Events happen; history is what is remembered
In 1970, Elric Endersby was a 24-year-old Princeton native with a degree in Fine Arts and Architecture and a passion for the human side of history. One morning he wandered into Bainbridge House to observe the restoration of its front door. A casual conversation with board members of the Historical Society of Princeton turned serious, and Endersby left with an assignment to collect oral histories.
From this chance event began the Princeton History Project. As a separate organization affiliated with the Society, the Project was dedicated to collecting, preserving, and presenting memories as a resource for future study.
It was also a truly social phenomenon. As stories were recorded and special events held, senior citizens communicated with each other and the town at large. High school students, enlisted to help, found new appreciation for their own places in history. A broad range of ethnic and socio-economic groups was involved, their stories told in a most democratic form of scholarship.
During its decade and a half of activity, the Project had grand ambitions and meager funding. Only a labor of love, a zealous mission, or a wildly improbable quest could hope to succeed.
The Project was all of those things. And so it did.
This exhibition celebrates the accomplishments of the Princeton History Project, including the monthly publication it spawned, The Princeton Recollector. And it commemorates the donation of their archives to the Historical Society of Princeton, a bequest of tapes, transcripts, photographs, documents, and objects adding immensely to the Society’s holdings in late 19th and early 20th century history.
The spectrum of the Princeton History Project collection is illustrated by the photos, objects, and oral history excerpts featured in these rooms.
“There is more than simple satisfaction in realizing that you and the 80-year-old man sitting next to you learned to swim in the same stretch of brook.” – Elric Endersby in Harper’s Weekly, June 20, 1975
The Princeton Recollector is Formed
So many good recollections deserved expression outside the typed transcriptions of taped interviews. Their initial outlet was “Princeton Yesteryear,” a column written by Elric Endersby for the Princeton Packet between 1972 and 1974. But a broader format beckoned, encompassing photographs and documents as well as reminiscences. The result was The Princeton Recollector, first published in May 1975.
Part newspaper, part magazine, the Recollector was abundant with information and illustrations laid out in a pleasing perfusion of period graphics. It was also a huge risk for Endersby and for Jamie Sayen, its first editor, who freely recognized they had no idea at first of what they were doing.
TOWNSPEOPLE Meetings
One good story begets another. The meeting series called TOWNSPEOPLE, co-sponsored by the Princeton History Project and the Public Library of Princeton, was a lively producer of oral histories. Held at the Library on a monthly basis from 1974 to 1981, TOWNSPEOPLE yielded hundreds of pages of remembered history from some 60 participants. It stimulated the donation of period photographs and objects to the Project.
And it was good, satisfying, instructive fun.
The Recollector quickly found its readership, and the publication blossomed. Free issues were distributed to retirement homes and geriatric facilities. It was supported by subscriptions and advertising, but the staff drew no pay.
Its creators worked day jobs and then assembled the paper until dawn in a cramped but congenial office in the Bainbridge House attic. Enthusiastic and sleep-deprived, these young idealists propagated the past.
“There was magic in the transformation of written words into living voices. I loved the way the people rose right off the pages of the Recollector, sharing their stories in their own words, the patterns and rhythms and color of their language illuminating both the teller and the telling.” – Tari Pantaleo, Recollector co-editor
In time, The Princeton Recollector had subscribers in 48 of the 50 states and several foreign countries. Most were former Princetonians who cherished the paper as a link to the town, its past, and each other.
Says Elric Endersby, “We referred to ourselves as a town alumni association.”
The Scholarly Significance of Oral Histories
Written sources (like census sheets or municipal records) provide verifiable facts. But oral histories are unmatched in their power to preserve a sense of the sights, smells, sounds, and experiences of bygone eras. Both have their place in historical research.
Our legal system wisely differentiates between first-hand eyewitness testimony and “hearsay” stories that have become inaccurate after passing through multiple listeners and tellers. Similarly, scholars must evaluate which oral histories contain valuable personal information and which merely perpetuate popular myths.
“Here at the Recollector, we don’t believe in using dry textbook documentation to recall any man …”—Editors, the Recollector
“The appearance of the Recollector has spurred me to attempt the rejuvenation of my memory buds … Meanwhile, I am anxiously awaiting the next issue.” – Fred Osborne, Savannah, Georgia, letter
“I am really pleased to see your information being returned to the community. Too often academics …collect material from ‘the folk’ and then consider them too unlettered to appreciate its value.” – Emilie W. Gould, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, letter
“Thank you for remembering us and saying we are missed … I knew I liked Princeton, but now I know it is the ideal place to live and work.” – Eleanor Waddell, former owner of Country Antiques, Richmond, Virginia, letter
“You can’t go back – but the Recollector does a fantastic job of taking us there.” – Robert J. Stout, Tustin, California, letter
A Link to Material Culture
Spontaneously, area residents began to donate photographs, letters, scrapbooks and other items to the Princeton History Project and the Recollector.
