ACHS BUILDING EXPANSION IS HERE!

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1 Volume 13,Issue 3 Newsletter of the Atlantic County Historical Society FALL 2015 ACHS BUILDING EXPANSION IS HERE! President Richard Squires called a special meeting of the Executive Board of the ACHS on Thursday, August 13, 2015 to hear initial details of the proposed expansion as presented by Ellen Hyatt, Chairperson of the Expansion Committee. After questions, discussion and determination that the Society had sufficient funding, the board voted unanimously to proceed. The expansion, to the rear of the building, will be approximately 600 square feet on each floor, including the basement, for a total of almost 1800 sq. ft. Of major significance, there will be a 5-7 person elevator serving all three floors, handicapped-accessible bathrooms and entrance ramp. There will be an interior stairwell also which will eliminate our present exterior fire escape stairs from the second floor auditorium. Our present sidewalk alongside the building will be widened to accommodate wheelchair use and the front door will be used exclusively during construction. While the special brick on the present building is no longer available, the new exterior brick will be closely matched and should weather to similar appearance in time. The general contractor has given us a completion date in early April, 2016 and we anticipate very little interruption to our regular hours of operation. While there will be some disruption, mess, noise and inconvenience, we look forward to the moment when the permitting process is finalized and shovel meets dirt. The Atlantic County Historical Society will be closed: Saturday, October 17 th, and On Thursday & Friday, November 26 th & 27 th Above left: Proposed First Floor layout with elevator lobby, interior stairs and new bathrooms. Above right: Artist rendering of rear of building with new entrance ramp. Atlantic Heritage 1

2 Events and Happenings Program Logistics RISLEY HOMESTEAD 8 Virginia Avenue (near 400 block of Shore Rd) Northfield, NJ Each Saturday 11:00am 4:00pm Each Sunday 1:00pm 4:00pm Free Admission Donations Appreciated ATLANTIC COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 907 Shore Road, Somers Point, NJ Saturday, September 12 th 4:00pm EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY 6647 West Jersey Ave. Egg Harbor Twp. Saturday, Sept. 26, :00am 2:00pm HARBOR PINES GOLF CLUB Ocean Heights Ave. Egg Harbor Twp. Saturday, October 17 th, 11:30 A.M. Reservation Required. Fee: $30. BOSVOV S DEPT. STORE 6725 Black Horse Pike Egg Harbor Twp. Tuesday, October 20, 2015, 9am -10pm Save the Date!!! December 14 th 3pm 7pm Program Description The Risley Homestead is one of two 18th century houses in Atlantic County individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was home to many generations of Risley oystermen. The ACHS received the Homestead and its furnishings by bequest from Virginia Risley Stout in Open weekends from May through October. The Homestead is open for individual and small group guided tours. Closed on major holidays. EVENING OF BLUE GRASS In conjunction with Somers Point s Good Old Days, Saturday, September 12, 2015, The Clayton/Bennett Blue Grass music players will present Another Evening of Blue Grass. It will take place outside at the Atlantic County Historical Society as a fitting conclusion to your day of fun at Good Old Days. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets! This event will take place rain or shine. YE OLDE FLEA MARKET. The ACHS is purchasing a spot at the EHT Historical Society annual event. We are urging our Board Members and Volunteers to contribute items for sale. Also, the Library will have a table selling our extra books and cookbook. All proceeds go to the ACHS. Fuzzy the Clown will be visiting and making balloon animals ACHS ANNUAL LUNCHEON Members and the general public are invited to attend the Atlantic County Historical Society s annual meeting and luncheon. The Bringing History to Life Award recipient will be honored at this time. Members will vote on nominees to the Governing Board at this time. BOSCOV S FRIENDS & FAMILY DAY Tickets sell for $5 each. Boscov s will give 25% off each store purchase to the buyer; even on sale prices. Tickets may be purchased from any Program Committee Member ahead of time or from their table set up in Boscov s that day. The ACHS is recipient of the