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CHAPTER IX Charitable Institutions, Public Welfare and Social Agencies COMPILED BY HAMILTON SCHUYLER THE following sketches of the charitable institutions and social agencies of Trenton do not include those exclusively connected with particular churches, but deal only with those of a public or semi-public character. The information here given is derived in the main directly from the officials of the various organizations who in response to requests made by the compiler have kindly furnished the facts concerning their respective institutions and societies. During the long history of Trenton many charitable organizations and public welfare associations have arisen and after functioning for a longer or shorter period have gone out of existence owing either to a change in conditions or the lack of public support. On account of space it has not been possible to mention such except in two or three notable instances. It will be seen from a perusal of this section that Trenton is singularly fortunate in possessing so many strong institutions ministering in various ways to the public welfare. Probably there are few cities of its size that maintain more or better equipped agencies providing for the diverse needs of its peoples. Professional social workers representing some forty separate social-service organizations are combined in a society, the Social Workers Club, which holds stated meetings for the interchange of information and for the general benefit of its members. In recent years particularly the citizens of Trenton have responded in a spirit of unbounded generosity to the needs of its larger institutions as evidenced by the successful public campaigns undertaken from time to time in their behalf. Thus the Y.M.C.A. and Y.W.C.A. have been enabled to erect their present imposing buildings as the result of such campaigns and St. Francis, Mercer, McKinley and the Orthopaedic Hospitals have also benefited greatly from similar campaigns. It is safe to say by this method alone over three million dollars for the permanent betterment of these institutions have been secured, all within the last decade. NOTE The personnel of the officers connected with the various
organizations may possibly have undergone some changes since the record
was in type. I. Hospitals
STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE - 1844 This institution is located on the left bank of the Delaware
River, about two miles northwest of the City Hall. In 1844 a commission was appointed, chiefly through the
earnest efforts of Dr. Lyndon A. Smith, of Essex, and Dr. Lewis Condict,
of Morris, and the eminent philanthropist, Miss Dorothea Lynde Dix,
to select a site. An appropriation of $35,000 was made to purchase the
land and to commence the erection of the building. Work was begun on
the main building in November 1845, and the hospital was opened for
the reception of patients in May 1848. Numerous additions have been
made from time to time to the original building. From 1887 to the present time the Legislature has made
large appropriations for the erection of new buildings as the needs
arose and for the repairing and modernizing of older structures. Through
the operation of the half‑mill tax for State institutions the
State Hospital will receive nearly $800,000 for new buildings, some
of which are now in course of erection. Since 1908 there has been no
mechanical restraint of any kind used in the hospital, All restraint
apparatus, chairs, strait‑jackets, straps, etc., have been removed
from the hospital building, and are no longer used. The institution possesses a library, one of the largest,
if not the largest, in this country, connected with a hospital for the
insane. The books are accessible to all members of the household. The
library now consists of about four thousand volumes, and is the result
of the bequest of a former nurse (Anne Robinson), who by will bequeathed
her earnings for several years as a nurse and attendant in the hospital. During the year 1898 a handsome amusement room, capable of seating about
four hundred, was finished; also, a large and commodious chapel, in
which religious exercises are held every Sunday, when various clergymen,
without regard to denominational preference, officiate. The chapel is
capable of seating about five hundred patients. In recent years two farms in the neighborhood of Trenton junction have
been acquired thus adding two hundred and fifty acres to the ample grounds
of the estate. The hospital has a complete surgical plant and the Legislature
has provided ample funds for research work. The hospital today is one
of the best equipped in the whole country and holds the highest rank
among similar institutions. The institution is conducted by a board
of seven managers appointed by the governor. The medical director since
1907 has been Dr. Henry A. Cotton, whom remarkable success in treating
cases of “focal infection” has brought him a wide reputation both at
home and abroad. The warden is Samuel T. Atchley. The number of inmates
is about two thousand five hundred with a small army of attendants and
trained nurses, for whose instruction the hospital maintains its own
school. Private patients are also treated to the number of several hundred.' ' See New Jersey Legislative Manual, 1927. ST. FRANCIS' HOSPITAL - 1870 Sister Mary Hyacintha, the venerable foundress of St.