Old objects might seem unneeded, even junk. But in time, some may be recognized as having historical importance. Items donated to the Princeton History Project will now be preserved in the collections of the Historical Society of Princeton and help document the recent past.
“We were The Antiques Road Show of Princeton, to an extent. We didn’t get valuable objects, but things that you or your parents had and that were important to you.” – Jeff Macechak, Recollector photograph editor
One-Room Schoolhouses Recalled
In the years before widespread motor vehicle transportation, local schools were a necessity. During Project oral history recordings and special reunion events, area residents who had attended one-room schoolhouses in the nearby settlements of Stony Brook, Mount Lucas, Cedar Grove, and Mount Rose shared childhood memories of this primal and more personal era in American education.
“I always felt [Miss Louise Snook] was some great teacher because she had eight grades in one room … the way she worked it out was the older children taught the little ones. When I got toward eighth grade I taught them arithmetic and spelling … And of course that trained us, too … if there was a seeing or hearing problem she was very careful about that. The ones that couldn’t see so well or hear so well, they were in the front seat. She was a very fine teacher. She was ahead of her time, she really was.” -- Helen Updike Wilson, student at Stony Brook School
“Of course, the children brought their lunches … I would heat up soup in the stove for anyone who wanted it. I suppose they paid me ten cents, and if anyone was too poor to pay I guess I just let them have it … I remember one time a boy – I was giving him soup because he was poor – and I found out he was going up to a little store on the corner, and he had money and was buying candy. So I guess we had a little talk about that.” – Eliza Reed Moore, teacher at Mount Rose School
Models Used to Recall Princeton’s Past
After attending Cedar Grove School, G. Vinton Duffield joined the Princeton University Library and became head of Circulation and Shelving. Duffield, who died in 1978, was also a skilled miniaturist who created delightfully accurate models of important Princeton buildings – recollections of a special kind.
“It’s surprising how many people have seen them ... Someone sent me a photograph of one of them taken up at the Public Library with youngsters looking at it, which pleases me.” – G. Vinton Duffield
Local Legacies...
Although Princeton has been home to many world-famous persons, the Recollector and its informants took special delight in memories of colorful local characters, beloved businesses, and fond everyday activities that gave town life its shape.
“Too often, what is called history is but the record of the fairest fact of a single famous individual, or a favored few … Too often we forget that it takes the peasant as well as the priest and the president to make society, to form the constituency of a state.” -- Cornelius W. Larison, 19th century historian, quoted in the Recollector
... And Not So Local Ones
Laurence Hutton, the literary editor of Harper’s Magazine, was a Princeton resident. The Recollector revealed that among those who visited him at his home “Peep O’Day” in the early 1900s were Samuel Clemens (better known as “Mark Twain,” author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn), and Helen Keller, who triumphed over deafness and blindness to become a writer and inspirational figure.
Norman Armour met Samuel Clemens (1835-1910) when he came to view the Armours’ splendid home library. It was snowing, and young Norman asked his mother for money to buy an expensive Flexible Flyer sled. Mrs. Armour pointedly remarked that when Mr. Clemens was a boy he probably built his own sled.
“Mr. Clemen’s left eyelid lowered slowly in my direction (he was always on the side of the young, you know) and he spoke very deliberately, very slowly. ‘Yes Ma’am, I suppose we did, and I advise no boy of this generation to slide down a hill on such a contraption.’
“He then commenced a detailed description of such an adventure, describing the rapid disintegration of the sled, piece by piece. ‘First one runner decides it has found a better route to the bottom. Then the other follows its lead, and finally the boards themselves assert their independence, until the unlucky carpenter finds himself sliding racily down the hill on little more than the skin God gave him.’”
“Whereupon my Mother handed over the money and I went off to buy my sled; but I didn’t buy a Flexible Flyer. No, I bought a cheaper sled and used the rest of the money to buy my first copies of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.” – Norman Armour
Mr. Armour also met the remarkable Helen Keller (1880-1968), whose wondrous schooling by Anne Sullivan later inspired the play and movie The Miracle Worker.
