The first time I saw Early American Life Magazine (from here on to be called EAL) I was at the Cherry Hill Library either picking up or dropping off a friend who used to work there but was retired. Sometimes I borrowed books on his card although most of the time, I buy m books from amazon. I like to keep them, like friends!
Anyhow, it was love at first sight. At that time, I was a volunteer at the James and Ann Whitall house an enamored of all things Early American. I had the full kit, shift, petticoat, fichu, autumn cape, winter hooded woolen cape, stockings and buckle shoes, aprons, bonnets, market basket. I did NOT have a corset and was determined not to get that authentic. EAL Magazine fit beautifully with my new volunteer work.
Along the way, after I stopped volunteering due to back and knee issues, I let my subscription slip, but recently renewed it hoping to get the Christmas issue, always my favorite. It came today and along with a number of fascinating articles, there was one on SOUP!
Let me say right up front - I don't cook! I don't like cooking, or food preperation and although there have been periods in my life that more or less necessitated that I do some cooking, I never took to it. But come winter and the cold, like the cooks of old, I will forage around the kitchen for a couple of old favorites to take the chill off. I make vegetable soup and I make vegetarian chili.
Vegetable soup: I always keep one or two cartons of vegetable bullion (low sodium) in the cupboard. In the freezer, I always keep an assortment of vegetables that I choose from according to my momentary taste: peas, corn, lima beans, green beans, carrots.
Also, I keep a few kinds of frozen pasta such as gnocchi or small cheese ravioli, and I like to choose one or two of these to throw into the soup pot. In the cupboard again, I always keep canned spiced and diced tomatoes, lentils and beans: red kidney beans, white cannoli, black beans.
For my super easy chili, I use all three kinds of beans, one can of spiced/diced tomatoes, a large jar of salsa, and a tablespoon of chili powder. I buy a bag of lime flavored tortilla chips to crumble and put on the bottom of the bowl with two heaping soup spoons of chili on top and grated cheese sprinkled on top of that.
My super easy vegetarian lentil soup is simply two cans of lentils, a can of sliced potatoes, and frozen carrots.
Stay Warm my friends!
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Sunday, October 20, 2019
October Camden County History Month and the Quaker Store
If you have driven down the White Horse Pike towards the seashore, you can't have missed seeing The Quaker Store in Stratford on the north side of the road, perched on a patch of green in front of a spreading modern shopping center. I have always wanted to visit the Quaker Store but it was rarely open, staffed by history volunteers as are most of the historic sites that have somehow managed to be saved from the wrecker's ball. I LOVE the past in its remaining evidence of lives lived and the Quaker store was stocked with all manner of interesting items and a delightful band of volunteer tour guides.
Our guide, Rosey, told us that the store was in operation until early 1990's which was a surprise to me. It's neighbor to the west had been the White Horse Tavern, which was demolished by developers who also had their eye on the Quaker Store, but it was rescued. Sadly, I didn't have a chance to inquire further into the rescue story as just when we got there, a number of other visitors were arriving and my history trekking pal, Barb Solem and I wandered around on our own admiring things like the wringer washers, which my mother used when we lived in Philadelphia in the last 4 years of the 1940's and the first five of 1950's. I remember it well, sitting in the basement. It was quite a process, doing the laundry then. My mother would pre-soak in a chloral and water washtub, then into the 'agitator' and through the wringer into a rinse tub, then back through the wringer and most went into a starch bath, then onto the clothes line in the backyard.
I am going to call my brother Joe, who lives in West Virginia and ask him if he remembers our old Wringer washer.
Anyhow, the old ice box was in the back of the store - a very big one since it served a store, a handsome actual size white wooden horse which had once stood outside but had been brought indoors to protect it from weather wear, and shelves of old bottles and tins - things I adore! I have a few at home in a cabinet in the living room and I though "Now I know who to donate them to if I ever move or downsize (UNLIKELY)."
I was supposed to visit the Newton Meeting House and the New York Shipyard and Maritime Museum today, but I am felled by a head cold and on the sofa with tissues. tea. and an old afghan crocheted by my Grandmother Mabel for comfort and warmth.
The efforts to publicize and popularize the Camden County History Alliance offerings but using a History Month strategy is Marvelous! I have enjoyed several of the open houses and events and a few of my other friends have visited ones I didn't get to.
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Our guide, Rosey, told us that the store was in operation until early 1990's which was a surprise to me. It's neighbor to the west had been the White Horse Tavern, which was demolished by developers who also had their eye on the Quaker Store, but it was rescued. Sadly, I didn't have a chance to inquire further into the rescue story as just when we got there, a number of other visitors were arriving and my history trekking pal, Barb Solem and I wandered around on our own admiring things like the wringer washers, which my mother used when we lived in Philadelphia in the last 4 years of the 1940's and the first five of 1950's. I remember it well, sitting in the basement. It was quite a process, doing the laundry then. My mother would pre-soak in a chloral and water washtub, then into the 'agitator' and through the wringer into a rinse tub, then back through the wringer and most went into a starch bath, then onto the clothes line in the backyard.
I am going to call my brother Joe, who lives in West Virginia and ask him if he remembers our old Wringer washer.
Anyhow, the old ice box was in the back of the store - a very big one since it served a store, a handsome actual size white wooden horse which had once stood outside but had been brought indoors to protect it from weather wear, and shelves of old bottles and tins - things I adore! I have a few at home in a cabinet in the living room and I though "Now I know who to donate them to if I ever move or downsize (UNLIKELY)."
I was supposed to visit the Newton Meeting House and the New York Shipyard and Maritime Museum today, but I am felled by a head cold and on the sofa with tissues. tea. and an old afghan crocheted by my Grandmother Mabel for comfort and warmth.
The efforts to publicize and popularize the Camden County History Alliance offerings but using a History Month strategy is Marvelous! I have enjoyed several of the open houses and events and a few of my other friends have visited ones I didn't get to.
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Revolutionary October in South Jersey
October 27
Jonas Cattell Run and 18th Century Field Day at Red Bank Battlefield in National Park. Mark the anniversary of the Battle of Red Bank with reenactments, colonial demonstrations, food and fun! 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information
Halloween at Batsto Village in Hammonton. Kids ages 12 and younger can celebrate in a non-scary Halloween environment. 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. More information.
Indian King Tavern tours in Haddonfield. Visit the site where New Jersey completed the transition from colony to state. 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. More information.
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Saddler's Woods MORE and Gabreil Daveis Tavern
Today, SundayOctober 13, 2019, I am headed to the Legacy Diner in Audubon for lunch with a history buff friend, Barb Solem, author of 3 books on the Pines, one on Ghosttowns, one on Batsto and one on The Forks. After lunch we are going to the open house at Gabreil Daveis Tavern in Glendora, address, Fourth Avenue and Floodgate Road. Gabriel Daveis Tavern was once a stopping and resting point for boatmen using the Timber Creek to ferry goods to Phladephia, goods such as timber and farm products. Behind the Tavern House, which is a beautiful building very well preserved, you can walk down a path to the Timber Creek, which, sadly is all silted up from construction on the land beyond the banks, so there isn't much creek left now.
I keep remembering things I learned from the hike in Saddler's Woods yesterday, amazing things such as: the amount of unbroken nuts left on the ground (accords) beneath a tree, as they deteriorate over time, release a chemical into the ground which tells the tree how much nuts to produce the following year. As for instance if a lot of nuts are left over and not eaten, the tree produces fewer nuts the next year! That hike in the woods was so informative, although I knew with my aging memory, I couldn't remember everything, there was so much information that I keep remembering bits as the day goes on, such as, for instance, the shape of the branches at the top of the tree canopy can tell you if it is an old or young tree. The top branches will be crumpled in a claylike shape if the tree is old, unfurled into a fan shape if the tree is young. I can't remember if I told you but the guide showed us how to estimate a tree's height using triangulation with a roll out tape measure and a yardstick and a little geometry. Unforntuately, I had to take a rest during that part because my back was acting up and I have over done it a little this week.
