New Jersey Caviar and the New Gretna Connection

I got a telephone call from my History and Men's Breakfast buddy, Jim McAnney, the other day alerting me to an article in the Atlantic City Press about restrictions being placed on sturgeon fishing in the Delaware Bay. He suggested that it might make an interesting subject for the Blog. 

Wondering what present day sturgeon fishing problems in the Delaware Bay had to do with the Blog, I got out the paper and found the following headline in the Region Section.

Reading through the article, I couldn't help wondering why Jim thought it may be of interest here at the Blog. It wasn't until I got to the end of the article that I found the historical connection. The article ended with a few paragraphs (transcribed below) dealing with Bayside, New Jersey, which was once known as the caviar capital of the world.

Excerpt from the Atlantic City Press
February 13, 2012

The article pointed out some pretty interesting info regarding New Jersey history. Imagine a southern New Jersey town being the caviar capital of the world!

Sturgeon fishing docks at Bayside, NJ
Photo from Rutgers University collection

Click on the above photo to read about sturgeon fishing at Bayside, known in the old days as Caviar Point.

Landing a sturgeon at Bayside, N.J.

Suddenly, a New Gretna connection to the article popped into my head. I remembered reading a May, 1886 Tuckerton Beacon article about some New Gretna boys doing some sturgeon fishing in Delaware Bay. Seems they made some news back then when their fishing boat, owned by the New Gretna Fishing Company, was involved in a ship wreck rescue. Capt. Oscar Hickman and his crew were the heroes of the day. 

Another 1886 Tuckerton Beacon article shed some light on the New Gretna Fishing Company and it's officers, all from New Gretna.

It's not unusual for commercial fishermen to bring some of their catch home for the family dinner, so it would not be a stretch to envision some Mathis, Hickman, and French  families feasting on caviar during the evening meal in their modest New Gretna homes. Ah, the good life of a simple fisherman!

Pete S

Ethel Wiseman Sprague's 102nd Birthday Party

I got a telephone call from Myrtle Wiseman Falkinburg this past week inviting me to her sister Ethel Wiseman Sprague's 102 birthday party on February 7th at Seacrest Village Manor on Center Street in Little Egg Harbor. Ethel is the oldest living person born in New Gretna, so I accepted, as I was eager to meet and speak with her. 

I had written a Blog entry on Ethel on December 3, 2008 when she was merely 98. You can read that Blog entry about her family background and see some old Wiseman family photos by clicking on the photo below.

Baby Ethel with her mother, Olive Wiseman, 102 years ago.

Photo courtesy of Myrtle Wiseman Falkinburg

It was a pleasure meeting the 102 year old birthday girl and her loving family. 

Ethel Wiseman Sprague, 102 years old

I spoke with Ethel about her childhood in New Gretna. She was born on the Wiseman family farm on West Greenbush Road. She spoke of Rev. Ginter at the Presbyterian Church and mentioned many residents, long passed away, who she remembered. Her memory was remarkable!

Rev. Ginter was the New Gretna Presbyterian Church's minister

when Ethel was a young girl.

Following are some photos that I took at the party.

Ethel's daughter, Helen Sprague Toole, shows Ethel her birthday flowers.

Ethel with her sister, Myrtle Wiseman Falkinburg. Myrtle is 92 and a big help

to me in relating her memories of growing up and living in New Gretna. Ethel

is holding up a birthday congratulations certificate from President Obama.

Myrtle is known by the family as "Dolly", a nickname that was given to her by Ethel shortly after Myrtle was born. Ethel said that Myrtle looked like her dolly and the name stuck.

Ethel scratching off lottery tickets she received for her birthday.
She won $2.00.

Ethel got some beautiful presents.

Ethel blows out her birthday candles.

Ethel enjoying her birthday cake.

Ethel with her grandson, John Nelson, who operates a Jitney service in Atlantic City.