“Helen Keller came over to our house, brought by Mr. Hutton … she was deaf, dumb and blind, you see, but she conquered all that in some extraordinary way … she put her fingers to your lips and you were supposed to speak and she would know what you were saying … I was terrified, as a small boy … and said something about the weather, I suppose.” – Norman Armour
Albert Einstein (1879–1955) was the subject of major articles in the Recollector. Neighbors had fond memories of the kindly genius who had fled Nazi Europe to live among them. Einstein was recalled less for his far-reaching theories in advanced physics and more for his common touch, as a human being rather than an icon.
The Institute for Advanced Study, where Einstein was a faculty member, has graciously donated his furniture to the Historical Society of Princeton. Albert Einstein sat for many photographic portraits in this easy chair -- a fitting setting for a man who was both famous and informal.
“Of course, Einstein received fan letters … and he would shake his head and say, ‘I absolutely cannot understand what the attraction of my personality is to all these people. What have I done to deserve all this attention?’ Many of these letters ended up in the waste basket, but he always answered when a child wrote.” -- Alice “Lili” Kahler
“He used to walk by here on his way to the Institute with a couple of his satellites walking two steps behind, and we could set our clocks by the moment he came by this house. Something like four minutes past two every single day, with his little stocking cap on.” – M. Vreeland Barton
One evening, Albert Einstein was given a ride to a meeting of the Princeton chapter of the United Jewish Appeal by a Mr. Schweitzer, a German refugee who had a farm in Skillman.
“When it came to the end of the meeting, Mr. Schweitzer approached me very embarrassed that he would have to take the professor home in his truck, and he suggested someone else take him … [When I informed Einstein] he said, ‘Well, how is Mr. Schweitzer going to go home?’ I said, ‘Well, he’s going in his truck of course.’
“He said, ‘But I came with Mr. Schweitzer. That would be insulting to him if I went with someone else.’ He insisted and went back with Mr. Schweitzer in his dilapidated truck. This just indicates how he felt about people.” -- Erwin Panovsky
The Start of a Regional Legacy
As the Recollector’s readership expanded outside the immediate Princeton area, so did the stories it chronicled. History from Cranbury, Hightstown, Hopewell, Pennington, and the nearby Delaware Valley received in-depth coverage. More readers contributed articles.
The Recollector also became a strong voice for the preservation of local architecture and environs. This final phase of the Princeton History Project and its magazine was exciting and productive.
Princeton Nurseries is Celebrated
Princeton Nurseries was founded in 1911 by William Flemer Sr. on land near Kingston that had first been farmed in the 1700s by Dutch-Americans. It grew to become the world’s largest wholesaler of trees, bushes, and shrubs. The land was sold in the 1980s, and Princeton Nurseries now has a smaller operation in Allentown, N.J. In the Recollector, William Flemer Jr. planted detailed memories of this remarkable business.
Christie Whiteman’s Barbershop and Novelty Items
Christie Whiteman was among the most versatile and entertaining of Princeton’s entrepreneurs. His barber shop at 54 Nassau Street, founded in the 1890s, later doubled as headquarters for a mail order business in novelty items. Soon came a colorful business in postcards, with Whiteman selling thousands between 1910 and 1915. He sold phonograph records, opened a movie theater at 124 Nassau Street, and brought the first vaudeville shows to town. When electrical appliances (including radios) became popular, Christie Whiteman sold them -- and repaired them, too.
Donald Lambert
Jazz afficionados hold Princeton-born stride pianist Donald Lambert (1904-1962) in the same high regard as the better-known Fats Waller and Art Tatum. Except for an acclaimed appearance at the 1960 Newport Jazz Festival, “The Lamb” performed mostly in small New York and northern New Jersey restaurants, and he made only a few recordings. A special Recollector edition championed his music and celebrated his life.
On May 8, 1982, through the efforts of Tari Pantaleo and the Recollector, family, friends and fans gathered to dedicate a headstone to Lambert, whose grave in the Princeton Cemetery had gone unmarked for two decades.
“My brother Donald started playing when he was four years old. We used to put him on the piano. He was gifted.
“In those days, at Christmas, they’d give us nice toys, and my mother always gave my brother a [child’s] piano. And she used to sit up in bed and say, `Bring me Don’s piano.’ And she’d sit it in front of her, just like you would sit a tray. Then she would call us: ‘I want you to learn this …’” – Olive Lambert Rutledge
The Crime of the Century!
One of the most intensely-reported news stories in American history was the March 1, 1932, kidnapping death of the infant son of aviator Charles Lindbergh, the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, and author Anne Morrow Lindbergh, from their home near Hopewell. At a riveting 1935 trial in the Hunterdon county seat of Flemington, Bruno Richard Hauptmann was convicted of the crime. (Contrary to recent revisionist claims, the evidence against Hauptmann was very strong.) Area residents shared their memories of “The Crime of the Century” with the Recollector.
