected school run by Archibald Campbell, here in Westmoreland County, Virginia. James Monroe attended Campbell’s school with his life long friend John Marshall, fourth chief justice of the United States. Monroe attended Campbell’s school until his father’s death in 1772. He started at William and Mary in 1774, when his Uncle Joseph Jones enrolled him. Monroe never returned to the family farm, and never worked there as a “farm hand”. He did leave William and Mary after he and his classmates seized weapons from the Governor’s palace in 1775. Soon after, Monroe went on to fight in the Battle of Trenton, beginning his military career. So the fifth president was never a school dropout as you called him. But maybe you are not really interested in the facts of James Monroe?

According to Ancestry.com, my grandfather died at this hospital in 1933. He was at the battle of Chateau Thierry and Vasle River, and was gassed. My father was born (illegitimately) in 1929, never knew his father (big family secret). I can’t find grandfather’s death certificate on Ancestry and would love to know his cause of death. I have a copy of a Veteran’s Compensation application which stated his time and place of death; that’s how I know where he died. I’m especially curious now that I see this hospital admitted psych patients.

HI!
I noticed you don’t have the Old Littleton Schoolhouse on your map / list. It was built in 1796. I drive by it every day 🙂

Location: 1780 Littleton Road (Rt. 202 S) Parsippany Troy-Hills, N.J.
Block: 176 Lot: 7
Morris County Historic Sites Survey Number 1429-193

I grew up in Scotch Plains in the 60’s and always visited the Trolley when home from college and later when I was in the Navy! This was a great way to see old highschool friends with new friends. We also went to the Old Straw Hat on Route 22. I still make that shrimp and egg salad today with my own secret dressing! You

I grew up in New Jersey and was the designated stamp lickerer in the family. Like many, we had a kitchen junk drawer where the stamps went. I was probably 11 and remember being so excited to go to the redemption center and get a baseball glove. I can’t remember where the redemption center was but we lived in Bridgewater.

You’re readers may be excited to know that the brand is back with a modern twist. In 2021 I acquired the brand and we are in the process of gearing up to launch with a fun contest. It’s early but if anyone wants to join us at greenstampsforgood.com we’ll throw in 1000 stamps so you’ll be ready when things pop in your area.

Thank you for decorating our lives for 100 years! You are all an enduring bouquet that blooms throughout our beautiful town. Thank you with heartfelt gratitude.

I was wondering if you could do a program on your book to present at our luncheon on March 15 at 12pm at Sonny G’s, 2 South Ave., Cranford for our Wednesday Morning Club. Please let me know if you are available and your fee. Thanks, Gail Opacity 908-276-5195

Missing from McGovern’s article re: Frank McGovern’s siblings, here they are……I am his sister Mary Ellen’s daughter: Frank : born May 1902, died November 1989
Thomas: born June 1903, died July 1969
Edward: born April 1905, died March 1980
Mary Ellen: born, July 1906, died January 1945
Margaret: born December 1908, died January 1999
Elizabeth: born April 1912, died August 1961
Patrick: born May 1915, died August 1987
Theresa: born April 1918, died March 1993
Frederick: born October 1920, died September 1949

I am thrilled that New Jersey’s Gift to America — July 4 Celebration — 2023, Middlebrook, New Jersey, will honor N.J. Continental Congressman Francis Hopkinson, the “Father of the Stars and Stripes.”

Earl P. Williams, Jr., U.S. flag historian (paleovexillologist)

I met my future wife there in the fall of 1955 at the corner table diagonal from the bandstand. She was a beautiful Italian girl who stole my heart at first glance. We were married 50 years when she died at 74. I never met a suitable replacement.

Did u forget the Presby Iris Gardens in Upper Montclair?

