Visitors Nostalgia & Memories

(Archive #67: October 1, 2009 to October 31, 2009)

Date: 10/31/2009, 11:51 am, EST
Name: Connie
Location: Wilmington
Old Neighborhood(s): Brandywine Village
Schools Att'd:
Employers:
Message: "This Day in Delaware History:
1918 As elections approached, William Howard Taft spoke in the Queen Theater at Wilmington's 5th and Market Streets." Looks like the Queen Theater has more history than just being old.

Date: 10/29/2009, 6:12 pm, EST
Name: Jerry T.
Location: at the shore, de.
Old Neighborhood(s): S. Jackson, S. Broom, N. Broom, Klair Ests.
Schools Att'd: St. Hedwig's, Archmere, U. of D.
Employers: B&O R.R., Resilient Tile, U.S. Army, Equifax, State of De.
Message: Shirley Hudson Jester : Wasn't the area of Market and Vandever the general area of Becker's Corner or a Becker's Corner gang ? I heard something about it some years back.
Date: 10/28/2009, 11:01 am, EST
Name: George
Location: Ocean View. DE
Old Neighborhood(s): Maryland Avenue and South Broom Street
Schools Att'd: St Elizabeth and Salesianum
Employers:
Message: For Roy C Pollitt : Roy, on the 1914 map of Wilmington in Roger's collection, I saw a Tunnell Street which was one block south of Banning Street and intersected both Broom Street and Maryland Avenue.
I believe that street today is known as St Elizabeth Street. Having lived on Maryland Avenue as early as 1941, I can not remember a street intersecting where the map shows. It would roughly be around Seventh Avenue. But I only remember a vacant lot with lots of big boulders, and a lot of rental garages behind the vacant lot extending almost to Broom Street. I was wondering if you have access to any information about that block of Tunnell Street between Broom Street and Maryland Avenue perhaps from the Corbett family history.
Take Care
George
Date: 10/25/2009, 11:54 pm, EST
Name: BobO
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Old Neighborhood(s): Baynard Blvd & 28th St
Schools Att'd: Christ Our King, Sallies
Employers: self
Message: A friend just sent me a thread from this board from back in September, concerning the Jazz Club at the old Hotel Olivere. It was owned by my grandfather, Peter Olivere. Dr. Pete was his son. Louis, his youngest son ran the Deerhead. I have many happy memories associated with that place.
Date: 10/23/2009, 8:38 pm, EST
Name: wayne
Location: New Castle
Old Neighborhood(s): West Side
Schools Att'd:
Employers:
Message: George Leggio Jr. Was the Wilmington policeman who was killed in an auto accident just east of Prices Corner the end of April in 67. The ground was wet from a light shower that had just ocurred. He had taken off in his Mustang from the light heading east toward Elsmere (when it was still an intersection) and at a high rate of speed hit a phone pole down the street in front of the seat cover place. The pole was on the dividing island in the middle of the highway. The car hit with such force it split in half and the engine continued on down the Kirkwood Highway toward Elsmere in the westbound lane quite a distance. His brother Sam who was riding with him, wasn't as lucky. He spent the rest of his life (I believe) in the Vets hospital. He was there for years before he finally passed away. A tragic day for a pair of brothers and their families.
Date: 10/23/2009, 4:08 pm, EST
Name: Pat (Stillwell) LeVan
Location: Port St. Lucie, FL
Old Neighborhood(s): 9th Ward
Schools Att'd:
Employers:
Message: Connie, was George Leggio by any chance Josephine (the barber's) brother?
Date: 10/23/2009, 11:21 am, EST
Name: browny
Location: Prices corner area
Old Neighborhood(s): Ardentown, Wilmington
Schools Att'd:
Employers:
Message: Happy, almost Halloween, everybody!
Let!s remenisce about trick or treating . When we were young, and innocent. You know you were.
If we could only go back in time. Just for awhile. A time our children will never know.
An old pillow case for candy. I was always an [injun] Burnt cork under my eyes, a few feathers glued to a headband, brown pants, mocassins, strong kidneys, a few friends, Moms, or Dads to carry us home, and I was set to trick, but mostly treated. Six-thirty to eight, and it was all over.
Now we turn out the lights, and hope nobody knocks on the door.
Date: 10/23/2009, 9:38 am, EST
Name: Connie
Location: Wilmington
Old Neighborhood(s): Brandywine Village
Schools Att'd:
Employers:
Message: F.Y.I. George Leggio Sr died - see today's obit on Delawareonline.com. He was 90 years old.
Date: 10/22/2009, 6:07 pm, EST
Name: Albie
Location: Wilmington/Lewes
Old Neighborhood(s): 700 block W 29th street
Schools Att'd:
Employers:
Message: St Anthony's parade at the conclusion of the Italian Festival may be next. They have a facility near the Pa line just north of Hockessin that would be a logical choice should the crime wave spread another mile or so.
Date: 10/22/2009, 3:10 pm, EST
Name: Joan H
Location: N. Wilmington
Old Neighborhood(s): 4th & Rodney
Schools Att'd: St. Paul's, WHS
Employers:
Message: What a shame that the old traditions and celebrations are going away. I was Drum Majorette for the Pulaski Legion Band, my brother was a cub scout there and my mother a Den Mother. Remember the pride and excitement when participating in the Pulaski Day parade!
Date: 10/22/2009, 12:19 pm, EST
Name: Jerry T.
Location: at the shore, de.
Old Neighborhood(s): S. Jackson, S. Broom, N. Broom, Klair Ests.
Schools Att'd: St. Hedwig's, Archmere, U. of D.
Employers: B&O R.R., Resilient Tile, U.S. Army, Equifax, State of De.
Message: TOM : thanks, you always seem to come through.