That brings me to another subject. Most of the things if not all of them, that I mention in this blog, are things I can do, so you can too! I am 73, going to be 74 in a month and I have ruined knees a painful hip, and a deteriorating spine. I expect within this upcoming year, I will be resorting to a cane. But all of the places and events I have been blogging about are accessible to me and so they would be to you. Possibly not to a wheelchair (as in the trail in Saddler's Woods) but certainly the workshop the week before - and many of the building I go to are also wheelchair accessible in part if not the whole. A lot of the houses have stairs, but I can't climb them anymore either, so I usually wait down the first floor if a tour goes up stairs.
Don't forget to get a copy of the calendar of events for October History Month - it is chock full of interesting places to go and things to do! Get up and get out - the world is waiting!
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
I keep remembering things I learned from the hike in Saddler's Woods yesterday, amazing things such as: the amount of unbroken nuts left on the ground (accords) beneath a tree, as they deteriorate over time, release a chemical into the ground which tells the tree how much nuts to produce the following year. As for instance if a lot of nuts are left over and not eaten, the tree produces fewer nuts the next year! That hike in the woods was so informative, although I knew with my aging memory, I couldn't remember everything, there was so much information that I keep remembering bits as the day goes on, such as, for instance, the shape of the branches at the top of the tree canopy can tell you if it is an old or young tree. The top branches will be crumpled in a claylike shape if the tree is old, unfurled into a fan shape if the tree is young. I can't remember if I told you but the guide showed us how to estimate a tree's height using triangulation with a roll out tape measure and a yardstick and a little geometry. Unforntuately, I had to take a rest during that part because my back was acting up and I have over done it a little this week.
That brings me to another subject. Most of the things if not all of them, that I mention in this blog, are things I can do, so you can too! I am 73, going to be 74 in a month and I have ruined knees a painful hip, and a deteriorating spine. I expect within this upcoming year, I will be resorting to a cane. But all of the places and events I have been blogging about are accessible to me and so they would be to you. Possibly not to a wheelchair (as in the trail in Saddler's Woods) but certainly the workshop the week before - and many of the building I go to are also wheelchair accessible in part if not the whole. A lot of the houses have stairs, but I can't climb them anymore either, so I usually wait down the first floor if a tour goes up stairs.
Don't forget to get a copy of the calendar of events for October History Month - it is chock full of interesting places to go and things to do! Get up and get out - the world is waiting!
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Part Two of Saddler's Woods Workshop
Today, Saturday, Oct. 12, I enjoyed part two of the two day Saddler's Woods Workshop. I wrote a post about part one where we walked in the 'rain garden' identifying native trees and invaders, dissected owl pellets (I found a mole skull in mine) and saw a presentation on the kinds of birds one might see in our area.
This time, boots on, we hiked in the woods and met a 250 year old tree, our old friend the poisonous snake root, which killed Abraham Lincoln's mother who had, sadly, drunk milk from a cow that had eaten the snake root plant. WE also learned the different kinds of oaks identifiable by the shapes of their leaves, rounded or spike, and the colors they turn. We found numerous types of acorns some edible by animals and some not! We saw the spring that travels through Saddler's Woods to find its way to Newton Creek, and we found many kinds of invasive shrubs crowding out the natives. It was an hour and a half and so I can't begin to tell you all we saw and learned, the berries, the fungi, the beech groves......
And, if like me, you were the kind of teen who pored over booklets about beauty routines, you may have wondered about Witch Hazel, always mentioned in regard to cleansing your face and shrinking your pores! We found the shrub and learned that in early spring,it spits out its seeds with an actual noise of spitting!
It was exhausting and exhilarating and I cannot begin to tell you how impressed I was with the women who gave the tour and their intimate knowledge of the flora of Saddler's Woods. I wish more people could have had the benefit of this enlightening experience!
Tomorrow, it's off to Gabreil Daveis Tavern on the Timber Creek, which by the way, has a very extensive watershed range.
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
This time, boots on, we hiked in the woods and met a 250 year old tree, our old friend the poisonous snake root, which killed Abraham Lincoln's mother who had, sadly, drunk milk from a cow that had eaten the snake root plant. WE also learned the different kinds of oaks identifiable by the shapes of their leaves, rounded or spike, and the colors they turn. We found numerous types of acorns some edible by animals and some not! We saw the spring that travels through Saddler's Woods to find its way to Newton Creek, and we found many kinds of invasive shrubs crowding out the natives. It was an hour and a half and so I can't begin to tell you all we saw and learned, the berries, the fungi, the beech groves......
And, if like me, you were the kind of teen who pored over booklets about beauty routines, you may have wondered about Witch Hazel, always mentioned in regard to cleansing your face and shrinking your pores! We found the shrub and learned that in early spring,it spits out its seeds with an actual noise of spitting!
It was exhausting and exhilarating and I cannot begin to tell you how impressed I was with the women who gave the tour and their intimate knowledge of the flora of Saddler's Woods. I wish more people could have had the benefit of this enlightening experience!
Tomorrow, it's off to Gabreil Daveis Tavern on the Timber Creek, which by the way, has a very extensive watershed range.
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Friday, October 11, 2019
Burlington County Historical Society-Railroads of New Jersey
Unfortunately I have plans to go to the Garbreil Daveis Open House on Sunday the 20th, so I will be unable to attend the talk by James Alexander on Railroads of New Jersey at the Burlington County Historical Society. I really wish I could be in two places at one time but I can't. I already promised my pal, Barb Solem to go to Gabreil Daveis as she hasn't been there yet and unlike me has limited interest in the Railroads of New Jersey. My interest is unlimited and I am smitten with the railroad stations all along the Atlantic Avenue Line. I have made photographs of them with the intention of someday doing a series of paintings. Maybe I will have the opportunity to hear James Alexander at another time.
Have you seen a copy of the October History Month events? You can get them at the Camden County Historical Society and I suggest you do that as it is chock full of wonderful history open houses, tours, speakers and events!
Also coming up is Field Day at the James and Ann Whitall House. This should not be missed by anyone who has an interest in the Revolutionary War, or New Jersey history! I will get more information and post it asap!
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann Wright
ps. If you are wondering where the Gabreil Daveis Tavern is located, it is in Blackwood, just off the Black Horse Pike but I can't recall the street now. The street sign has a historic site marker directly below it. It could be third?
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Have you seen a copy of the October History Month events? You can get them at the Camden County Historical Society and I suggest you do that as it is chock full of wonderful history open houses, tours, speakers and events!
Also coming up is Field Day at the James and Ann Whitall House. This should not be missed by anyone who has an interest in the Revolutionary War, or New Jersey history! I will get more information and post it asap!
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann Wright
ps. If you are wondering where the Gabreil Daveis Tavern is located, it is in Blackwood, just off the Black Horse Pike but I can't recall the street now. The street sign has a historic site marker directly below it. It could be third?
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Opinion Piece: Antiques, Death Cleaning, Books & home Libraries
Even though it is Tuesday, I have just gotten around to reading the Sunday New York Times. It wasn't delivered on Sunday and after I waited until noon in case it was simply late, I went out and bought a copy but I had somewhere to go and therefore, no time to read it.
Among all the interesting articles, one actually stirred a bit of anger that has been building over time, in regard to the new aesthetic in home furnishing. The article was called "When the antiques have to go." It was about "staging a place" for sale. The point was that antiques are no longer in style and the 'new' look is open, spare, and bright light. I, personally, do not care for the new style at all. It looks as though it belong in a desert land of heat and dust and transience. It looks cold and has no trace of the personality of the inhabitant.