Francis' Hospital, came to Trenton in 1869 to take charge of a school
mission on Front Street. Three teachers (sisters) accompanied her, who
taught in St. Francis' School for several years. The first home was a modest little house located at Market
and Cooper Streets. While no patients were actually taken into the house,
the sisters stationed there went out to care for the sick. As the work
grew, Sister Hyacintha and her associates went forth to solicit funds
until a sufficient amount was realized to erect what is now the central
building of the present St. Francis' Hospital. It was first intended to erect the hospital at the corner
of Market and Cooper Streets, where ground had already been secured
for this purpose, but objection having been raised to this location
as being unsuitable for the purpose, the present property was obtained
in 1870 from Samuel K. Wilson for the sum of $1,800. When $500, which
was all the cash available at that time, had been paid on the lot, Mr.
Wilson generously remitted the remaining $1,300 as representing his
donation to the hospital fund. The cornerstone of St. Francis' Hospital was laid on October
15, 1871, by the Right Rev. Monsignor Graelli, delegated by Bishop Bayley.
Owing to a lack of sufficient funds, building operations progressed
slowly. In January 1874, Sister Hyacintha and two companions, Sister
Cecelia and Sister Mary Paul, took up their residence in the unfinished
building. The hospital was dedicated by Bishop Corrigan of Newark; May
31, 1874. The original building was erected at a cost of $38,000
and in 1888 additional ground representing the block where the hospital
is situated was purchased for $20,000. Subsequently an addition containing
rooms and a new chapel was erected by Sister M. Hyacintha. Recently,
while Sister M. Fulgentia was superior, new wings and a sun-parlor were
built. The sun-parlor was subsequently converted into bedrooms because
of the increased demand for accommodations.
Until the erection of the Municipal Colony, about ten
years ago, victims of contagious diseases were cared for in St. Joseph's
House, a small building erected in 1890 on the ground in the rear of
the hospital. St. Francis' Hospital was the first hospital established
in Trenton and for a long time it served both in that capacity and as
a home for the aged and incurably afflicted. Among those who in the early days gave their generous financial help to the Sisters were John Curran, Edward H. Stokes, Samuel K. Wilson and the Roebling family, the latter of whom has always been a generous benefactor of the institution, and such assistance has in many instances enabled it to meet its increasing needs. A bequest of $60,000 was received under the will of the late Henry C. Kelsey. As the result of the recent financial campaign held in
the interest of the hospital the sum of $588,000 was secured. A fine
nurses' home was erected and other additions are now in course of construction.
There are 255 beds in the old building and 29 private rooms. The new
wing when completed will bring the number of beds up to 316 and private
rooms to 50. The heads of the surgical department are Drs. M. W. Reddan,
George N. J. Sommer and E. L. West. Of the medical department the heads
are Drs. J. J. McGuire, W. L. Collier and E. T. R. Applegate. Besides
these there are some thirty other physicians and surgeons working in
special departments connected with the hospital. The hospital has an
efficient Womern’s Aid of which the following are the officers: Mrs.
Joseph F. Ribsam, honorary president; Mrs. G. N. J. Sommer, president;
Mrs. Martin W. Reddan, first vice-president; Mrs. Bertha Block, second
vice-president; Mrs. Bentley H. Pope, third vice-president; Mrs. Anita
Stephan, secretary; Mrs. C. Richard Waller, treasurer; and Mrs. J. Ferdinand
Convery, assistant treasurer. MERCER HOSPITAL - 1892 A movement toward the establishment of a Protestant hospital
of the allopathic school of treatment was made in 188, when a certificate
of organization of the "Trenton Hospital," bearing date of
the nineteenth of November, 1888, was recorded in the office of the
clerk of Mercer County. The corporation thus formed never acquired any property,
nor did the board of directors ever organize. The subject of erecting
a new hospital in Trenton continued to be agitated from time to time,
especially by Dr. W. W. L. Phillips, who took a great interest in the
establishment of the hospital. In the month of February 1892, Mrs. Louisa
Fisk widow of Harvey Fisk, Esq., and her son, Harvey Edward Fisk made
a proposition to aid the enterprise by the conveyance of desirable lots
of land on Bellevue and Rutherford Avenues, as a site for the proposed
new hospital. Dr. Phillips thereupon addressed a circular letter to
