Pennsbury Manor

To understand New Jersey history a littel better, sometimes you have to cross the river.  The Whitall History Readers' Book Club took a field trip this week to Pennsbury Manor, just outside of Bristol, Pa. 

For information contactwww.pennsburymanor.org

Pennsbury is open from August to December 2013.  Our tour guide had been a military history man until he came to Pennsbury Manor, so knowing that we were from Red Bank Battlefield, we established an instant raport.  He was one of thos extraordinary docents who can tell just how much information to offer.  Since we are all sincere and enthusiastic history researchers, we were interested in EVERYTHING he had to tell us about the complex and fascinating William Penn. 

There are 14 sites to visit at Pennsbury Manor including a museum with a gift shop.  The house tour was very interesting.

If you ar driving and have a gps, the address is 400 Pennsbury Memorial Rd., Morriville, Pa.  19057,
phone 215-946-0400

My personal favorites were the Brew House in the kitchen outbuilding, where there were many tools I have never seen before including a  'hatchell' of which I have been curious because I have a special interest in fibers.  It has been my hope to someday learn spinning and weaving, and I have already tried knitting.  It seems magical to me that people learned how to turn a stiff fibrous grassy plant into flax fiber and then into yarn on a spindle and finally into linen.  What a laborious process!   The flax was harvested, most likely by scythe, then soaked, then 'hatchelled' then stripped though a tool the name of which I have forgotten, then the fibers were spun and the spindle, when full went to the weaver.  My generation of chldren like many before me, were raised on fairytells that involved princesses making weaving deals with jealous and cunning little people with magic powers to turn straw into gold.  They got their fingers pricked on spinning wheels and all sorts of adventures ensued.  Natrurally, I always wanted to see spinning wheels.

We had lunch at nearby Bristol at the King George Tavern located at 102 Radcliffe St.  The King George is the oldest continuously operating tavern in the COUNTRY.  It was built in 1765 and was the headquarters of General Cadwalader during the Revolution. Among the predictable tavern fair food choices there are delicious vegetarian options available.  I had potato soup and a hummus and avocado wrap both of which were delicious. 

Bristol itself, boasts 50 historic sites on a self-guided tour brochure available at the King George Tavern.  We didn't have time on this trip, but if you start out early and have a whole day available to you, the places on the list look interesting.

Two things to do this weekend September 21/22, 2013

On Saturday, you can attend the Burlington County Historians' Roundtable at the historic Red Dragon Canoe Club, located 221 Edgewater Ave., Edgewater Park, NJ 609-387-9817.  The original Red Dragon Canoe Club was founded in 1883 by Woodward Norgrave.  They moved to the building they now inhabit in 1925.  That's a hundred and thirteen years of operation!  Pretty commendable.
On Sunday the 22, we have Field Day at the Whitall House, Red Bank Battlefield, National Park, NJ.   If you haven't seen the upstairs yet, come early and take a tour.  It is Soldiers Weekend - a new event and I'll have to see what that means.  I'll be on duty from 12:30 to 3:00 probably in the museum room.
My Weimaraner Lab Mix, Trixie, and I spent the morning at the Big Timber Creek Dog Park which was gorgeous - what absolutely intoxicating weather!  If you have any cobwebs in your head, go hike the trails at the BTCDP and let the fresh air of the woodland trails blow them away.  You don't need a dog to hike the bridle paths.  Coming from the Camden direction on the Black Horse Pike, make a left onto Chews Landing Road, then in 20 miles another left into the drive of the clearly marked park.
If you do have a dog, I recommend you go early, as on weekends the park gets crowded in good weather.
I've finished the 1300 page novel Sacajewea, very well researched and now I've begun Undaunted Courage, about the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Happy Trails!  Jo Ann

#10 and final note on the CCC in New Jersey Plus GSoSC

 A fellow history buff told me about this letter written by a veteran of teh CCC, called "It's a Great Life" by Robert L. Miller.  Find the letter at this link (copy and paste):
http://new deal.feri.org/ccc/ccc009.htm

It really sums of the experience of the CCC from an insider and makes me wish we had a such a program today for our out of work young people.  At the end of the poignant letter he writes "I enrolled as a boy, unsteady, groping, unsure.  I wanted something but could not describe it or discover a means for attaining it.  Then I discovered  what it was I was seeking.  It was the right to call myself a man.  My life at camp had given me that right, and I shall be ever grateful to President Roosevelt and the CCC.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission presents:
GOT WORK? New Deal/WPA in New Jersey Lecture Series
Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013 1:30 and again at 3:00 plus
Kathleen Duxbury discussing the CCC Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. 
East Jersey Olde Towne Village, 1050 River Rd., Piscataway, NJ (free - but registration required by mail at above address)