The family gathers around to sing Happy Birthday.
Front Row: Ethel and sister, "Dolly"
2nd Row (l-r): granddaughter, Jane Keams; sister, Cassie Wiseman Heinrichs;
granddaughter, Cindy Lucas; and daughter, Gladys Sprague Moody.
Back Row (l-r): daughter, Helen Sprague Toole; grandson John Nelson,
and son-in-law, Larry Moody.

William Gray Obituary

I received the news of the passing of William Gray from his daughter, Cindy Gray Dickey. It's always sad when we lose another connection with old time New Gretna. Our condolences go out to the family.

Pete S

William “Bill” Gray

            William Gray was born to William and Virginia (Darby) Gray on September 2, 1931, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.  He died Tuesday, November 29, 2011 in Enid.

            Bill grew up in New Gretna, New Jersey, across the street from Jean Marie Atkinson, whom he married on June 21, 1953. They married at the Methodist church in New Gretna. Bill served in the National Guard from 1950 – 1956. He began his construction career in 1952 with Raymond Concrete.  Bill joined Bechtel Corporation in 1959, working in New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Mississippi, Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, and Wyoming until 1975.  From 1975 to 1984, Bill worked with Fluor Corporation as a construction manager on the Trans-Alaskan pipeline, and completed construction projects in South Africa, Iran and Saudi Arabia.  In 1989 Bill was called to oversee the building of sleeping/cafeteria barges for the cleanup crew of the Exxon Valdez oil spill at Prince William Sound, AK. Until 2000, Bill was a self-employed general contractor.  He loved his two dogs, Dudley and Scotty.  Bill was a history buff, and his other interests included Fox news, politics, reading, collecting stamps, and the New York/New Jersey Giants. 

            He is survived by his loving wife Jean of 58 years; daughter  Cindy (whom he delivered on the way to the Atlantic City hospital) and her husband Mike Dickey of Enid; two sons, William Gray (named after Bill),  and Joseph Mathis Gray (named after great-grandfather Joseph K. Mathis), both of Festus, Missouri; seven grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

            William was preceded in death by his parents and infant sister.

            There will be a family memorial service at a later date.  Memorials may be made to SPCA of Enid.  Condolences online at www.andersonburris.com. or mailed to 120 S. Mission Road, Enid, OK 73703.  

Tuckerton Water Park

I've noticed an increase of Florida water park commercials on TV lately. Most show families frolicking in a variety of water related scenes. It makes you want to head to Atlantic City Airport and hop a plane to Disney's Water Park in Orlando, Florida.

In today's tight economy, most of us don't have the funds for a trip to Florida, so I have a low budget suggestion - How about a trip to Cedarwater Park on Lake Pohatcong in good old Tuckerton? The price is right, only 15 cents on weekdays and 25 on weekends. 

E. Moss Mathis, owner of Clearwater Park
Photo courtesy of Russell & MaryLou Mathis.

It may be a little chilly this time of year, so you may want to don your wooley bathing suit for our Lake Pohatcong frolic. 

Local girls in their wooley bathing suits.

Photo courtesy of Steve Eichinger

How about we meet at the lake this coming Saturday? I hear my Men's Breakfast buddy, Rickie "White Shoes" Steele, has a wooley speedo that he bought just for our Tuckerton Water Park trip and plans to do his famous cannon ball. That, alone, should be worth the price of admission. 

Rickie has good credentials for being a water sports star, as his dad, Budd, was an outstanding swimmer and the first lifeguard at Lake Absegami in Bass River State Park.

Budd Steele on the sandy beach at Lake Absegami
Photo courtesy of Almira Cramer Steele

Hope to see you all at Cedarwater Park this Saturday.

Pete S

Mystery Photo

I got the following email from Patty S. and hope that someone out in the Blog-O-Sphere can help to identify the location of the photo. I haven't a clue; however, I think we can say that it definitely was not taken in New Gretna. 

Pete S

Pete, 
Do you or anyone out there on the blog knows where this might have been taken? This was in my Grandmother's pictures. There is nothing written on the back. It might have been part of a larger picture as the right side has been cut as it's wavy, not straight like the left side. She was born and raised in New Gretna. She was a McCambridge, her mother a Loveland, and her mother a Gaskill and her mother an Allen. All these families lived in the area so I'm sure it's from Burlington County somewhere. 
Patty S.

