Rt. 9 Barbershop Info From Clif Brown

Donald Maxwell provided a wealth of information regarding Alice Adams Weber's photo of the old barbershop near the corner of South Maple Avenue which was featured on last Tuesday's Blog. Donald's memory is unbelievable; however, he couldn't recall the name of the couple who lived in the old barbershop building after WWII, only that the husband was a heavy smoker.

The old barbershop on Rt. 9

Well, Clif Brown, who also has a remarkable memory was able to fill in the name of the couple and provided an interesting story that etched the couple's name in Clif's memory some 64 years ago. You could say that it's literally no accident that Clif recalls the couple's names. Read on in Clif's email message below and you will see why.

Pete S

Dear Pete:

Hope I can provide some additional information regarding the New Gretna Barber Shop (NGBS). Without Don Maxwell’s story my mind would have been a complete blank. The Model/year of that Pontiac Joyce is sitting on would have also helped. I had to go into the old shoebox to locate a clipping from which I was able to “ID” s folks who lived there, I think, a little better than remembering his cough. Looking back to that time it proves that New Gretna could not support a bank and two barber shops.

For starters, John and Alice Jarvis were the non-sociable couple who occupied the New Gretna Barber Shop around 1948 plus or minus 3 years. John had that cough, probably caused from working as a wheelwright in a foundry located in Philadelphia. 

I met them by accident, September 18,1948. It was a bright, cloudless moonlit night. The attached Tuckerton Beacon clipping explains it all. Norman Cramer was also a passenger in my vehicle. Neither he nor I or John Jarvis were injured.

Clif Brown (l) and Bob Dawson at the Tuckerton Race Track in  1951.
(Photo courtesy of Clif Brown)

In the late 50’s the old barbershop building was occupied by Bert and Doris who were from Absecon. Doris worked as a bartender in the Rustic Inn when it was operated by Frieda (Loveland) Shedaker. Bert was a brother to Irene Loveland's husband. Doris later worked as a bartender for “Pollock Ann’s” tavern located on the White Horse Pike, Absecon.

Regards – Clif Brown

Aunt Alice and the Old Barbershop

The other day Steve Eichinger, my history buddy, stopped by to show me a few old Bridgeport and New Gretna photos that he had come across in an old album belonging to his Aunt Alice Adams Weber. Aunt Alice was one of the few old timers who was interested in the history of our area and collected data and old photos which she passed on to Steve.

Alice Adams Weber spent many hours collecting local history and genealogy data which she passed on to her nephew, Steve Eichinger. (Photo courtesy of Steve Eichinger)

Steve Eichinger carries on his Aunt Alice's love of area history and genealogy. (Photo by Pete Stemmer)

I had a good time going through the photos in Alice's old photo album with Steve. He really paid attention to his aunt when he was a child, as he remembered quite a bid about many of the old photos and how they tied in to his family.


One of the photos in Aunt Alice's album caught my attention - the one of the old barbershop on Rt. 9 in the vicinity of the present day New Gretna Munchies deli. I've heard about the old barbershop but had never seen a photo of it.


The photo was taken from the front yard of Curtis Maxwell's house and features Joyce Maxwell, Curtis and Dorothy Maxwell's daughter, and Donald Maxwell's sister.

The focal point of the photo was Joyce Maxwell sitting on the hood of a car parked in front of the Maxwell family house. As luck would have it, the old barbershop can be clearly seen across Rt. 9 in the background. South Maple Avenue, called Eel Street by the locals in the old days, would be to the right of the barbershop.

Joyce Maxwell with the old barbershop building in the background.

I didn't know much about the old barbershop, so I emailed Don Maxwell and ask him about his memories of the old building that has been long torn down. As usual, Don did not disappoint. His reply may be found below.

Memories of the old Route 9 Barber Shop

by Donald Maxwell

The old barber shop started out as a gas station. The property was owned by the Aubor family in Green Bank. They had one daughter, Dolly Aubor, who was a school teacher in the Green Bank school system. She was single all her life, a typical dedicated old maid school teacher. She inherited the property and owned it until the Tuckerton Bank bought it and built a satellite or New Gretna Branch on the property. She was always at the local card parties and hobnobbed with the local school teachers at card parties, PTA meetings etc.

Sometime in the late 40's just before the war, the Aubors had the small building built, and it was a two pump gas station. They leased it to a Robert Steelman from the Linwood-Somers Point area. He ran it for a couple of years until WW2 started and gas got scarse and it closed up.

An Italian barber named Frank Azzorina rented or leased it during the war. He had a barber shop there all during the war. After the war he and his wife gave it up and moved away and it became vacant. They rented Benny and Elaine Allen's home on Adams Avenue, until Benny came home from the war.