Everyone who visits antique stores knows that the fondness for vintage and antique that was in vogue for so long, is over. Antique shops are closing up. Articles on "The kids don't want your old stuff" abound and there is even the "Death Cleaning" movement resulting from a best seller by a Swedish author. Apparently it is a custom to clear out everything before you die to spare the kids the effort.
I love 'stuff' and I am passionate about books. I can understand if a reader spends most of her/his time with the fast read popular novels of Tom Clancy or Janet Ivanovich, you may not want to hold on to them because after all, you already know how it turned out. But I have books that have been like friends, books that have been resources upon which i have drawn many times over the years. I have book shelves. I have books on the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War II, New Jersey History, to name just a few subjects, and I have books on philosophy and religion to which I have returned over and over again. It seems to me the disdain for books as 'clutter' goes along with a new disdain for knowledge and education, a resentment towards 'elites.'
I also read a column about a rural town refusing to give the librarian a raise because most of the people in the county get by on $10 to $13 an hour. Even though she had a masters degree the opinion was that such a high degree wasn't needed for something so easy as running a library. And they lament that the young are leaving to go to cities. No wonder. They even considered letting the library close because, after all, they didn't need it or use it!
My daughter and I have already talked about my intention to not clear out every evidence of my life and my interests before I die. I am not erasing myself. And my home is a reflection of my many interest in art, history, literature, and my conservation of the many family heirlooms that have no financial value but, HOLY COW, they belonged to our ancestors! No one wanted them so I took them in, one by one, GreatGrandmother's sewing machine with which she supported herself and her family, for example.
It is as if history itself has become considered clutter. And knowledge is clutter. Keep the mind empty and transient like those pale, cold, uncomfortable rooms.
Antiques speak of the past and the people who lived and how they lived. All I can do is hope that this trend, like so many others, will reverse and people will once again begin to value family history, objects from the past that have endured through the coming and going trends, and most of all, BOOKS and KNOWLEDGE!
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
wrightj45Wyahoo.com
By the way, perhaps the children will be helped in their grieving if they go through the things you leave behind. And if they are so whiny, maybe they can consider the money you have left them as a salary for the home clearing they have to do instead of just getting money because they are entitled to it as your offspring. Earn it!
Among all the interesting articles, one actually stirred a bit of anger that has been building over time, in regard to the new aesthetic in home furnishing. The article was called "When the antiques have to go." It was about "staging a place" for sale. The point was that antiques are no longer in style and the 'new' look is open, spare, and bright light. I, personally, do not care for the new style at all. It looks as though it belong in a desert land of heat and dust and transience. It looks cold and has no trace of the personality of the inhabitant.
Everyone who visits antique stores knows that the fondness for vintage and antique that was in vogue for so long, is over. Antique shops are closing up. Articles on "The kids don't want your old stuff" abound and there is even the "Death Cleaning" movement resulting from a best seller by a Swedish author. Apparently it is a custom to clear out everything before you die to spare the kids the effort.
I love 'stuff' and I am passionate about books. I can understand if a reader spends most of her/his time with the fast read popular novels of Tom Clancy or Janet Ivanovich, you may not want to hold on to them because after all, you already know how it turned out. But I have books that have been like friends, books that have been resources upon which i have drawn many times over the years. I have book shelves. I have books on the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War II, New Jersey History, to name just a few subjects, and I have books on philosophy and religion to which I have returned over and over again. It seems to me the disdain for books as 'clutter' goes along with a new disdain for knowledge and education, a resentment towards 'elites.'
I also read a column about a rural town refusing to give the librarian a raise because most of the people in the county get by on $10 to $13 an hour. Even though she had a masters degree the opinion was that such a high degree wasn't needed for something so easy as running a library. And they lament that the young are leaving to go to cities. No wonder. They even considered letting the library close because, after all, they didn't need it or use it!
My daughter and I have already talked about my intention to not clear out every evidence of my life and my interests before I die. I am not erasing myself. And my home is a reflection of my many interest in art, history, literature, and my conservation of the many family heirlooms that have no financial value but, HOLY COW, they belonged to our ancestors! No one wanted them so I took them in, one by one, GreatGrandmother's sewing machine with which she supported herself and her family, for example.
It is as if history itself has become considered clutter. And knowledge is clutter. Keep the mind empty and transient like those pale, cold, uncomfortable rooms.
Antiques speak of the past and the people who lived and how they lived. All I can do is hope that this trend, like so many others, will reverse and people will once again begin to value family history, objects from the past that have endured through the coming and going trends, and most of all, BOOKS and KNOWLEDGE!
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
wrightj45Wyahoo.com
By the way, perhaps the children will be helped in their grieving if they go through the things you leave behind. And if they are so whiny, maybe they can consider the money you have left them as a salary for the home clearing they have to do instead of just getting money because they are entitled to it as your offspring. Earn it!
Saturday, October 5, 2019
Best Workshop I ever attended: Your Wild Neighbors, Saddlers Woods Flora and Fauna
Today, Saturday, October 5, 2019, two friends and I attended a workshop we had signed up for via the Audubon Adult Evening School brochure which I received about a month ago, September.
It was without question the most perfectly designed workshop in any subject that I have ever attended. We had a short powerpoint presentation (and it WAS NOT one of those where the writing is so small and the lecturer reads it off). This one was photos of the males and females of the species the lecture discussed and their bird calls. My two friends are bird watchers so this was especially interesting to them. The environmental group also had a number of taidermied models, mostly donated, of various bits such as a hawk and an owl. Then we were each provided with two short tree branch and the second lecturer talked about the tree and we were to use our branches to identify trees on our walk.
Our walk, on this especially splendid cool and sunny fall day took us through a rain garden down to the Newton Creek. All along the way, our trail leader pointed out poisonous shrubs (such as snake root), edible and medicinal shrubs (such as sassafras) and a number of tree varieties, pointing out the invasive ones and the native ones as well as the ones moving up from the south with climate change. She took a water sample from Newton Creek and under a microscope we were able to see what was living in the sample and she explained to us the difference between a healthy body of water and a contaminated one by what lives in it.
Next we were each provided with gloves and tools to dismantle an owl pellet. I found the skull of a small rodent and all it's little bones. It was fascinating!
So, what made this workshop so perfect was that we sat and watched, then we walked and identified, then we experimented - it was entirely participatory and interactive and lively, so much better than a sit down and listen lecture. I hated to leave!
Next week we go to Saddlers Woods to hike and further identify and explore. Saddler's Woods, by the way is one of the last patches of untouched natural forests in South Jersey and in 2003, it was officially designated protected in perpetuity. That is a good thing because local developers and the nearby school are always angling to get the land, cut down the forest and build more condominiums or stores or soccer fields on it and only the undaunted efforts of local conservationists has protected this 25 acre forest so future generations can know what a woods looked like.
The Environmental Center is located at 143 Ormand Avenue, Haddon Twp. This two week workshop was only $25. What a bargain and what a treat! If you missed this first week, you may be able to get in on the hike next week and pay the fee. We are meeting at Saddler's Woods at noon. You can find the woods between the shopping center and the tall towers apartments just off Cuthbert Rd. on MacArthur Blvd. There is a sign. It is just opposite the aforementioned landmarks and the Haddon Twp. Library.
If you can't make part two but would like to go on the next one, contact the environmental group and ask when they might schedule another workshop. And if you have a group of 6 or so, they may even schedule one for you! I don't know, just thinking:
janet@saddlerswoods.org
or mail to: Environmental Center, 143 Ormand Ave. Haddon Twp.
I am not sure where you can pick up Audubon Adult Ed. brochures if you are not in their mailing domain, try
calling 547-7695 ext.4186
You can't drop by Audubon High School to pick them up in person because of security, so it is best to write or call.
