The final month of the annual Delran Historical Society Hoagie Sale is taking place! The hoagie sale will end July 31 and is in coordination with Vid’s Deli on Fairview Street. Purchase your tickets ahead of time and then get your hoagies at your convenience by July 31 at Vid’s. Tickets are $5 for an American, Ham and Cheese, Italian, or Three Cheese 6” hoagie. Tickets are available from most members of the Society, at our monthly meetings every 3rd Tuesday of the month at the Delran municipal building, the VFW on Fairview Ave, or by calling Mal at 609-845-8389.
Author: Renee Brizzi (Page 4 of 7)
Congratulations to Delran High School graduating history seniors, Amanda Pinho and Deana Giles, recipients of the 2017 Delran Historical Society Scholarship award. The award ceremony took place on June 1 at Delran High School’s Awards Night.
Congratulations, Amanda and Deana, and all the best for your future!
It’s that time again. Support the Delran Historical Society by purchasing a hoagie from Vid’s Hometown Deli located at 1107 Fairview Street. The sale runs from May 1 until July 31, 2017. For $5 you can choice an American, Italian, Ham and Cheese or 3 Cheese hoagies. Contact Mal Anderson, Karen Ruza or send an email to for tickets.
Traces of the Trade: A Story From the Deep North
A film by Katrina Browne
The Riverfront Historical Society and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church continue their collaboration with their eighth annual commemoration of Juneteenth. This year’s program will include a film screening of the Sundance Film Festival and Emmy-nominated, PBS documentary film Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North, followed by an audience discussion moderated by Elizabeth Sturges Llerena and The Reverend Jayne J. Oasin. The program, scheduled for Saturday, June 17th, from 1-3 PM at St. Stephen’s Church, 158 Warren Street, Beverly, is free and open to the public.
“Traces of the Trade documents how filmmaker Katrina Browne made a troubling discovery—her New England ancestors, The DeWolfs, were the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history. The DeWolfs conducted the trade over three generations, beginning in 1769, and well after it had been banned in the United States in 1808. The DeWolf family brought over 10,000 African slaves to the Americas. Up to half a million of these Africans’ descendants are alive today. Katrina Browne and nine fellow descendants set off to retrace the Triangle Trade: from their old hometown in Rhode Island to slave forts in Ghana to sugar plantation ruins in Cuba. Step by step, they uncover the vast extent of Northern complicity in slavery while also stumbling through the minefield of contemporary race relations. Traces of the Trade offers powerful new perspectives on the black/white divide….The issues the DeWolf descendants are confronted with dramatize questions that apply to the nation as a whole: What, concretely, is the legacy of slavery—for diverse whites, for diverse blacks, for diverse others? Who owes whom what for the sins of the fathers of this country? What history do we inherit as individuals and as citizens? How does Northern complicity change the equation? What would repair -spiritual and material – look like and what would it take?”
Riverside Park is one of Delran’s oldest neighborhoods. Diane Dudek, Delran Historical Society Trustee shared this photo likely taken in the 1930’s at the corner of Stewart Avenue and Roland Street. The Riverside Park neighborhood had brick pylons with neighborhood street signs. Today only 2 two of these classy street signs remain. They are located at North Chester and Frederick Street and North Chester and Roland Avenue. Do you know who installed these brick pylons and when? Were pylons located on every corner? If so, what happened to them? What else can you tell us about the history of Riverside Park?
Delran Historical Society Member Dee Wells is searching for photographs of Delran Mayors since our beginnings in 1880. There are still 10 mayors we have not yet located a photograph, including Abram Conrow who served as our mayor from 1890 to 1893. We have documented Abram Conrow to preserve his memory before it is erased much like his grave marker located in Westfield Friends Cemetery in Cinnaminson.
The Delran Historical Society received a History Recognition Award from Burlington County at the Smithville Mansion on May 12, 2017. We were recognized for our effort to create a Historical Marker Trail in Delran. This was a group accomplishment. Elaine McCabe and Diane Dudek researched the background on each of the sites, Elaine McCabe and Mal Anderson worked with residents to secure approvals for the sign installations, Delran Township paid for the signs to be printed at the New Jersey Department of Corrections, and Delran Public Works installed the signs. Deb Hammond posted the information on each site on our website and created QR codes for a bookmark that would directly link to our website and the additional content and photographs of each site. We celebrated the opening of our Historical Marker Trail on October 24, 2017 with the big unveiling at the Trinity Church on Route 130.
We have also added our markers to the Historical Marker Database, which includes links to our website as well as other nearby historic sites. We are planning to add an additional 10 sites in 2017.
1980 was the year Delran celebrated its 100th birthday. The committee planned Lots of events. In April, Robert Socci was crowned Miss Delran. While it started as a joke, Robert Socci accepted his title from Centennial Committee chairman Ron McNally. A total of 25 Delran High School students submitted an essay on why I want to be Miss Delran. His essay won him the title. Mr. Socci wrote a poem – Incident at a Local Fast-Food Restaurant. Mr. Socci received a $1,000 scholarship. The first runner up was senior Diane Marie Crossland. Second runner up was freshman Lisa Houston. Third runner up was junior Denise Horton and the fourth runner up was sophomore Cindy Reynolds. Here’s a link to Robert’s poem Incident at a local fast food restaurant.
The Delran Historical Society would like a photo of Robert and the runner ups. If you have a photo could you share it with us?
Don’t forget, Saturday April 29 at 11am we will be reburying the time capsule that the 1980 Centennial Committee buried at the site of the old Municipal Building. The 1980 time capsule will be reburied in front to the Municipal Building near the mail boxes. Come out and share your memories. Mr. Chinicci and Florence Anderson, members of the 1980 Centennial Committee will be there.
On March 21, 2017 the Delran Historical Society invited members to bring something old of interest to them and tell the story behind the item at our first “Show and Tell”. Delran Historical Society Member Kathy Biluck brought a sampler to share with the group. Abigail R. Hubbs stitched this sampler in 1842 at the age of 8. It was quite common for young girls to create samplers as a way to learn embroidery stitches. In addition to improving their sewing technique, it was a great way from them to learn their alphabet. Abigail Hubbs was born in Bridgeboro in 1834 and is Kathy’s great great grandmother. This means Kathy’s family has been in Delran 200 years or more. Kathy and her husband Joe still live in Delran.
Do you have something interesting you’d like to share with the Delran Historical Society? Send us an email.
Show and Tell – March 21, 2017
Join us on March 21 at 7pm for our artifact “Show and Tell” . Attendees can bring in something old of their interest and share the story behind the item. We’d like it to be a little like Antique Roadshow without the appraisal. Maybe you’ve got an old antique handed down for generations, a photograph, glassware, art work, tool or toy. Just make sure you can carry it in with you. Bring something near and dear to you and share the story of how you got the item and why it’s so special to you. It doesn’t need to be a Delran related item, just something you’d like to share. We hope that this “Show and Tell” makes for some interested discussions.
Our meeting starts at 7pm in the Community Room at the Delran Municipal Building at 900 Chester Avenue. All are welcome and encouraged to participate. Light refreshments will be served.
