Tag Archives: history
The Beginning Of 50 Years Of Historical Work In Pennsauken
By Robert Fisher-Hughes, AAP Columnist and Amateur Historian
“Where I lie down worn out other men will stand, young and fresh. By the steps that I have cut they will climb; by the stairs that I have built they will mount. They will never know the name of the man who made them. At the clumsy work they will laugh… but they will mount, and on my work; they will climb, and by my stair!”
– Olive Schreiner
This passage from an allegory about the pursuit of truth, written in 1890 by a South African woman, was informally adopted as a credo by the first members of the Pennsauken Historical Society, as an expression of their faith that the generations that succeeded them in the community would continue the work of our local history. It also expressed their belief that their work, imperfect as it would be, would benefit those who came after to carry it on. For them, the most important thing was to get the work begun, and cut new stairs for others to go higher.
Pennsauken Historical Society Celebrates 50 Years
By Frank Sinatra, AAP Editor
The Pennsauken Historical Society, an organization dedicated to preserving the history, heritage, and memory of the people of Pennsauken Township, is preparing to celebrate a true milestone this month: 50 years of making local history come alive.
We Were Where We Ate: Pennsauken Eateries Past
By Robert Fisher-Hughes, AAP Columnist and Amateur Historian
Restaurant and hospitality businesses have gone through as many evolutions over time as any other enterprises, suiting the needs of the historic communities they serve. Changes in transportation, communication, household technology and germinating ethnic and cultural diversity in the population contribute to this evolution, as do specific historic events such as Prohibition and its repeal. Changing tastes in food and advancing understanding of diet and nutrition also help determine both menus and the economic success of dining establishments. Add to these influences the atmospheric and entertainment dimensions of a night out, and the public accommodations of the past become an interesting way to trace our historic timeline.
New Book On Cooper River Overflows With History
By Robert Fisher-Hughes, AAP Columnist and Amateur Historian
A flowing river with its tributaries, turns, widenings, narrowings, its pools and its occasional shallows and rapids, is a frequent and apt metaphor for history. A new volume in the popular “Images of America” series of local historical books, “Along the Cooper River: Camden to Haddonfield,” carries us on the currents of our local past, from the Lenni Lenape, to events as recent as last year. It is a voyage worth taking with authors Robert A. Shinn and Kevin Cook.
The Wright Brothers’ Airplane at Central Airport
By Robert Fisher-Hughes, AAP Columnist and Amateur Historian
The weather was favorable at Central Airport in Pennsauken on December 17, 1934, when an assorted group of men in technicians’ coveralls, civilians in long coats and fedoras, and cameramen with hand-cranked motion picture cameras assembled on the ground near the hangars. They came to witness a wooden framework covered with cloth carry two men into the air, pushed by two large propellers mounted on the back of the flimsy wings that extended from the crate. The machine was more than 20 years old, and it had not flown in a period nearly the same length. It had been built by the Wright brothers of Dayton, OH, only eight years after they had been the first humans to fly.
Historic Halloween Open House This Sunday
What better way get in the Halloween mood than a visit to an old house? On Sunday, Oct. 26 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the historic Griffith Morgan House, located off of River Rd. in Pennsauken, will host a day of Halloween lore full of games, activities and crafts for the kids, along with seasonal refreshments and tours of the circa 1693 home of the Morgan family, early settlers of Pennsauken. There will even a presentation by our very special guest of honor: The Jersey Devil! Admission is free. For more info, e-mail GriffithMorganHouse@yahoo.com, or call (856) 486-9561.
Griffith Morgan House To Hold Regular Sunday Hours
The historic Griffith Morgan House will now be open to the general public every first Sunday of the month, March to November, from 1 to 4 p.m.
The historic Griffith Morgan House in Pennsauken, located on Griffith Morgan Ln. off River Rd. in Delair, will now be open to the public for regular hours for the first time ever!
Starting on Sunday, Oct. 5 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the historic colonial house and museum will be open to the general public for visits on a regular basis.
Pennsauken Citizen-Historians Get Blast From The Past Through Time Capsules
By Robert Fisher-Hughes, AAP Columnist and Amateur Historian
As September is a month of new beginnings and refreshed ambitions, with a return from vacations and schools welcoming new classes, so does a new season of events begin at our historical organizations in Pennsauken. That creates an opportunity to see how far we have come and what is next. It is also an ideal time to become involved in the participatory sport of history!