Last night I went to the Salem Co. Genealogical Society Lecture series, the first of the year (with Harry Schaeffer,  a fellow docent at the Whitall House Red Bank Battlefield) where Jim Schulte presented on 350 years of New Jersey history.
The audience is very historically well educated and interested.  He divided us into groups and gave us a large sheet of oak tag and a marker.  Then we were given a couple of minutes to write down historical sites or events or figures for each letter of the alphabet.  After each letter, we shared what we had written.  Needless to say with such an audience, there were many new and very interesting items.  It was so much fun.  Often at the many courses and lectures I attend,  a presenter lectures and all around the room, you see heads dropping.  This time, everyone was fully engaged and having a ball.  I think most of us learned something new.
Happy History!

#9 in CCC in NJ

Hi folks, if your interest has been whetted for more on the Civilian Conservation Corps in New Jersey, there are several places you can go on the 'net for more; there are also books, video, and of course, the signage at the State Parks on the hikes.

Internet Resources:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/fsahtml/fahome.html
http://www.loc.gov/search/greatdepression.html

The Farm Security Administration was responsible for literally thousands of wonderful photographs of New Jersey in the 1930's.  One photographer whose name I saw over and over was Arthur Rothstein.  You can find information about him as well.

Books:
The WPA Guide to 1930's NJ
The Tree Army:  A Pictorial History of the CCC1933-1942 - S. Cohen
In the Shadow of the mountain: The Spirit of the CCC E. G. Hill
Nature's New deal:  The CCC and the Roots of the America Environmental Movement, N. M. Maher
The Dream and the Deal:  The Federal Writers' Project 1935-1943, M. Lesey
Utopia, New Jersey:  Travels in the Nearest Eden, Perdita Buchan

Video:  The CCC Boys, Video Library (Living in Virginia)

Audio Book:  Franklin Delano Roosevelt by Roy Jenkins

Museum
http://www.nps.gov/shen/photosmultimedia/photogallery.htm

GROUPS
www.cccalumni.org

And for all things Pine Barren, don't forget Barb Solem's book
Ghosttowns and Other Quirky Places in the New Jersey Pine Barrens 

Tonight Jim Schulte will be speaking athe Salem County Genealogical Society at Friends' Village, Friends Dr., Woodstown, NJ

Phone:(856) 769-1500

Greenwich Arts Faire

Hello, any of you who have ever visited Greenwich for the historic house tour or the Arts and Crafts festival, know that it is well worth your time and trouble to get there.  I especially enjoy the fair - it ends the summer and starts harvest for me.  It wasn't that easy to find out when it was being held, however.  My early searches only gave me last year's info, so finally today, via a vendor's link, I found out this year's dates and times. 
It will be held September 28th and 29 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  When I get there, I'll try to get information on their Holiday Historic House tour - one that I always strongly recommend.  It is so festive and beautiful.
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann

#8Protest and Rebellion in the Ranks

Now, you must remember that the CCC men were generally between the ages of 16 and 24.  Indeed, my own father was a6 when he joined in Philadelphia and served in the creation of the Skyline Drive.  Strange to reflect on it now, we made so many vacations there when I was a child, and my father rarely reminisced about his time there in the CCC.  I don't think I really got it until I was middle aged.  We take it for granted that kids understand stuff that is, in essence, meaningless to them like human language to dogs and cats.  He probably told us about it but I had no context for acronyms like the CCC or the WPA and probably it rolled right through my brain like rain through a gutter.
Anyhow, young men do have a propensity for rebellion, and the young CCC boys of Manahawkin had suffered enough when their leaders blew reveile one morning after a 24 hour fire fight.  The refused to get up or obey orders to return to regular duties.  Thirty-one of them were expelled and sent home.  They weren't the only ones.   In West Orange, 125 men protested teh quality of their food and the imposition of a curfew.  That's not unlike what happens at home.  However, these young men were being prepared for the war that many could see looming on the horizon and a soldier must be able to 'rise and shine' no matter how tired from his battles the day before, and a soldier can't carry on about his rations or curfew in camp, so fourteen of the protesting CCC men were taken by the police out of camp and returned home. 
I have no way of knowing what happened to them after that but chances are good they ended up in the army, navy or marine corps eventually for the 2nd World War where the hours, work, food and rules were most definitely far more grueling, not to mention deadly.
Well, some fellows like my own dad not only survived the CCC, the military and the war, but lived long and productive lives thereafter.  And many of us, their children, wish we had been less self-centered and asked them to tell us more about their experiences, while we still had them with us.  I miss my father every day.  He was a true hero and a loving and devoted husband to my mother, and father to us kids.
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann   (wrightj45@yahoo.com)

On another subject - the Fido Fest yesterday was hilarious and moving.  Tomorrow, more on that!