I would guess that there are no longer any May processions from St. Hedwig's Church, or maybe any other Roman Catholic Churches in Wilmington ?

Date: 10/22/2009, 10:48 am, EST
Name: Jerry T.
Location: at the shore, de.
Old Neighborhood(s): S. Jackson, S. Broom, N. Broom, Klair Ests.
Schools Att'd: St. Hedwig's, Archmere, U. of D.
Employers: B&O R.R., Resilient Tile, U.S. Army, Equifax, State of De.
Message: BILL ( 4th and Harrison ) : I read Delaware On Line this morning and missed that article on the ending of the Pulaski Day Parade. Which section was it in ? I guess it's better than getting shot in a crossfire in Hedgeville.

As posted before, I have fond memories of marching in that parade with the Boy Scouts from Troop # 7 at Pulaski Legion in the late 50's and early 60's. I believe Tom B. also played in the band.

Should someone author the " Apocolypse of Wilmington " or should we hold off and hope for a rebirth or renewal ?

Not only have we seen Wilmington's decay, but also the demise of neighborhoods , housing , and now traditions.

Date: 10/22/2009, 10:11 am, EST
Name: Bill
Location: Delaware
Old Neighborhood(s): 4th & Harrison
Schools Att'd:
Employers:
Message: The Pulaski Day parade has ended according to today's online Journal. It started in 1929.
Date: 10/15/2009, 12:32 pm, EST
Name: Tom
Location: Wilmington
Old Neighborhood(s): Hedgeville
Schools Att'd:
Employers:
Message: Dyngus Day, sometimes spelled Dingus Day, is a Polish holiday that is celebrated in Poland as well as in some Polish communities in the United States. Dyngus Day always takes place on Easter Monday and it's meant to be a fun, light-hearted holiday. It's also called Wet Monday as the tradition of Dyngus Day is for males to soak females with water from buckets, hoses and the like. Traditionally, the females are supposed to get their revenge on Tuesday by throwing dishes, but now most females just soak the men back with water on the same day.
Date: 10/14/2009, 1:41 pm, EST
Name: Jack Riley
Location: Wilmington
Old Neighborhood(s): Union Park Gardens
Schools Att'd: St. Thomas, Salesianum, Unviersity of the Arts
Employers: Kaumagraph Corp., State of Delaware
Message: I am married to a Polish girl and it was my understanding that it was the day that unwed Polish girls got to select a guy by sprinkling holy water on them on Easter Monday. Kind of like a Polish "Sadie Hawkins Day".
Date: 10/13/2009, 9:49 pm, EST
Name: Wayne
Location: New CAstle
Old Neighborhood(s): West Side
Schools Att'd:
Employers:
Message: I always understood Dyngus Day to be the Monday after Easter, where when guests would come to visit one's home they were first sprinkled with Holy water to ward off evil spirits before entering. A continuation of the belief that when Christ rose from the dead the people of the world were forgiven, and everyone had been cleansed of their sins. The sprinkling of Holy water further protected one's home from any sins that might be brought in by those who might visit.
Date: 10/13/2009, 7:39 pm, EST
Name: Jerry T.
Location: at the shore, de.
Old Neighborhood(s): S. Jackson, S. Broom, N. Broom, Klair Ests.
Schools Att'd: St. Hedwig's, Archmere, U. of D.
Employers: B&O R.R., Resilient Tile, U.S. Army, Equifax, State of De.
Message: Tom,
Funny that you should mention Dyngus Day : I always kid my grandchildren by sprinkling water on them from the tap and say Happy Dyngus Day ! Check out the big celebration of this day in New York by going to DyngusDayBuffalo.Com for a big celebration.
Date: 10/12/2009, 8:30 pm, EST
Name: Tom
Location: Wilmington
Old Neighborhood(s): Hedgeville
Schools Att'd:
Employers:
Message: And! then theres "Dingus" (sp) day!!!!
Date: 10/10/2009, 7:01 pm, EST
Name: Jerry T.
Location: at the shore, de.
Old Neighborhood(s): S. Jackson, S. Broom, N. Broom, Klair Ests.
Schools Att'd: St. Hedwig's, Archmere, U. of D.
Employers: B&O R.R., Resilient Tile, U.S. Army, Equifax, State of De.
Message: Halloween : remember when we went out for Halloween and didn't have to bring our bags home to get checked first. We ate some of the goodies as we went along.
Date: 10/9/2009, 4:49 pm, EST
Name: Tom
Location: Wilmington
Old Neighborhood(s): Hedgeville
Schools Att'd:
Employers:
Message: Kate, there it not much info online for St Hedwig, however I did find this it may help you!

