Valley Forge or Bust- Clif Brown's 1939 Class Trip

Our Blog buddy, Clif Brown from Arizona, sent me a 1939 photo he recently found of his 8th grade New Gretna Grammar School class trip to Valley Forge, Pa. He also enclosed a brief story of his recollections of the trip.

Clif's memory is amazing! Not only does he remember the bus driver's name but, also, the owner of the bus and even the bus manufacturer. I can't even remember to tie my shoes some days.

Time and inflation sure marches on. Clif was able to buy a candy bar for a nickle. I can't think of anything you can buy for a nickle, today? What's the last thing you can remember that you bought for a nickle? And how long ago was that?

1939 New Gretna Grammar School Class Trip

Seventy years ago on June 9, 1939 the 8th grade class of New Gretna Grammar School at 7:30 AM departed for a visit to historic Valley Forge, Pa. Then on to the Franklin Institute and Zoo located in Philadelphia, Pa. As I remember it was a beautiful June day. Departed from home with a brown bag full of goodies to eat and share with my classmates, and in my pocket two dollars to spend as I saw fit. Life couldn't get better. The trip was sponsored by the P.T.A. and included students from the grades 7 & 6.

We didn't have to wait for anyone and departed as scheduled with the school bus being driven by John Bozarth. I believe Milton Cramer (Photo on right as a young man) had the bus contract and the manufacture was REO. Taking Hammonton road passing through Wading River, Green Bank, Basto, turning right on the White Horse Pike, around the Camden airport circle, Admiral Wilson Blvd. across the Ben Franklin bridge up Vine St. got a glimpse of William Penn at top of City Hall and along the Schuykill river to our destination.

Unlike the present time Valley Forge was under the control of the Pennsylvania Parks Department and it was more of a picnic area, but it did have some historic buildings, Washington Headquarters, replica of huts used by revolutionary soldiers, cannons, a tower which you could climb for a view located on a hill surrounded by picnic tables were we ate our lunch. Trying to imagine conditions during that winter was difficult. Sitting on the tables we were approached by a park ranger who inquired where are you from? We replied! New Gretna, NJ. Then he proceeded to inform us that "tables are for glasses not asses" therefore remove yourselves, which we did rapidly. I haven't sat on top of a picnic table since.

Cannon at the picnic grounds at Valley Forge. Elsie Smith (teacher - center), John Bozarth (the bus driver sitting on right wheel). Students: Robert Crompton, Clif Brown, Jackie Clark, and Harold Sears. I'm not sure regarding the order, but I believe it may be from left to right. (June 15, 1939 photo courtesy of Clif Brown.)

Luckily it was time to leave for the Franklin Institute. As we entered a large area was roped off with canvas draped from ceiling to floor. Taking a peek, a large statue of Ben Franklin was inside which was to be dedicated at the coming 4^th of July celebration and which is still there today. Many interesting exhibits and experiments were available which were hands on friendly. In the basement were larger exhibits and one that caught my eye was a gigantic Baldwin locomotive. We were allowed to climb in the cab and a attendant garbed as a railroad engineer explained the many gauges, valves and etc. I was standing in front, he spun me around and said to the group "Met Casey Jones" put my hands on the throttle and the locomotive started move. Wow! What an experience.

On to the Zoo. It was my first exposure to captive wild animals, except Frank Bucks Wild Animal Show on the boardwalk pier in Atlantic City. As I remember all the animals were caged and not displayed in open areas as they are today. It wasn't as thrilling as I expected.

Time to head home, all had a full day, stopping only for a rest stop outside of Hammonton and spending my last nickel for a candy bar. We came to life after crossing the Wading River. Someone started singing "Merrily we roll along" and as the bus stopped to discharge a classmate they were serenaded with "Goodbyes".

Clif Brown

I didn't go to school in New Gretna, but Clif's story brought back some fond memories for me. My 7th grade class trip in 1956 (I went to school in North Brunswick, N.J.) was also to Valley Forge. That sure was a popular trip throughout the years. I wonder how many others out in the Blog-O-Sphere also made a class trip to Valley Forge? I also took class trips to the Franklin Institute and the Philadelphia Zoo, but not all on the same day as in Clif's experience.