1812 – Montrose Schoolhouse
13 Montrose Road, Colts Neck, NJ 07722

Monmouth County

https://www.facebook.com/events/colts-neck-historical-preservation-committee/montrose-school-house-weekend-in-old-monmouth/845014798985232/

John R. II, so Dobbs family legend goes, used to walk down from Boulderwood to my grandfather’s (Joe Dobbs) office on Dayton St. and sit and chat with him. When strolling his estate he would sometimes wear a fedora hat with the top cut out and a little pie tin put in it’s place. The birds would come down and eat bird seed out of it. And it’s said that when folks came to picnic on his estate, if he was nearby that he’d pick up and move away so they could enjoy their picnic in peace.

My brother Steve says that Grandpa was the business agent for the Roeblings, and with my cousin Joe Jr’s involvement in the break up and sale of the estate there may be some truth to that.

As a young boy the first time I ever remember seeing a peacock I was on the back roof of the Roebling place and one spotted me up there and let out a scream. I remember I dropped my hammer and thought a woman was screaming. All of Dad’s carpenters there got a good laugh and told me that the peacocks were the estate security system. They’d let out a shriek if they didn’t know you.

I have no insight into why Roeblings came to Bernardsville that I can recall. My dad (Harold Dobbs) might have known, but he’s been gone since 2001. There were a lot of questions I would like to ask him about the business and his role in the area, but never got to take that ride around the Hills with him and a camcorder. 🙁 All the business records were tossed when Dad shut down the business (Dobbs Builders and Harold J. Dobbs, Inc.) in the late 70’s.

You might look up my cousin W. Barry Thomson, he’s done a lot of research on the local estates and something might have turned up that didn’t make it into one of the books.
I haven’t researched any of that history beyond my own recollections, but there they are for better or worse. 🙂

Back in the early 1960’s at Wildwood’s Sportland Pier on the Boardwalk was their famous Motordrome. Known as the “Wall of Death” Motorcycles would run inside a huge barrel structure on the inside wall ( going on a really high speed). On the outside of the motordrome to attract customers they had a guy on a megaphone calling people to come in with either a male or female motorcyclists dressed like WW 1 aviators standing on a motorcycle that was raised above the ground to be stationary and the motor running at hi speed. It was worth a buck to climb the steps with everyone and stand around the top of the wall and watch the motorcycles go round and around. My best memories of NJ.

Having lived in Liberty Corner on Lyons Rd for 40 yrs , from the late 60s , I can tell you that Irwin was a daily part of our lives . We then had little boxes at the small PO and picked up our mail daily as LC had no mail delivery. We had to pay for our boxes or pay Basking Ridge to deliver to us at the street address . Hardly seemed fair as BR didn’t have to pay for boxes or mail delivery. Didn’t seem fair to Irwin either as he was in the little PO in conversation with Miss Rita about this injustice . But he always said hello and was extra nice to my den of cub scouts when we went to the farm to see “the production of maple syrup “. Such wonderful history you produced here . Thank you

I lived in peapack from 1970-1972.
I saw Jackie Onassis in her four wheel Jeep when she attended The catholic church.

Great list, especially glad that you gave Atlantic City its due. I would add Craftsman Farms in Parsippany-Troy Hills to the honorable mention list. Gustav Stickley’s designs were hugely influential, especially during the early twentieth-century building boom.

Perhaps now that you have several stories referencing Warren Township, such as this story about Schwaebische-Alb and the Eggomat, you might include a menu for easy access?

https://www.mrlocalhistory.org/category/towns/

So interesting to learn the history of some of the iconic Warren sites. Happy to subscribe!

Old Ardena School # 2 built 1855 (Monmouth County)
Located at the Corner of Old Tavern & Preventorium Rds, Howell, NJ 07731
Open to the public the last Sunday of the Month from 1-4 PM March thru October
Owned and operated by the Howell Heritage and Historical Society
https://www.howellheritagehistoricalsociety.org/

Ardena School was first established in 1835, and the current building was constructed in 1855. In 1938, the current day Ardena School consolidated Howell’s 11 schools.

What is the significance of the Value of the stamps being “1 2/3 mills” ? What is a mill?
Born Fitkin Hospital at Neptune, N.J. raised 07720.

