Hopewell Valley History Project
Preserving Our History
Before the Hopewell Harvest Fair (since 1987), there was Community Day (1970s-80s), the American Legion Carnival (1960s-70s), and the Hopewell Fire Department Carnival that ran from 1911 to 1953. And now, thanks to Joan Bratsko, we have a second image of the Fire Department Carnivals in the late 1930s: the previous image of the 1939 … Continue reading Hopewell Fire Dept. Rainbow Carnival – 1937-38
This is a Hopewell baby book from 1916, kindly shared by Hope Sudlow, that records the birth of Hope’s mother, Lou Etta Laning, on May 27, 1916. This charming book is written as a love letter from the mother, also Lou Etta [Thatcher] Laning (1888-1968), addressed directly to her new baby daughter, who had the … Continue reading Lou Etta Laning Baby Book from 1916
The May 2025 updates to the History Project included the story of World War II bomber construction at Trenton / Mercer Airport, a comparison of Hopewell high school curriculums from the 1960s and 1970, and local Memorial Day events. There also are fun videos of local trains and past booklets on the Hopewell Valley, government, … Continue reading May 2025 Update – WW II Bombers At Mercer Airport
These two Curriculum booklets describe the subjects and courses available to students at Central High School in Pennington – first in 1962, and then more than a decade later in 1976. There were dramatic changes from the early 60’s to the mid 70’s. Both booklets list both college preparatory and vocational tracks, but with significant … Continue reading Central High School Curriculum: 1962 & 1976
The April 2025 updates to the History Project included extensive detail on the contract and specification for the construction of a Hopewell house in 1938, and more information on Central High School in the 1930s in the form of over 10 photos of students in business classes. (See Site Updates for more.) Hopewell House Construction … Continue reading April 2025 Update – 1998 House Construction & 1960s High School Photos
How did people go about building a house in the 1930s – in the days before cell phones and computers and the Internet? Where would you get the plans? How would you write the contract? How would you specify each of the components, from studs and siding to doors and windows to footings and insulation? … Continue reading Hopewell House Construction in 1938
These amazing photos from the second half of the 1960s show classrooms at Hopewell Central High School – providing a view of that time and place – the teachers and students, the classroom setup and equipment, and the information being taught. These photos show two classrooms for business classes taught by Edith Kostron: a typing … Continue reading Business Classes at Central High School, c. 1966
The March 2025 updates to the History Project focused on the extended history of Franco’s Pizza and the Eagle Bakery in Hopewell, and extensive detail on the operations of Central High School in the early 1960s. (See Site Updates for more.) Piggott to Franco’s Pizza and the Eagle Bakery Franco’s / Vincenzo’s Pizza, and the … Continue reading March 2025 Update – Franco’s Pizza and Eagle Bakery
What was high school like a half-century ago? We have some ideas from class photos and yearbooks, and some glimpses of school life from reports of class trips and the like. But what about daily school life? Now we have a better and more complete answer. As part of the education major in the 1960s … Continue reading Central High School 1962 Practicum Report
This 1961-62 Student Handbook for the Central High School has several very different collections of information that students need to know. The Handbook starts with an extensive discussion of school Rules and Regulations, both for normal operations and for exceptions and problems. This is followed by descriptions of the 40-some school Clubs and Activities. Near … Continue reading Central High School 1961 Student Handbook