purchase price of each ticket. Holiday Sweets Sale Location to be Announced Need to Contact Us? Phone: (609) ~ ACHSinfo@comcast.net Visit our Facebook page - Newsletter available ACHS Hours: Wed Sat: 10:00am to 3:30pm Parking & entrance in the rear of the building L-R: Ruth Taylor, Winnie Squires & Sheryl Collins represent ACHS at the Call of Duty event in July organized by the Egg Harbor Twp Historical Society. Newsletter Editor, Layout & Graphics : Ellen Hyatt Contributors to this Issue: Sid & Pat Parker, Freda Heintz, Diane Miller, Norman Goos, Dale Lonkart, Mary Beth Ortzman, Skip Bellino, & Charlene Canale The Atlantic County Historical Society received an operating grant from the Atlantic County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs. Atlantic Heritage 2

3 The Atlantic County Historical Society is pleased to welcome our new members: Asa & Vivian Colson, Wildwood Crest, NJ ACHS ANNUAL INSTALLATION At the August meeting of the Board of Trustees, the report of the Nominating Committee, chaired by Ben Brenner, was presented and accepted. Members then voted on nominees to the Governing Board. The 2015 Annual Installation Luncheon will be held Saturday, October 17 th, 11:30 AM at the Harbor Pines Golf Club, Ocean Heights Ave., Egg Harbor Township. Nominees for the Board terms will be installed at this time. The Bringing History to Life Award will be presented at the luncheon. Nominations for October 2015 to October 2017 Officers: Richard Squires, President Barbara Perry Silva, Recording Secretary Kevin Little, Assistant Curator Rev. Norman Goos, Librarian Pat Parker, Assistant Treasurer In Memoriam Trustees: Skip Bellino Sheryl Collins Frank Ferry, Esq. Freda Heintz Jim Mason Dr. Don Perry Daryl Todd Cindy Mason-Purdie MaryBeth Ortzman William Fenton, Life Member Galloway, NJ HOW DO WE SAY IT? Oh, yeah. It s really easy. Just say Thank you, Everyone. Each year during our Annual Appeal many of you step forward with your generous donations. To the observant among you it s obvious that many of our donors appear in this column on a regular basis. We especially thank them and also welcome our new donors, all of whom are listed below: Friend $1 - $49 Robert Francois, Joyce & James Brooks, Marilyn & Charles Gallagher, Cassie Leeds Lowry, Lee Ellenberg, Lorraine Merryman, Barbara & Edwin Kroger, Darryl Aronsohn, Marjory Standiford, Jean Campbell. Joyce Pullan, In Honor of: Hampton Family Ancestors, Elaine Gustafson, In Memory of: Mother, Edna Middleton Shaner Valerie Stanford, In Memory of: Helen Mason Norma E. Higbee, In Memory of: Virginia Dehn Patron $50 - $249 Frieda Korte, Elinor & Richard Veit, Elaine Heiler & Malcolm Sanders Family, Tony Marino, Andrew Bozarth, Winnie & Richard Squires, Helen Walsh. Antique Collectors Club, In Memory of: Dr. Theodore Buckner Charlene & Edward Canale, In Memory of: Joseph Brenner and George Bird Michael Morello, In Memory of: Atlantic County Sheriffs, James Cimino & Daniel Conway Sheryl Collins, In Memory of: Crater Rosenberger on his 100 th birthday, June 8, 2015 Shirley & Eugene Somers, In Honor of: Somers Point & Our Ancestors Deborah & Lewis Barrett, In Memory of: Lewis & Martha Barrett Howard Gant, In Memory of: Steelman Family Pat & Sid Parker, In Honor of: George & Carol Guiliano George & Carol Guiliano, In Honor of: Pat & Sid Parker Joan Berkey & Scott Smith, In Memory of: Bill & Ruth Berkey Roy & Rita Jorgensen, In Honor of: Dr & Mrs Peter Frisko Sponsor $250 - $1000 Elizabeth D. Steelman, In Memory of: John G. Steelman Edward T. Stephenson, In Memory of: Irma Patricia Stephenson President: Richard Squires Vice-President: Sid Parker, Jr. Recording Secy: Barbara Perry-Silva Treasurer: Charlene Canale Asst. Treasurer: Pat Parker Financial Secretary: Ellen Hyatt Atlantic County Historical Society Governing Board Librarian: Rev. Norman Goos Assistant Librarian: Diane Miller Curator: Joan Frankel Asst. Curator: Kevin Little Historian: Diane Bassetti Chaplain: Rev. Norman Goos Trustees: Diane Bassetti, Skip Bellino, Ben Brenner, Sheryl Collins, Frank Ferry, Richlyn Goddard, Freda Heintz, James Mason,V, Donald Perry, Ruth Taylor, & Helen Walsh. Atlantic Heritage 3