Good morning. I am one of the partners continuing the proud traditions of the Krogoll family and Dewy Meadow Foods. I came across your article and enjoyed reading it and learning more about the history of the company.
I would be happy to discuss current operations and share with you the nice story of how the transition came about and our plans to carry on the legacy the family built. If you wanted to visit the new plant, I would happily provide a tour.

My parents used to take us there on occasion as we had some Swiss and German in our family. They loved the atmosphere and the food and I was sad to see it close. We also used to go to the Oktoberfest at Farcher’s Grove and I believe that moved or was somehow incorporated into the Deutscher Club in Clark where you can also attend some wonderful public biergartens and Oktoberfests. There were always rumors that there were Bund meetings held at Scwaebische Alb before WWII but that might have simply been anti-German grumblings at the time.

I’ve been a hard core user since 2005 and my career is in data analytics. I lead developers that build dashboards with key KPIs for the business. You perfectly articulated my biggest frustration point. I can’t tease out any insights. I’d love to see simple things like, # of people per state, country, birthdate, cause of death, those never married. Those even just missing certain vitals.
I have dozens of custom tags I’ve made too I’d love to use for analysis (ie: I track those that fought in wars all the way back to the revolution)
I have over 50k people between my maternal and paternal tree. So much to analyze and there are no tools and likely never will be.

I could ramble on, this is my most favorite topic 😍

This sounds like an interesting and fun event for the community. Unfortunately I’ve committed to attend a wedding shower in Belmar, NJ and will be unable to attend. I look forward to joining future events.

Please send me information on joining

What a wonderful history of Willie’s as we still refer it as…We came here in the 80’s…We have heard so many tales, each one interesting in it’s own right…We still frequent this establishment thru all its changes…Its always like coming home no matter who carry’s this very bright tourch…

@Bonnie Verberg
Lord Stirling did not have “heavy investment” in the slave trade.
He had *temporary* investment in the slave trade. He operated those 2 boats 1 time and then left the business, wanting no further involvement.
“Heavy investment” implies prolonged, sustained involvement, more than a single venture which turned him off of the whole thing.
I also find it distasteful that you show up here to attack and slander and demonize people based on common activity of the time in which they were alive.

You realize that slavery was a worldwide phenomenon then and still is today, that only a small fraction of African slaves were brought to the Americas.

You should be thanking Lord Stirling. It was due to his effort, and other slave-owning Founders, that slavery was able to be abolished.

Hi to Project Members and to Cousin Betsy!

I didn’t know most of these great things that Betty had to tell us… I think I was about 6 months old the last time that I “saw” Aunt Nettie. Nettie’s brother John McCollum Allen, my great-grandfather, was a bit younger, born in 1874, but passed away before I was born.

JJ was a local builder, and area houses built in the mid to late 1800s might have been the work of his teams. I have a photo of one such house, belonging to another of my ancestors, Ezra Dayton. IMO though it was on Mt. Airy Road, it belonged on Mockingbird Lane.

According to notes that I have from Nettie, “William Allen came to America from Scotland in the company of John McCollum around 1702”. JJ’s father Alexander was born in 1800, and his grandfather Samuel (RWV) was born in 1750, so there appears to be a missing generation in the story. John McCollum, aka “Old John”, ~1657 – 1760, whose headstone is at the church, is an ancestor of many BR families but the links are at best obscure – at least to me!

JJ’s mother was Mary McCollum, b 1797, daughter of (RWV) Malachi McCollum, b 1760. JJ was baptised, “John McCollum Allen”, and grew up on Malachi’s farm earning him the nickname, “JJ”, or “John Jr”, to differentiate him from Mary’s brother John McCollum who also lived on the farm.

I would be happy to share more of what I am able to substantiate of the Allen family history, including a great deal of Nettie’s other original material with anyone interested, under the single proviso that they agree not to allow it into the hands of Ancestry.com and similar.