It was without question the most perfectly designed workshop in any subject that I have ever attended. We had a short powerpoint presentation (and it WAS NOT one of those where the writing is so small and the lecturer reads it off). This one was photos of the males and females of the species the lecture discussed and their bird calls. My two friends are bird watchers so this was especially interesting to them. The environmental group also had a number of taidermied models, mostly donated, of various bits such as a hawk and an owl. Then we were each provided with two short tree branch and the second lecturer talked about the tree and we were to use our branches to identify trees on our walk.
Our walk, on this especially splendid cool and sunny fall day took us through a rain garden down to the Newton Creek. All along the way, our trail leader pointed out poisonous shrubs (such as snake root), edible and medicinal shrubs (such as sassafras) and a number of tree varieties, pointing out the invasive ones and the native ones as well as the ones moving up from the south with climate change. She took a water sample from Newton Creek and under a microscope we were able to see what was living in the sample and she explained to us the difference between a healthy body of water and a contaminated one by what lives in it.
Next we were each provided with gloves and tools to dismantle an owl pellet. I found the skull of a small rodent and all it's little bones. It was fascinating!
So, what made this workshop so perfect was that we sat and watched, then we walked and identified, then we experimented - it was entirely participatory and interactive and lively, so much better than a sit down and listen lecture. I hated to leave!
Next week we go to Saddlers Woods to hike and further identify and explore. Saddler's Woods, by the way is one of the last patches of untouched natural forests in South Jersey and in 2003, it was officially designated protected in perpetuity. That is a good thing because local developers and the nearby school are always angling to get the land, cut down the forest and build more condominiums or stores or soccer fields on it and only the undaunted efforts of local conservationists has protected this 25 acre forest so future generations can know what a woods looked like.
The Environmental Center is located at 143 Ormand Avenue, Haddon Twp. This two week workshop was only $25. What a bargain and what a treat! If you missed this first week, you may be able to get in on the hike next week and pay the fee. We are meeting at Saddler's Woods at noon. You can find the woods between the shopping center and the tall towers apartments just off Cuthbert Rd. on MacArthur Blvd. There is a sign. It is just opposite the aforementioned landmarks and the Haddon Twp. Library.
If you can't make part two but would like to go on the next one, contact the environmental group and ask when they might schedule another workshop. And if you have a group of 6 or so, they may even schedule one for you! I don't know, just thinking:
janet@saddlerswoods.org
or mail to: Environmental Center, 143 Ormand Ave. Haddon Twp.
I am not sure where you can pick up Audubon Adult Ed. brochures if you are not in their mailing domain, try
calling 547-7695 ext.4186
You can't drop by Audubon High School to pick them up in person because of security, so it is best to write or call.
Thursday, October 3, 2019
Saturday, October 5th
This Saturday, two of my old Outdoor pals will be joining me in a workshop on local flora and fauna at the Environmental Center, Oaklyn, NJ. The following week, we will hike Saddler's Wood and identify trees and animal signs. We signed up in advance through the Audubon Adult School bulletin, but if you call the Haddon Twp. Library, they may be able to give more information. Anyhow there are a whole host of wonderful things to do this weekend. I hope you get the Crossroads of the Revolution e-mail notifications, or the Visit New Jersey e-ail notifications and you can also visit Camden County Historical Society for the History Month Activities! Also, Saturday is the Collingswood Book Festival, always a fun experience, especially for a book crazy collector like myself!
Before I posted this, I posted about Matt Eiland playing at the Merchantville Railway Station Cafe' on Friday night. He is a brilliant performer and a wonderful music teacher. If you are free, you should check it out and if you always wanted to play an instrument, go get inspired, then sign up for lessons!
Have you seen Country Music, the Ken Burns documentary? Eight magnificent episodes chronicled the history of our country roots and folk traditions in music right up to the present day. That will inspire you if you have never been inspired before!
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Before I posted this, I posted about Matt Eiland playing at the Merchantville Railway Station Cafe' on Friday night. He is a brilliant performer and a wonderful music teacher. If you are free, you should check it out and if you always wanted to play an instrument, go get inspired, then sign up for lessons!
Have you seen Country Music, the Ken Burns documentary? Eight magnificent episodes chronicled the history of our country roots and folk traditions in music right up to the present day. That will inspire you if you have never been inspired before!
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
This weekend October 4th, 5th
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| Merchantville First Friday Come out Friday, October 4th for First Friday and a live performance by Mat Eiland! |
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
"The Black Settlements of Salem County and the Underground Railroad"
Greetings--
The Genealogical Society of Salem County will host a
The Genealogical Society of Salem County will host a
program entitled "The Black Settlements of Salem County
and the Underground Railroad" presented by Janet Sheridan
on Tuesday, October 8, 2019 at 7:00 pm in the Friends
Village Auditorium in Woodstown, NJ.
Janet Sheridan is a cultural landscape historian based in
Janet Sheridan is a cultural landscape historian based in
Salem County with 30 years of experience in preservation
activism, restoration architecture and project management,
cultural resource survey, National Register listings, and
historic building documentation. A qualified preservation
professional, she earned a Master's degree in Historic
Preservation at the University of Delaware. Her research
topics include colonial timber frame architecture, African
American sites, and farmsteads in southern New Jersey.
Her presentation "The Black Settlements of Salem County
Her presentation "The Black Settlements of Salem County
and the Underground Railroad" will discuss the role of
African Americans and their settlements in southwestern
New Jersey in aiding freedom seekers before the Civil War.
Through the lens of geography, she refines the historically
understood map of routes through the region.
This program is free and open to the public. For more info,
This program is free and open to the public. For more info,
visit www.gsscnj.org,
or call 609-670-0407.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Eiland Arts Pop-Up Dinner, Merchantville, NJ - SPECIAL EVENT CHECK IT OUT!
Fall Pop up dinner October 12th, 6:30pm
Meet the Farmer:
Derek and Vicky Zember, D&V Organics, Swedesboro, NJ
We welcome Derek and Vicky to join us in enjoying the best of the fall harvest from their farm. Chefs Justin Lingl and Matt Moon will head down to the farm to pick produce and then prepare a 4 course dinner.
This meal will be focus on D&V's amazing products and be vegetarian as always, and entirely Gluten-Free for this event. *tentative menu, pending on harvest
First
Lentil Croquette: baby bok choy, yogurt
Second
Charred Little Gem Ceasar: baby romaine, mixed radish, miso-ceasar dressing, cured yolk, parmesan
Third
Harvest Risotto: hearty greens, root vegetables, pea shoots
Dessert
Autumn Baked Alaska: Sweet potato ice cream, torched meringue, salted caramel *Served with coffee or tea.
$55 per person (tax/gratuity included). Reservations limited and are accepted now - email Nicole at ni@eilandarts.com to reserve your seat.
All seating will be communal at large tables, outside (weather permitting). **If weather is poor, dinner will be held inside**
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Fun thing to do on Sat. Sept. 28, 2019
If you are looking for a fun thing to do this Saturday, consider driving over to Creek Road in Rancocas Woods for the Craft Show:
Rancocas Woods Craft Co-Op
and Antique Attic
Is that time again!!
Rancocas Woods Craft Show
Saturday, Sept 28th
10-4
handmade crafts, live music
stroll the woods and
enjoy shopping in all of our
awesome shops!
Don't forget to stop by the
Craft Co-Op for a chance to
win our amazing scarecrow!!
No purchase necessary!!
Save the date...
Rancocas Woods Antique Show will be held
Sunday, Oct 13th
9-3
Unfortunately, I have plans for this Saturday and can't go but I can make the 13th and I will because this is such a fun
event. I was just as Rancocas with a friend two days ago. She was looking for a table. I love that place!