The Valley Forge photo also tells you something about the New Gretna School in the 1930's and 1940's . . . Class sizes were small. Cliff's 8th grade graduating class (Students then went to Tuckerton High School) was only four students. We sure don't see that any more.

Pete S

PS- Anyone out there in the Blog-O-Sphere have Elsie Smith as a teacher. If so, you must have an interesting memory or two. Let's hear from you.

PPS- Yesterday was Blog reader, David Altscher's birthday. David wrote an article for the August, 2001 Bass River Gazette about his family moving, in the early 1950's when he was a small boy, from a small basement apartment in New York City to a chicken farm in New Gretna where he grew up. You can read the article on page 4 of the Web Link below:

http://bassriver-nj.org/pdf/h-gazette10--august-2001.pdf

Happy birthday, David!

Sake anyone?

What a cute name for such a cute image! This is the other stamp that I received from Enjoli. Another cutie from the Ketto collection by Stamping Bella. This card was so easy to put together. The embossing folder (paisley) really dressed it up. Although the color combo is kinda on the funky side (to me), I really liked it!
Supplies used:
Image: Sake (from the Ketto collection)
Cardstock: Regal rose, chocolate chip, kiwi kiss, close to cocoa
Accessories: Marvy mega scallop circle punch, super jumbo circle punch, 5/8" regal rose grosgrain ribbon, paisley embossing folder

I love Wasabi

The image, that is. Can we say Cute?! I was so very lucky to receive a couple of Ketto images from Enjoli. These cute images were created by Emily of Stamping Bella. I refrained from going online to see this cute collection but after receiving this image and the Sake image, I HAD to take a peek! Big mistake! Now I want them ALL!!! **sigh**...my endless journey of buying new stamps!
Anyway, here is one of the cards I created with Wasabi. I was really happy with this card. It just all fell into place without too much effort. Supplies used:
Cardstock: chocolate chip, kiwi kiss, close to cocoa
Accessories: Super Giga Circle (is that what it's called? the supah large green Marvy punch), Giga scallop circle and mega circle punch, 5/8" chocolate grosgrain ribbon, swirl embossing folder, stickles
Image colored with Copic pens
Happy Saturday to you all. I can't wait for the tradewinds to come back! It's been really hot and humid! Right about now is when I am wishing that I'm sitting at my desk in cool A/C!! Oh well. Hope you are enjoying your weekend doing something crafty!! Thanks for stopping in today!

It keeps me speechless

because my jaw is on the ground somewhere and I can't find it! LOL! My son would love to have me speechless for a day or two :) Enough silliness...sometimes after a long day at work, it kind of gets to me so I gotta "let loose" and have some fun.
But seriously, I am totally speechless and every so grateful to have Enjoli as my girlfriend. She is one of the most thoughtful and generous island girls. I send her some HK stuff because she's not here to get them and she sends me the sweetest thank you's. Here's a super gorjuss card she made using the GG image that I shared with her. LOVE the pink Enjoli!! Also, my very first Ketto stamps from Stamping Bella. Oh da cute! The two that Enjoli sent to me are Sake and Wasabi. Such fun names! You can get your Ketto stamps at Stamping Bella. Thank you so much Enjoli! I've already made use of the stamps and will be posting some cards and a card holder soon! Got a belated Mother's Day rak from my Hawaii heart friend, Colleen. She had her children write in the cutest Miss Kitty card, can you see the envelope too? I miss those days when Nolan used to write cards like that. Thanks Z & K for the cute card and gifts. You are so thoughtful!! I love everything! Colleen even made me a cute card and magnet calendar which is on my fridge already! Thanks Colleen!

Colleen also included the cow kitty figurine in my gift box and when I got excited about it, she told me that they had a collection and picked them up for me. Check them out!

I'm thinking of taking the keychains off from them so I can stand them up nicely as a display. Aren't these funky but fun??

Well TGIF...such a short week, but I really didn't break myself in, I just went for it and dove into my work. Only one word explains how I feel...exhausted!! I'll be posting a couple of Ketto cards and another card holder box over the weekend.