the corporation of the Trenton Hospital, and certain other persons interested
in the enterprise. In response to that letter, the following gentlemen met at the house of Dr. Phillips on the evening of March 8; Dr. W. W. L. Phillips, the Right Rev. John Scarborough, D.D., the Rev. John Dixon, D.D., Judge William S. Yard, Messrs. Samuel K. Wilson, Charles E. Green, William L. Dayton, Richard P. Wilson, Elmer E. Green, John H. Scudder, Samuel S, Webber, Frank O. Briggs, and William M. Lanning. Bishop Scarborough was chairman, and Mr. Briggs secretary, of the meeting. The offer of the Fisk family to provide the land for a new hospital was accepted and it was decided that a new hospital corporation be organized tinder the name of "The Mercer Hospital," fifteen men were elected as directors to manage the affairs for the first years of its existence. An incorporation was effected on April 14, 1892. The incorporators were Jonathan H. Blackwell, John H. Scudder, Samuel K. Wilson, Charles E. Green, John Scarborough, Henry Stafford Little, Frank A. Magowan, Dr. William W. L. Phillips, William M. Lanning, Elmer Ewing Green, William S. Yard, William L Dayton. William Young, John C. Smock, John Dixon, Richard P. Wilson, Frank O. Briggs, Samuel S. Webber, Barker Gummere, William H. Skirm, Hugh H. Hamill, Dr. Ezra M. Hunt, A. G. Richey, William Hancock, Charles P. Britton, William H. Brokaw, E. Gibbon Slipsbury, John Hall, James H. Wikoff, Foster C. Griffith and James M. Forst. At a later meeting William L. Dayton was elected president;
Hugh H. Hamill, vice-president; Elmer Ewing Green, treasurer; and Edward
Grant Cook, secretary. On January 16, 1893, it was announced that nearly
$15,000 had been subscribed towards erecting a building. The hospital was formally opened March 20, 1895, having
a capacity of thirty beds. A house on Rutherford Avenue conveyed to
the hospital by Harvey E. Fisk was fitted up for the use of nurses and
for laundry purposes. The need for further accommodations grew so urgent
that in 1902 contracts amounting to $325,000 Were made and a three-story
and basement extension of 73 feet was built increasing the capacity
of the hospital to one hundred beds. A laundry building with dormitories
for domestic help was also constructed, the whole being opened for use
October 3, 1902. In 1909 William J. Morris, as an expression of thankfulness
for treatment received, at his own cost built a two-story brick addition,
providing space for an X-ray department fully equipped, above a fine
room for patients with a bathroom attached. The Hancock Extension of
71 feet, erected at the sole charge and expense of William S. Hancock,
was opened May 1, 1912, and increased the capacity of the hospital to
170 beds. The third floor of the administration building was made a
free maternity ward and additional quarters for nurses were provided
by purchase of a house on Rutherford Avenue. In 1922 a power-house and
central heating plant were built, also a laundry fully equipped. In
1926 a nurses' home was built and fully equipped. The same year the
"Dayton Memorial," a maternity building of 74 beds, made possible
by a gift of $100,000 from James B. Dayton, was also completed. A service
building 50 x 72, of two stories and basement, is in course of construction. The hospital maintains a training school for nurses and
a supervising staff with a present enrolment of 63 students. The hospital
is one approved by the American College of Surgeons, and is a member
of the American Hospital Association. The number of patients received
in the twelve months ending January 3, 1928, was 3,503, of whom 1,662
were general ward patients. The hospital grounds extend 429 feet on
Bellevue Avenue, running through to Rutherford Avenue with frontage
thereon of three hundred and fifty feet. The officers of the institution are Horace B. Tobin, president;
Nelson L. Petty, vice-president; Walter F. Volk, treasurer; Henry C.
Blackwell, secretary. The chief of the medical staff is Dr. Fred S. Watson and
of the surgical staff Dr. Nelson B. Oliphant. The Women's Aid of the
hospital, divided in various committees, is composed of prominent women
and is doing most effective work. The officers are Mrs. W. S. Case,
president, with several vice-presidents; Miss Edith Packer, treasurer;
Mrs. Henry C. Blackwell, recording secretary; and Mrs. Richard R. Whitehead,
corresponding secretary. THE WILLIAM MC KINLEY MEMORIAL HOSPITAL - 1892 The William McKinley Memorial Hospital was the outgrowth
of a movement to establish a homeopathic dispensary. On March 10, 1887,
a meeting of doctors interested was held at 6 North Stockton Street,
at the home of Mr. Wilson Pierson, attended by the following: Drs. F.