Soldiers Weekend & Lecture

Two upcoming events worth note:  A Historic Soldiers Weekend will be held at Fort Mott, New Jersey on September 28th and 29 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  There will be an encampment and several authors will be there.  Also there will be numerous period vehicles on display.  The Address is Fort Mott, 454 Fort Mott Road, Pennsville, NJ 08070  This is a 'timeline' event which means more than one military period will be on display.
For more information go to:  Soldiers Weekend.com
or call Fort Mott at (856)935-3218

I got this information for an old buddy, Jeff M. at the Burlington County Historical Society, Corson Poley Center in Burlington.  My friend Barbara Solem and I were at the Wood Street Arts and Crafts Fair there after going to the Vegetarian Picnic at Long Bridge, earlier in the day.  We dropped in so Barb could look at some manuscripts in their collection in regard to Atsion, where she is a docent, and Batsto, about which she is writing a book.  I mentioned how sorry I was that I had missed the lecture series this year and he told me there was one coming up:

SEPT>29th from 2-4, hear Alan Jeffe about the Chein Toy Company with a display of Chein Toys at the museum.  The fee is $5 with light refeshments and there is a Q and A following the lecture.  I have always very  much enjoyed the lectures in their series , so if you are looking for something to do that day, which is a Sunday, hope you decide to come over.  

So there are two good weekend events for the upcoming month of September.  The weather is great for being outdoors!  ENJOY
Happy Trails, Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com

Update on the update

Please bring a vegan dish to the picnic if you are coming.  For those unfamiliar with this term:
Vegetarian means no meat, fish, meat products such as sausage or bacon.  Vegan means no meat, fish or dairy or eggs or honey.  Salad, grain based foods such as tabouli, or crackers and humus are some suggestions.  Of course fruit is always welcome, too!  There is a $2 fee to cover rental of the pavilian and there are hiking trails at the site.
Additional directions include the following:
Long Bridge Park, Pavilion 3, Deacon Rd & Mt Holly Bypass (Rt 541), Hainesport, NJ 08036
(This is a charming park with a Revolutionary War connection.  I think I've written about it before.)

Update on Vegetarian Picnic

I checked and found out the location and time for the Vegetarian Society of New Jersey picnic:
VSSJ POTLUCK PICNIC ... Saturday September 7, 9am until dusk ... 1000 Main St, Belmar NJ 07719

Fido Festival USA

A quick interjection before I do another Civilian Conservation Corps entry:  On September 7th and 8th from 10:00 a.m. to 5: p.m. there will be a festival of dogs at the Salem County Fairgrounds, Woodstown, NJ.

There will be contests, entertainment, a parade, tips and adoptions from rescues and shelters.  Of course there will be food vendors too and they say (on their postcard), "much much more."

Although I have never  been to the Fido Fest myself, a close friend you've heard me mention many times, a hiking buddy, Barbara Spector, is also a volunteer at local shelters and spay clinics and she has been to the Fair, and she says it is hilarious and uplifting.  Personally, I'm looking forward to the world famous frisbee dog demonstrations.  My dog has only a few tricks (and those the conventional ones, sit and shake hands - even roll over) but she is well behaved over all and a most satisfactory companion.
For someone who loves to walk more than anything, you can't ask for a better pal than a dog.  She doesn't care where, or what the weather, she is always ready to put on the collar or harness & leash (preferably off the leash) and walk. 

We especially like to hike in the woods however and will be most joyful when the weather stays as cool as it is becoming now and we can do longer hikes in the Pine Barrens without threat of ticks and chiggers. 

I'll be at a Vegetarian Society Picnic tomorrow - sorry, I'm going with another friend and I have no further information on that!  Then Sunday, I'll be at Fido Fest with Trixie, my Lab/Weimaraner mix.  On Monday, it's the 'Boards' for me and several other retired teacher friends.  We like the seashore best at the END of the season.

My next entry on the CCC will be #8 Protest and Rebellion - so get tuned in again!
Meanwhile, Happy Trails to you and if you have a dog you take on the trail with you - bring your dog to Fido Fest at the Woodstown Fairgrounds.  For more info:
www.fidofestivalUSA.com or call 856-Fido-3436
Happy Trails!  Jo Ann

#7 in the Series: CCC in SJ - Lebanon State Forest

Way back in the 1970's a group of friends of my 'then-husband' and I would rent a cabin in what is now Brendan Byrne Forest, and was then Lebanon State Forest.  It was the most wonderful weekend.  We would rent in winter and there would be snow and we'd have wood for the fireplace and some of the group played guitar and sang. We ate, hiked, sang, told stories, and in every way had such a wonderful time that all these years later it is still a fond memory for me.