Through the late 70’s, I would go to Howard Johnson’s on Friday night for the all-you-can-eat tendersweet clams!
I’d still do it today if it were possible. The Howard Johnson’s motor lodges were quite luxurious, more beautiful than Holiday Inn!

It is not my intention to further besmirch the reputation of Charles Lee, but I note that in the following link from History.com that General Charles Lee’s presence in Widow White’s Tavern is attributed to his seeking female companionship in the form of prostitution. This would, of course, besmirch the reputation of the tavern-owner, as well:
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/washington-orders-general-lee-to-new-jersey?cmpid=email-hist-tdih-2023-1121-11212023&om_rid=87f45d590498f184c8540ec6c3c77e32bfea14e09dade294a1d0cbbf7be3776d
Based on your knowledge, I wonder how you view this allegation? Thank you for looking into this.

I attended Harbourton in 1971. At that time, it was one room for 3rd grade and the other was 4th grade. Younger kids went to Timberlane. I have fond memories of my friend, Ivan, and I being sent to the basement for being disruptive in class 🙂

We held my wedding reception at the Schwaebische Alb in 1984. My Mom’s parents immigrated from Germany prior to WWII, and they enjoyed delicious German fare at this lively restaurant in the 1980s.

My father was in the US Army in World War11 Signal Corp..He was from Bernardsville NJ and always loved planes..He took lessons in at the Basking Ridge Somerset Hills Airport in 1947 and got his pilot license under the GI Bill..I have a picture of him with me at 1 1/2 yrs old next to his favorite Piper Cub which he took his lessons in..Also found an article in Planifield Courier News dated Sept.8th 1947 naming EX GIs who got their pilot licenses at this airport..Dad, .Grafton Ely, passed away in 1997..We were living in the Belle Mead Depot Neshanic NJ at the time he achieved his license and was working there as an GSA Security Guard..He built models all his life and I realize why his love for the Piper Cub now..I could send a copy of the picture and the article he saved if you’d like..I was always with my Dad going to Airports although he never did get to buy one..

May I offer the following corrections ~

Morris Birnbaum should read “Norris” Birnbaum

Rev. Rudolf J. Keyle should read Rev. Rudolf “J.S. Keyl”

Best wishes and congratulations on the centennial anniversary of this event!

Watched the the candy dynasty and am curious the exact address where the Mars factory was located in Newark, NJ.

Great local history indeed. I am a current Liberty Corner resident and am curious if you have any info on a very old home at 376 Mt Airy Rd at the intersection of Galloping Hill Rd. Tax records list the construction date as 1720 and the sagging roof lines, bowing walls and larger property than the surrounding properties seem to corroborate that date. Interestingly, yet possibly not coincidentally, the current owner has the last name Johnston and of course that area may well have been part of the former Johnston-Annan property! Would love info on that.

Whom could we ask for permission to use the little illustration of the meeting house?
We’d like to use it in a family history book, which will probably have a very limited
sale potential.
Our ancestor, John Conn, owed ten pounds to the Brown estate, in 1750, probably for land he held on the E. Branch of Dead River.
Thanks, Bud Conn

I think 40 minutes from Bernardsville to Princeton in those days might have worked. Much less traffic than these days.

I never knew a Robert Roebling, but it’s possible he was a relative of some sort. The estate was still functioning in those days, so that would fit.

Thanks for sharing another thread to the story. 🙂

My mother purchased her clear crystal wine and water goblets with green stamps sometime the 1960’s. They were etched with grapes. I’m trying to find information on them, but have not been able to find anything. Is there anyone out there who would know anything at all about these? Thanks, SJA – West Rutland VT

I loved working in the international legal department with James Talbot, and I remember Mike Berg as well as some of the other great people who were there too. Before that working at Bell Labs. What I missed was the feeling that we took care of each other. My father, my grandfather, and I worked in different parts of the bells. Never together or even in the same bell. But you had a sense of history. We were all very proud of our contribution and sad to see it go.

My family used to go to the Egg o mat on Sunday nights , very convenient.