Also, partners for the OCS will be receiving their emails with their partners' name and info. Mahalo for looking today!

A minor correction to the tutorial

I was just reading the tutorial that I wrote before I left for work this morning (crazy!) and realized that although the measurement for the cover of the box is correct (6" X 8 1/2"), I wrote in the instructions that you need a piece of cardstock 6" X 10 1/2"...ai-yah! Sorry for the confusion. The correct measurement for the cover is 6" X 8 1/2"

FYI, the post has been corrected and I hope I didn't confuse anyone.

June one card swap - last call

Just reminding everyone that today is the last day to sign up for June's one card swap. If you are interested in playing, please leave a comment either here or on my OCS post below. If you are new, please send me an email with your full name, address and email so I can share that info with your partner.

Mahalo!!

Simple Card Holder Tutorial

When I posted this cute card holder that my GF Lynnelle made for me, I got a bunch of emails asking for measurements and more info on how to make this cuz it's so cute! Thanks again, Lynnelle, for this really neat card holder and for the inspiration!!Since Lynnelle was not available over the long weekend to get any measurements from, I decided to try and figure it out. Here's my take on the card holder. I made it a little smaller to fit the standard card size cards.

Love this SU speciality DSP. This one is called Parisian Breeze. Oh, speaking of DSP, it's only a couple more days, but I totally forgot to mention that SU is having a DSP special...buy 3 packs and get one FREE! We like free, right? If you are interested in catching this awesome deal, you can click onto my SU website to place your order :)

Okay...on to the tutorial...for the box, you will need one piece of cardstock cut at 8" X 10 1/2". Score one inch on both sides, turn the cardstock and score at 4 3/4" and 5 3/4".

Cut as shown and set aside.

Adhere sides in place.

Attach a jumbo eyelet on each side. Insert ribbon. Length depending on how long you want the handle. (Sorry, I forgot to take a pic of the ribbon being put in).

Now to make the cover. you will need a piece of DP 6" X 8 1/2". Score at 2 3/4" and 3 3/4". Corner round the corners as shown.
Add adhesive to the backside of the cover, on the bottom only!

Adhere to the box as shown.

It should look like this. (Mine is missing the ribbon here). You are done! Embellish as desired. Wasn't that easy??!! Hope this inspires you to try making one!

Here's the finished cardholder again...I used my Sizzix butterfuly die and the stamp set is called Simple Friendship.

Thanks for coming by for a visit today. It's been a busy week so far. I have a couple of raks to share soon and some creations using some new stamps that I received in my rak!! Have a wonderful day!

Jacob Magid Hall and Dick Storey's Whizzer Revisited

I thought I would use today's Blog to tie up a few loose ends - the answers to the Saturday, May 16th Blog questions regarding Jacob Magid Hall and a follow-up on Monday's Dick Storey and His Whizzer item.

Jacob Magid Hall:

Jacob Magid was an entrepreneur from Philadelphia who bought the old Civic Hall on Allentown Road, now North Maple Avenue. The building, now the home of the New Gretna Volunteer Fire Company, was originally erected by the Women's Guild of the New Gretna Presbyterian Church in 1929 as a facility for community functions and events. The timing of the project was just right, as the Presbyterian Church was installing stained glass windows and donated the old church windows to the Civic Hall construction project.

Baby Carol Gray with her grandmother Willets in front of the old Civic Hall which would become the Jacob (or Joseph) Magid Hall in the late 1940's. (Photo courtesy of Franklin Willets Gray.)

Sometime in the mid 1940's the building was purchased by Jacob and/or Joseph Magid for the housing of a sewing factory. The factory was welcomed by the community as it produced needed jobs for many local women. Sarah Mathis, a local Insurance and Real Estate agent, was hired by Magid to recruit a local labor force as evidenced by the following May 27, 1948 Tuckerton Beacon classified advertisement.

Sarah Mathis helped in the hiring of local women for the Sewing Factory. (Photo courtesy of Murray and Jean Harris.)

Sarah Mathis operated an insurance business out of her home on Allentown Road, now North Maple Avenue. The home is currently owned by the Neuweiler family. (February 1, 2009 photo by Pete Stemmer.)