4 Library Accessions Norman Goos, Librarian ~ Diane Miller, Assistant Librarian Accession # Donor - Description Gift of Elaine Rosebery: Books - Princeton Bric-A-Brac, Nassau Herald. Yearbook - Pleasantville Breeze, 1949, Yearbook - Mainland 1966, 1967, Yearbook - Ocean City Caravel 1958, Gift of Edward Dolton, Jr,: Books - Alistair Cooke's America Classic Edition. War Letters edited by Andrew Carroll. Mathew Brady's illustrated History of the Civil War. Blitzkrieg World War II, Time Life Books. Prelude to World War II, Time Life Books Gift of Norman Goos: Indenture between Morse, grantors and Burnell, grantees, Gift of Freda Heintz: Book-Images of America Around Egg Harbor City and Pleasantville Gift of Linda Strickland: Book - Bronze Memorial Plaques with CD Gift of Joan Ketscher, Michael and April French: Sid Ascher Collection of plaques, newspaper columns, letters, oil painting, and photos Gift of Richard H. Thompson: ACHS Yearbooks: , , Index Vols: 1 & 2; 3 & 4; 7 & Gift of Catherine Skinner: Photocopy - History of Mays Landing by Olive B. Cain Gift of Carl J. Farrell, Jr,: Book - Millstone at Miry Run. Book - Borden's Capitol Gift of Linwood Historical Society: Map - A Historama of Atlantic County, NJ. Map of Atlantic County Map - Coastal Map of New Jersey. Book - History of Atlantic City by A. L. English Book - In Memory of Myrtle E. Stretch. Book - In Memory of Charles Lawrence Stretch. Brochure - Pleasantville Advertisements Gift of Cynthia Cameron: Photo - Rosalie W Ball Gift of Janet Marler: Miss America Memorabilia. Newspapers - various issues. Magazines - various issues. Miscellaneous brochures, pamphlets, books Gift of Charles Bellino: Book - Reception in Honor of Reverend Father Gottfrid Keis, Church of Assumption Book - NAFEC, Your Employee Handbook Gift of Michael D. Capizola: Book - History of Minotola National Bank. Program- Atlantic City 100 Years Booklet - Cavalcade of Schools, Atlantic City Centennial Ticket - Atlantic City Centennial, Birthday Dinner Party Program - Miss America Gift of Mathis and Minuth: 66 compact disks - Family Record and others Gift of Richard Swank: 4 commemorative plates depicting Somers Point Fire Dept., City Hall and Somers Ferry Gift of Donald Nyce: Photo and negative album taken by Stan Cramer. Key to upstairs VIP dining room at Zaberers.. Video film of Atlantic City fire off Maryland Ave. Framed photo of staff at Capt. Starn's, Gift of Linwood Historical Society: Banner - Mainland Toastmasters. Photo - Pleasantville, Main Street Gift of Mark Demitroff: 6 photos - Silk Mill Fire, Pleasantville Gift of David Blood: Photo - Park Ave. School, Pleasantville, Kindergarten class Photo - Unidentified band. Photo - Group of students in front of unidentified school Gift of Marjorie Gries Garwood: Pamphlet - Harborfields Juvenile Center. 14 Photographs - Various subjects Gift of Frank Ferry: framed photo of Atlantic City High Schools 100th Commencement Gift of Wilbur Hoch: 2 scrapbooks on the career of Atlantic City Boxer, Gene Moretti Papers of Ada Taylor Sackett, Atlantic County Woman of the Year 2003, framed proclamation, program, medal Gift of Vicki Cantell: ballast stone taken from the Mullica River Gift of Jerry French: Newspaper - Atlantic City Times, April 11, Gift of Patricia Chappine: Book - New Jersey Women in World War II Gift of Phyllis Morris: K-cup Coffee Brewer Gift of Egg Harbor Township Historical Society: Book - Journey Through Time. Atlantic Heritage 4

5 150 th Anniversary of The Civil War By Skip Bellino UPDATE ON THE WAR: APRIL - JUNE 1865 From April 9, 1865 and forward after the official surrender of Lee s Army to General Grant, some minor battles are engaged and some skirmishing occur. For all intents and purposes the Confederacy is dead. It will take until April 17 th for General William T. Sherman, USA and General Joseph E. Johnston, CSA to meet at Durham Station to discuss terms of surrender. As it turns out, the initial agreement between Sherman and Johnston would be nullified in Washington due to the political nature of the agreement. Sherman was strongly criticized for overstepping his authority by moving past strict military matters. On April 14 th, President Lincoln spent part of the day conferring with members of his cabinet and General Grant. He invited General and Mrs. Grant to join him and Mrs. Lincoln to see the play Our American Cousin being performed that evening at Ford s Theater in Washington. Grant, wanting to return to his family declined the invitation and later that day boarded at train for Philadelphia. President and Mrs. Lincoln went for a buggy ride around town later that afternoon and reportedly discussed what their