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| West Main Street |
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| Where Penns Grove was born |
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| Union Corner or Broad & Main |
| The Pier was built in the 1830's. By 1834 7 houses and a tavern had been built. This was the hub of Penns Grove, expanding Eastward toward Union Corner also known as Broad and Main Corner. |
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| Article circa 1940 Penns Grove Lodge, No. 820 loyal Order of the Moose By burnuing the mortgage on it's $50,000 clubhouse at West Main and Naylor Ave, Penns Grove Lodge No, 820, Loyal Order of Moose, celebrated it's 25th anniversary on October 26, 1940. The fraternal order has occcupied it's spacious home since 1930. The local lodge was organized in 1915 with 87 members. Only one of the charter members, John Taylor, is still living. During the war boom, from 1915 to 1918 the membership rose to over 800. In 1917 a single class of 500 neophytes was admitted. The present membership is 400. It was during the boom period that the old Moose Home at South Broad St. and Mitchell Ave was built. It served as headquarters until the present club was purchased in 1930 from Fredric Gentieu. When purchased, the building was only partially completed, and had been intended for a private dwelling. The Lodge extensively altered the plans and finished it to meet the organizations needs. Of interest is the fact that the lodge has paid over $26,000 in sick benefits and $12000 in death benefits durring it's quarter-centry of existence. Net assets of the lodge are listed at $57000. |
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| National Bank, later to become the Library |
| Artical circa 1940 Cheeseman's Drug Store Cheeseman's Whelan Drug Store, owned and operated by Willard F. Cheeseman, opened for business on april 27, 1935. It's site on Union Corner had been occupied by drug stores since World War days. The Shur Chemical Company, Livingston's Drug Store and Guests' Pharmacy were it's predecessors. Mr. Cheeseman was graduated from Penns Grove High School in 1927 and from the Philadelphia Collage of Pharmacy in 1930. He has been a New Jersey registered pharmacist since 1930. Prior to entering business, he was employed for five years by the Community Drug Store, Penns Grove. |
| Article circa 1940 Arete's Drug Store First woman pharmacist in the state, B. Arete Johnson Russell's Drug Store, 145 W. Maint St, re-established in 1934, operates within a few steps of where her father, Dr. Mayhew Johnson, launched Penns Grove's first apothecary several years before the Civil War. Mrs. Russell learned the pharmaceutical profession as an apprentice to her father. " I was making pills at the age of 12," she stated. She created a stir when she applied to the state board for her license, which it could not legitimately refuse because of her fine knowledge. Dr. Johnson was Penns Grove's druggest for 40 years. His first store is at what is now 135 W. Main St.. He moved and was in the old "Summerill Block", West Main and Penn Streets for several years and then built the store in which Mrs. Russell operates. After her fathers death, Mrs. Russell carried on the old business until 1917 when she retired to travel. After 12 years of wanderlust, she tired and returned to the old stand. |
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| Article circa 1940 Penns Grove Lodge No. 1358 B. P. O. Elks Penns Grove Lodge No. 1358, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks was chartered July 10, 1918. The charter carried the names of 80 members. Of these, eight are still active members of the order: Charles E. Rinda, William R. Cochran,Paul E. Mount, Harry A. Dolbow, Charles L. Smith, Samuel D. Rosenbloth, Hollis F. Ashcraft and Frederic A. Gentieu. The lodge, noted for its charitable work especially among crippled children, moved into its new home, pictured here, in 1923. Presided over by genial Jake Adams, as steward, the Elks Home has added much to the community's social life during the past 17 years. |
| Article circa 1940 John Burpulis The success of John Burpulis, operator of the Union Corner store bearing his name, is a striking vindication of thhe American democratic system. An immigrant in 1916, the year 1940 finds him an outstanding local merchant. After serving a two-year vovlunteer enlistment in the British Navy at the outbreak of the World War, Mr. Burpulis moved here in 1916 to help make powder for the Allies. A few months later, he became a restauranteur, opening the Paris Cafe on the "corner." In 1920, the corner store was purchased from Leslie Wood. Three years later John's restaurant came into being. The restaurants were sold last year but are still operating under the old trade names. Three brothers, Samuel, Mark and Nick Burpulis, and a brother-in-law Mark Midias, are also in business in Penns Grove. |
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| Robinson F. Willis came to Penns Grove on April 13, 1901 with $234 in his pocket and began what was to become a multi-million dollar lumber and wholesale hardware business which occupied the equivalent of a city block near the Delaware River in Penns Grove. R.F. Willis, a Delaware farm boy, migrated to Penns Grove after running errands in a Wilmington hardware firm, Capelle Hardware . |
| He purchased the defunct hardware and lumber business of Edward G. Brick at a Sheriff's sale with $12,000 which he had borrowed, mostly from the Penns Grove National Bank of which Willis later became a director. The founder was only 23 years old at the time he bought the Brick Company. He said, businessmen in the Penns Grove community shook their heads and told him he was crazy. But Willis made a success of the new firm. It grew to a point in 1913 when he was able to purchase Capelle Hardware in Wilmington, where he started as an errand boy. " Don't be afraid to work" was his formula for success. |
| Arete's |
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| Building razed in 1928 to make room for the new Penns Grove National Bank and Trust company. (Pictured above) |
| Original site of the Penns Grove National Bank and Trust Company. (Built in 1900). |
| Founded in 1900 The Penns Grove National Bank and Trust Company, located at West Main and Oak Streets, has served the community continuously since that time. (Into the 1970's) The original Banking house was the stone building at 186 West main Street, later occupied by the Public Library. This building was used from 1900 to 1929, when the new building was completed and occupied |
| View is looking to the south west French's Hotel on the right |
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| 1920 |