New Gretna Christmas Past- 1936

We are just ending another Christmas season here in New Gretna. It's now the first day of 2013, and Jackie and I are contemplating taking down our Christmas Tree.

Stemmer 2012 Christmas Tree

Taking down the Christmas tree always makes us reflect back to Christmas pasts that were memorable for one reason or another. That tradition is one that is noteworthy to start here at the Blog, so let's go back to the New Gretna Christmas of 1936 as reflected in the December 31, 1936 edition of the Tuckerton Beacon. 

Many of you out in the Blog-O-Sphere should remember some of the local people mentioned. Some might even be relatives. Hopefully, some pleasant memories will be rekindled!

Henry and Minnie Updike

Jeanne Broome

Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Pennebakker

(Marian is daughter of Ben & Lizzie Broome)

Ben & Lizzie Broome with daughters,

Marian (l) and Jeanne (r)

A young Charles & Eva Kauflin in 1920's

Milton and Mildred Mathis Kauflin

Hen & Minnie Updike and a young Anna Ware

Mr. and Mrs. Harry Mathis

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Harold and Lizzie Gerew with son, Harold

Walter and Alice Mathis on their wedding day

Doughty and Alberta Cramer

Mrs. Winfield Salmons, nee Ann Downs

Pauline Mathis

J.C. "Jim" MacDonald

Superintendent of Bass River State Forest

New Gretna Firehouse

Presently Bass River Municipal Building

New Gretna Presbyterian Church

That ends our trip back to the 1936 New Gretna Christmas  season as seen through the eyes of the December 31, 1936 Tuckerton Beacon. There sure are a lot of pleasant memories of that time.

Pete S

Old Tuckerton Water Tower Revisited

The October 20, 2012 Blog entry dealt with the Old Tuckerton Water Tower.  Click on the areal view of the old water tower foundation stones below to view the October 20th Blog entry.

In that entry I mentioned that I did not have any photos of the old water tower. Well, two of my history buddies came to the rescue. Bruce Ellis and John Headley, who are regular visitors to the Tuckerton Historical Society, brought two photos to my attention from the Downshore: From Manahawkin to New Gretna book that show the water tower. Unfortunately, they show the tower in the background, so we don't get a very good look at it; however, they are worth looking at.

Scene looking East from Tuckerton Creek

with water tower in background.

The next photo is interesting in that it shows many buildings, some rather large, that are no longer in existence.

1906 scene looking South-East from Lake Pohatcong with water tower

in background. Buildings: 1- Grist Mill; 2- Fire House; 3- Cowperth-
waite's Wheelwright Shop; 4- Ireland's Blacksmith Shop; and
 5- YMCA. Can anyone identify the building between 1 & 2?

Following are some close up views of some of the buildings in the 1906 scene above from the Tuckerton Historical Society's photo and postcard collections.

Old postcard of Mill on Tuckerton Creek.

Oil painting of the old mill by Burrel Adams. Burrel painted many

old Tuckerton scenes on canvas and on old carpenter's handsaws.

The mill (left) and firehouse.

Rear view of mill and firehouse from Tuckerton Creek.

Old postcard of the firehouse
What happened to the fire bell?

Old postcard of the Y.M.C.A.

I also received the following 1970 aerial photo from Arnold Cramer. It shows the water tower in relation to many buildings in Tuckerton

In the October 20th Water Tower Blog entry I stated that I didn't know when the water tower was dismantled. Paul Schopp, a fellow member of the Burlington County History Roundtable and all around history guru, in a comment estimated that the water tower was torn down "sometime between 1980 and 1982."

Pete:
I cannot provide you with an exact date, but the old tank came down sometime between 1980 and 1982. The borough completed its new tank in 1980 and aerial photos show it removed by 1982.
Best regards,Paul Schopp

Paul was right on the money, as usual. I just recently came across a newspaper clipping from the Atlantic City Press that confirms that the old water tower was dismantled in October, 1980. A back corner of the Tuckerton Bank can be seen on the right.

Following is an aerial photo of the modern cylinder shaped water tower that was erected in October, 1980 on South Green Street. It is still in operation, today.

Courtesy of Bing Maps

That the latest news I have on the old Tuckerton water tower, but I'm sure that more will be forthcoming. Stay tuned!

Pete S