Happy Trails,
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Rancocas Woods Craft Co-Op
and Antique Attic
Is that time again!!
Rancocas Woods Craft Show
Saturday, Sept 28th
10-4
handmade crafts, live music
stroll the woods and
enjoy shopping in all of our
awesome shops!
Don't forget to stop by the
Craft Co-Op for a chance to
win our amazing scarecrow!!
No purchase necessary!!
Save the date...
Rancocas Woods Antique Show will be held
Sunday, Oct 13th
9-3
Unfortunately, I have plans for this Saturday and can't go but I can make the 13th and I will because this is such a fun
event. I was just as Rancocas with a friend two days ago. She was looking for a table. I love that place!
Happy Trails,
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
A Pine Barrens Festival - Middle of NoWhere
MIDDLE OF NOWHERE 2019
Whitesbog Village. September 28th. 5-11:45pm. This Saturday!! In collaboration with Atlas Obscura and Whitesbog Preservation Trust, we bring you MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, one-evening outdoor music, site-specific art, and film screening event and a month-long visual art exhibition. Conceived and curated by David Scott Kessler https://www.facebook.com/events/743006486120469/ Featuring: The Pine Barrens feature-length film by David Scott Kessler with live score by The Ruins of Friendship Orchestra. Laraaji - multi-instrumentalist and ambient pioneer, known for his collaboration with Brian Eno Jackson Pines - a duo from the pine barrens, indie folk, drawing on the melodies and arrangements of bluegrass and mountain music. Grassland - Local bluegrass and regulars of Albert Hall Erik Ruin's Ominous Cloud Ensemble - Shadow performance and musical accompaniment, been lauded by the New York Times for his "spell-binding cut-paper animations." Artwork by: Nancy Holt - 1975 film, "Pine Barrens" seen for the first time in the land that originally inspired it. Kristen Neville Taylor, Emily Carris, Nick Lenker, Raúl Romero, Rebecca Saylor Sack, J. Alex Schechter, Jacob Lunderby, Steven Earl Weber, Theo Mullen, Megan Biddle, Tory Fair, Austen Camille Weymueller, John Vigg, Sarah E. Brook, Steph Mantis, J. Makary, Christina P. Day, Kaitlin Pomerantz, and Rita Leduc co-curator, Jen Brown Optional camping available at Mt. Misery after the event. more info at www.middleofnowhere.us Tickets: PURCHASE HERE Please note: Tickets are limited! Discounted tickets are available to neighbors of the Pine Barrens. See ticket link for details. Camping: (add-on price at checkout) We have partnered with Pinelands Center at Mt. Misery to provide a site for attendees to camp after the event. Additional entertainment (to be announced) and breakfast is included Guests will need to provide their own tents and camping supplies. |
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Peachfields Event Oct. 6, 2019
First Sunday Series: Susan B. Anthony
October 6, 2019
2:00-4:00 pm
Join us this season in celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Suffrage in the United States with the signing of the 19th Amendment in 1920.
Susan B. Anthony (portrayed by Marjorie Goldman) was an important suffragist who had a lively sense of humor and a passion for justice. Ms. Anthony's commitment included the abolition of slavery, women's rights to their own property and earnings, and women's right to vote.
Admission is $10 per person. Friends of Peachfield are admitted free. Please make checks payable to: NSCDA-NJ and mail to Peachfield, 180 Burrs Road, Westampton, NJ 08060. Tickets also available at the door. Please call (609) 267-6996, or send an email to colonialdamesnj@comcast.net.
This event takes place at Peachfield, 180 Burrs Road in Westampton, the Headquarters of The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in The State of New Jersey.
Funding has been made possible in part by the New Jersey Historical Commission, Department of State and the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Department of Resource Conservation, Division of Parks.
Monday, September 23, 2019
Additiona info to Stone House Lane Blog post
Just got around to reading the Sunday Inquirer which was dropped off in my drive either by accident or as some marketing ploy. Every once in awhile, a copy is left here although my regular delivery is the Sunday New York Times. I used to read the Courier. I don't read the Inquirer because it isn't as interesting or well informed as the Times and the Courier, same thing.
Anyhow a front page story was about the plans to expand the Phlladelphia airport which as the article states, was built on a series of islands that were the river estuary. This was interesting to me for two reasons, one of which was the 'islands' they referred to were the farms drained from the swamp by the farmers in the 1700's who created what was called by us South Philadelphia neighbors, "the Neck." Now at least the farmers used canals and allowed some natural river estuary action to continue but paving it over to make the airport does not allow for ebb and flow with storm surge or natural drainage of flood waters.
They also stated that the river and ocean along the shore has risen 12 inches due to climate change in the 2000's, so they are talking about building "up" the airport, whatever that means.
I am simply a well informed citizen. I read upwards of half a dozen magazines on news, history, archaeology and science, and the aforementioned Sunday New York Times, but I understand how blocking up the river estuaries has caused such horrors as the Mississippi Flood and the terrible floods in New Orleans where the tidal lands were destroyed and the estuaries filled in. I don't understand how these planners seem to be uninformed by experts in river ecology and environmental science.
Just found my copy of Rick Atkinson's THE BRITISH ARE COMING which I bought after the book review was published but never got around to reading yet. After visiting Red Bank, I went looking for it because now I am interested again!
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
ps. isn't it interesting how history and news intersect!
Anyhow a front page story was about the plans to expand the Phlladelphia airport which as the article states, was built on a series of islands that were the river estuary. This was interesting to me for two reasons, one of which was the 'islands' they referred to were the farms drained from the swamp by the farmers in the 1700's who created what was called by us South Philadelphia neighbors, "the Neck." Now at least the farmers used canals and allowed some natural river estuary action to continue but paving it over to make the airport does not allow for ebb and flow with storm surge or natural drainage of flood waters.
They also stated that the river and ocean along the shore has risen 12 inches due to climate change in the 2000's, so they are talking about building "up" the airport, whatever that means.
I am simply a well informed citizen. I read upwards of half a dozen magazines on news, history, archaeology and science, and the aforementioned Sunday New York Times, but I understand how blocking up the river estuaries has caused such horrors as the Mississippi Flood and the terrible floods in New Orleans where the tidal lands were destroyed and the estuaries filled in. I don't understand how these planners seem to be uninformed by experts in river ecology and environmental science.
Just found my copy of Rick Atkinson's THE BRITISH ARE COMING which I bought after the book review was published but never got around to reading yet. After visiting Red Bank, I went looking for it because now I am interested again!
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
ps. isn't it interesting how history and news intersect!
Saturday, September 21, 2019
Box of Barbies
It was a fun day in many ways for my old childhood friend, Liz and me. Our intention for the day was to go to Merchantville for the "town-wide yard sale and exhibition of vintage toys." We had no idea what to expect and never expected what we saw.
First we stopped off at Salad Works in Collingswood for the super healthy "Pick two" lunch which is soup, salad and a delicious hot wheat roll. Parking can be a challenge, but I always manage.
My pal, Liz and I take turns driving and since my car is the older and more worse for the wear, Liz is kind enough to take the longer drives while I do the short runs, so today was my turn. Liz is also very flexible about where we go and how we hop around, a very valuable trait in a travel companion.
The yard sale turned out to be about 20 or 30 white top kiosks under which were displayed pyramids of plastic modern toys: super heroes, matchbox cars, and the vintage (I presume) lay in the vast array of Star Wars characters: droids, and one exceptionally interesting item, a three foot tall Darth Vader. I imagine he was outraged at the low price taped on his chest $15! Darth Vader, the Lord of the Dark Force, Skywalker's father, discounted down to a ten dollar bill and five ones. He stood there sulking but he couldn't compare with the pathos of the box of Barbies.