life might be like after the termination of his second term. Eventually, Major Henry Rathbone and his fiancé Clara Harris (daughter of Senator Harris) accompany the Lincolns to the play. They are fashionably late and take their place in the Presidential box. The play is temporarily suspended while the orchestra played Hail to the Chief in recognition of the President. Sometime after the play resumes, John Wilkes Booth, an accomplished actor and well known at Ford s Theater, surreptitiously enters the box from the rear. Booth had been at the Theater earlier that day and modified the latch on the door so that he could enter undetected. Booth was armed with a derringer and a knife. Coming up behind the President, he fired one shot from the derringer that entered the President s head just behind the left ear. The bullet then lodged behind his right eye. He was immediately rendered unconscious and fell to the floor. Major Rathbone and Booth struggle and Rathbone was wounded seriously with Booth s knife. Booth then vaulted over the railing to the stage, catching his spur on the bunting in the front of the box. Booth fell awkwardly to the stage, breaking his left leg just above the ankle. To a shocked and terrified audience, he shouted, Sic Semper Tyrannus (thus be it ever to tyrants). Booth escapes through a side door to a horse he has waiting in the alley and heads out of Washington with David Herrold another co-conspirator. Concurrently, Lewis Payne forces entry into the home of William Seward who is confined to his bed recovering from serious injuries he received in a carriage accident. Seward and his son Frederick are both seriously wounded, but will recover from their wounds. Vice President Andrew Johnson was also supposed to be assassinated but the attack never takes place and he escapes harm. The fallen President is attended by a doctor who was in the audience at the time and is soon joined by additional physicians. Mr. Lincoln is moved across the street to a private residence and placed in a bedroom on the first floor. Members of the cabinet, family and others are present at this time. Mrs. Lincoln becomes hysterical on more than one occasion and is asked to leave the room. At 7:22 AM on April 15, 1865 Mr. Lincoln takes one last shallow breath and dies. Edwin Stanton is then heard to say Now he belongs to the ages. Vice President Johnson takes the oath of office at approximately 11:00 AM and becomes the 17 th President of the United States. On April 19 th funeral services are held for the President at the East Room of the White House. The casket is then moved to the Capitol rotunda for public viewing. On April 21 st. the casket containing President Lincoln is taken to the train station and placed on board a special train that will convey his body to Springfield, Illinois. The train will backtrack the route that President-elect Lincoln took from Springfield to Washington with numerous stops along the way to allow a grieving public one last chance at a show of respect for the martyred President. On April 26 th Federal troops catch up to Booth and Herrold and in the ensuing attempt to arrest them, Booth is shot in the neck and mortally wounded. This begins the ordeal of the assassination conspiracy and the following arrest and trial of Mary Surratt et al. In the end, four of the conspirators including Mary Surratt are hanged for the crime. The hunt for Booth and the subsequent trial of the conspirators is quite an event. If you are intrigued, I would recommend a book written by James Swanson, Manhunt: The 12-day chase for Lincoln s killer. It has been my pleasure to have written these 13 pieces on the Civil War and I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed reading them as much as I have enjoyed writing them. Atlantic Heritage 5

