Hopewell & Pennington Train Stations and Buildings – 1973

What did our local train stations look like in their heyday? We have five new Pennington and Hopewell train station photos from 1973 that provide a glimpse of the past. These not only provide good views of the station buildings, they also show the additional structures along the tracks that have since been lost – … Continue reading Hopewell & Pennington Train Stations and Buildings – 1973

Hopewell Valley Map Scarf by Ann Gross

This wonderful bandana with a Hopewell Valley map is by Ann Gross, and dated 1974. The map features our major places, roads, and rivers, and is decorated with fun illustrations of life in the valley, ranging across farms and barns, cows and birds, kids fishing and biking, skiers and golfers and painters, and even two … Continue reading Hopewell Valley Map Scarf by Ann Gross

February 2023 Update – School Days

The February updates to the History Project featured Hopewell schools, plus old phone directories and some more recent history with photos from 2000. (See Site Updates for more.) By the numbers, we finished the month with 291 files in the Archives, including 144 documents and 147 maps and aerials. The Image Gallery now has 3209 … Continue reading February 2023 Update – School Days

The Timberlane School Name

In the recent post about Hopewell School Mascots, we discussed the interesting names of some of our local schools, including Toll Gate (named for the gatekeeper of the toll road) and Bear Tavern (named for a revolutionary-era drinking establishment). But where did the “Timberlane” name came from? Nicole Gianfredi, principal of Timberlane Middle School, kindly … Continue reading The Timberlane School Name

Early Telephone Service – 1908 Phone Book

Can you imagine what it would be like in the late 1890s to have local telephone service become available in your town? Now you could call around town to chat with friends or for shopping, and in emergencies you could summon a doctor or report a fire. And soon thereafter you could call to farms … Continue reading Early Telephone Service – 1908 Phone Book

January 2023 Update – School Mascots

The January updates to the History Project featured Hopewell school mascots, plus historic photos of “railroad trains and flooded bridges.” (See Site Updates for more.) By the numbers, we finished the month with 290 files in the Archives, including 143 documents and 147 maps and aerials. The Image Gallery now has 3195 files, and the … Continue reading January 2023 Update – School Mascots

Hopewell School Mascots – and the Frog

Bulldogs, Timber Wolves, Bears, Frogs, All-Stars, and Alligators, oh my! These are the mascots of the schools of our Hopewell Valley Regional School District. Some of the schools use official logos that pretty much ignore the mascots, like Bear Tavern and Toll Gate, while others like Central High and Timberlane and Hopewell go all-in on … Continue reading Hopewell School Mascots – and the Frog

Railroad Trains and Flooded Bridges

Here are two pairs of images of local scenes of railroad trains and flooded bridges, thanks to family photos from two kind contributors. The first pair show a “Bel-Del” Railroad train near Titusville in the 1940s – and the Washington Crossing bridge during the 1955 flood. The second pair shows a Reading Railroad train at … Continue reading Railroad Trains and Flooded Bridges

Hopewell History Project – 2022 Highlights

by Douglas Dixon Here are some of the highlights of the 2022 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, shared online in digital and searchable formats … Continue reading Hopewell History Project – 2022 Highlights

November 2022 Update -Hopewell Inn Tours

The November updates to the History Project featured over 150 images, panoramas, and videos of the Hopewell Inn, plus stereo imagery, the Pennington Sesquibicentennial (250th) Booklet, and videos and references for the Hoproco presentation. (See Site Updates for more.) By the numbers, we finished the month with 287 files in the Archives, including 140 documents … Continue reading November 2022 Update -Hopewell Inn Tours