H. Williams, James R. Cooper, Eugene B. Witte, William T. Rogers,
William G. McCullough and William H. Griffith. In 1889 parcels of land on Brunswick Avenue were purchased,
composing approximately six acres. The old farm property upon which
the house stood, known as the "Thomas B. DeCou property,"
was used as the first hospital and was named "The City Hospital." In 1900 the directors, consisting of Drs. F. H. Williams.
W. G. McCullough, James Rudolph Cooper, W. T. Rogers, E. B. Witte and
W. H Griffith, started to erect a new brick hospital which, when completed
September 1902, was renamed and reincorporated as "The William
McKinley Memorial Hospital." The hospital proving too small for the growing needs,
in 1924 it was determined to add a new wing and a public campaign and
drive was started for $200,000 to build it. This was successful and
the new building was opened to the public October 1, 1925. The cost
was over $250,000. In 1919 a new nurses' home was built on the northwestern
corner of the hospital property. This was made possible by a benefaction
of some $50,000 received by bequest from Henry C. Kelsey. The training
school was the first of its kind in the city of Trenton, and since its
incorporation it 1899 has graduated 135 nurses. The present officers of the institution are Newton A.
K. Bugbee, president; Samuel Haverstick, vice-president; Charles F.
Stout. secretary; J. Edward Myers, treasurer; and William B. Kents,
superintendent. There is also an efficient Women's Aid. The hospital
has a bed capacity of 145, including 29 private rooms. THE MUNICIPAL COLONY 1911 The city of Trenton cares for its city dependents, its
sick and afflicted and its sufferers from contagious diseases, at the
Trenton Municipal Colony. In 1911, upon the establishment of commission government,
the board of commissioners of the city of Trenton ratified the general
plan for the creation of the Colony as formulated by Mayor Frederick
W. Donnelly. A group of hospitals and homes was established with municipal
funds appropriated by the commissioners, under the original plan, with
the result that the Colony has become recognized for its attainments
as a medical, humanitarian, sociological and civic achievement. The Colony comprises the Home for the Aged and Infirm,
the Tuberculosis Hospital, the Children's Hospital for Contagious Diseases,
designated as the "Contagion Hospital," the Venereal Hospital,
or Urology Hospital, the Isolation Hospital, Nurses' Home, Medical Superintendent's
Cottage, and Non-Professional Staff Cottage, These buildings are of
modern construction and occupy a fifteen-acre tract a short distance
outside of the city limits in Hamilton township. Other buildings connected
with the institution are the boiler-house and laundry, stables, garage
and a small building used as a crafts-shop for occupational therapy,
where patients may engage in useful labor. The cost of erecting the
buildings was $445,000. Since their purchase by the city the Colony
lands have more than doubled in value.
A total of 347 beds for patients is provided, a surplus being required
for future needs and also to take care of an epidemic outbreak in the
city. Since its inception the Municipal Colony has taken care of hundreds
of cases which, because of their contagious or chronic character, could
not be admitted to the local hospitals. In 1917 fire destroyed the old Tuberculosis Hospital and the splendid modern structure that was erected in its place has achieved a country-wide reputation for its care of tuberculosis cases. The Home for the Aged and Infirm, which has housed 1,110
inmates since its erection, is a modern building that cares for the
homeless dependents of the city of Trenton. Previous to its erection
the city cared for its poor in the old and run-down almshouse on Princeton
Avenue which occupied the present site of Junior High School No. 1,
the money reverting from the school appropriation for this land being
used toward defraying the cost of erecting the present Colony Home.
