Bits Of South Jersey - Remembrance

If you have lived in South Jersey most of your life you have seen many changes take place. Progress has plowed over the old, but memories have not been replaced. The landscape has made a drastic reformation. Most of my recollections are of Gloucester County and so I will embellish on some of the things that I remember.

Growing up in Deptford Township in the 1950s and 60s was a typical suburban life style. Small developments were popping up all over but shopping centers were at a minimum compared to today. If you traveled along Mantua Pike from Woodbury you would pass Greenfield Heights, Oak Valley, and Center City. There was one shopping center in Woodbury Heights that had a WT Grants, drug store with a fountain, jewelry store, pet store, etc. You could shop there without having to go into to the big city of Woodbury. Speaking of Woodbury, the hub of the county, you could shop till you dropped and catch a movie too. Who remembers the Kresgies, Woolworth, Rexall, Dairy Barn, and Charming Shop? All gone but not forgotten.

Diners became places to meet your friends and just hang out. Some of those meeting places were the; Woodbury Diner, Morans, and the Colonial Diner. I think I still see the same faces at the Colonial Diner. Of course, there was Steer-Inn, which was a shoe-in for any police officer that needed to assign some speeding tickets. All he had to do was follow the sound of squealing tires.

One icon that has almost completely disappeared from the American scene is the drive-in movie. It was a place that the whole family could go. If you had a station wagon the kids could lay in the back and sleep, no need for a babysitter. Starlite and Parkway were favorites in our area. I can`t say that there were not obstacles to overcome like speakers that were full of static or forgetting where you parked after going to the snack bar.

The Mom and Pop stores were run out by the 7-11s. It was nice to go into an old store where the owner lived in the back and was also your neighbor. You could get a bag full of candy and a soda for 25 cents. Some other great prices… 12-inch hoagies for .99 cents, stamps for .5 cents, and gas-.25 cents a gallon. How many teens scraped their change together to get up a dollar for gas so they could cruise all night?

The schools have definitely changed over the years. Most of the elementary schools that I attended did not have cafeterias. We had to bring our lunch and hope that the ants did not get to them before we did. Gym was recess; girls wore dresses or skirts but never slacks, only leggings in the winter. Sneakers were only worn during recess and there were no t-shirts with rock stars on them.

Houses have gotten bigger and families smaller. What do we do with all of that space? Television was a big console, black and white that sat in the living room. You normally got three channels and you had to change the dial by hand. Favorite shows were mostly westerns and family sitcoms.

Shoe stores were mostly family owned like Ernie`s Shoe Post on Mantua Pike. The fast food drive-ins were great fun. You could go to Weber`s on RT 130, have a meal and play on the trampolines. Each little town seemed to sponsor its owned carnival once a year. The biggest thing that has changed about that is the prizes. You could bet .10cents and win a lawn chair, mixer or electric coffeepot!

South Jersey has kept up with the changes that the rest of the country has experienced. With it came the end of an era and the residue of memories. It happens with each new generation. New buildings and innovative businesses that have replaced one generation`s landmarks will become another generation`s memories. As these things become South Jersey`s history they still have their place in the future because they have helped to shape it as well as the generations that came before us. So the next time you get directions from an older person in the country and he says, “ Turn left where the old tanning mill used to be.” Just smile and know that you are not alone.

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Author: Vickie Van Antwerp