CLANG, CLANG, CLANG WENT THE TROLLEY…

Volume 12,Issue 4
14
Newsletter of the Atlantic County Historical Society
WINTER 2014
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG WENT THE TROLLEY…
At the October annual ACHS luncheon held at the Smithville Inn
attended by more than 60 participants, Lynn Wood and Tony Marino
presented a program on the history of Atlantic City Trolleys. Lynn
introduced a DVD from her collection that stirred vivid remembrances of
the Shore Fast Line that connected Atlantic City and Ocean City through
the mainland towns (via what is now known as the "bike path")
Pleasantville, Northfield, Linwood, and Somers Point and the Absecon
Island trolley system that once extended from the Inlet of Atlantic City
through Ventnor and Margate to its southern terminus on the bay in
Longport.
The DVD took viewers along for a ride on both systems, showing
various trolley equipment, interior shots of happy riders, busy street scenes,
and views of many buildings now long gone. After the DVD, Tony
provided some history on these two systems plus a third one not shown in
the video. That was the Suburban Traction Trolley that operated between
Atlantic City and Pleasantville, continuing along tracks on Shore Road to
both Absecon and Somers Point. The often forgotten Suburban system
began service in 1903 and discontinued operations in 1929.
The Shore Fast system is perhaps bettered remembered because it
ceased operations more recently. It operated between 1907 and 1948.
Many folks still remember the trolley ride through mainland towns and
across the Shore Fast Line's bay trestle to Ocean City. Similarly, the
Absecon Island trolley line is remembered by many. Starting as a steam
engine system early in Atlantic City's development, later converted to
horse-drawn trolley cars and ultimately electric street trolleys, this system
finally terminated service in 1955.
Combined with three separate long-distance heavy rail systems,
these three trolley lines helped provide very efficient mass transit access to
Atlantic City for many decades.
In other business, Alex Marino conducted the Oath of Office to 6
Board Officers and 3 Trustees. Board President, Richard Squires was
presented the annual “Bringing History to Life Award” by Vice-President, Sid
Parker, for his many contributions to the betterment of the ACHS. Olive
Rundstrom Grant Awards went to three different organizations this year:
Zion United Methodist Church in Bargaintown for new laminated brochures
for their historic cemetery tour; Hamilton Township Historical Society for
research on a small cemetery in Estellville; and the Northfield Cultural
Commission for research on burials in the County Potters Field Cemetery.
The Atlantic County Historical
Society will be closed from:
December 21st through January 1st
We will reopen January 2nd
Happy Holidays!
Luncheon pictures on Page 4.
Atlantic Heritage 1
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
Monday, December 15th
3:00pm – 7:00pm
RICHARD STOCKTON
COLLEGE OF NJ
Jim Leeds Rd.
Galloway, NJ
A-J Wing Galleries
Tuesday and Wednesday,
January 27th and 28th
10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
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 1989. Open weekends from May through October. The
Homestead is open for individual and small group guided tours. Closed on major
holidays.
HOLIDAY SWEETS SALE
Featuring: Home Baked Cookies, Candy, Fudge, Brownies, Holiday Breads and
Much More! Sold by the Pound, Tin, or Plate for $8.00/pound. Such a Bargain!!
All Proceeds Benefit the Atlantic County Historical Society, (A Nonprofit, All
Volunteer Organization)
ACHS AND STOCKTON COLLEGE GET INVOLVED
In a continuing effort to partner with the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
for student volunteers, a few members of the Atlantic County Historical Society will
be participating in the college’s “Get Involved Fair” to be held Tuesday and
Wednesday, January 27th and 28th from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM in the A-J Wing
Galleries. The Atlantic County Historical Society will display their brochures and be
prepared to share information with the students of the training opportunities we have
to offer.