6 VOLUNTEER OF THE QUARTER ALL ABOARD for our volunteer of the quarter, Tony Marino! A native of Philadelphia, he came to this area in 1971 as one of the original professors (in the Sociology Dept.) of the brand new Stockton College. Tony had served in the Peace Corps in eastern Venezuela and holds a sity. Master s From Degree 1976 to 1979 from he was Cornell the University. From 1976 to 1979 he was the staff representative of the union representing NJ State College Faculty and Staff. In 1979 he became the Deputy Executive Director of the Atlantic City Expressway, which became the South Jersey Transportation Authority, where he worked in various administrative capacities. Retiring from SJTA in 2003, he continued his longtime career as Adjunct Professor of Sociology at Stockton, retiring in Wanting to stay active, he joined us as a duty volunteer in 2009 and also continues volunteering at Community Mediation Services as a family mediator. Tony is a former Board VP of United Way of Atlantic County and past Board Chairman of the Associated United Ways of Southeastern PA, DE and NJ. The years Tony spent in the transportation world added to his childhood fascination with trains and trolleys, and now he has another avocation. He has become a popular guest speaker at local organizations, where people enthusiastically enter into discussions about trains and trolleys. Tony and his wife, Rosalia Valenti, live in the Bargaintown section of Egg Harbor Township. His son, Alex, is an Atlantic County Freeholder and former trustee of our society. Daughter Lea, recently married, is a resident of Hoboken and is a Fund Raiser for Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital in Manhattan. On a recent duty day, Dale Lonkart's grandchildren assisted Librarian Norm Goos with a project. Andrew, 13, (who didn't want his picture taken!) and Julia, 12, (pictured) worked with some of our newspaper books. JOINT VENTURE Have you heard of the Atlantic County Roundtable of Historical Organizations? As a founding member, ACHS has been part of the group since We meet about four times a year, and any historical group in Atlantic County is welcome to join us. We share our problems and our successes, sometimes have a show and tell and get and give advice on many matters. It s a valuable resource. At our last meeting, we met guest Barbara Sherf, who is passionate about people collecting their family stories and has started her own business to encourage and teach people how to interview family members. Her website is capturelifestories.com. The seven societies represented that evening decided to have a joint program and invite Barbara to speak. Wednesday, September 30 th, at 7pm in the Council Chambers in Northfield City Hall is the big event! Handicapped access is in the back of the building, which has both ramp and stairs. Other input is welcome, and our own Veterans History Project volunteers will be on hand to share their expertise. Light refreshments will be served. Free admission. We hope this is just the first of more joint programs, which should give all of us better attendance and publicity! Spotlight on the Shelves a treasure hiding in plain sight This visit to the shelves will again be found in the military aisle, but the topic will be returning veterans from WWI to Vietnam. In 2002, a book was published by our own Atlantic County Government and titled, Recollections of Atlantic County Veterans. To quote Dennis Levinson, the County Executive, This unique book contains the personal accounts of military experience of more than 300 Atlantic County veterans as well as photographs and illustrations. In compiling this book, it was our intention that it serve to educate readers about the sacrifices that were made to protect our freedoms and to encourage them to learn more about how these events impacted our country and the world. The book is a fitting tribute to men from our own area. ACHS also has a new book on Women Veterans as well. When you visit, look for J2293. Atlantic Heritage 6

7 Library Corner Norman Goss, Librarian ~ Asst. Librarian, Diane Miller I love a good mystery. I don t like movies or television, but I love to read mysteries and try to solve them before I get to the end of the book. Weird, huh? Maybe that s why I enjoyed teaching ancient languages where students learned to accurately decode ancient texts within their ancient cultural setting. Speaking of mysteries, how would you like to help us solve a few we located accidently in July? It was Tuesday, July 14 th a weekly staff and volunteers-only day. Dale and I were in the library catching up on some projects. Tony Kutschera was in to do some work, too. I m in the process of writing a biography about my grandfather, Norman Bees Reeves, which will include the extended article I recently wrote about the professional basketball team he owned, the AC Sand Snipers, which will be serialized over two or three years in the ACHS Yearbook starting in 2016 (see item D-2655 on bookshelves). In this regard, I needed to find out about Grandpop