"THE GREEN IN OLDEN DAYS"
1910? 1916?

TERRIFIC   TRAFFIC 
IN DAYS OF OLD

George and Martha lived here !  Re-enactment : GW at the Green - 1777 - in front of Jacob Arnold's Tavern

   
Washington's HQ 1777 on the Green was at Arnold's Tavern
which was later used as a store and then moved to become the first "All Souls Hospital"

OLD TRAFFIC PATTERNS NEAR "THE GREEN"
1909  1910  

 
Kids will be kids !  or trying out the new KODAK !

 
        On South Street looking toward "the Green" in horse and buggy days . . .

 

See the below photos of old traffic and parking ways - around "the Green" :
 

 
Mansion House Hotel - Looking toward the courthouse - Washington Street

       
Telephone Poles on Washington Street near the Green.

  <= click 
SPEEDWELL AVENUE WITH TELEPHONE POLES

 
^ -----  Morris Street also had telephone poles.

      
United States Hotel on the Green - owned by A. E. Vorhees     

        
The new fire house !

         
James Park watering fountain.  Why aren't you in school ?!   Fire Station behind ... 

    1904

   

    1910  <= click to enlarge
SPEEDWELL WITH A FIRE HOUSE NEAR THE GREEN

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DIAGONAL PARKING BY THE UNITED STATES HOTEL

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DIAGONAL PARKING NEAR HOWARD HOUSE

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BOTH SIDE PARKING NEAR THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

 <=  
A THEATRE, A PLACE TO MEET THE TRANSPORTATION, THE PRESBYTERIAN CHAPEL
1913 BUS TRANSPORTATION - MADISON TO MORRISTOWN !

Was this 1916?

 <=click   <=click to enlarge
THE FIRE STATION NEAR THE                DIAGONAL PARKING NEAR                                  
 GREEN IS IN THE DISTANCE                   THE METHODIST CHURCH                                    

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THE MAZE !                   

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LOOKING DOWN SOUTH STREET - DIAGONAL PARKING - PARKING ON BOTH SIDES

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Wild Lane Changes !  The MAZE == Traffic Blockage                                                   

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TRAFFIC PATTERNS SIMILAR TO THOSE OF TODAY.                            
Mayor Raymond Manahan et al changed the flow of traffic to be like an English "roundabout."

A 1926 Morristown area trolley wreck !!!

 
A 1926 TROLLEY OUTING FOR KIDS !!!

      
THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK - 1905

           ICE CREAM ANYONE ? !  Wilbur Fisk Day's Restaurant !
                                           
               
 
This is the site of Continental Army storehouses known as Washington Hall - where in the winters of the Revolutionary War, George and Martha, officers and wives attended "a ball" with music and dancing.  

On May 1, 1862, the Wilbur F Day's - "DAYs Colonial Restaurant," and bakery with confections and an ice cream parlor was opened here.  It closed in 1942, when family members went off to fight in World War II.  Eventually, the First National Bank on the right was replaced by M. Epstein's department store.  The restaurant site was later used as the Town House Restaurant.  M. Epstein's expanded to incorporate the Wilbur F. Day property.

Milton Hershey 
Born 1857 - first tasted Taffy and Sour Balls at the Felix Candy Store in Harrisburg, PA. - was a poor student at one room schoolhouse at Derry Church, PA - moved to Nine Points, PA - sang lessons at "Old Harmony School" - sister died of Scarlet Fever 1868 - First apprentice job - failed at "printing" - second job at age 14 was three + years at 
Royers Lancaster Ice Cream Parlor and Garden - learned confectionery store chores and attended the horses . . .

In 1875, Morristown's Wilber F. Day, Sr. hired the itinerant 18 year old candy maker, Milton S. Hershey to work at 40 Park Place in Morristown, making all kinds of sweets.  He learned to make "caramel candy" here, which would one day bring him much more than one million dollars!  The taffy pulling machine was viewable by the public as they passed the Day's Restaurant at "the Green."  

In 1876, Milton Hershey moved to PHILADELPHIA to start his first caramel-candy business at 935 Spring Garden Street.  His mother Fanny and his aunt Mattie moved to help him during the 1876 Philadelphia Grand Centennial Exposition at Fairmount Park, where he sold caramels from a cart.  His father, Henry, had gone to Colorado for the "gold and silver rush."  The Philadelphia business became slow, and it had to close.  

The Hershey family then moved back to Lancaster.  Milton followed his father to Colorado, where they were unemployed until Milton located work at a large Colorado candy factory.  There, Milton learned the impressive skill of including "fresh milk" in the creation of caramel.  Milton tried the candy business again in New York City, but when his loan was not repaid in time, the sheriff closed his business and his machinery was seized.  He went into his first bankruptcy.   He was also robbed in NY.   

Back in Pennsylvania, a courageous banker helped with a loan. Milton's mother and Aunt Mattie also again came to his rescue as he restarted the business.  Then a Mr. Decies from England placed a large order for caramel.  After $2,000 was received and new orders followed, the business grew rapidly. 

Milton met his love, Catherine Sweeney, "Kitty," in Jamestown, NY.  They were married at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.  (In the future, they would travel to Europe and "South of the border."  She died in 1915).

In 1893, at the World Exposition in Chicago, Milton discovered a German chocolate-processing machine.  He traveled to Europe and learned skills related to his new interest "chocolate."   