http://www.mylife.com/high-schools/de/wilmin...

Date: 10/9/2009, 2:37 pm, EST
Name: Kate
Location: Ashburn, VA
Old Neighborhood(s): Hedgeville, Browntown
Schools Att'd:
Employers:
Message: Does anyone have a St. Hedwig's High School year book from 1978? I was recently flipping through my dad's copy of the commemorative book that St. Hedwig's put out in 1990 about the church, the school, and the Polish community. There is a picture in there of some of the students of the last high school graduating class in 1978. One of these students looks exactly like me, and it is not a relative- at least that I know of. Everyone I've showed it to says this girl looks like me. Even I thought it was me at first. When I was confirmed, they had us in graduation gowns, so before I read the accompanying text I thought that's what I was looking at, but then I remembered the book was published in '90, and I was confirmed in 1994. I'm curious to find out who this person is, because it's quite possible that she is a relative. My mom was adopted and we've never seen anyone in her family. If you have this yearbook, please email me!
Date: 10/8/2009, 1:26 pm, EST
Name: Bob
Location: Newport
Old Neighborhood(s): McDaniel Crest
Schools Att'd:
Employers:
Message: Email: steelrman@hotmail.com
Date: 10/8/2009, 1:25 pm, EST
Name: Bob
Location: Newport
Old Neighborhood(s): McDaniel Crest
Schools Att'd: A.I. duPont Elementary, Salesianum
Employers:
Message: Does anyone have any old pictures of the A.I. duPont Elementary School on Concord Pike? I realize its not Wilmington but figured I'd ask just the same. If so, please email me. Thanks.

Thanks for the site. Its awesome.

