Hopewell Valley History Project
Preserving Our History
by Douglas Dixon Here are some highlights of the 2024 additions to the History Project site, with links to more information, plus associated documents, maps, photos, and videos. The purpose of the Hopewell Valley History Project is assemble an archive of reference material in local history, freely shared online in digital and searchable formats for … Continue reading Hopewell History Project – 2024 Highlights
The July 2024 updates to the History Project include 1960s vintage road maps showing changes to the local road network, railroad timetables from 1945 to 1978 illustrating the decline of service from the 1940s, plus more on the St. Michael’s Orphanage, school, and cemetery. (See Site Updates for more.) By the numbers, we finished the … Continue reading July 2024 Update – Road Maps, Train Schedules, and St Michael’s
Every now and then we can get a glimpse back in time to what life in Hopewell was like 50 or 100 years ago. Sometimes these come from newly-discovered photos or writing. And sometimes they come from names and numbers on a page, as with two newly-discovered sets of St. Michael’s Mission and School annual … Continue reading St. Michael’s School & Mission Annual Reports, 1940s-1973
Yes, there was a cemetery at St. Michael’s Orphanage in Hopewell. And no, we do not know much about it, except from a few brief references and a few memories. So please do contact us if you have additional information about the cemetery. The St. Michael’s cemetery was located in a tree-lined lane set back … Continue reading The St. Michael’s Cemetery – and Celtic Cross
What would a large farm operation be like in Hopewell in the early 1900s? What kinds of animals did they raise – livestock and poultry? What variety of produce did they grow – vegetables and fruit? How much product did they generate – hay and grain, dairy products, eggs? And how did the finances work … Continue reading St. Michael’s Farm Report – 1914
The May 2024 updates to the History Project focused on the St. Michael’s Orphanage presentation and videos and images of local Memorial Day activities. (See Site Updates for more.) By the numbers, we finished the month with 323 files in the Archives, including 161 documents and 162 maps and aerials. The Image Gallery now has … Continue reading May 2024 Update – St. Michael’s Presentation
Here are four short video clips of local parades and events from the early 1990s, plus photos of the 1990 Pennington Memorial Day parade. The videos include the 1992 Pennington Memorial Day parade, two Titusville Fourth of July parades from 1992 and 1994, and a May Day celebration (with maypole) at Toll Gate Grammar School … Continue reading 1990s Pennington & Titusville Parade Videos
What was life really like for our ancestors in Hopewell a century ago? We have some of their writings (see post on Hopewell Booklets), and we continue to do oral history interviews to capture memories – even back to the 1930s (see post on Hopewell Grammar School Kids). And now we can hear the songs … Continue reading Songs and Prayers of St. Michael’s Children
Most of the formal photos of the St. Michael’s Orphanage show only a front view of the imposing building, with no visible signs of life. So here are some photos that show some groups of St. Michael’s children in various activities. These include views of kids swinging on the playground, a boy scout group, and … Continue reading Photos of St. Michael’s Kids
We mainly know the St. Michael’s Orphanage from photos like this of the front of the imposing building that faced the street. But with the help of our growing collection of images, here are views of three additional structures that were out of sight behind the main building. These include the Chapel addition, the separate … Continue reading St. Michael’s – Behind the Building