 

Sarah, better known locally by her nickname "Sarah John", derived from her first name and the first name of her husband, apparently did an excellent job, as the factory was in operation by the first week of November, 1948.

Last Sunday, after the New Gretna Old Home Society's Annual Memorial Day Dinner, we were discussing New Gretna during the War years, and the subject of the old Civic Hall came up. Two of the ladies in attendance, Claire Kalm Allen and Georgine Mathis Bartlett, remembered working at the Sewing Factory. Strangely, no one seems to remember the name of the company, referring to the operation as just "the Sewing Factory."

Claire worked in the office at the Sewing Factory for a few months before it closed in April, 1952, about three and a half years from its opening. She remembers the date because it was the same month she was married to Alston Allen. 

Claire related that the factory was managed by a Miss Carter from Camden who rented the house just to the west of the New Gretna House on Rt 9 (The house no longer exists), and that cloths were made for various mail order catalog companies. She also remembers Tink Downs and Dot Allen, both from New Gretna, also working there.

Sabrina "Tink" Downs in 1946. (Photo courtesy of Tom Williams.)

Dot Allen with daughter, Eleanor, in 1945. (Photo courtesy of Almira Cramer Steele.)

As mentioned in the May 16th Blog posting, the Magid Hall was used for movies (See ad below). They appear to have been held only on weekends. I am somewhat puzzled by this, as the movies were being held in the same time period as the operation of the Sewing Factory. I don't know how both operations could have been held in the same building. 

Georgine Mathis Bartlett remembers a back door to a basement. Perhaps the movies were held there. I hadn't realized that the Civic Hall had a basement because there is no basement in the building today. It must have been filled in when the building was converted to a firehouse. When I go back and look at the photo of the old Civic Hall (See above) I can see the windows to the basement. I never noticed them before. 

I'm also puzzled by the May 27, 1948 news article stating that Jacob Magid was involved with the Dress Factory while the movie ad refers to the Joseph Magid Hall. Are they the same person, members of the same family, or was there a misprint in the May 27, 1948 news item? These are mysteries yet to be solved but, I guess, that is one of the challenges of being a history buff.

Tuckerton Beacon Ad - June 21, 1947 

No one seems to remember the movies, so it is likely that they were held for only a short time. The only ads I could find were in June, 1947. This was before the Sewing Factory occupied the building, allowing the movies to be held on the main floor of the facility. This would explain my puzzlement as to how the movies and the Sewing Factory could have been held in the same building.

Ben Allen reports that the old Civic Hall was also a roller skating rink prior to its becoming a Sewing Factory. The exact dates are uncertain in his mind, as he was not a skater. Any skaters out in the Blog-O-Sphere who could shed some light on this phase of the old Civic Hall?

Well, that just about answers the first four questions in our May 16th Blog Quiz. 

(1) Who was Joseph Magid? A Philadelphia businessman who purchased the New Gretna Civic Hall in the mid 1940's.

(2) Where, in New Gretna, was his hall? It was on Allentown Road, now North Maple Avenue.

(3) Other than movies, what was his hall used for? Skating Rink and, presently, the Fire Company.

(4) Is his hall still standing, today? Yes, it is presently the New Gretna Volunteer Fire Company.

(5) Have you ever been to a movie in Joseph Magid Hall? Still haven't heard from anyone on this.

The 5th question can only be answered by someone who attended a movie at the Jacob Magid Hall. Unfortunately, I haven't heard from anyone who had seen a movie there, but I'm hopeful that I will hear from a Blog reader who took in a local movie there.

Dick Storey's Whizzer:

Apparently, at least one person in the area purchased a Whizzer, as evidenced by the following classified ad placed in the May 10, 1951 Tuckerton Beacon by Orville Fithian of Parkertown. I don't know if it was originally purchased from Dick Storey but, somehow, from the wording of the ad, "to sell cheap", I get the impression that the Whizzer wasn't too popular an item. I wonder if it is still available. With the price of gas inching up again, I just might give Orville a call.

A big thank you to Joan Exel from the Tuckerton Historical Society for giving me the Whizzer Classified clipping.