Here are two for you:
1. Randolph Road, Howell. Visible from aerial. Rumor has it that there was some sort of military encampment there around WW1 also.
2. Bridgeton Fairgrounds, Fayette St, Bridgeton. This was in use from the late 1800’s up till around 1968 or 1970 as far as I know. It looks like investors have bought the land and it will soon be mowed down for development. Visible on aerial.

I worked for AT&T at 295 N. Maple Ave from 1987-1997. We called it “Shangrila.” I began my career as an Executive Secretary and had the privilege of ascending the brass staircase to C-Suite on many occasions. These leaders were viewed as almost god-like. Golden Boy shined his luster upon the main lobby, which was carpeted in an opulent purple with gold lines. Each building was about 1/4 mile, and you had to plan walking time to get to meetings on time. I roamed the halls quite often and knew many of the 5K+ people in the building. It was a great time to work in corporate America. When you left work at the end of the day, the cell circuits were jammed all along Interstate 295 because almost everyone who worked there had a cell phone.

I started with AT&T in 1978 in Bedminster, NJ. I ended up at the Ridge from 1982 thru 1987 working in HR Data Systems and Workers Comp and then ttransferred to Charlotte, NC. I loved working at the Ridge. They would also have vendors coming in weekly to sell their wares.

I appreciate your retrospective.Please note, James Malcolm Belcher’s sister was Mary Watts Belcher (1891-1980). She married twice. First to Charles Ashmun and then, after his death, to Gayle L.Young.

What is our best course of action to STOP this destruction of historic Bernardsville?

Golden Boy will be with me forever. His likeness appears on the face of a watch I received from AT&T as a service anniversary gift. I have no recollection of how many years I had to work for AT&T to receive this gift.

I always considered myself so fortunate to have had the opportunity to have worked at 295. It was a blessing to be apart of the executive staff at a special time.

Love the history.

Growing up my family and I ate there at least twice a week in the late 80’s to 1996

Fantastic story saw ur unsolved mysteries

Missing Cranford businesses
1. Fern’s Furniture
2. Hathaway’s
3. Cranford Knitting & Fabric
4.Builders General
5. Alban & Lewis Hardware
6. Cranford Meat Market
Just to name a few. Many great ones are no longer. Over years Cranford had quality businesses.

Which do you think is the best? I grew up in Union (Union County). I am now living in North Carolina. I was introduced to Crumb Cake by Entemans. Lowes Foods (NC) makes a better one.

Business that closed in Liberty Corner after more than fifty years.
Liberty Corner First Aid Squad

Does anyone have information on the Farmdale School House? I believe it was two rooms for grades up to 8th or 12th grade. My father, his two brothers, and his two sisters attended there around 1935-45 or so. I can’t seem to find anything about it other than his notes.

Greetings. I stumbled upon this article doing some genealogical research. I’m unsure if this is still active or how long ago this was written. However, the Ricciardi’s were the brothers of my great grandmother, Annamaria.

In the article there seems to be some content missing…right under the 1923 map…the paragraph stars…”Ricciardi sold the grocery…” Any insight into the context would be helpful!

My mom gave this a big WOW. She remembers spending time with them in Bernardsville.

With thanks.

My father purchased 9 acres of this property in 1950 from Millicent Fenwick (Hammond) and that is where I grew up The house (torn down c.1993) was owned at one time by Dr, Purdy, an ophthalmologist with offices in NYC. The ‘U’ shaped driveway entered the property by the house (321 Mendham Road) and eventually rejoined Mendham Road through the two stone pillars which marked the original entry for the Somerset Inn. I will try to compile an essay of growing up there in particular along with general memories of B’ville in the 1950s-60s. The foundations of the Inn were still there and I collected many artifacts in the woods. Have many pictures as well. Great place to grow up!

Fascinating article about the ball that was held during the revolution and that General and Mrs. Washington Actually stayed overnight in the Boylan House in Pluckemin.
My parents owned the Boylan house from 1961 to 1976. I grew up there.

