14. Happy Fourth of July!!!

       Many thanks to Carla Olszewski Cook who brought us this terrific photograph of the Fourth of July, 1945, taken in the Chambersburg section of Trenton. Elizabeth and Nancy Morzillo and their friends show off their babydoll carriages decorated with red, white, and blue crepe paper for the holiday. They’re gathered in front of the old Liberty Theater building on Cummings Avenue and West Street. The theater operated briefly as one of Trenton’s early “moving picture” venues in the early 1900s (listed in Trenton’s 1917 City Directory.) The structure, which still stands is used today as a warehouse (by Landolfi’s?) on Cummings Avenue.

[UPDATE: Nancy Morzillo Paulus, Carla's aunt, shares her memories of this location:

"When we lived at 325 Cummings Ave. (approx. 1939--1949), our home faced the side of the then-abandoned large building which previously had been "The Old Liberty," a theatre.   I think it is still there used as a warehouse for Italian frozen foods? This triangularly-shaped piece of real estate divides West Street from Cummings Ave., with – what in a child's eye – was fronted with a large side-walked area that was great for roller skating, bicycling and parades, as you see in the picture on the fourth of July........it was a fun spot.......

"I loved climbing up the boarded windows and looking at the cobwebbed interior of abandoned stage, seats and old draperies. Outside rear was the high-fenced forgotten parking lot. I have no idea of its life, its placement just seems odd, there on the border of Chambersburg, a then mostly residential neighborhood. Maybe some Italian city planner envisioned the spot as a little city/suburbia town with Hamilton Township so close by at Liberty St. and Chambers St...(there's that name Liberty, so maybe it was on the planning board......cruise by and check out its existence.....now I'm curious. Love, Aunt Nancy  Have fun.."

 

     
       This charming photo of a family gathering on the Fourth of July, 1924, comes from the collection of the Historical Society of Princeton, celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year! This image, and many others from the HSP can also be found on their FaceBook page. Remember to "like" them!

       And, finally, thanks once again to our friend Tom Glover who compiled and posted these Trenton articles and ads from July 3, 4, and 5, 1904 for this fun fireworks "blow by blow." Though we don't see free firecrackers given away with our coffee purchases anymore, the cautionary tales on July 4 and 5 continue to resonate today. Hope everyone in the Capitol County of Mercer and beyond had a safe and happy 4th!

10. Remembering Mrs. Hurst: Hamilton Twp's First Woman Safety Officer

     Elizabeth E. Cooper brought these terrific articles about her mother, Mrs. Mary Jane Hurst, to the Hamilton One Stop History Share event in May. Mrs. Hurst was Hamilton Township’s first female school safety officer, sworn in as a “Special Police Officer” in January, 1953 – one of the earliest women in the nation to have this position. This was big news in the region; newspapers and civic groups continued to follow Mrs. Hurst in her new career - as the great coverage in the article below (written two years after she was first appointed) shows. This was not Mrs. Hurst’s first ground-breaking role. For some time she also worked at the General Motors plant in Ewing as a "Rosie the Riveter," building airplanes during World War II.

 

          Hervey S. Moore, Jr., the Police Commissioner who appointed Mrs. Furst, is another interesting figure in Mercer history. Shortly after graduating law school 1941, he joined the Army. His service during World War II won him three bronze stars, the Asiatic-Pacific Theater Campaign Medal, and the American Campaign Medal. He left active duty in 1946, but accepted a commission in the New Jersey National Guard. 



Hervey Studdiford Moore, Jr. as an enlisted man

 

           Moore, Jr., was mayor of Hamilton Township during 1954 and 1955, and the township’s police commissioner from 1952 to 1955. In 1955 he joined the Princeton law firm of Mason, Griffin & Moore as a partner just weeks after its founding. He headed the state's Selective Service during most of the Viet Name War years (1963 – 1973) before being named to the Mercer County Court bench in 1973 by NJ Gov. William T. Cahill. In 1980, Gov. Brendan T. Byrne named him to the state Superior Court where he served until his retirement at aged 70. Judge Moore was referred to by some attorneys at the time as "the father of civil law in Mercer," who insisted on professionalism, courtesy and civility in his courtroom.

 

 

     His father, Hervey S. Moore, Sr., was also an attorney. Moore, Sr. served in the NJ Assembly and founded the Trenton Lions Club in 1921. In 1916, he reportedly “…caused a sensation, both in society and in political circles…” by accusing his former partner in a real estate business of conspiring to kill him. [NYTimes, 10/12/1915,pg.20]

 

 

 

 

5. Great Community "Finds"

      

Chase XCG-18A US Air Force glider at Mercer County Airport during WW II, 1947. courtesy of J. Turek

      Throughout the 175th anniversary year, the County will be sponsoring community "History Share" events where you're invited to bring in your own historic photographs, articles, programs, and other memorabilia about life in Mercer County. Items are scanned in, documented, and shared with the rest of the Mercer County community.

Testing a Switlik parachute during jump over Mercer County airport in 1936.  courtesy of R.L.Pidcock



      Folks at the first three events (in Trenton at the County's McDade Building, at the Lawrence Library and at the county's One-Stop office in Hamilton Twp.) brought in some great photographs and articles. You can see them by clicking on the "Photo Gallery" link on the Mercer 175 main page. In honor of Memorial Day, we're sharing some terrific photos and articles brought in by John Turek and Robert Lee Pidcock that show Mercer people and scenes during WW II and the Korean Conflict.

 

Trenton resident, Sgt. Michael Karaffa, a six-time decorated veteran flyer with the 394th Bomb Group during WW II
recalled to active duty during the Korean Conflict.  courtesy of J. Turek