STAPLES REWARDS:
If you shop at Staples and do not want
your Rewards, please ask the cashier to credit the rewards
to our ACHS account by giving our telephone number: (609
927-5218). We really benefit by these rewards! The
monitor at the DocStar sold for $99. By saving up our
rewards we were able to get it FREE! We have had some of
our out-of-print yearbooks reprinted at Staples for a very
low cost, using rewards and coupons. We also use the
rewards for general office supplies. So, thank you for
thinking of ACHS when shopping at Staples!
R-L: Winnie Squires, Norman Goos & Dick
S Squires with the SAR Award.
IGive.com
It is that time of the year again. Shopping on line for
your Christmas items? Don't forget to sign up at
IGive.com and order your items (all year long) and at
the same time a percentage of your order will be given to
ACHS for a donation by the company you shop with. It
is that easy!! Merry Christmas!
Dick Squires, our former Atlantic County Executive, did such a fine job in that
position that he would have qualified for the Sons of the American Revolution's Good
Citizenship Award had we known him then. The same would be true for his service as
President of the Atlantic County Historical Society. But his care for and service to our
county's veterans stands head and shoulders above his other achievements in our eyes.
For that reason he was awarded the prestigious Battle of Chestnut Neck Memorial
Award on Nov. 13th at our chapter's monthly dinner meeting at Fred and Ethel's. This
award is a photographic miniature of the 30' by 4' mural of the battle that was
commissioned by the Noyes family to adorn the upstairs dining room in Fred and
Ethel's Lantern Light Tavern in Historic Smithville. It now graces the new Port Republic
City Hall.
The 24" by 8" framed miniature, created by chapter Secretary and Historian Earl Cain,
is the way the SAR tells local leaders that we think they have done an extraordinary job
in their service to our county's population. This is only the third time this award has
been officially presented in our chapter's long history, the first going to Tony Coppola,
Historic Smithville Village, for his commitment to the preservation of Atlantic County
history and the second to Suzanne Smith, for her leadership as Regent of
the General Lafayette Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution.
Atlantic Heritage 2
VOLUNTEER
OF THE QUARTER
When Sheryl Collins
retired from Atlantic County
Government after 16 years as
Executive Secretary to the County
Executive, she did not plan that
her life in retirement would be as
busy and demanding as her full
time job had been. But that was
before she met the Atlantic County
Historical Society!
Joining the ACHS in 2006, she quickly signed on as a
duty volunteer in the Library where one duty day a month
morphed into two or three.. The Program Committee was
looking for new members and she not only joined she soon took
on the responsibility of chairing the committee. With her energy
and creativity she added some new ideas to the annual programs:
Christmas Decorations from Ages Past, Cookie sales, Blue Grass
Concerts, Meet the Authors Night, a Centennial Cook Book
featuring a recipe tasting to mention just a few of the Programs
featured under Sheryl’s leadership. Even when she relinquished
her chairmanship she stayed on the committee and participates in
all its activities.
But the project which captured her heart was the
Veterans History Project launched by the Board of Trustees in
2007. In partnership with the American Folklife Center of the
Library of Congress, the VHP Committee gathers the stories of
veterans of all wars using oral history techniques. These personal
stories are archived in the Library of Congress and at the ACHC.
Sheryl became a consummate interviewer and a trainer of other
interviewers. The VHP Committee she chairs continues to recruit
veterans and to preserve their stories. Of the 250 veterans
interviewed by the committee locally, Sheryl has personally
interviewed over 75! And she continues to seek out new ways to
outreach and promote this program, most recently by a
concerted effort to take the program to the western end of the
county.
Sheryl’s outgoing and friendly personality, and her
willingness to pitch in and help where needed, characterizes her
involvement at the ACHS and also with her Church and her
family and friends.
When organizations speak of needing the “time, talent
and treasure” of volunteers they must have had Sheryl in mind!
This is one way to pay tribute to our many volunteers, for as a volunteer-run
organization, we could not exist without their dedication and enthusiasm. If
you think that you would like to join our volunteers, please contact us.