If you think that’s better, you should see with your feet in the snow at the hospital. I got pictures if you need proof oh, you want some of the worst food ever tasted in my life there’s no way to treat Veteran.

Anyone remember the Peapack Hotel?

My father had two milk vending machines in the 1960s in Clifton. One was at the corner of Lexington and Clifton Avenues in gas station. I am not sure where the other was. He sold Garden State Farms milk at the time. They were broken into from time to time for the money.

Grat memories. My grandmother was Ferdinand Van Dorn’s granddaughter. Will Child’s was her husband’s brother in law. Lots of stories about the old mill and the Child’s’ restaurants. My dad worked at one in NYC flapping pancakes in the window.

Anyone know anyone who used to work at Freedmans in Belmar. I’m recipe hunting, I miss their hard rolls.

The Town Lunch — luncheonette – Broad St (site of Vicki’s Diner)

Savani Imports, Indian Import store for saree fabric, insense, hookahs, brass items. 1970s. North Ave. Westfield

The Old Library has to be #1. It dates back to before the American Revolution. It continues to have a mystique around it. Imagine the revolutionary soldiers drinking there while they were encamped at the outer edges of Jockey Hollow.

African American +50 Classic Kawasaki and Suzuki Association of Newark, NJ has deemed Krug’s as our burger destination. It’s has been always an inviting experience and the burger is undeniable the best. Let’s not forget the balance between price and value, you will not be disappointed. But, do not accept my opinion, fact check me.

1. Garden Botanika (corner of Elm and Broad Street)- retail store similar to Bath & Body Works
2. Express (where Warby Parker is now)- apparel store
3. Talbots (North Ave next to Limani)- apparel store
4. ESPRIT (East Broad St where Yestercades is now)- apparel store

Westfield Sweet Shoppe. 219 East Broad Street. Served Breakfast , lunch and dinner. Homemade ice cream and candy.

Was there another brother, Rudy? We haven’t seen Henry in a year or two. Hope he is well. Love his cow bell.

On my visits to NJ to see family, we have driven out to Basking Ridge a few times to try and find the site of the Somerset Hills Airport (SHA) with no luck. Today I saw the sign!! I started taking flying lessons at Somerset Hills Airport after my sophomore year of high school, the summer of 1972. A year later, after tuing 17, I earned my Private Pilot’s license. I got my pilot’s license 10 days before my drivers license…you had to be 17 to drive back then. I always joke that my parents had to drive me to the airport so I could take them for an airplane ride. Back then a two-seat trainer, a Cessna 150, rented for $14 per hour and a 4-seater Cessna 172 was around $18 per hour. They are about 10 times that now. The instructor was somewhere around an additional $6-8 per hour. Needless to say, I could afford to pay for my flying lessons with my burger flipping job at the Overlook Hospital coffee shop.

The Kiwanis Fair was an icon of Bernards Township culture throughout the 60s and 70s. I remember the pony rides and dog shows and antique cars while in elementary school. Later I remember the dunking booth, Oompa Band, carnival rides and Up With People & RHS band concerts. The last fair (‘83) that I attended was as part of the first aid standby with LCFAS and my wife of 40 years (Liz Allen Harris) after the parade.

I am surprised that The Party Stop was not voted for. Everyone rented all of their costumes and party supplies from them. They were there over 40 years.

August 1968 Somerset Grain and Feed fire.

also! bath junkie, 221 N Ave E. another core middle school memory where you could make custom body mists and lotions and stuff.

Wow.

CitySports Westfield (may have the spelling wrong here)
East Broad Street
Sports Equipment and Clothing

Fun reading this article! My uncle’s (Joe Petrone) brother-in-law was Joe Cirillo. He had moved his grocery store from Bernard Ave to 5 Maple. Uncle Joe P was married to Angie (Cirillo) and lived above the store here for years! Joe C. used to give us candy when we went to visit. Of course the kids loved that! There were 2 other Cirillo sisters Rose but I Cannot remember the other.