PS- Interested in old Burlington County scenes? You may want to take a look at the old postcard collection from the Burlington County Library by clicking in the postcard below.

Occupy New Gretna

You've heard the expression, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." Well, it seems as if that applies to a link between New Gretna in the mid 1930's and today's political landscape. Today, we hear about the disparity of wealth in our country and see scenes of various "Occupy" demonstrations in cities throughout the country designed to bring the plight of the 99 per cent to our national conscience.

Occupy Wall Street

New Gretna folks were concerned with the same issues; however, society in old time New Gretna was too civil for such unruly exhibitions. Rather than have "Occupy New Gretna" demonstrations, a proper organization was formed to focus on economic class concerns and to join the political process, in an orderly manner, to strive to rectify the situation. 

Huey Long

I'm proud of our New Gretna ancestors back in the 1930's. Today's politicians should be so civil.

Pete S

Chicken Thievery in New Gretna

I got the following email from Donald Maxwell about chicken thievery in old time New Gretna and thought I would share it with you. I was glad to hear that he got a chuckle out of last Sunday's Chicken Tattoos Blog entry. "Cackle" would have been a better description!

Pete,

I couldn't help chuckling while reading about the chicken tattooing. I don't think your readers realize the chicken theivery that went on in the 30's. it wasn't uncommon for someone to report that their chickens had been stolen in the night. I know that we were one of those that had experiences with chicken theives. There were a lot of chicken yards and henhouses around New Gretna about that time. Nearly everyone kept their own chickens.

I know we were victims. One night someone got into our fatteneing pen and took out two big old hens that we were fattening up for Sunday dinner. Another time we heard a lot of chicken commotion in the back where we had the large chicken house. My brother and I slept in the back bedroom facing the chicken house so we could hear it better than the rest. My brother, Jack, loaded up his shotgun which he kept handy and fired a load out there deliberately high so as not to hit anyone. Needless to say, it alerted the whole household out of deep slumber. My dad rushed into the bedroom wanting to know what that shot was all about. We told him what we heard, so he went out with a flash light and discovered the chicken house had been broken into. He found a knife the thief had dropped plus a lot of feathers and some chicken blood.

I remember Les Allen lost his whole flock one night, some 30 some chickens including Rhode Island Reds, Wyondots, and Dominics. They were considered a very good brand. We always kept mostly leghorns with some other brands mixed in. Earl Cramer also lost a good part of his flock one night.

Les Allen
Photo courtesy of Alston and Claie Allen 

Earl Cramer and his wife, Elizabeth
Photo courtesy of Norman & Leila Cramer

A lot of people would call the State Police which mostly was a futile gesture. I remember reading, in the Tuckerton Beacon, about a chicken thief being caught in West Creek, so it wasn't just a New Gretna problem but was pretty well widespread at the time, especially during the war years.

During the war years there was hardly a family that didn't keep and raise their own chickens plus a lot of people had a hog out back of the house for their pork. They had what was known as a hog slaughtering day. We kids would gather around to watch it. It was so gory that most of us left shortly after it started. Some places wouldn't let us kids watch, as it was pretty bad, but that was a way of life then all along the South Jersey shore and inland also.

Don Maxwell

Following are a few old New Gretna chicken photos that you might enjoy. New Gretna-ites out in the Blog-O-Sphere may remember some of the people.

Pauline Berry, Bobby Quinn's mother
Photo courtesy of Bobby Quinn

Clarence Berry, Bobby Quinn's uncle
Photo courtesy of Bobby Quinn

Bucky Lamson
Photo courtesy of Betty Lamson West

(l-r) Debra, Barbara, and Marilyn West in 1962
Photo courtesy of Betty Lamson West

Pete S


PS- I couldn't help showing one of my favorite chicken jokes, courtesy of The Far Side.