That wraps up some loose ends regarding the Magid Hall and Dick Storey's Whizzer. Hopefully, more details will emerge in the future.


Pete S

June One Card Swap sign up!

EDIT TO ADD: This post will remain on top until Thursday, May 28 to make it easier for you to sign up for the one card swap! Scroll down for current daily posts! Mahalo!

I've been trying to post this but have been having problems with blogger...it keeps kicking me out! Maybe it's telling me to get off of the computer and go back to rest. Although I'm feeling better, I'm getting up at 1 AM coughing my little head off. The doc said I have sinusitis and bronchitis and all of that coughing is giving me some mean headaches! My small head cannot handle! LOL! Anyway...
It's that time again! I wanted to start earlier this round to give enough time for people to sign up and for me to partner up people so you will all have time to work on your card. Remember, you won't get the email from me with your partner's name until sign up is closed. Sign up will be opened from today and will close at midnight (Hawaii time) on May 28th.
Here's a card I received from one of my partners, Kelli B. I just love this Aloha Hello Kitty! This card sparkles from all angles and you know how much I love sparkle! Thanks Kelli! I know I was a tad late in sending my card out to you, but I hope you received it. On to the sign up! If you are interested in participating in the June one card swap, please leave a comment on this post. If you are a returning player, then do nothing else but wait patiently for the name of your partner after the close of sign up. If you are a new player, please send me a private email (email addy on the right sidebar) with your full name, address and email address. This info is important for me to get so I can include this when I send your partnering email.
I'm glad everyone is having so much fun with this one card swap. There are no restrictions as to the company, color, theme, size...you make one card and send one card only, no treats, raks, goodies...you get the idea. Let's share of creativity!
Thank you so much to all of you who have participated since I started this monthly card swap. Without you, the participants, there would be no one card swap!
I will be posting another fabulous card from my other partner, Kim - all the way from the United Kingdom! I hope blogger will be kind to me and let me on!!

My card for Kelli B.

This month, I had two partners for the one card swap. Since I was on my double shaker card kick, I made one for each of my partners. Here's what I made for Kelli B. The image is a Gorjuss Girl image, and part of set II. I like that they have wings so I took them to be angels. I hope you liked your card, Kelli! Here's a close up of the image.

I won't be posting the shaker that I made for Kim just yet because I want her to be surprised. I was a little late in sending out my card to Kim and she lives in the UK. Thanks for your patience Kim!

I hope you are all having a nice week so far, at least it's a short week. I have alot to catch up on since I was out for a whole week last week. I am much better, but now, my son is sick. **sigh**...

I'll be posting another fun tutorial for a the cute card holder that I got from my GF Lynnelle except I made it a little smaller...you won't want to miss it because it is super easy to make!

One card swap sharing

Mary Bennett, who is one of the players in my monthly one card swap, emailed me this photo to post since she doesn't have a blog. Her partner this month was Ilissa (from Hawaii). Mary asked me to post this photo to share. Great job Ilissa! Thanks for sharing, Mary.

Dick Storey's Whizzer

Dick and Gladys Storey had a real estate business, started in the early 1950's, on Route 9, just west of the Bass River Bridge in New Gretna. I'm sure that some of you Blog readers remember them. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of the Storeys. If anyone out there in the Blog-O-Sphere has any, I sure would appreciate hearing from you, as I would like to add them to our Family Photos Archives.

Dick and Gladys Storey out front of their Real Estate office in the mid 1950's. (Photo courtesy of William Maxwell.)

The Storeys inherited the property from Gladys' parents, Albert and Addie Hilaman, who ran a gas station at that location in the 1930's and into the late 1940's. It had a small one room store and ice cream parlor, sort of a fore runner of the modern convenience store, a WaWa from a different era.

Addie Hilaman and her grandson, Billie Maxwell, out front of the Hilaman Sunoco Station. The car in the photo belonged to a Sunoco salesman who took the photo. (Photo courtesy of William Maxwell.)

