February Meeting Cancelled

After being postponed from the original date of February 2, the meeting was rescheduled for the Hanson House on the 16th of that month. Unfortunately, by the 12th of February a very nasty snow storm was predicted for the weekend and members of the Executive Board had to consult by telephone as to whether or not to cancel the meeting. The consensus was that, in the interests of safety and probable lack of parking space at snow covered curbs and driveway, it would be better to call off the meeting. Although considerable effort had been made to publicize the intended program for the afternoon, that, too, had to be cancelled. It had been about a new book by author Joe Renna, entitled “The Peterstown Book”, subtitled “Cent’ Anni” the one hundred year history of an Italian-American neighborhood. The Peterstown area is one of the many neighborhoods that have grown up through the years in Elizabeth, as European immigrants tended to live with other members from the old country. Its boundaries are roughly west of Atlantic Street to South Spring Street and from First Avenue to the river. It was developed in the late 1800s by John and George Peters, who owned most of the land.

April Meeting

The next meeting of the Society will be held on April 6, 2014, at 2 pm in the Garden Restaurant on Magie Avenue in Elizabeth, near the Union border. This will be our annual anniversary dinner, celebrating 145 years existence of the society. The program for the day will be presented by Les Sargent, and will concern the Medal of Honor recipients from Union County. Les was very instrumental in getting the Freeholders to establish a monument to them on the grounds of the Court House. It is necessary that we have at least thirty members at the dinner, which must be paid for in advance.

New Books in Our Library

Recently, five books of history were added to our library in the Hanson House. The books were the gift from Joseph Koles, Dick Koles brother, who has given us other books now and then. One of them, Poland and the American Revolutionary War, by Miecislaus Haiman, was written in 1932 for the 200th birthday celebration of George Washington. Another book, Year of the Hangman, written by Glenn F. Williams, is about a campaign by Washington against the Iroquois in the Revolution. The Burning of Washington by Anthony S. Pitch concerns the British invasion of 1814, and it has a very detailed story of the attack on Fort McHenry, whose defense prevented the British ships from entering the harbor. Mosby’s Rangers, by James J. Williamson, who was a member of those Rangers, was written in 1896 from the diaries that he had kept during the Civil War. The fifth and last book is entitled, April 1865, written by Jay Winik, and sub-titled The Month that Saved America. It is about the end of the Civil War and what might have led to a different conclusion.

Rajoppi’s New Book

In the January issue of the newsletter of the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey almost half a page was given to Joanne Rajoppi’s new book, New Brunswick and the Civil War. This non-fiction work tells the story of the author’s great-grandfather, John P. Hamilton and his friends who became involved in the Civil War. It is based on the letters from those who wrote home during the war.

Pictures From Our Files

It’s winter again, and time to do a little reminiscing. Back in the good old days, it would be time to get out the long ice saws, and be ready to cut the ice from any frozen stream of lake worthy of its name. On the eastern shore of Ursino Lake once stood this five story ice house, waiting to be re-filled with blocks of ice being sawn from the many inches-thick frozen surface of the lake. There were no refrigerators in the homes in those days, and the ice was distributed by the ice-man with his horse and wagon. Fifty cents would buy a block of ice big enough to last about three days in a metal lined oaken ice box. As time went by, and large blocks of ice could be produced commercially, the old ice-house was no longer needed, and on a dark night around 1928, it was totally destroyed by fire.

Snow- In the Good Old Days

“What would you have done with this much snow when you were about ten years old?” asked one of them. The answer was easy. Go sleigh riding down any nearby hill, or make snowmen in the front yard. There was a time when the City of Elizabeth used to close off a part of Wyoming Avenue in the Elmora section and use it just for sled-riding, but there was a much closer to home dead end street that we used.

Does anyone remember the toboggan chutes that the county set up on Galloping Hill Golf Course? These drew record crowds from miles around, and toboggans could be rented at the club house for fifty cents an hour. Elevated launching ramps were set up nearby, and a couple of men helped load four riders aboard each sled. When all was ready, the pad was tilted, and the sled took off down the icy wooden chute, at a mile a minute speed. The wooden chute was only a part of the run, and the toboggan continued with its load for several more hundred feet down the hill.

Over the Back Fence

Using some of the many pictures from our files, Bill Frolich has put together a new slide show about Old Elizabeth, as part of the 350th year celebration of that city’s birthday. The snows of January and February have made it difficult for members of the office staff to get to the Hanson House, but they keep trying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was the February 2014 UCHS meeting cancelled?

The meeting was cancelled after forecasts predicted a severe snowstorm, and the Executive Board agreed it was safer to call it off due to hazardous conditions and limited parking access.

What is Peterstown in Elizabeth, NJ and where are its boundaries?

Peterstown is an Italian-American neighborhood in Elizabeth, generally described as west of Atlantic Street to South Spring Street, and from First Avenue to the river, developed in the late 1800s by John and George Peters.

What was the Ursino Lake ice house and why was it important?

The five-story ice house stored blocks of ice cut from the frozen surface of Ursino Lake for home ice boxes before refrigeration; it later became obsolete and was destroyed by fire around 1928.

What will the April 2014 UCHS anniversary dinner include?

The April 6, 2014 gathering at the Garden Restaurant serves as the Society’s 145th anniversary dinner and includes a program by Les Sargent on Union County Medal of Honor recipients.

What new history books were added to the Hanson House library?

Five donated titles were added, including works on the American Revolution, the Burning of Washington and Fort McHenry, Mosby’s Rangers, and the events of April 1865.