Ben and Elaine Allen in front of their Adams Avenue home.
(Photo courtesy of Ben & Elaine Allen)

I remember my brother Jack, as a boy, set some steel traps under the vacant building to catch a fox and instead caught a skunk. He got me to help him to get the skunk out and it sprayed him right in the face and eyes. There was quite a scene when we got home and mom got on us. She finally washed his eyes out with something or other.

Jack Maxwell, a few years before his skunk hunting days.
(Photo courtesy of Donald Maxwell)

After the war a couple of guys rented it for awhile to live there. After that a man and his wife lived there for a number of years. I can't remember their names, as he worked outside of the community and they didn't socialize with the towns people. I remember you could hear him coughing as he was a heavy cigarette smoker. I don't remember anyone else living there, as I moved out and got married and lost touch with the area.

Don Maxwell

Should Donald's account of the old barber shop evoke memories from anyone out in the Blog-O-Sphere, I would appreciate hearing from you.


Pete S

Tuckerton in 1838 and in the 1930's

Last Saturday I was involved in presenting a program at the Tuckerton Historical Society on the Civil War in New Jersey and the Little Egg Harbor area.  I thought it might be interesting to research what Tuckerton was like just prior to the Civil War, especially the businesses and its prominent citizens. Unfortunately, I was unable to find information for that era.

I did; however, find accounts of life in Tuckerton in 1838 and in the 1930's, some hundred years later, and thought some of you out in the Blog-O-Sphere might be interested in the accounts. I found them interesting - especially the 1838 account that mentions a salt works located on Salt Work Lane, various prominent Tuckerton families including Ebenezer Tucker, the Castor Oil business, and old medical practices.

The 1838 account was found in a 1893 article clipped from the Tuckerton Beacon. Unfortunately, whoever pasted the article in the old scrapbook, which found its way to the Tuckerton Historical Society, did not clip out anything that identified the writer. We do have a hint, in that it was written from Port Republic, so the writer moved from Tuckerton to Port Republic. 

The article, "Growing Up In Tuckerton in the 1930's" was written by Carolyn Cambell who is active in the Ocean County Historical Society in Toms River. She lived in Tuckerton, as a young girl.

Click on the links below to read the articles.

TUCKERTON IN 1838

GROWING UP IN TUCKERTON IN THE 1930's

Pete S

PS- If anyone knows where Salt Works Lane was, please drop a note in the Comments Section below. I suspect in may have been South Green Street Street, but that is just a guess.

Don Cramer and the Old Giffordtown Schoolhouse

I volunteer at the Tuckerton Historical Society on most Wednesdays and am generally there from 11:15 AM until 3 PM. Stop by to say hello if you are in the area. We have a lot of interesting stuff from Tuckerton and the surrounding area.

The historical society is housed in the old Giffordtown two room schoolhouse located at the corner of Leitz Blvd. and Wisteria Lane, diagonally across the street from the back of Cumberland Farms.

The old Giffordtown two room schoolhouse is presently the headquarters and museum of the Tuckerton Historical Society. (Photo by Pete Stemmer)

The Giffordtown Schoolhouse was originally located at the site of the present day Lighthouse Church on Route 9, across the street from the Rite Aid pharmacy. 

The Giffordtown School on its original Route 9 site, circa 1950's.
(Photo courtesy of the Tuckerton Historical Society.)

Bob Leitz's built a new car dealership next to the old schoolhouse in the 1940's. Eventually the schoolhouse was moved to its present location in the early 1980's.

Yesterday, at the historical society, we were pleasantly surprised when Don Cramer stopped by to make a few donations to the society. Don is the son of Pratt and Vera Cramer of the New Gretna oyster business family. Don's grandfather, Arnold Cramer, built the oyster house at the end of Amasas Landing Road in New Gretna.

The Cramer Oyster House at the end of Amasas Landing Road in New Gretna, circa 1940's. (Courtesy of Arnold Nathan Cramer)

Don came up north from his home in Florida to attend the October 15th Tuckerton High School Reunion. He had commissioned a painting of the old Giffordtown Schoolhouse and stopped by the schoolhouse museum yesterday to present the painting to the historical society.

Don Cramer and the painting of the old Giffordtown Schoolhouse.
(Photo by Paula Scully)

The Giffordtown Schoolhouse painted by Joan Stein Carroll. Mrs. Parker's old Plymouth is parked at the side of the school. (Photo by Paula Scully)

Some alumni of the Giffordtown Schoolhouse were present to admire the painting and talk about memories long forgotten. 