“… we had a pencil sharpener up on the back windowsill at home. I went out to sharpen my pencil and looked out the window, and I saw these lights come out from behind our woods, from the little road that was between us and the Lindberghs. I seen a car come down Featherbed Lane – the road was in bad shape and very muddy and he had quite some trouble getting on down ... He turned off his lights soon as he came from behind our woods so people wouldn’t see him. But I seen that car come down that night from the Lindberghs.” – Henry Conover
“The War of the Worlds” Broadcast
Another national event with a Princeton-area connection involved the October 30, 1938, CBS radio adaptation of the science fiction novel The War of the Worlds. This version -- directed by and starring Orson Welles, with script by Howard Koch -- had the malevolent Martians landing in nearby Grovers Mill before advancing on New York City. Its news broadcast-style format terrified millions of listeners who thought they were hearing bulletins about a real alien invasion.
“We was out in the field husking corn … And all of a sudden these cars started coming by. And I said, ‘I wonder where all of these damned cars is comin’ from?’ ‘I don’t know,’ Pop says. ‘I guess they’re all out for a Sunday drive.’
“Next thing we knew one of them stops out there and says ‘You’d better start running … Men from Mars just landed near the mill!” Pop says, ‘You’re crazy!’
“Meanwhile the cars is getting’ thicker. I guess we should’ve started chargin’ admission to park there …
“So it got dark. We got done huskin’ and went into the house. Telephone rang. In those days I think it was still the old crank ‘phones. And friends of ours in New York called up. Wanted to know if everything was all right …’Well, are there any casualties?’ ‘No, what are you talkin’ about?’
“He says, ‘Well, we heard it on the radio. A program came on and then, ‘Flash, Flash! Men from Mars just invaded Grovers Mill, invaded the Earth!’ …
“And I says, ‘Well, maybe they did, but there ain’t nothin’ around here. Ain’t no Martians around here.’” – Erving Press
Princeton’s Sacrifices in World War II
World War Two touched all Americans during U.S. involvement from 1941 to 1945. Two Recollector topics eloquently recorded the human side of this terrible conflict:
The Jugtown News, edited by Lillian Schafer, was a newsletter for servicemen from the neighborhood around Nassau and Harrison streets. Its chatty format cheered soldiers and sailors far away, and it gave the comfort of community to their families.
The letters written home by 19-year-old Louis Venta of 63 Leigh Avenue were straightforward and reassuring. Venta was killed on April 1, 1943, in North Africa while successfully destroying a marker used by enemy forces to aim mortar strikes. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.
To: Albert Venta
Princeton, N.J.
March 22, 1943
“Somewhere in Africa”
Dear Al,
I received your package about the middle of this month and it arrived in excellent condition. We very rarely get candy of any kind, so you can imagine how long it lasted. Thanks a lot. Say Al, in your last letter you said you planned on enlisting in the navy. The only advice I can offer you is to complete your high school career and then follow out your plans. I know though if you have your heart set on it no one can change your mind …
We saw some action, captured a small town, and marched about 250 miles without the loss of a single man. Later on our company was chosen as a guard of honor for President Roosevelt and other high ranking military officials.
Love to all,
Your brother,
Lou
P.S. Keep up the good work in school.
Local History Uncovered
In addition to donating family items, local residents occasionally contacted the Project and Recollector when historical objects were discovered. In addition to photographing area churches and cemeteries, Recollector staff photographer Jeff Macechek documented finds ranging from the haunting murals uncovered in a house at 31 Humbert Street to an antique baseball bat discovered here in the walls of Bainbridge House.
Elric Endersby’s Outlet for History
Elric Endersby’s passion for history and his college studies in architecture found synergy in his work of restoring old barns. A modern barn raising, featured in a Recollector photospread, was an exercise in living history. This event eventually formed the foundation of Endersby’s current endeavor, the New Jersey Barn Company.
The End of the Project
As the Project’s principals advanced into their thirties, their funding lagged behind. The reality of pursuing careers curtailed Project operations down to a final end. The last Princeton Recollector was published in Autumn 1986.
But the recollections had been collected and shared while their holders still lived to enjoy well-deserved attention as historical informants -- their vivid memories preserved in time, for all time.
And there are tales yet to be told.
“We ran out of funding long before we ran out of stories.” – Elric Endersby
Oral history is living history. You and members of your family, community, school or house of worship are valuable repositories of historically important stories. Tape recorders and camcorders make it easy to preserve this information. Ask the Historical Society of Princeton about recording and documenting your own oral history for generations to come.
