Reconvening of Trenton Jewish Historical Society November 5, 2015

Reconvening of Trenton Jewish Historical Society 

November 5, 2015

Attendees

• Barry Troll
•  
• Harriet Kravitz Gilligan
• 
  
• Anne Himmelstein Daitz
• 
  
• Allen Applebaum
• 
  
• Faye Drucker Applebaum
• 
  
• Hon. Mark Litowitz
• 
  
• Sherry Spiezle
• 
  
• Tula Schnorbus Kurtz  
•  
• Herb Spiegel
• 
  
• Arthur Finkle

Please join us, send your contact info to 
           Arthur Finkle - afinkle221@yahoo.com
           Albert Stark -  astark@stark-stark.com

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2.       Are you interested in Jewish immigration

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3.       Are you interested in Trenton  Shul history (Which Congregation)

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6.       Are you interested in Jews adaptation to American

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7.       Are you interested in Trenton Jewish education development

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8.       Are you interested in Trenton Jewish Cemetery history  (Which one)

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9.       Are you interested in information on Major Philanthropic/Social institutions

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10.   Are you interested in the history of Jewish exodus patterns from Trenton

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Please your comments to 

Art Finkle -

afinkle221@gmail.com

Naomi Lavine Houser

Naomibh44@hotmail.com

Nostalgia - Trenton's Transportation

Nostalgia - Trenton's Transportation

My vantage point was Hermitage Avenue, near the canal, between Edgewood and Bellevue Avenues.  Oftentimes stopped by the magnificent rhythmic sound of the engine and the pistons creating a boundless energy that was a magic to a boy.

The engine itself belched out black smoke as if it were breathing in a strenuous task, conquering some impossible impediment.

Then, the freight cars came, the box cars, the coal cars (then the oil cars, the refrigeration cars, the hazardous materials cars.  See below.

The game was to first count how many cars the strong muscled engine pulled. Then, the sub- game was how many box cars, coals cars, hazardous materials cars, etc.

Of course, although the breakthrough originally was in the 1880's, it took decade for refrigerated rail cars to become the norm, significantly refrigerated goods prolonged the live and sanitation of foods.

The line running through Trenton was the Belvidere line running from Trenton to Phillipsburg. The Belvidere Delaware Railroad traversed along the eastern shore of the Delaware River from Trenton, New Jersey north via Phillipsburg, New Jersey to Belvidere, New Jersey. It served as part of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) system, carrying  anthracite coal from northeastern Pennsylvania to population centers along the coast..

Passenger travel for the occasional trip to New York meant going on the Pennsylvania Railroad and it's then antiquated station. The passenger trains had open windows and generally uncomfortable but faster than driving.  For passenger trains. See below.

For local transportation, Trenton Transit provided the means. Indeed, all my days at Trenton High, I traveled the Trenton Transit bus.  When I went for a French horn lesson, Trenton Transit carried me to Hamilton Square where my teacher, Herb Pierson, who played in the Philadelphia Orchestra, picked me up.

The Trenton Transit Bus Depot was forgettable. Located on Perry Street that had seen better days, you took your life in your hands if you either got off or departed

Gil Sussman and Arthur Levie (a cousin) bought the Richmond Bus Company (now Starr Transit).  They garnered the interstate franchise from Trenton to Morrisville and Yardley, Pa., thus opening up the suburban living. Its station was on West Hanover Street, near the Elks Club on Warren Street. 

Transportation

As a kid, one of my pastimes was to watch to smoke rise from the locomotive and the pulleys rhythmically churning the pistons to perfect the engine on this magnificent specimen of technology.

I used to count the number of cars; the types of cars (coal, oil, box, refrigeration, caboose, etc) - some to while the time away. My perch was on Hermitage Avenue near the canal.

Watching the Belvidere Line, most of these trains carried freight as the box car below.

For fuel, some carried coal

Later on, oil tankers predominated

The highlight, of course, was the quaint outline of the caboose.

Sometimes, on my occasional trips to Philadelphia or New York, I took the passenger train at the Pennsylvania Rail Road Station on S. Clinton Avenue

Of course, the normal means of my transportation  other than walking, was to take the Trenton Transit (see Trenton Transit tokens).

As Trenton's population spread into  Morrisville and Yardely, PA, Gil Sussman and Arthur Levie (my cousin) bought the Richmond Bus Company (now Starr Bus Company); garnered the franchise to make the Trenton-Yardley run to open new vistas for suburban living. The bus station was right in downtown Trenton on West Hanover Street, near the Elks Club on Warren.

