Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, part 19

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, part 19

Inside the old American Store, once located in what is now Pell Gardens, on the corner across from Hole-in-the-Wall. Note cost of items in 1926. Pictured here: Mark Alcorn & Lewis Collins, Sr. Photo was taken in 1926, courtesy of Lewis Collins, Jr.

The Trinity Methodist Church, at its present site – built in 1889. Raymond Whiteoak, Sr. told me this anecdote about the construction of the Methodist Church: “My grandfather hauled building materials with a team of horses and a wagon. He hauled all of the materials used for building the Methodist Church in Chesapeake City, the one on Bohemia Avenue and Third Street. Well, he would drop off the materials to the workers. Then he’d go get liquor and get them all drunk. Not many people know that their church was built by workers drinking my grandfather’s whiskey.” The members I recognize in the photo are Thomas Foard, Roy Foard, and Lewis Collins, Sr. Let me know if you recognize any others?

 

Ralph Oil Company truck with Bobby Vaught, driver. Bobby was always very friendly and helpful. Photo is from his daughter, Betty.

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, part 18

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, part 18

George “Reds” Gorman outside of his general store and service station, on Biddle Street, across from Collins’ store, circa 1951.

Another view of Gorman’s store and station. He sold wonderful hand-dipped ice cream. Eleanor Benson Northrup told me her husband, Ralph, helped Mr. Gorman in his store the day the Chesapeake City lift bridge was hit by the freighter, Franz Klassen. She said that he came home that night with sore wrists from dipping so much ice cream for the many visitors who came to see the bridge destruction.

Collins’ Market at the 400 Block of Biddle Street in circa 1970 – Miriam Carlton Ohrel worked for Mr. Lewis Collins, Sr. for years. Note town’s first ambulance. Photo courtesy of Lewis Collins, Jr.

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, part 17

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, part 17

The ladies auxiliary parading down Lock Street during a firemen’s carnival. Do you know any of these ladies? The first girl with the flag could be Janet Krastel Collins, circa 1954.

A poster for the firemen’s carnival, circa 1950. I used to walk across our overhead bridge to attend these terrific carnivals.

Harold Reynolds on the merry-go-round he made. Mr. Reynolds made all of the many carnival rides in those days.

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, part 16

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, part 16

  

The catch of the day, with Wilson Reynolds, Frank Bristow, and John Schaefer. These rock fish would make great dinners in the old Schaefer’s Restaurant, circa 1959.

Hatties Inn, now the site of Harold Reynolds’ property – Biddle Street Extension. Hatties Inn had one of the first TV sets on the North Side. My girlfriend, Dolores Carlton, still talks about watching Arthur Godfrey while eating lunch there with her mom and dad. Note members of the Van den Heuvel family posing in the foreground, circa 1948.

Nola’s Bar, north of the firehouse on the east side of Lock Street, with Nola Knotts posing. Nola’s husband, George Knotts, worked for the Corps of Engineers and operated the lift bridges on the canal in the 1930s. I think the building still stands. I’ve never tasted Arrow beer; have you? The bar was very popular in the 1940s, photo circa 1941.

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, Part 15

Aerial view of Schaefer’s wharf, Roger Woolyhan’s building, and Schaefer’s store and restaurant. Back then you could buy a deviled crab dinner there for 65 cents. Note shadow of lift bridge at lower left, circa 1938.

Schaefer’s, looking Southeast. Note Basin and South Chesapeake City at right. The Chesapeake Inn area was then called Borger’s Wharf. Pell Gardens was then called City Dock or Rees’ Wharf, circa 1955.

 

John and Kitty Schaefer Maloney in later years, sometime in the 1970s.

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, Part 14

Famous butcher, Frank Bristow, cutting up as usual. Frank was a colorful character, always with a bizarre story to tell or a practical joke to pull. Frank worked at the old American Store on the South Side and later at Schaefer’s store on the North Side.

 Schaefer’s bar with enlarged inset of swan coaster – L to R: Freddy Mavis, Mamie Breza, Bill Reynolds, Beanie Beaston. The copy of the original swan coaster is courtesy of Morrison Watson.

Another Schaefer’s bar photo of unidentified revelers toasting your health. Does anyone know these men? I think that the man second from right is John Schaefer.

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, Part 13

Schaefer’s store, with John Schaefer, Mrs. Schaefer (John’s mother), and Katherine Schaefer Maloney (John’s sister), circa 1940

Inside Schaefer’s grocery store, note pot-bellied stove & meat counter at right, circa 1930

 

Schaefer’s store in 1966. Note how front of store stood on pilings

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, Part 12

Captain Dan’s today, with Delaware Responder at right. The ship cleans up oil spills. It’s located at the mouth of Long Creek.

An aerial view of Schaefer’s Wharf about 1950. Note Ericsson Line building (center) and Schaefer’s old store and restaurant to the right, as well as other buildings and land marks.

                     

Another view of Schaefer’s old store and restaurant, with the ferry slip, erstwhile playground, and site of the old carnival grounds at the top, circa 1950.

Historic Photos of Chesapeake City, Part 11

Historic Photos of Chesapeake City, Part 11

The old Southern Transportation Company, where wooden barges were made west of town on North Side. The site is now Capt. Dan’s, where the Delaware Responder is docked. My great uncles, Clarence & Warren Truss, were employed there in the 20s and 30s. Uncle Clarence was a master carpenter and Uncle Warren was a caulker.

