…When I moved to 8
Jefferson Avenue in 1950 things were a lot like small town America. There was city water
but no sewer system. You went to the Post Office at Mrs. Carr’s house at 107 Laurel
Road for your mail and took your own trash to the town dump by the railroad, The town had
a pig farmer pick up the garbage. The town also had a fire company. There were two grocery
stores. The Quaker Store was on the White Horse Pike and Frank’s was on the corner of
Princeton and Atlantic Avenues. There was a drug store with a soda counter (Nate’s)
and an old time diner at the corner of Princeton and the White Horse Pike. A hardware
store was ready to open in an old grain mill at Laurel and the White Horse Pike.
Rexon’s Dairy Farm was in business, still having horses do some of the work. Mr.
Rexon also used many acres on Warwick Road. The Stafford Farm on Warwick Road was also
being farmed. The roads from Laurel to Harvard were tar, but the side roads were cinders
and full of potholes. In the winter, Mr. Rexon would plow the town with a wood V-plow.
…With Christmas just passed. I can’t
help but reflect on Christmases spent in a different time. There were no endless trips to
the malls because there were no malls. One trip was made to Philadelphia to see the
decorated windows and make a few purchases. The rest of our shopping was done in Stratford
at NehIigs Department Store….
Go to Part II
The article above has been taken from an article that appeared in South Jersey Magazine
in the Spring 2000 issue. The article is entitled Fond Remembrances of Stratford
(1940's through mid 1950's) and was compiled by Bonnie Hoeflich McGuire. The
remembrances above were contributed to the article by some residents of Stratford both
past and present. The article above was scanned from a photocopy of the original so you
can probably blame any typos on me.
since 11/14/00