The Atlantic County Historical Society
is pleased to welcome our new members:
Bonnie Lease, Baltimore, MD
William Todd, Egg Harbor Twp., NJ
Carol A. Guiliano, Palm Coast, FL
Anthony B. Musarro, Egg Harbor Twp., NJ
Ruth C. Conover, Lawrenceville, NJ
Thomas E. Kinsella, Absecon, NJ
Debra Boney, Mays Landing, NJ
David & Patricia Block, Bayville, NJ
Elaine J. Heiler, Egg Harbor Twp., NJ
Alvin Brown, Northfield, NJ
Judith Schwartz, Ocean City
LIFE MEMBER
Lucille “Lu” Leeds, Cumming, GA
In Memoriam
Earl F. “Skip” Sutton, Sr.,
Little Egg Harbor, NJ
Thank you!
We’re very grateful for your generous support
in response to our Annual Appeal, however
space constraints made it difficult to include
your names in this edition of the Newsletter.
We will include everyone, specifically, in the
Spring edition.
ACHS YEARBOOK
We continue to solicit articles for the 2014-2015
Yearbook. Suitable subjects include original, unpublished
research on topics of local historical or genealogical
interest, transcriptions of unpublished materials in the
Center's documentary collections, etc. Submissions should
be addressed to the "Yearbook Committee" at Atlantic
County Historical Society, P.O. Box 301, Somers Point,
NJ 08244-0301, or to [email protected] with
"Yearbook Article" in the subject line. Please include your
contact information.
Atlantic County Historical Society Governing Board
President: Richard Squires
Vice-President: Sid Parker, Jr.
Recording Secy: Barbara Perry-Silva
Treasurer: Charlene Canale
Asst. Treasurer: Pat Parker
Financial Secretary: Ellen Hyatt
Librarian: Carol Raph
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
Thank You!
Thank you to all the ACHS
Board Members and their
family and friends who
purchased Discount Tickets
for the Boscov's "Friends
helping Friends" day. It was
a great success and we hope
to see you next year.
Remember: "Shop On"!
The Star Spangled Singers, under the direction of ACHS President Dick Squires with Veteran Bob
Joanne Gabriel perform at the 2014 VHP Meet Conn of Hammonton.
‘N Greet.
Sheryl Collins, Joan Frankel &
Charlene Canale @ Boscovs’
Friends & Family fundraiser.
Left: ACHS President Dick Squires receiving the “Bringing History to Life”
Award at the Annual Luncheon from Vice-President Sid Parker.
Right: Pat Parker and Rosalia Valenti (center) chat and Tony Marino (far
right) prepares to give his program on the Atlantic City Trolleys at the ACHS
Annual Luncheon at the Smithville Inn.
Newsletter Editor, Layout & Graphics : Ellen Hyatt
Contributors to this Issue:
Sid Parker, Pat Parker, Mary Beth Ortzman, Freda Heintz, Diane
Miller, Anthony Marino, Sheryl Collins, Skip Bellino, & Dale Lonkart
The Atlantic County Historical Society received an operating grant
from the Atlantic County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs.
Sheryl Collins peddling ACHS wares at Ye Olde Flea
Market, sponsored by the Egg Harbor Township
Historical Society.
Need to Contact Us?
Phone: (609) 927-5218 ~ Email: [email protected]
Visit our Facebook page - Newsletter available online @
www.AtlanticCountyHistoricalSocietynj.org
ACHS Hours: Wednesday – Saturday: 10:00am to 3:30pm
Parking & entrance in rear of building
Atlantic Heritage 4
150th Anniversary of The Civil War
By Skip Bellino
UPDATE ON THE WAR: OCTOBER 1864 – DECEMBER 1864
We now find ourselves in the last quarter of 1864 with the Presidential election looming in the near future.