Comments August 2015

Comments 

Trenton Heard from Al Clark, professional umpire. Son of Herbie Clark (nee Sklarz) Art The boxer Schlossberg you mention must have been related to one of the really nice guys ( particularly for a lawyer) I knew growing up; Johnny Schlossberg. I would like to add another Jewish boxer who made a name for himself here in River city; Georgie Levy. After retirement George ran a fuel oil business. He was a contemporary of "Young Terry, the Trenton Buzzsaw" on Trenton's Jewish Athletes

As a kid growing up on Fall St. K-6 I walked to Parker School on Union St. (the other side of the tracks, moving on to Jr. 4 as a teenager I caught the Public Service bus directly across from "My Shul People of Truth". While waiting for the bus I would admire the Cathedral Like architecture of this magnificent house of worship. I would often be recognized by the morning worshipers; not as Mickey or Mike, but as "Yotski's boy" I still have a photo taken in the 60's before I hastened the destruction of the only place I could remember total Happiness as a kid; my South Trenton neighborhood as a member of the City's Planning and Redevelopment Office. on Trenton Synagogues

Charles Graff, my grandfather, rolled La Primadora Graff. on Trenton's Cigar Makers

Ted Cooper and his lovely wife were genuine real people. I was a customer, and more importantly as Ted would say, " a friend". As a licensed health inspector with the City of Trenton, I often would consult with Ted on a new, and suspicious breed of bug. He was Always there to help. I miss the guy. I got to know one of his sons briefly before retiring. A chip off the old block, knowledgeable and helpful. Best wishes for continued success. Mike Kuzma on Trenton’s Stores

Arthur: Do you have an address for the tavern? Street names are unreadable. Mike on Trenton Photos #1 Bekanntlich stöhnen die meisten Männer über Depressionen und Stress,Onlinezeitung Zeilengeist doch die Frau ist mittlerweile in der heutigen Zeit ebenso in der Berufswelt angekommen und plagt sich mit denselben Problemen herum. onTrenton’s Early Sephardi and German Jewish Population Jewish Farming in the United States - July 2015 Ruth Bogutz 8:10 PM (23 hours ago) Thank you so much for sharing this material with me.  I have really enjoyed looking through it and have learned much.  All of this is most fascinating to me and I can not understand why is is an almost unknown part of our history. As I told you when we spoke last- we are dealing with some health issues at tis time which are not allowing my full concentration of my history research.  I am looking forward to rereading what you've sent and being able to read the sources you have indicated. Thank you! On Sat, Jul 4, 2015 at 12:45 PM Estelle Finkle June 14, 2015 Hello, Art, thanks for helping me contact Sherry [Spiegel].  But it turns out that I heard from her, with yet more family news.  My youngest cousin Susan Nochumson passed away last week, June 6, apparently from a sudden heart attack. She was the daughter-in-law of my aunt Marcia Finkle Nochumson.   I"m devastated, she was such a kind, gentle person and she was planning a trip here in the fall.  I really wanted to see her.  So it goes.  I hope you are feeling OK.  I'm now the youngest of my first cousins. Hi Mr. Finkle,     My name is Miriam Bebitch, and my grandfather, Max Bebitch, owned a butcher store on Lamberton St. I see that there is     a Balitz's Chickens store. Do you know anything about the owner? I think that might be my grandfather's store, but I am not     sure. He came to the country around the turn of the century and passed away in 1935. His name was originally Babicz.    Any information you can give me would be appreciated. Thank you.     Miriam Bebitch Miriam <mbeb57@verizon.net> Hi Mr. Finkle,     My name is Miriam Bebitch, and my grandfather, Max Bebitch, owned a butcher store on Lamberton St. I see that there is     a Balitz's Chickens store. Do you know anything about the owner? I think that might be my grandfather's store, but I am not     sure. He came to the country around the turn of the century and passed away in 1935. His name was originally Babicz.    Any information you can give me would be appreciated. Thank you.     Miriam Bebitch Miriam <mbeb57@verizon.net> Art: Can't recall a butcher shop on Lamberton St. Seem to recall Lamberton St. was essentially residential from Factory to Market, and Market  to the Railroad Tracks.  Once over the tracks you were no longer in OUR LITTLE ENCLAVE. The Balitz name I recall is Abe, there was a friendship with my dad as I remember. Sorry I can;'t be more helpful. Mike Hi Art, Yes Sherry is my cousin. She is a political analyst/teacher out in California. Been there for many years. She is on Facebook under Sherry Jeffe. Thanks for looking into my question about the store. I would love to know if that was his store. I do have a picture taken from probably around 1914 of a store front with my grandfather in front, and it is on Lamberton St. The store front is in Hebrew so I don't know what it says. My father was a toddler in the picture, and he was born in 1912. If you find anything out, please let me know. Thanks so much, Miriam Mark Litowitz melit7@verizon.net I remember a "Bebitch", but it wasn't Max. Probably a son.