The 1930 Bass River Township Census lists Albert and Addie Hilaman living there. Albert's occupation is listed as "machinist - Owns shop". Albert Hilaman was an expert mechanic with a particularly good reputation for working on marine engines. When he passed away, in 1948, there was no mechanic for the shop and the many small family gas stations in New Gretna made it difficult to make a living just selling gas. The gas station was eventually closed sometime in the early 1950's and replaced by the Storey's Real Estate business.

Some of Albert's interest in mechanics must have rubbed off on his son-in-law, Dick Storey, as evidence by the following 1947 advertisement placed in the Tuckerton Beacon. Seems that the family was not only ahead of the convenience store curve but, also, of the gas efficiency curve. Dick Storey was a pioneer in the go green transportation movement with his Whizzer dealership.

October 23, 1947 Tuckerton Beacon Advertisement.

I don't believe that the Whizzer ever took off, as I couldn't find anyone that could remember seeing or hearing about one in the New Gretna area. Maybe it was having the wrong slogan. Somehow, "Take a whiz with your Whizzer" just didn't seem to catch on. Pity! I sure could use that gas mileage today.

The Storey Real Estate business building is now a private home. (June 11, 2005 photo by Pete Stemmer.)

Pete S

PS- When Jackie and I moved to New Gretna in the early 1970's, the old Storey Real Estate building was the New Gretna Paint Shop operated by William and June Pieper. Mr. Pieper did much of the wall paper in our home, and I bought my vegetable plants from him, each Spring, when I planted my garden.

Photo graduation party favors

I made these cute photo graduation party favors a couple of years ago for one of my bestest girlfriends' son who graduated from high school. They call this the "sour cream" container and I guess sour cream used to come in containers like this? Anyway, I've been getting emails on how I made these cute party favors so thought I would do a simple tutorial. FYI, there is a tutorial on splitcoast stampers, but they use cardstock. I first learned how to make this favor at a SU stamp camp (out of paper) and then again at Photocraft, a local craft store here, where Brian created a neat template to make this favor. He used a photo to make the favor which I thought was a really cool idea. I did buy the template, but after having to make so many, figured out that it was easier for me to not use the template. Here's my take on the easy peasy or quick & dirty tut...you will need a 4X6 photo, adhesive (something strong like scor-tape or sticky strip) and a paper crimper.
Step 1: start with a 4X6 photo and put adhesive on all edges on the back of the photo. Step 2: bring the two 4" edges together like this and adhere as shown. One edge will overlap so that it can stick to the other edge.

Step 3: press down on the top of the favor so it will adhere on the top. It should now look like this:

Another view of how it should look like. This would be the time that you add candy or whatever you are going to put inside of your favor.

Step 4: now squeeze the photo as shown so it will adhere the opposite direction of the top.

Step 5: put the sealed top of the favor through the paper crimper and give it a couple of turns. The crimper will double seal the favor.

This is what it will look like after you crimp it.

Step 6: crimp the other end and now your favor is done and should look like this!

That's it! Wasn't that easy?? Give it a try and have fun! Feel free to email me with any questions. I hope this will help explain how to make this cute and easy party favor. Mahalo for requesting this tutorial and thanks for coming by today!

Birthday wishes to my BF

For once I'm on time. I owe many belated birthday cards to a bunch of my good friends, I wonder if they still want one from me?? My BF Wini's bday was the other day and I guess since I was home, I was able to make her a card. It took me a while to make, between my cat naps, but here's what I ended up making. I love these new Chinese girl stamps by Hero Arts. The embossing folder is by Sizzix (Thanks Cheryl!) and the top note sizzix die by SU. I love this color combo for oriental cards, which I don't make too often. The WISH sentiment is by CTMH. Here's what the inside of the card looked like:

I don't usually dress up the inside of my cards to the hilt, but I wanted to use the bamboo stamp. The main sentiment is also from CTMH. The HB stamp is by SU.

Hope you are enjoying your Sunday! Most of us have tomorrow off for Memorial Day. We went to put flowers of the graves early this AM, like 6 AM! Dad likes to go when it's quiet and not crowded.

Thanks for your visit today! Hopefully, I will have my easy peasy, quick & dirty (not really dirty) tutorial on making those photo graduation favors that I keep getting emails on...