Giffortown Schoolhouse alumni (l-r): Charlie Richmond, Joan Wagenlehner Exel, and Pat Lynch admire the painting of their alma mater. (Photo by Paula Scully)  

Don also donated a dictionary won by his grandmother, Gertrude French Cramer, at age 13, at the Philadelphia College of Business Spelling Bee in 1888; a hand rung school bell used by Gertrude, who taught at the New Gretna Grade School; a 1956 baseball signed by the Tuckerton High School baseball team; an old telephone from an Atlantic City hotel; and an antique wooden fishing reel. The items will be cataloged and added to the museum collection.

Don holding an old wooden fishing reel. (Photo by Paula Scully)

As you can see, there is never a dull moment on Wednesdays at the Tuckerton Historical Society. You never know who is going to drop by with interesting goodies. Yesterday it was Don Cramer. Next Wednesday, who knows? Stop in and see!

Pete S


PS- Anyone out in the Blog-O-Sphere who attended the old Giffordtown Schoolhouse? If so, please share a memory or two with us.

New Gretna Veterans' Memorial

Earlier this week I had to stop in the Township Municipal Building. I parked my truck in front of the Veteran's Memorial that is located between the Municipal Building and the Fire House. I prefer to call it the "Veterans' Memorial" rather than the "War Memorial", which is inscribed on the monument, as the memorial honors the veterans and not the wars.

The Veterans' Memorial between the Municipal Building and Fire House

I stopped to read the names of the four servicemen who had died while serving their country in time of war and thought that it would be nice to be able to put faces with the names. 

Four local names are etched on the Veterans' Memorial.

When I got home, I looked through the photos on my computer to see if I had any of the four Bass River veterans who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their country. I was able to find photos of John Sears, Orval Gerew, and George Heun and thought I would share them with you. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of William Ayres. Hopefully, someone out in the Blog-O-Sphere might have one to share with us.

Pete S

JOHN SEARS (WWII)

John H. Sears' tombstone in Miller Cemetery, New Gretna

Tuckerton Beacon - June 17, 1945

ORVAL GEREW (WWI)

Orval Gerew's WWI Government Record Card stated that he died from anthrax.

Orval Gerew's tombstone in Hillside Cemetery, New Gretna

GEORGE HEUN (WWI)

George Heun's WWI Government Record Card

George Heun's tombstone in Miller Cemetery, New Gretna

WILLIAM AYRES (VIETNAM)

William Ayres' tombstone in Hillside Cemetery, New Gretna

Clif Brown Remembers Joe French

When I posted the September 12, 2011 Blog on Joe French's store and asked for comments and stories about Joe, I had no idea of the great response I would get. Some interesting comments were posted, and Don Maxwell's memories of Joe appeared in last Friday's Blog. Today, I'm pleased to share Clif Brown's memories of Joe French. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

By the way, I made an error in past Blog entries regarding Clif's place of residence. He resides in Arizona, not California, as I had previously stated. Sorry about that, Clif.

Pete S

JOSEPH FRENCH'S VARIETY STORE

WHAT I REMEMBER

by Clif Brown

Often wondered why Joe French was not featured in one of your blogs before now. I do remember a few incidents of facts, fiction and truths. Just finished reading Don’s comments and will try not to repeat. Remembering your neighbors in a good way is not always easy.

The Variety store was a great asset to the community. Joe certainly had a wide collection of merchandise, and quality ranging from poor, better and best, with price to match. How he located an item you wanted to purchase was a mystery to me. Just describe it to him and he walked right to it. If you needed an item not available, down the road to Tuckerton, Egg Harbor or Pleasantville. He saved a lot of miles on your car. I believe the modern Walmart stores came from a visit to French’s Variety store in New Gretna. What say you? Gents Furnishings could be socks, belts, suspenders, handkerchiefs, ties and etc.

Joe French's Variety Store, circa 1940's

The store was never over decorated for the holidays- a few pumpkins on the front steps for Halloween, a wreath hung in the door for Christmas, lots of christmas cards and cheap strings of Japanese Christmas lights on display. Memorial Day brought out lots of American flags for sale. 

Several punch broads were on the counter for anyone feeling lucky. Today they might be illegal. 

Some old punch boards,
an early form of the Lottery

The ads in the blog don’t list guns, ammunition and etc. but, as I recall, he had some on display. It could have been only shotgun shells. At the start of school year he carried lots of stationary supplies.

To me three things stood out. He had a large display case of candy, many well know names: Baby Ruth, Butterfingers, Milky Way, Hershey Chocolate Bars, etc which sold for one cent and, if you spent a dime, you got a extra one free.

Joe sold penny candy

Pepsi Cola was my favorite soda. Remember the jingle “twice as much for a nickel too, 12 full ounces that’s a lot” and etc. 