The Marine Construction Company was there at the mouth of Long Creek when I was a boy in late 40s. I used to swim across and take a breather on the wharf before swimming back to the Burnt House.

The old Burnt House swimming area was almost straight across from Marine Construction Company. I’m set to jump off the red channel marker in the summer of 1949.

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, Part 10

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, Part 10

Here is still another view of our old firehouse, with a dapper Jacob Caleb posing.

The firehouse as it is today. Note changes to the front of the building. At one time it was for sale at a great bargain.

Early fire truck I’m not sure where it is now? It was displayed often during the parades at firemen’s carnivals.

One half of our present firehouse before it was doubled in the forties. Harold Reynold’s carnivals were held there when I was a boy.

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, Part 9

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, Part 9

The Old Chesapeake City School on South side. It was built in 1886 at the cost of $5,000. My father graduated from there in 1925. It was on the site of present elementary school but was located up much closer to Second Street.

Will Stubbs and the first firehouse. The firehouse was moved by barge from the Causeway and still stands on Biddle Street. Note Saint Rose of Lima church in the background.

Another view of our first firehouse, at left. It was once used as our town hall.

 Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, Part 8

The building on the site of The Academy, northeast corner of Hemphill and Biddle Streets. The Presbyterian Church had its first meeting there.

Academy facts: My teacher, Miss Mamie Walters, taught there until 1913, grades 1-3.

The old Methodist Church at Third Street and Bohemia Avenue. Note gas light and hitching posts. The Presbyterian Church had some services there, also.

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, Part 7

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, Part 7

Early Presbyterian Church in 1905 with bell tower. Note the trees and fence. The church was dedicated on January 8, 1860 and was enlarged during the 1950s. The photo is from a postcard dated April 8, 1905.

Another early photo of the Presbyterian Church. The tree & fence are gone. The land for the church was donated by Robert Polk.

This building at 521 Biddle Street was once the Presbyterian Church parsonage, or manse. It is now a private residence.

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, Part 6

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, Part 6

Groom Steele’s grain-office building is being moved to the North Side in the1960s. As a kid, I got many a haircut there from Jumping Jim. At left is the old Rio Theater, where my buddies and I enjoyed many Saturday afternoon cowboy movies.

Same building (Jumping Jim’s barber shop) as it stands today at the NW corner of Hemphill & Biddle Streets.

An aerial view of our narrow canal in 1929. High Bridge had been removed at Hemphill Street but Long Bridge and the lift bridge are there at the top. Canal Street and Biddle Street are near the middle as well as the remnant of the lock at top middle. At the right middle appears to be a baseball field at what is now Helen Titter Park.

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, Part 5

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, Part 5

The 1914 flood on the Causeway. At left is the Masonic Hall, which housed the post office, the movie theater, a barber shop, a milliner’s shop, and several other businesses. At right was a luncheonette and ice cream parlor.

Masonic Hall (1914 flood) with Chesapeake City jail at left. The entrance to Long Bridge is in foreground. John Sager remembered an inmate singing from our old jail. He sang, “Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink.” Rube Hevelow was the jailer at the time.

 

Groom Steele’s grain office on the Causeway. The building became Jumping Jim’s barber shop on the South Side. The building is now a private residence on the North Side, at the NW corner of Biddle and Hemphill Streets.

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, Part 4

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, Part 4

High Bridge, looking east. Bridge swung towards east and was operated manually by bridge tenders. High Bridge connected Hemphill Street on the North Side with the causeway on the South Side. Two other swing bridge bridges spanned the canal, one at Bethel (Pivot) and one at St. Georges. After the Corps of Engineers bought the canal in 1919, they were replaced by steel lift bridges. Now (2013), only one lift bridge remains, the railroad bridge at Summit.

 

Walking over the lock gate from the South Side to the North Side. My grandmother, Geneva Truss Hazel, said she did this for a shortcut to North Side to see her sister, Liddia. To cross at High Bridge required quite a longer walk up the Causeway.

 

Wooden, steam tug, Startle, exiting the lock at Back Creek, heading west towards the Chesapeake Bay. The old Masonic hall can be seen at the right of boat. Also, part of Long Bridge is at the far right and several businesses are visible along the Causeway. The Startle is recognized by the figure of a horse atop the wheel house.

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, Pt.3

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, Pt.3

Long Bridge, East view with Masonic Hall and many shops on the Causeway. The area in the foreground is now the site of Pell Gardens. Long Bridge was a center-pivot span that was operated by turning an iron crank.

Steamer, Lord Baltimore, heading west through the St. Georges’ lock. This steamer belonged to the Baltimore and Philadelphia Steamboat Company, established in 1844. The company was also called the Ericsson Line because, instead of its boats being propelled by paddles, they were propelled from the stern by a screw system devised by the Swedish inventor, John Ericsson.

 

High Bridge was a wooden swing bridge that extended from Hemphill Street on the North Side to the Causeway on the South Side. The Causeway ran west to Long Bridge, which spanned Back Creek and connected to Rees’ Wharf (now Pell Gardens). Note Corps of Engineers’ pump house at left with vessel waiting to go through.