To my friend Liz, I said "Oh Barby has it come to this? Cast off naked by the dozens in a cardboard box, all that glamour, the ice cream shoppe' and the hair salon, the rock studio, the Bar B'Que shop, the red convertible, the outings on the yacht with playboy Ken - all down to being dumped in a cardboard box with 30 lookalikes. I almost wanted to buy them and dress them up and give them a little room of their own.
I imagined Darth Vader and the Barbies bemoaning their fallen state in 2019. They weren't broken or damaged, simply unwanted and cast-off like Donald Trumps' wives.
However, being at the age where I am divesting myself (or wishing I were divesting myself) of the accumulated flotsam and jetsam of a long life-time, I couldn't rescue these forlorn figures who once led movie marvelous lives, who once were loved and even feared, coveted and purchased and now- - -
We went to the Railroad Station Cafe' and I had a large gelato to drown my sorrows then we drove to a Wawa for a couple of coffee pic-me-ups which we enjoyed down at Red Bank Battlefield, watching the sun glint over the mighty Delaware River. I ran into an old volunteer friend there, Harry Schaeffer and we caught up on some of the James and Ann Whittal House news, then we headed home. I had cats and a dog to feed, and Liz had a hungry son to make dinner for. We agreed we had a marvelous day. Sometimes the simplest things nearby can be the most fun. You don't have to take a cruise or a jet to a foreign city to be delighted or to see beautiful scenery or a foreign bazaar, just drive to a nearby town or river!
Happy Trails,
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
First we stopped off at Salad Works in Collingswood for the super healthy "Pick two" lunch which is soup, salad and a delicious hot wheat roll. Parking can be a challenge, but I always manage.
My pal, Liz and I take turns driving and since my car is the older and more worse for the wear, Liz is kind enough to take the longer drives while I do the short runs, so today was my turn. Liz is also very flexible about where we go and how we hop around, a very valuable trait in a travel companion.
The yard sale turned out to be about 20 or 30 white top kiosks under which were displayed pyramids of plastic modern toys: super heroes, matchbox cars, and the vintage (I presume) lay in the vast array of Star Wars characters: droids, and one exceptionally interesting item, a three foot tall Darth Vader. I imagine he was outraged at the low price taped on his chest $15! Darth Vader, the Lord of the Dark Force, Skywalker's father, discounted down to a ten dollar bill and five ones. He stood there sulking but he couldn't compare with the pathos of the box of Barbies.
To my friend Liz, I said "Oh Barby has it come to this? Cast off naked by the dozens in a cardboard box, all that glamour, the ice cream shoppe' and the hair salon, the rock studio, the Bar B'Que shop, the red convertible, the outings on the yacht with playboy Ken - all down to being dumped in a cardboard box with 30 lookalikes. I almost wanted to buy them and dress them up and give them a little room of their own.
I imagined Darth Vader and the Barbies bemoaning their fallen state in 2019. They weren't broken or damaged, simply unwanted and cast-off like Donald Trumps' wives.
However, being at the age where I am divesting myself (or wishing I were divesting myself) of the accumulated flotsam and jetsam of a long life-time, I couldn't rescue these forlorn figures who once led movie marvelous lives, who once were loved and even feared, coveted and purchased and now- - -
We went to the Railroad Station Cafe' and I had a large gelato to drown my sorrows then we drove to a Wawa for a couple of coffee pic-me-ups which we enjoyed down at Red Bank Battlefield, watching the sun glint over the mighty Delaware River. I ran into an old volunteer friend there, Harry Schaeffer and we caught up on some of the James and Ann Whittal House news, then we headed home. I had cats and a dog to feed, and Liz had a hungry son to make dinner for. We agreed we had a marvelous day. Sometimes the simplest things nearby can be the most fun. You don't have to take a cruise or a jet to a foreign city to be delighted or to see beautiful scenery or a foreign bazaar, just drive to a nearby town or river!
Happy Trails,
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Friday, September 20, 2019
Stone House Lane, South Philadelphia, Pa. - a Lost 'Venice'
Lens: Finding Stonehouse Lane, South Philly’s lost neighborhood
A trip through the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin archives reveals detail on the otherwise lost neighborhood Stonehouse Lane, in deepest southeast Philly, where residents lived on the fringe of city life in semi-rural conditions into the mid-20th century. Hop in the wayback machine with Jake Blumgart:
It’s hard to imagine that South Philly was ever anything besides a great expanse of concrete and brick, with row homes stretching off to the horizon.
But the city fought its way southward through the marshes and farms that used to occupy that land. By the 20th century, the battle was largely over. The exception lay in deepest South Philly, below Oregon Avenue, where an incongruous community of farmers and squatters hung on until the 1950s.
Stonehouse Lane is one of the dozens of forgotten neighborhoods in this old city that have been bulldozed, burned, or otherwise brutalized. One origin story alleges that this particular corner of Philadelphia was formed by Hessian mercenaries who weren’t quite sure what to do when General Cornwallis surrendered.
Despite Stonehouse Lane’s murky origins, by the 20th century it seemed a clear anachronism in a modernizing, industrial city. The road that formed the spine of the community wound its way down from Oregon Avenue past Pattison Avenue to the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks. It was flanked on both sides by canals. Each house featured a bridge that would allow residents to cross from the street to their front doors. There was no running water and the sewer system didn’t stretch down that far south either. The closest trolleys were a mile to the north on Oregon Avenue, and burning piles of trash on its northern border hemmed in the community. This, just six miles from City Hall., Nonetheless, the denizens of Stonehouse Lane kept animals in great abundance until the neighborhood’s destruction. Their micro-herds included cattle, pigs, goats, ducks, horses, and what one reporter described as “an unbelievable number of mongrel dogs romp[ing] among the tin cans that are scattered everywhere.”
The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin periodically sent journalists to Stonehouse Lane for either slice of life stories or to cover the latest eviction attempt.
Stonehouse Lane is “the Venice of Philadelphia, and has the distinction of being the only part of the city that has waterways instead of sidewalk,” enthused one reporter, in the typically florid prose of the 1920s and 1930s. “It is reminiscent of the older days when castles were built with drawbridges, but the knights of long ago never cared more for their pretentious abodes than the inhabitants of these odd little houses care for theirs.”As the edge of the city, the water running past the residents’ doorsteps wasn’t drinkable. There wasn’t much potable water at all, as the wells contained dangerous levels of rust. Instead the residents got it from a fire hydrant on Pattison Avenue.
The other staples of municipal infrastructure weren’t up to snuff either. As late as the 1920s, electricity wasn’t commonplace in Stonehouse Lane yet. All the houses were all lit with kerosene lamps, while the neighborhood’s general store was surrounded by highly flammable barrels of the fuel.
The residents did not own the land but they dutifully voted for the Republican machine—their division was famous because no Democratic vote was ever tallied there until the later 1930s—which no doubt helped them fight off repeated eviction attempts.
One of the attempted dispossession campaigns resulted from a misbegotten attempt to replace the community with a private airport. Many of the residents on Stonehouse Lane owned their homes, but they didn’t own the land underneath it (trailer parks today are operated in much the same way). But with protest and political support the campaign was defeated. A later attempt resulted in the constables who attempted to enforce the evictions being beaten. The police declined to enforce the evictions themselves, perhaps.
After World War Two, Stonehouse Lane made its last stand. The community had stopped paying even nominal ground rents in the late 1930s. They were still stealing water from the city and they also weren’t paying taxes. But the neighborhood kept on receiving public services. The houses didn’t bear any addresses, but the mail was delivered to 3500 Stonehouse Lane and the postman knew all the families well enough that the 200 households each got what was coming to them. The school bus picked up those who went to public school, while those in Catholic school walked to Our Lady of Mount Carmel in what is now the Whitman neighborhood.