Date: 10/7/2009, 5:44 pm, EST
Name: RALPH PRYOR
Location: TARPON SPRINGS, FL
Old Neighborhood(s): 9TH. CLAYTON ST.
Schools Att'd: WARNER , W.H. S. V.F.M.A.
Employers: RETIRED
Message: GOOD OL MISCHIEF NIGHT , THE BEST IDEA MY FRIENDS AND I COULD COME UP WITH WAS THE OLD DELIVERY TRICK. IF ONE OF US COULD FIND A DEAD RAT OR MOUSE , ( RAT WAS BETTER ) WE WOULD KEEP IT IN A JAR OF ALCOHOL. TILL THAT NIGHT. ONE OF US HAD COME UP WITH A CAP , LIKE WESTERN UNION OR U P S ETC. WORE. ONE OF US WOULD PUT ON THE CAP. HAVE A SMALL CLIP BPARD AND PEN OR PENCIL. THE RODENT WOULD BE PLACED IN A BOX AND WRAPPRD IN BROWN PAPER, WITH THE PERSON,S NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE HOUSE TO BE HIT. YOU RING THE DOOR BELL SHE OR HE OPENS THE DOOR , -----PACKAGE FOR ------- SIGN HERE PLEASE . . THEY TAKE THE PACKAGE , CLOSE THE DOOR . IN ABOUT TWO MIN. YOU HEAR THE LOUD SCREAM. AND FROM THE MASTER OF THE HOUSE , SOME OF THE WORSE LANGUAGE I HAVE EVER HEARD ! HAPPY HALLOWEEN ! !
Date: 10/6/2009, 2:32 pm, EST
Name: Ray Jubb
Location: Killington De.
Old Neighborhood(s): Hedgeville
Schools Att'd:
Employers:
Message: My favorite trick mischief night was to go to the fishmarket on Madison St. during the day, usually right after school, and get as many fishheads as they would give us. Then for the people in the hood we didn't care much for we would carefully place a fishhead on their door know so that it would't fall off when they opened it. Ring their bell or knock on the door, run and hide and watch when they went to go back inside and unknowingly grab that fishhead, the looks on their faces were something to behold.
Date: 10/5/2009, 7:03 pm, EST
Name: Bob Wilson Jr
Location: Beaufort SC
Old Neighborhood(s): Baynard Village
Schools Att'd: PS
Employers:
Message: I don't know why we picked on the homes on McCabe Avenue (an "avenue" that still is only two city blocks long) in what I know now was and is called Baynard Village, on Mischief Night back in the late 1940's, but we did. The old burning paper bag tossed on the front porch, then the ring of the doorbell, trick is the one I remember most vividly.
Date: 10/5/2009, 3:53 pm, EST
Name: Bruce
Location: Sugar Land, TX
Old Neighborhood(s): N. Franklin St
Schools Att'd: Sacred Heart, Springer
Employers: Wilm. Finishing Co.
Message: Mischief Night - Dr. Elmer Fantazier whose office and home were on N. Broom St., across from Ingleside would spend the whole evening cleaning his sidewalk so no one could do anything to his house. His house was on a corner so he had a lot of ground to cover. He would stay out very late - you could never wait him out.
Date: 10/5/2009, 1:28 pm, EST
Name: Jerry T.
Location: at the shore, de.
Old Neighborhood(s): S. Jackson, S. Broom, N. Broom, Klair Ests.
Schools Att'd: St. Hedwig's, Archmere, U. of D.
Employers: B&O R.R., Resilient Tile, U.S. Army, Equifax, State of De.
Message: Mischief Night : One favorite was taking a long piece of very thin, but strong, dark string ( don't know where we got it ), and tie one end to a car door handle and the other to a street sign pole or house hand rail at night. We would then wait about a half block away for someone to walk into it.

Another was to use a longer piece of the same string, attached on one side of the street to a car door handle, the other end to the neck of a glass milk bottle sitting on a the flat wooden rail of a porch across the street. Again, we would wait about a half block away for a car to come, run into the string and cause the bottle to fall and break. A favorite spot for this was on Jackson St. between Chestnut and Reed, Ray Jubb's old block.

Instead of matches we used to take the exploding paper caps that we used for our toy guns, and put as many as we could fit between a nut and two bolts, then throw them on the ground.

Date: 10/5/2009, 10:24 am, EST
Name: Delmer Nicholson
Location: Cincinnati
Old Neighborhood(s): Bellefonte, Bellevue
Schools Att'd: Mt. Pleasant, A.I.
Employers:
Message: Re: Mischief night. In the '40's when I delivered papers I would always make an effort to do collect the money on Mischief night. Ring a doorbell and often the homeowner would run out from behind a shrub and grab me. I would say "collecting for the Evening Journal" and watch his face reflect his embarassment.
Enjoy your sites, thank you Harry.
Date: 10/5/2009, 2:52 am, EST
Name: Al Minne
Location: Temecula CA
Old Neighborhood(s): Lancaster Village, Sherwood Park II
Schools Att'd: Lore, Oak Grove, A.I. DuPont H.S., Conrad
Employers: F&M Scientific (Now HP Avondale), Spitz Laboratories,
Message: HARRY: Would you be refering to "MisChief Night"? It was more like "Mischief Month". I was guilty of more than one distructive act. Many years later I was married and moved to Denver where we bought a new house, my first. Then came Halloween season and when I thought of it I was certain I was about to suffer severe pay back. On the Halloween eve I found a hiding spot outside and waited ready to defend the homestead. To my amazment no one showed. Then I realized to my great relief Denver did not have a Mischief Night! I far as I could find out they never did.
Date: 10/4/2009, 10:39 pm, EST
Name: webmaster
Email: webmstrhr@oldwilmington.net
Location: Wilmington/Perryville
Old Neighborhood(s): Wood'n Flats, Willow Run, Oak Hill, Rich'n Park, Longview Farms
Schools Att'd:
Employers:
Message: On rainy days we would go to someone's porch and play "Jacks", "Pick-Up-Sticks" or card games like "War".