In 1900, he sold his caramel business to the American Caramel Company of Philadelphia for $1,000,000 !  Kitty and he vacationed in Mexico, and he learned much more about cocoa beans and processing.  In 1903, they returned to his roots.  He built his new chocolate factory at Derry Church, PA - and built a complete and beautifully designed town there, now named Hershey, PA.  Since the couple did not have children - she suggested, and he followed by creating an industrial school for orphan boys, which later became a junior and senior high school.  

In 1920, sugar prices crashed, and Milton's land and sugar holdings in "Central Hershey, Cuba" put his business in receivership with a temporary manager appointed by the banks.  Milton soon re-grew his business. 

During the great-depression-years, he was able to continue without laying off any of his workers.

Milton visited Morristown a couple of times.  

Milton's company president, Mr. Murrie, wrote to Philippa Day Earley.  

He sent a copy of a July 17, 1928 letter from Hershey, Pa to Wilbur F. Day, Jr. of Morristown.  It said, 

HERSHEY CHOCOLATE CORPORATION
Manufacturer of Chocolate and Cocoa
Hershey, Pa.
             July 17, 1928

"Mr. Wilbur F. Day, Jr.,
 Morristown, NJ

Dear Mr. Day: -

Your letter of July 2nd has been referred to the writer, who has discussed subject matter with Mr. Hershey.  Mr. Hershey asks that I express his appreciation of his letter and is delighted to know that someone in connection with your firm remembers that he was once an employee.  Mr. Hershey is justly proud of the fact that as a young man he worked for your firm and would be very glad to have the Slab and Hook referred to, and in case you wish to send it to us, we would be delighted if you would do so.

   ...   we will put it among our archives where it belongs.  "

   ...  

---

Just before World War II, the government asked Milton to create a "GI chocolate and supplement combination," which became the FIELD RATION D (daily) chocolate bar.  This small non-melting energy food for the soldiers was produced at the rate of half a million bars a day. 

Milton died after our victory in the war, in 1945 at the age of 88. The Hershey fortune was put in the HERSHEY TRUST to support the school for orphans and his town.

The Day family of Morristown was happy to have launched this American success story.

This writer is happy, too, to peek into this personal history of "struggle, resolve, joy and especially, compassion" of Milton S. Hershey.

T H A N K S   to the Morristown-Morris Township Free Public Library archives and "vertical files" that provided proof of this Morristown story.  - Aug. 2005

The competitor neighbor, VIEDT CONFECTIONERY AND LUNCH ROOM  
                                                                20 Park Place.

 
20 Park Place

 
69 Park Place at Speedwell Avenue and Water Street
        Vaudeville and Movies before the building of HQ Plaza . . . 
circa 1916 - 1960s ?

 

============================================    

 

An OLD proposition . . . proposed before the new construction . . .

Recent Town Development Plans hope to eliminate Traffic Gridlock at Speedwell, Spring and Early Streets.

Parking on the east side of Speedwell Avenue from HQ Plaza to the Vail School
could be eliminated  ( per suggestion of  mayor Donald Cresitello ).

THE GREEN, an old proposal
The Traffic-Light at Market Street  causes 
"THE MAZE AT-THE-GREEN" PROBLEM. It should have been addressed !
 The below suggested change would : Revise Traffic Flow with Less Turns & Less Lane Changes,
Shorter Simpler Routes to Eliminate 2 Block long Lunchtime Market Street Traffic Jams !
    It could have included a New Triangular Mini-Park !    
     IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO ELIMINATE "THE MAZE" !!!  11/28/2006

                 
PATRIOT'S FAREWELL SCULPTURE       
     
A once good idea ...  
Eliminate ^ THE MAZE          
The present TWO LANE Market Street (plus parking) creates 
"traffic-blocking" at the MID-BLOCK light. 

An early 2005 PROPOSAL - eliminate that light and use some of the land under the to-be-demolished department store to route Market Street by an early turn - 1/2 right routing, which would pre-sort traffic by destination to the normal traffic light near "Liberty Travel."    This would require "emanate domain actions" with offsetting benefits to the present land owners.  Additional (WELCOME!) co-ordinations would be needed with state and county officials.

     
It was suggested that the Epstein lots at the corner of Market Street would be modified for a new triangular mini park and a small pedestrian street-crossing triangle island - street improvements in exchange for a maximum building height similar to that height allowed (5 stories?) at #10 Park Place North (W.).  

[ That firm seems to be shifting from mostly RETAIL BUSINESS to mostly REAL ESTATE - LANDLORD-ship.]
 
When the sewing department was eliminated a few years ago, an official there said, "Mrs. ...the name of the game is money!"

The name of the serious game by the town leaders should be preservation (and improvements) of the nature and traditions of the towns sacred history.   

These changes would open opportunities for more business along Market Street and open the possibilities of widening lower Market Street in the far future for a reasonable Route 202 width.  The triangular shaped replacement Ep' store(s) would add a classy non-boring facade, facing a new triangle park-ette.  Traffic jams at noontime would be eliminated!  Bad traffic congestion is BAD FOR BUSINESS!

(With the eliminated mid-block traffic light at market street, additional plans for directing traffic more directly to the destinations by new traffic light arrangements could be later studied.  This problem is very complex - no simple solutions - so enjoy the "roundabout - traffic circle in the meantime!)

See Montclair's Church Street near Bloomfield Ave.to view a similar effect of an upscale shopping center with a diagonal street !!! 

The above MAP gives us'all a clue !!!

 

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