Despite their antiquated circumstances, the residents also took part in the postwar boom. Those interviewed by the Bulletin included truckers, factory workers, mechanics, train engineers, and longshoremen. These same families struggled through the Depression years, but by the mid-1950s most on Stonehouse Lane enjoyed telephones, television sets and automobiles (including one family with a Cadillac, the bulletin noted). However, many of these appliances were supported by pirated electricity.
The helter-skelter infrastructure resulted in headaches for any who tried to intervene. A favorite hazing ritual of the Department o Licenses & Inspections was to send rookies down to Stonehouse Lane, where they would spend days writing up all the violations. Then their supervisors would laugh it off, and throw the stacks of paper away.
The Walt Whitman Bridge finally did in Stonehouse Lane because the approaches along Pattison Avenue cut right through the neighborhood. “We always drove away those pests who tried to dispossess us,” a longshoreman told a Bulletin reporter in 1955, “but what can you do against a bulldozer?”
Although there had been calls for the squatter-farmers eviction for the previous fifty years, this time they couldn’t muster the political wherewithal to fight back. By 1955 only 274 people remained, less than half the former population. A 1955 census by the city found 97 occupied houses with 809 violations of the housing code among them. About half had no indoor toilets or proper plumbing, and almost as many relied on dangerous kerosene stoves for heat. Indeed, the neighborhood’s demise was also sped by the deaths of four children in 1954, who were consumed in a fire caused by a jerry-rigged electrical system.
By the end of 1956 everyone had moved out, or been moved out. The city burned all of the homes. Today Stonehouse Lane is completely paved over. The Oregon diner sits on the northern stretch of where the neighborhood stood. The built environment still bends slightly to its old contours as the blog The Necessity for Ruins once pointed out. But no other trace remains of the last rural community that survived the forward march of urban South Philadelphia.
Looking for fun close to home tomorrow, Saturday 9/20?
The forecast is calling for warm weather this Saturday, which will be perfect for Merchantville's town-wide yard sale AND Merchantville's annual Toy and Collectible Street Fair.
Eiland Arts in the old railroad station will be open from 7:30am - 9pm serving coffee, food, and best of all, gelatoall day!
And don't forget there is a nice rails to trails paved path right through the heart of town to stretch your legs after the gelato!
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Eiland Arts in the old railroad station will be open from 7:30am - 9pm serving coffee, food, and best of all, gelatoall day!
And don't forget there is a nice rails to trails paved path right through the heart of town to stretch your legs after the gelato!
Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Greenwich Fair!
It isn't often that Crossroads has events listed that are being held own inner neck of the woods, but here is one that is a favorite of mine:
September 28 and 29
Greenwich Artisans Faire and Marketplace in Greenwich. Colonial-era demonstrations, works from local artists and more on historic Ye Greate Street. Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. If you don't know where Greenwich is, it is as far south as you can go, down below Bridgeton, south of Shiloh and Shephardstown and Rhodestown. It is a beautiful small town with a great historical society, and the site of a tea burning during the Revolution.
I have attended this fair several times and enjoyed it very much!
Hope you do too - Happy Trails!
Jo Ann
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Ethnic people in early Philadelphia
Thrilled to receive in the mail today, THE PEOPLES OF PHILADELPHIA; A history of Ethnic Groups and Lower Class Life, published in 1973 by Temple Univ. It is a collection of essays derived from the papers presented at a conference on the same subject held at Temple in 1972. The editors Davis and Haller collected the essays, edited and expanded them and produced this invaluable book.
In the Introduction, the editors state that little had been written or studied on the subject previous to the conference and publication of this book and that is certainly true if you ever try to find out anything specific about, say, German immigrants in Philadelphia, or the early Swedes.
My interest was ignited by my having attended Gloria Dei, Old Swedes Church, as a child. My mother taught Sunday school there and her mother was a lifelong attender. I found this in a quick search just now:
In the Introduction, the editors state that little had been written or studied on the subject previous to the conference and publication of this book and that is certainly true if you ever try to find out anything specific about, say, German immigrants in Philadelphia, or the early Swedes.
My interest was ignited by my having attended Gloria Dei, Old Swedes Church, as a child. My mother taught Sunday school there and her mother was a lifelong attender. I found this in a quick search just now:
"A visible reminder of the colony’s original influence and lasting impact is the Gloria Dei Church, or Old Swedes’ Church, in South Philadelphia. Constructed during the last years of the seventeenth century, its religious services continued more than three hundred years later."
An essay by Mark L. Thompson
Recently, I had posted about STONE HOUSE LANE a forgotten village of farms and canals hewn from the swamps below my old neighborhood in South Philadelphia. I had lived on Warnock Street, below Johnson and a few blocks west of 10th Street. I wrote about the hucksters who came up from what we called "The Neck" with horse drawn wagons of produce for sale. Poking around on the internet had provided many unsubstantiated theories about the origins of the people in ''The Neck" including that they were originally Hessians left behind after the Revolution. They drained the swamps into canals and small farms and raised pigs, chickens, goats, and dairy cows there until they were driven off by eminent domain for the airport and other industrial usage.
My new book also discusses how there has been so little study or publication about the lives of the ordinary working class people of Philadelphia. My mother and father were both born and raised in Philadelphia. My father came from German immigrants and research on them described them as brewers, seamstresses, tailors, watchmakers, and bakers. My father worked in construction after the second World War. He was an Ironworker.
My mother's people were Irish and her grandfather had a stable and hostelry on the waterfront and delivered goods from the ships to the markets. Her mother was Episcopalian and attended Gloria Dei on the riverfront, which was then a small remnant of the early Swedish community. I was aware from early childhood of the extreme age of the church and its uniqueness to the history of the city.
Hopefully as I delve into this treasure of a book, I will find bits to share with you on my blog. Meantime, I wanted to let you know this book exists!
Happy Trails,
Jo Ann
Though I have been a happy New Jersey resident most of my adult life, I think we all carry the roots of the city of our birth with us!
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Recurring themes on this blog - family history research
As you may recall, I recently attended three EXCELLENT lectures on family history research provided by Camden County Historical Society and given by Bonnie Beth Elwell, a wonderful researcher and guide.
The lecture consisted of the resources available at CCHS, and how to use your DNA results, as well as many other useful topics. Bonnie used examples from her own vast research experience to illustrate her points.
Bonnie is President of the Genealogy Society of Salem County and they hold regular meetings filled with useful information to aid your research. Here is a notice on an upcoming meeting:
The lecture consisted of the resources available at CCHS, and how to use your DNA results, as well as many other useful topics. Bonnie used examples from her own vast research experience to illustrate her points.
Bonnie is President of the Genealogy Society of Salem County and they hold regular meetings filled with useful information to aid your research. Here is a notice on an upcoming meeting:
Greetings--
The Genealogical Society of Salem County invites you to a program entitled “Become a Probate Detective: Rejoicing in the Probate Files of Our Ancestors” presented by Dawn Carson on Tuesday, September 10, 2019 at 7:00 pm in the Friends Village Auditorium in Woodstown, NJ.
The probate files our ancestors have left behind not only served their immediate families and relations, but also us, the contemporary family historians. In this lecture, you’ll learn how to locate the probate files of your ancestors, examine the bounty of information they may contain, and what other documents they may lead us to in order to further our research.
Dawn Carson is a professional genealogist and has been involved in genealogical research since 2000. Her research is focused in the Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey areas. She is a member of the National Genealogical Society and the Association of Professional Genealogists. She holds a certificate in genealogical research from Boston University and is a member of ProGen 24.
This program is free and open to the public. For more info, call 609-670-0407. Hope to see you there!
