Hopewell Valley History Project
Preserving Our History
We have two new aerial photos from 1966, showing views to the horizon of Pennington and Hopewell boroughs. The ground is blanketed in snow, with open area and fields surrounding the development in the towns. These are thanks again to Roger Labaw, who filmed these while flying in a private plane. Looking East Over Pennington … Continue reading 1966 Snowy Aerials of Pennington and Hopewell
We’ve been exploring down Railroad Place in Hopewell, and today we reach J. B. Hill and Sons – a Hopewell fixture for over a century. The company had its origins as a coal business back to 1890, then added grain & feed, lumber, building supplies, fuel oil, and finally general hardware and paints before closing … Continue reading J. B. Hill & Sons on Railroad Place
The April updates on the Hopewell Valley History Project site were focused on Railroad Place in Hopewell Borough, in preparation for the upcoming Industrial Hopewell Historical Walking Tour. By the numbers, we finished the month with 220 files in the Archives, including 97 documents and 123 maps and aerials. The Image Gallery now has 1823 … Continue reading April 2021 Update – Railroad Place
Courtesy of Roger Labaw, here are some photos of Hopewell streets and buildings in March 1913, after a heavy snowstorm and some hard digging out. See also previous posts on a Snowy Hopewell in the 1910s (Blackwell and Railroad) and Snowy Hopewell in the Early 1900s (Broad and Greenwood). == View more Labaw photos in … Continue reading Dashing Through the Snow – Hopewell 1913 Photos
“Trains, Tomatoes, and Chocolates”by Douglas Dixon Saturday, May 22, 2021, 11 am & 2 pm Hopewell Public Library (Hopewell Valley Heritage Week) Thursday, June 10, 2021, 1:30 pm Hopewell Township Recreation Department The arrival of two railroads in the 1870s spurred the growth of the towns of Hopewell and Pennington, as more convenient transportation brought … Continue reading Industrial Hopewell Historical Walking Tour
The Hopewell institution now known as Aunt Chubby’s Luncheonette, and formerly as Rose and Chubby’s, has a long history as the Corner Store just off the railroad bridge at North Greenwood and Railroad Place. It started as a small confectionery store featuring candy and cigars (for train commuters and locals). Successive owners added ice cream … Continue reading Rose & Chubby’s Luncheonette
The Hopewell area has seen two different railroad lines and a trolley line providing service up through Hopewell and Pennington. Two of these tracks are long gone, but some of their footprints remain. In Hopewell Borough, for example, the train station that we know was built in 1876, conveniently in time for the Centennial Exposition … Continue reading Hopewell Railroad Sidings
The March updates on the Hopewell Valley History Project site included reports on the Second Calvary Baptist Church of Hopewell and the Hopewell Tomato Factory, photos of Tomato Factory artifacts and the back of the Chocolate Factory, new Hopewell Borough 1972 Aerials, and the full 1964 Mercer County Tercentenary booklet. By the numbers, we finished … Continue reading March 2021 Update – Hopewell & Mercer
The current Tomato Factory Antiques Center on Somerset Street in Hopewell was indeed once a tomato cannery, which operated from 1892 to around 1950. (See the previous post for stories of the factory during World War II.) We’ve just posted an extensive history brief on the history of the Tomato Factory and the canning business … Continue reading The Hopewell Valley Canning Company
Got cans? The Hopewell Valley once had a thriving canning industry, and, yes, the Tomato Factory Antiques Center on Somerset Street in Hopewell was indeed once a tomato cannery. In fact, tomatoes were a favorite crop with New Jersey farmers, who routinely canned tomatoes and other produce for their families. Starting around 1850, and continuing … Continue reading The Hopewell Tomato Factory During World War II