President Lincoln is convinced that he will not be re-elected and calls a Cabinet meeting to inform his Secretaries of
his prediction. He presents them with a sealed envelope and requests that they all sign the outside of the envelope
without knowing what is contained inside. They all do so, and ironically none asks any questions concerning the
contents. There are just some passing remarks made by some who do maintain daily diaries but nothing of
substance. Not even from Gideon Welles the most scrupulous diarist of the group. Mr. Lincoln discusses the
transition that will have to be made when the newly elected Administration takes office. He states that he must do
all he can to assist the new President will the war and re-establish the Union, because he (the new President) will
not be able to do it afterward.
The election of November 1864 is likely the most important election ever held in the country. The fate of
the Union depends on it. Pivotal is the soldier vote that all are convinced belong to George McClellan considering
his standing and reputation with the Union Army. Politic playing reaches a high pitch concerning the voting status
of the soldiers in the field. Some states want the soldiers to return physically to their home states to vote, others
will allow the equivalent of an absentee ballot, and others will not ask the soldiers to return or to allow them to
vote in absentia.
On November 8, 1864 the election is held and Lincoln easily defeats McClellan for the Presidency. The
results are not the landslide that it may seem, even though the Electoral College results are 212 for Lincoln and 21
for McClellan. Lincoln wins all the Northern states except for New Jersey, Delaware and Kentucky. The popular
vote however is 55% for Mr. Lincoln and 45% for General McClellan, closer than the Electoral College totals
suggest. Surprisingly, the soldier vote went 70% for Mr. Lincoln and 30% for General McClellan. Most modern
historians explain this by pointing out that McClellan’s Vice Presidential running mate, George Pendleton, was a
peace Democrat. The Union soldiers saw a McClellan-Pendleton victory as the death knell for the Union. They
thought that administration would end the war with the North not winning. Remember, the Confederacy did not
need to win the war; they only had to not lose.
The Sherman victory in Atlanta in September is credited with bringing the Northern voters around to the
Lincoln camp. The Northern citizenry had become disillusioned with the war during this long, dry, disappointing
year of 1864. In short, they had become war weary.
October 1864 finds the Army of the Potomac under General Grant still engaged in the siege of Petersburg
and is stymied by the defense put up by the Confederates under the command of General A. P. Hill.
General William T. Sherman continues his march to the sea and employs the philosophy of destroying
everything in his path that could conceivably be used by the enemy for the furtherance of the war. His army cuts a
swath across Georgia and encircles and takes Savannah on December 21, 1864. Sherman telegraphs President
Lincoln, “I beg to present you, as a Christmas gift, the city of Savannah.” Sherman then continues north in the
direction of South Carolina.
On the Valley front, General Philip Sheridan is cutting a path of victories eastward toward the Army of the
Potomac. He is employing a similar strategy as General Sherman, making war as difficult as possible for the
Southern citizens as well as the Confederate army. With Sherman moving north, and Sheridan moving east, and
Grant already in Virginia, the Union armies are beginning to tighten the noose around the neck of the Confederacy.
In some side notes, October 20, 1864 President Lincoln officially recognizes Thanksgiving as a national
holiday to be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year. On December 18, 1864 President
Lincoln issues a request from the states for an additional 300,000 troops to quell the rebellion.
As the war progresses into 1865 we will find the triumvirate of Grant, Sherman and Sheridan seem to be
the winning combination of tacticians, warriors and leaders that will eventually bring about the end of the war. Stay

tuned.
Atlantic Heritage 5
VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT MEET ‘N GREET
On Saturday, November 1, 2014 it was the
pleasure and honor of the Veterans’ History Project
Team to welcome the Veterans and their relatives to the
Annual Meet ‘n Greet program for the Class of 2014.