Those cabins are still in great shape though I no longer camp in them.  The last time I did, my daughter was about 10 and we camped there with another mother and daughters.  We hiked and built a fire in the fireplace and played games and had a wonderful time. 

Never at either of those times did I know that the cabins had been built by the Civilian Conservation Corps.  Those young men worked there for 10 years clearing roads, digging fire breaks, re-building bridges, and planting trees.  They also built the handsome pavilion on Pakim Pond, which gets my vote for prettiest pond in South Jersey.  What a splendid view from the Pavilion over the pond.  I frequently go there with my dog and often another friend or two and we hike the 'cranberry trail' from Pakim Pond to the Ranger Station.  We take a picnic lunch to eat in the Pavilion overlooking the Pond, and if we have energy when we get back, we hike around the pond where colorful clumps of carnivorous plants can be seen in season.  Now, however, I often think about the young fellows who worked those 10 years at Lebanon and I feel their ghostly presence with me when I hike.  I hope they feel my gratitude for their labor.  
Happy Trails!
Oh, by the way, the last time I was there, about a month ago, there was a fellow playing guitar in the pavilion.  He was playing Neil Young songs and it was a funny and poignant jump back in time to a younger and more festive period in my life.  But not a happier time!

According to the London School of Economics, the two happiest years in a person's life are age 23 and age 69 - so I like to think I have something to look forward to down the road.  I am pretty happy now, though!  I believe hiking every day and visiting the woods regularly definitely increases happiness and well-being, so does volunteering - giving something back!
Jo Ann

CCC in BellePlain State ForestPart6

There was a large Civilian Conservation Camp (three camps) at Belle Plain State Forest and one of the big projects they achieved was excavating the cranberry bogs of the Meisle Family farm to create Lake Nummy.
If you have never been there, you should go, it is a lovely park and beautiful lake named for a local Native American Chief.
Many of the parks also have cabins and shelters, and lean-tos, built by the CCC in creating Rest and Relaxation Recreation areas out of old farms and reclaimed forest areas.

CCC in NJ - Part 5, Bass River State Park

In the woods at Bass River, you will find a memorial that tells the story of the CCC and their forest reclamation work as well as the great fire of 1936.  The photo display there is excellent.  Among the many pieces of information are photographs of what the facilities looked like at that time.
Company 225 served at camp S55, called New Gretna at the time.  Three yong men died in the forest fire of  1936, when they were encircled and engulfed by the flames, their escape cut off:  Stanly Carr, Edward Sullivan  and John La Salle.
Along with the memorial, there are ruins to be found with partial tiled floors that I found particularly evocative, thinking of the young fellows learning trades they could use later in life.  They learned carpentry by building their barracks and tiling the floors, they learned to cook, and at certain camps such as the one at Parvin, they actually went to school and learned all sorts of useful things; it was a kind of CCC College.  What a most useful and worthy projgram, the results of which will be with us for another couple of generations or longer.

Another memorial worthy of your visit is the fire tower at Bass River, also built by the CCC and considering the dangers of forest fires, a very crucial function.

I hope you are enjoying your Labor day.  Sadly, the weather is keeping me in as I don't want to get caught by road flooding as I did a couple of weeks back and spent literally hours on the road trying to get home from a 20 minute errand.  Needless to say, I didn't get over to Peter J. Maguire's grave in Arlington Cemetery today, as I had planned to do, maybe later -

Instead, I'm 'scrap-booking' which is my first foray into this wildly popular hobby.  My daughter's 30th Birthday is coming up and since she was the most photographed and documented child 'not of a Royal family' I decided to put those mementos and photos to work in a nice reminder for her of the past 30 years. 
It was a reminder to me of how fast time flies and all the loved ones I've lost since then, as well as all the fun I've had and the friends I still share my time with.

Some people worry that they won't find things to do when they retire.  I wish they would contact me - I have more things to do than I could get accomplished in 3 lifetimes!  I used to give my newly retired friends a list of 36 fun places to go and things to do.  Along with that, of course, there is blogging!  I jsut read an article that siad 66% of retired people find blogging a pleasant activity.  I would have to agree and sharing information is always useful.

Happy Trails  Jo Ann  wrightj45@yahoo.com