The Genealogical Society of Salem County invites you to a program entitled “Become a Probate Detective: Rejoicing in the Probate Files of Our Ancestors” presented by Dawn Carson on Tuesday, September 10, 2019 at 7:00 pm in the Friends Village Auditorium in Woodstown, NJ.
The probate files our ancestors have left behind not only served their immediate families and relations, but also us, the contemporary family historians. In this lecture, you’ll learn how to locate the probate files of your ancestors, examine the bounty of information they may contain, and what other documents they may lead us to in order to further our research.
Dawn Carson is a professional genealogist and has been involved in genealogical research since 2000. Her research is focused in the Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey areas. She is a member of the National Genealogical Society and the Association of Professional Genealogists. She holds a certificate in genealogical research from Boston University and is a member of ProGen 24.
This program is free and open to the public. For more info, call 609-670-0407. Hope to see you there!
--Bonny Beth Elwell
VP of GSSC
Monday, September 9, 2019
Cemetery Time in Camden County
Always about this time of year, I find myself driving to Haleigh Cemetery to visit Walt Whitman's Tomb. When the leaves begin to change color, and fall cools the mornings and darkens the evenings, I drift spontaneously to Haleigh and find Whitman's tomb.
Today, our senior group was talking about the labor movement in memorial to Labor Day and I showed some photos of the grave of Peter J. Maguire in Arlington Cemetery in Pennsauken. I visit his memorial monument every Labor Day and leave a wreath or flowers at the foot of his statue.
One of the most interesting essays on Camden Cemeteries was written by Hoag Levins many years ago. I had gone searching for information on the Cemetery in Collingswood alongside the railroad and the old railroad station. I came across it when I was working on one-room schools and there is one on the corner of the street across from the railroad station. Research led me to Hoag Levins essay and that led me to another essay of his on the deteriorated cemetery where many of the Newton Meeting Quakers were buried. They are also buried at the Collingswood cemetery. They are the original settlers from along Newton Creek in what is now Collingswood.
On this visit to Whitman's tomb in Haleigh Cemetery, I was astonished to find the the wrought iron gate and the door to the tomb open and an empty chair seated inside.
I went back to search for Hoag Levin's original essay and found many many more at this web site:
http://historiccamdencounty.com/index.shtml
There were so many interesting essay at this link that I hastened to post about it here on my blog. Some of the ones I had to stop and read were the one on Slave Ships on the Delaware, Camden's Most Neglected Cemetery, Camden's Oldest Cemetery, and many essays on Civil War burials.
It was shocking to me during my family history work to find the cemetery of my paternal Grandfather had also been completely abandoned. Even though I had the plot number and area number, Mount Moriah was so overgrown, it was a jungle, and the original and once beautiful office building and archway were burned and destroyed. Somehow I hadn't imagined such a thing could happen, that on one was responsible for maintaining the graves of family loved ones after time has caused original management to somehow evaporate. Fortunately the other cemeteries of family were intact and well maintained, Laurelview and New Cathedral in Philadelphia.
There has been much outrage about the vandalism and decrepitude of the Camden City cemeteries but apparently not much action.
Perhaps some legal forethought could have been applied to insure proper care of cemeteries when the original operators died out or disappeared. Most people, I assume, today, go in for cremation instead of burial. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust.
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Today, our senior group was talking about the labor movement in memorial to Labor Day and I showed some photos of the grave of Peter J. Maguire in Arlington Cemetery in Pennsauken. I visit his memorial monument every Labor Day and leave a wreath or flowers at the foot of his statue.
One of the most interesting essays on Camden Cemeteries was written by Hoag Levins many years ago. I had gone searching for information on the Cemetery in Collingswood alongside the railroad and the old railroad station. I came across it when I was working on one-room schools and there is one on the corner of the street across from the railroad station. Research led me to Hoag Levins essay and that led me to another essay of his on the deteriorated cemetery where many of the Newton Meeting Quakers were buried. They are also buried at the Collingswood cemetery. They are the original settlers from along Newton Creek in what is now Collingswood.
On this visit to Whitman's tomb in Haleigh Cemetery, I was astonished to find the the wrought iron gate and the door to the tomb open and an empty chair seated inside.
I went back to search for Hoag Levin's original essay and found many many more at this web site:
http://historiccamdencounty.com/index.shtml
There were so many interesting essay at this link that I hastened to post about it here on my blog. Some of the ones I had to stop and read were the one on Slave Ships on the Delaware, Camden's Most Neglected Cemetery, Camden's Oldest Cemetery, and many essays on Civil War burials.
It was shocking to me during my family history work to find the cemetery of my paternal Grandfather had also been completely abandoned. Even though I had the plot number and area number, Mount Moriah was so overgrown, it was a jungle, and the original and once beautiful office building and archway were burned and destroyed. Somehow I hadn't imagined such a thing could happen, that on one was responsible for maintaining the graves of family loved ones after time has caused original management to somehow evaporate. Fortunately the other cemeteries of family were intact and well maintained, Laurelview and New Cathedral in Philadelphia.
There has been much outrage about the vandalism and decrepitude of the Camden City cemeteries but apparently not much action.
Perhaps some legal forethought could have been applied to insure proper care of cemeteries when the original operators died out or disappeared. Most people, I assume, today, go in for cremation instead of burial. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust.
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
Saturday, September 7, 2019
Anyone remember "The Neck" in South Philadelphia?
When I was a little girl, hucksters would come up the alleys and lanes of our neighborhoods selling produce from horse drawn wagons. I was fascinated by the horse that pulled the wagons.
The hucksters came from what my grandmother called "The Neck"
and later I found out it had been Stone House Lane a community of farmers who reclaimed swamp land by making canals and dykes and created small farms. They had pigs, goats, some dairy cows and chickens and horses.
Here is what I found on one google search recently:
A trip through the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin archives reveals detail on the otherwise lost neighborhood Stonehouse Lane, in deepest southeast Philly, where residents lived on the fringe of city life in semi-rural conditions into the mid-20th century. Hop in the wayback machine with Jake Blumgart:
The hucksters came from what my grandmother called "The Neck"
and later I found out it had been Stone House Lane a community of farmers who reclaimed swamp land by making canals and dykes and created small farms. They had pigs, goats, some dairy cows and chickens and horses.
Here is what I found on one google search recently:
A trip through the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin archives reveals detail on the otherwise lost neighborhood Stonehouse Lane, in deepest southeast Philly, where residents lived on the fringe of city life in semi-rural conditions into the mid-20th century. Hop in the wayback machine with Jake Blumgart:
It’s hard to imagine that South Philly was ever anything besides a great expanse of concrete and brick, with row homes stretching off to the horizon.
But the city fought its way southward through the marshes and farms that used to occupy that land. By the 20th century, the battle was largely over. The exception lay in deepest South Philly, below Oregon Avenue, where an incongruous community of farmers and squatters hung on until the 1950s.
Stonehouse Lane is one of the dozens of forgotten neighborhoods in this old city that have been bulldozed, burned, or otherwise brutalized. One origin story alleges that this particular corner of Philadelphia was formed by Hessian mercenaries who weren’t quite sure what to do when General Cornwallis surrendered.
Despite Stonehouse Lane’s murky origins, by the 20th century it seemed a clear anachronism in a modernizing, industrial city. The road that formed the spine of the community wound its way down from Oregon Avenue past Pattison Avenue to the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks. It was flanked on both sides by canals. Each house featured a bridge that would allow residents to cross from the street to their front doors. There was no running water and the sewer system didn’t stretch down that far south either. The closest trolleys were a mile to the north on Oregon Avenue, and burning piles of trash on its northern border hemmed in the community. This, just six miles from City Hall.
It made me think of all the lost neighborhoods of South Philadelphia, the Jewish haberdashers and tailors, the German brewers and bakers, the Italian Market.
Jo Ann
wrightj45@yahoo.com
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