It was explained to them that this Project was
established by the Library of Congress/Folk Life
Division in the year 2000. In 2007, then Historian,
Professor Richlyn Goddard, for the Atlantic County
Historical Society learned of the project’s existence and
asked the board if they would sponsor us, which they
readily agreed to do. The first thing that had to be done
was train interested persons to conduct an interview and
the second thing was to secure the names of Veterans
who were interested in being interviewed.
The VHP Team began with just a nucleus of
interviewers and quickly grew to our present total of 10
experienced men and women. Alphabetically, they are
Skip Bellino, who enrolled as an ACHS Volunteer a few
years ago and then expressed an interest in the VHP.
Our original Team thought, “Snap! This man’s a shooin.” He he’d recently retired as Galloway Township’s
Police Chief.
Next on our Team is Charlene Canale, Sheryl
Collins, Michael Garvin, Richlyn Goddard, John Horn,
Steve Jasiecki, Susan Slaninika, and Ruth Taylor, our
Chief Veteran Recruiter. Ruth has the talent of sitting
beside husband and wife Veterans at high school
graduations and enlisting them. Last, but not least, is
Helen Walsh, who among her many other
responsibilities, keeps track of whose Veterans names
appear online at the Library of Congress and prepares
Grant applications. Each team member is invaluable.
Two other invaluable individuals are Anne
Kemp, our Intern of many years, who keeps our
paperwork flowing and prepares 3 copies of each
Veterans interview, one to be sent to the LOC, one is
placed in the society’s files and lastly, each Veteran is
presented a copy of their interview at the annual Meet ‘n
Greet Program. Transcriptionist, Ruth Nierenberg, does
an outstanding job of preparing a one page biography on
every single Veteran. She is probably the only one who
has listened to every one of the 250 interviews we have
done since 2007. She also types out the count of where
to find a topic on each Vet’s CD.
Among the many interesting Veterans’
interviewed are Lt. Col. Thomas Highsmith, a Tuskeegee
Airman; Henderson Hemphill, who survived the
Kamikazee attack between the stacks of the USS Pringle
and being tossed into the middle of the ocean during
WWII; Ed Bilicki, who was a Weatherman stationed in
Alaska during the Cold War and to this day cannot
reveal classified material; Tom Boyd, whose job was
to train Guard Dogs for military bases; Donald Perry,
served and still practices as a Dentist; our own Dental
Technician, Dick Squires; many Medics, including Bernie
Friedenberg who wrote a book about his experiences
during World War II; and dozens of career military men
and women; and even more who said, “I don’t have much of
a story. I didn’t do much.” Our constant reply to this
statement is that every service man or woman has an
important role to play. It takes them all to make our
United States of America work so harmoniously.
Currently there is a waiting list of about 50
Veterans to be interviewed. This list grew greatly in the
last couple months when our Team began to actively
outreach in the Town of Hammonton on the far end of
Atlantic County.
We discovered that the Veterans
History Project was virtually unknown in that area.
When we enrolled to participate in Hammonton’s Green
Day, we were put in touch with two interested couples;
Joanna and Bob Conn, and Kay and Bill Oberempt.
Joanna and Kay have provided us with the names of at
least two dozen Veterans in Hammonton and we are
proud to say that we have interviewed six since the first
of October. Happily, one gentleman, Donald Frederico,
has requested to be trained as an interviewer and that
process will begin with the next Veteran’s interview.
Following many months of arranging interviews
and meeting places, the Meet ‘n Greet is the columniation
of our labor of love, with the honoring of our proud
Veterans through camaraderie, songs by the Star
Spangled Singers, a group of seven local women founded
by Joanne Gabriel, who perform patriotic songs for
groups throughout the area and homemade catered
refreshments.
Upon observing our Veterans, who had never
met one another prior to this date, after the ceremony
gather amongst themselves with handshakes, shoulder
slaps, much loud conversation and good natured laughter
it reminds our Team why we are involved with such a
worthwhile and heartwarming project.
ACHS President Dick Squires with John Cathcart Smith, a
27 year Air Force Veteran.