Bees childhood and adolescence for chapter 1 of the biography. Since my grandfather was an AC native from birth to death, I tried the AC Board of Ed, but they had lost his old records at some point. The records of the Longport Winchester Prep School where he also attended had not survived either; so the only way to proceed was family interviews coupled with local school history. I went in the vault and retrieved the 1914 Atlas of Absecon Island (2 vols.) and began to look at the neighborhood in question and found an elementary school right across the street from the Reeves home, the West Side School at North Ohio and Lincoln Avenues. Under Schools - Atlantic City in the vertical files I learned that it was built in It was also in the 1921 Atlas so I then knew the location of his total elementary school experience. This info obtained, I began to browse through the 2 volumes and that s when the group of three (3) mysteries showed its face. As I found new and inexplicable things, Dale and Tony jumped in and helped me think through the new finds. I invite you to join us to help us solve our mysteries. If you will get out both the 1 st and 2 nd volumes of the above atlas for 1914, the one entitled Atlantic City and the other Ventnor, Margate and Longport, and then open to the first map in vol. 2 labeled INDEX in the top right corner, you will note that Ventnor Heights is called Ventnor Park (zone 29 in vo. 2). To the left or west of Ventnor Park you will see West Canal (often called the Mile Stretch today). To the right or east of Ventnor Park you will note the East Canal and further note that it goes all the way through to Beach Thoroughfare near what we call Ski Beach today (see plates 28 and 29 in vol. 2). Also, today the East Canal only stretches from the Inside Thoroughfare to about Avenue C where a boat house presently exists. Mystery #1: Was this canal ever created? If so, when was it dug and when was it partially filled-in? Now let s move on. Look at the Inside Thoroughfare and note that it continues west to Washington Avenue, only a block or so short of the Ventnor-Margate border (also see plate 30 in vol. 2). Today this waterway only extends to about Buffalo Avenue. Mystery #2: When was this 9-10 block stretch filled-in? Was it done to create today s Ventnor Gardens? As asides, it is interesting to note that the land between Chelsea Heights and Ventnor Heights was once slated to be filled and developed into a neighborhood of houses; it is also interesting to note that Albany Avenue Bridge was a rotating or swinging bridge (see plate 19 in vol. 1) and the next bridge out at the present Sandcastle Stadium was a draw bridge (see plate 22 in vol. 1). It seems that Dorset Avenue Bridge was always a draw bridge. Now we move on to the last conundrum. Turn to plate 24 in vol. 2 and look at the cut-out in the beach between Suffolk and Springfield Avenues. Note that both sides are bulk headed back 425 or almost 1 ½ football fields deep. It also appears that it was dug out so the ocean could come in further. The same structure appears on plates 26 and 27 at other locations. It also appears in a similar but not identical way in Margate on plate 31 in vol. 2. Mystery #3: When were these items constructed? What was their purpose? When were they filled in? Let me know your solutions so we can put them in the next quarterly newsletter. Oh, yes I have one more question: As you examine these two atlas books carefully, do you see any other mysteries that need solutions? If so, me or put a note in my mailbox in the vault. The map books and atlases are located in the vault at the end of the first aisle to the right. They vary in years from the 1890s to the 1930s. Enjoy your search! Once you re done, choose a subject that s always interested you, and let us help you solve and write up your own mystery. Norm Goos, Librarian normangoos@comcast.net Atlantic Heritage 7

8 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 164 Pleasantville, NJ Shore Road Post Office Box 301 Somers Point, New Jersey ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL ENCLOSED Our Mission: To collect and preserve historical materials exemplifying the events, places, and lifestyles of the people of Atlantic County and southern New Jersey. To encourage the study of history and genealogy. To provide historical and genealogical information to our membership and the general public. Atlantic Heritage 8