EBT Jim posted:What a great introductory post, Gerry! It was a great read. Very cool locomotive you have. Love Grandpa on his police bike … classic photo!
Welcome to the forum.
(Small world … I grew up next door in Linden. Had family in Peterstown. My father worked at Thomas & Betts in Elizabethport)
Hi Jim. I know Linden well, in the 80's I left my Dad's machine shop and started a 30 year career with Exxon Research & Engineering corner of Park Ave and Linden Ave. I know many of the establishments that were there, mostly bars and restaurants haha. Big Stash's was big Exxon hang-out. "Father & Son" restaurant off Wood ave. Wood ave was the place to cruise your car back in the 70's. I was till working there (Exxon) up until a few years ago when I retired but the company and area had changed a lot.
Very familiar with the Peterstown section of Elizabeth also. When I was a kid they used to set up an open market there in the streets. Fruits and vegetables..live chickens in cages. Pappetti's eggs was just a little chicken coop on a side road. The Feast of St Rocco . Pizza at Spiritos...Sacco's butcher shop..the "Lemon Ice Lady". Sneak around the corner to Tommy's or Jerry's for a hot dog. Look at the new "Krate" bikes in the window of Morris Aaron Schwinn shop. Standing under the Air Raid Siren at noon. Good memories.
Thomas & Betts was a powerhouse company back then. In the 60's my Uncle Joe would bring me bags of Ty-Wraps (what everybody calls "Zip-Ties" today). They were the ones to invent them as I'm sure you know. I would use them on my bicycle or go kart or whatever..my friends were amazed they had never seen anything like it before . I still have a cool Ty-Wrap gun designed for aircraft work that my uncle gave me. Looks like a German Luger.
The mind is a funny thing. I can't remember what I had for breakfast, but I remember those times vividly.
Gerry C