(More VHP Meet ‘N Greet pictures on page 4.)
Atlantic Heritage 6
Library & Museum Spotlights
Carol Raph, Librarian, Asst. Librarian, Diane Miller,
Joan Frankel, Museum Curator
Library Corner: A Very Special Request
The request came via email from the Netherlands. It was from Chris van der Linden who is part of a group
researching the history of all fallen airmen over the former Island of Hoekse Waard, Holland.
He asked if we could help by finding information on Staff Sergeant Herman Adam Jeschke of Pleasantville, who
was killed in action Nov. 11, 1943, while serving as a top turret gunner and aerial engineer on a B-17. At age 26, Herman
was one of seven crew members who lost their lives on that plane. His remains are buried with five others in the U.S.
War Cemetery at Margraten, Holland.
How could we not help such a noble cause? The group’s
goal is to honor the fallen by unveiling a memorial on May 2, 2015.
In the spirit of international cooperation, we waived our normal
research policy and delved into our library collection.
Our first discovery was in the 1935 edition of the
Pleasantville High School yearbook, The Breeze. On page 20, we
found a photo of Herman looking every bit the high school senior.
His biography reads, “Herm may be a small lad but he certainly
has loads and loads of energy. You can’t help liking Herm; he is
so quick and good-natured. He is a keen student and keeps the
class laughing with his bright remarks.”
Next, we scrutinized The Pleasantville Press page by page for
any mention of him beginning with Nov. 12, 1943, the day after he
was shot down. It was not until the May 19, 1944, edition that we finally spotted the headline. “Brothers – One Pays the
Price”. The article contained a picture of S. Sgt. Herman Jeschke; and one of his brother, T. Sgt. Wm. Jeschke, who was
connected with the 786th Military Police Battalion.
It began with the words, “S. Sgt. Herman Jeschke, son of Mrs. Christina Jeschke of Pleasantville, and Max
Jeschke of Pomona, N.J., who was reported missing in action over Germany on Nov. 11, 1943, and is now listed as
definitely killed. His wife, the former Elizabeth Leeds, to whom he was married in July, 1943, received a telegram from
the War Department announcing his death.” She also received his Purple Heart by mail on May 5.
Very pleased to have these findings, Chris next asked if we could help locate Herman’s living descendants. His
hope is to invite them to the memorial’s unveiling.
For this request, we turned to the internet. After a bit of research, we found a clue on Ancestry.com which led
us to Findagrave.com. Here we found the memorial of Herman’s sister, Wanda J. (Jeschke) Ronk, who died in 2008.
Named among her survivors were children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We were greatly encouraged by
Wanda’s recent date of death and so many descendants. At the time of this writing, Chris is attempting to contact them
through email and facebook.
If anyone can supply information about Herman Jeschke or his family, please contact the Society at [email protected]. We’ll
be more than happy to pass along whatever might help Chris achieve his goal. Thank you!
Spotlight on the Shelves
a treasure hiding in plain sight…
The Atlantic County Historical Society has a new book on the shelves, published by the Princeton Library.
The book is titled Nova Caesarea, A Cartographic Record of The Garden State, 1666-1888. It is 250 pages of
information and includes 100 maps in full color. The book can be found under B 2645 on our shelves. John Delaney,
the author, is the Curator of Historic Maps at the Princeton University Library and the designer is Mark Argetsinger.
The book is published in time for the 350th Anniversary of the Naming of New Jersey and is divided into
an alphabetical list of all 21 counties. Atlantic County, after several pages of state perspective and background
information, is the first to be highlighted and the maps, with narratives, show a timeline of development in the
county. The book is a beautiful tribute to the State of New Jersey and the fascinating history of her maps and her
people.
Atlantic Heritage 7
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 164
Pleasantville, NJ 08232
907 Shore Road
Post Office Box 301
Somers Point, New Jersey 08244-0301
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
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