Lastly a pint of Hershey ice cream sold for 15 cents. Split in half, a fine treat to share with a friend.

Sometime in the early 40’s Joe decided to close on Sundays; however, selling Sunday newspapers were a problem and that’s how I got hired. Inserts to the Sunday papers were delivered during the week and stored in a box located at the front of the store. The news section came early Sunday morning and I had to put them together for sale. At that time about a total of 150 various papers were sold, the New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Sunday Bulletin, New York Sunday News, New York Sunday Mirror and Newark Star Ledger. I was ready by 7AM and shortly thereafter came my first customer by the name of Chapman who lived on Eel Street, now South Maple Avenue. He was obviously a transplant, as he got the NY Times. Don Maxwell came over by 9 AM and got a Philadelphia Inquirer. By 11 AM most of the papers were sold. I had a few “catch you next week customers” with no change. They only had big bills. I quickly learned to have lots of change on hand. Surprising, I got a few tips and packed up by 12 PM. I returned Monday to settle up. Joe was impressed by the records I kept and never questioned my figures. He treated me fair and square. This was a routine for many weeks until Joe passed the sale of daily and Sunday papers to Lang’s Esso . The gas pumps had been removed by that time.

Joe and his wife were great card players and attended many card parties given in support of various organizations. He was a member of the Bass River Election Board and served for many years. 


I know nothing about Joe's activities at the Pemberton auction, except he had a extra large panel truck to carry merchandise back and forth. When he was solicited by students for placing an ad in the Sr/Jr High school play program, he selected a full page. Whether his was a “Lum & Abner jotem down store”, he respected his customer privacy.

The nickname Talbert Loveland received from his New Gretna peers was very cruel and plagued him for years. Extending that many years after his passing is uncalled for. I never heard anybody address him directly by that name. The one time I did, he became very angry. All I want to say is that he was a loyal and excellent clerk and a helpful, patient person.

_____________

PS- How many of you out in the Blog-O-Sphere remember penny candy and punch boards? Let's hear from you! Pete S

Don Maxwell Remembers Joe French

Joe French's variety and antique stores were discussed on last Monday's Blog. I had mentioned that Don Maxwell should have some stories about Joe French, as he lived next door to Joe's store. The other day I received an email from Don with some of his memories regarding Joe French. I thought I would share them with you.

Pete S

*   *   *   *   *

Pete,

I knew Joe French quite well as we lived next door all the years I lived in New Gretna until I was 24 years old. I remember when he built the store and lived upstairs. I believe he bought the property from Joseph Cramer, the same man my father bought his lot from. They had to fill it in some, as it was low there, and when they did all the excess rain water came over on us.

Don Maxwell in front of Clarence Mathis' store
(Photo courtesy of Betty Lamson West)

Joe had a so called variety store. You could buy just about anything but clothes there. My father did buy nearly all his groceries there.

Joe was always busy, and I remember, at one time, he had two clerks besides himself. They were Gene Sears and Talbert Loveland who we always called “Leaner” his New Gretna nickname. He was so named because he always leaned his head and neck to one side. After a few years Joe only had one clerk, “Leaner” for years. 

Gene Sears

Talbert Loveland outside Joe French's store

Joe's father was Houston French, and I believe he was a man of means as he had quite a few possessions like property etc. He also had property in Atlantic City in the Gardeners Basin area. I believe they were rental properties. I do know, like Phyillis Briggs said in a Blog comment, that he owned several houses in town, especially on South Maple Avenue.

Houston's father was Louis French who owned from the Parkway bridge in Port Republic up to and including the present Chestnut Neck boatyard, all the property around the monument, and up Chestnut Neck Road for quite a-ways.

The Frenches were an old revolutionary family and some of the first settlers in the Port Republic area. Joe's wife, Geraldine, was quite a cat and dog lover, and they had many. I remember her dog, Snookie, would come over every morning and defecate on our front walkway and mom would be mad.

Joe died in 1966 of a massive heart attack as he was a huge man, not too tall but very portly. Every Friday nite the place was crowded with people buying groceries and gas. He had two gas pumps with no electric to them. Some of us boys would pump them up full, as they held 10 gallons and had a pump handle that you would crank back and forth until it was full. when filling the car tank it was all gravity down to the gallon marks. Sometimes we would get a few pennies for pumping the tanks up and then go inside and spend it on candy. He also sold all kinds of magaznes and comic books. At 7 p.m. every weeknite he would turn on the Lone Ranger. How he loved that show. You could hear it outside the store.

One more little tidbit. Joe asked me onetime if I had any old burned out light bulbs as he said he would sell them for 10 cents a basket to people who hoped there would be one or two good ones.

Great Memories!

Don Maxwell