How many out there became an artist by buying John Gnagi's Artist Kit?

How about you guys, and come clean: Did you ever put strike-anywhere matches in a nut between two bolts and throw it??

We also played "Cowboys & Indians" with full costumes.

And, how about playing "War". This was probably around the time of the Korean War.

Date: 10/4/2009, 10:26 pm, EST
Name: webmaster
Email: webmstrhr@oldwilmington.net
Location: Wilmington/Perryville
Old Neighborhood(s): Wood'n Flats, Willow Run, Oak Hill, Rich'n Park, Longview Farms
Schools Att'd:
Employers:
Message: In the Flats, we would play "Territory" with a pen knife. Equal, adjacent squares were marked in the dirt where you would stand. Then taking turns, each player would throw his knife into the ground and make a straight line to make his territory larger and the opponents smaller until he could no longer stand in his territory.

Is this the same game?

Also, when playing any kind of ball & bat game, to see who would go first, the bat was tossed to the opponent to catch with one hand. Then, each would alternate their hands from that starting point to the top of the bat. The person who placed their hand at the top would then have to circle his head three time without dropping the bat. He then picked if he would go first or second.

Date: 10/4/2009, 6:36 pm, EST
Name: Jerry T.
Location: at the shore, de.
Old Neighborhood(s): S. Jackson, S. Broom, N. Broom, Klair Ests.
Schools Att'd: St. Hedwig's, Archmere, U. of D.
Employers: B&O R.R., Resilient Tile, U.S. Army, Equifax, State of De.
Message: One other game, " Stretch " : Two or more using a pen knife, switchblade, stiletto or any other type knife. One would throw the knife into soft ground in order to make another player "stretch" one foot to that point and continue on.
Date: 10/4/2009, 6:04 pm, EST
Name: Jerry T.
Location: at the shore, de.
Old Neighborhood(s): S. Jackson, S. Broom, N. Broom, Klair Ests.
Schools Att'd: St. Hedwig's, Archmere, U. of D.
Employers: B&O R.R., Resilient Tile, U.S. Army, Equifax, State of De.
Message: SWIFTY and ORV : Wall ball, Step Ball and Wire Ball were my favorites. Used to play Step Ball on the two sets of the Jackson St. Boys' Club steps, Wall Ball against any wall, and Wire Ball at Jackson and Elm Sts.
Date: 10/4/2009, 12:41 pm, EST
Name: Orv
Location: Sussex County
Old Neighborhood(s): Montgomery St.
Schools Att'd:
Employers:
Message: Jerry T.
Games.... how about "red light, green light" or
"tag", "jacks", "Red Rover" (I think this is same as "red light, green light"), "wall ball" (just bouncing a ball against a wall using baseball rules.), "hopscotch" (using an old shoe heel),
"jump rope" (double dutch). I'm sure there are others but I can't remember them!!
Date: 10/4/2009, 10:24 am, EST
Name: Swifty
Location: Middletown DE
Old Neighborhood(s): North Wilmington
Schools Att'd: MCIWilliams, Bayard, Warner, PS
Employers: Bank Of DE, Budd Co, Honeywell
Message: Jerry T: I remember all of those games. Step Ball was my favorite. We used to play for hours on Rodney St. between 7th & 8th.
Date: 10/3/2009, 8:46 pm, EST
Name: Jerry T.
Location: at the shore, de.
Old Neighborhood(s): S. Jackson, S. Broom, N. Broom, Klair Ests.
Schools Att'd: St. Hedwig's, Archmere, U. of D.
Employers: B&O R.R., Resilient Tile, U.S. Army, Equifax, State of De.
Message: Old games : some or all of these games may have been posted before, but I thought I'd bring them up to see if there's any remembrances from new posters or from the old posters ( guys and gals ), in the city. Relevio, step-ball ( any steps would do ), wire ball ( using a rubber ball to hit the overhead wires ), flipping baseball or any other type sports cards, pitching pennies or any other coin denominations against the wall, shooting marbles.