The sick inmates of this building are cared for in an infirmary, and
the living, sleeping and diningrooms are large, airy and clean. Part
of this building has been remodelled for the care of advanced cancer
patients, and an enclosed porch provided. The Children's Hospital for contagious diseases is one
of the most important of the Colony hospitals, since it specializes
in the treatment of children suffering from contagious diseases. Special
corps of nurses and physicians are in attendance, and every facility
and means to aid the little sufferers in their fight for recovery are
provided in this institution. Diphtheria, scarlet fever and other virulent
diseases are treated here, and the adult cases of contagion are cared
for in a separate unit in this hospital. During the past nine years
the Children's hospital has cared for 2,089 cases. The Venereal or Urology Hospital was erected in response
to the federal government's call to cities to combat the spread of social
diseases, and in construction and equipment conforms to the plans recommended
by the United States Public Health Department. The service of this hospital
has proven to be of great value in its relation to the public health
conditions of Trenton. During the past five years 252 patients have
been treated in this unit. Patients suffering from smallpox and other malignant diseases
are cared for in the Isolation Hospital. For many a year Trenton has
been spared an outbreak of pestilence by the segregation of smallpox
patients in this unit and a city‑wide outbreak averted. In 1924
every one of the twenty-five smallpox patients isolated in this hospital
recovered from the disease. The Isolation Hospital is always kept in
readiness for malignant disease cases. An occupational therapy building is maintained where patients
are given an opportunity of doing light manual work, which has resulted
in many instances in a marked mental and physical improvement. Artistic
lamps and furniture are made, as well as institutional repair work done,
resulting in an income to the patient-workers and a saving to the city. The Colony has its own modern laundry, including a sterilizing
plant used for the disinfection of clothing and bedding; a central heating
and hot-water plant; a refrigerating plant; and an incineration plant.
A day-and-night ambulance service is also maintained. Trenton's
leading physicians compose the medical staff of the Colony and direct
the medical policy of the institution. Regular visits to the Colony
hospitals are made by the members of the staff who serve without pay.
Eighteen nurses live in the Nurses' Home. A stone monument has been erected on the grounds of the
hospital bearing the following inscription: "An Arm of Aid to the Weak, A Friendly Hand to the
Friendless." Conceived by Mayor Frederick W. Donnelly in 1911. Erection of Buildings Carried on Under the Administration
of Commissioners Edward W. Lee, George B. La Barre, J. Ridgway Fell,
William F. Burk, George W. Page, Abram Swan, Jr, THE ORTHOPAEDIC HOSPITAL - 1920 The Orthopaedic Hospital had its beginning in a small way. As far back as 1907 a group of women who had formed a small club, meeting together occasionally for recreation, decided to take up some form of charitable work, and after investigation concluded that a district nurse was much needed in Trenton and set about raising the necessary funds. Various entertainments were given by which enough money was raised to begin. A competent nurse was engaged and a small apartment rented at 138 Allen Street. The members of the committee at the time the district nurse committee was formed were: Mrs. Bruce Bedford, Mrs. Josiah Harmar, Mrs. Charles L. Hyde, Miss Frances M. Dickinson, Mrs. William R. Green, Mrs. Ferdinand W. Roebling, Jr., Mrs. Richard M. Cadwalader, Jr., Miss Marjorie Slade, Mrs. William S. Rogers, Mrs. Karl G. Roebling, Mrs. William T. White, Mrs. W. Meredith Dickinson, Mrs. Carroll S. Tyson, Jr., and Mrs. Henry E. Mattison. The work grew and prospered and in the summer of 1912 the nurse established a pure milk station, where milk was prepared and distributed to babies of the needy. The mothers paid a small fee when possible. In 1917 the work of the visiting nurse was discontinued, owing to the fact that the city was doing work of the same character. The next nurse employed was a social worker and organizer, and established the Child Hygiene Station where mothers were instructed in the care of their babies. The committee also undertook to care for children who were, in a slight degree, mentally deficient. The first work in the city for tuberculosis sufferers
was done by this committee. They sold Christmas stamps and the nurse
visited in the homes of the patients, until 1912 when the Municipal
Hospital was opened, and the city provided for such cases. After the epidemic of infantile paralysis in 1916, there
were many children who were crippled as a result of that disease, and
the need for expert advice was felt. In 1920 Dr. Richard B. Ernest came
from the New York Orthopaedic Hospital to hold clinics for the cripples
in the small rooms on Allen Street, The number of patients increased
rapidly and it was found necessary to move to larger quarters. The first-floor
apartment at 165 East Front Street was secured, and later the second
floor, as a hospital. It was incorporated April 1920, the following
names being signed to papers of incorporation: Mathilde H. Bedford,
Sophia M. Kennedy, Charlotte McG. Whitehead, Frances M. Dickinson, Annie
F. Green. The
little hospital was opened with seven beds, August 1922, with Dr. Richard
B. Ernest surgeon in charge. Within a few months there were more patients
than could be accommodated and the committee decided it was time to
buy property. The two large houses at 177 and 179 Brunswick Avenue were
bought by Mr. Ferdinand W. Roebling, Jr., and given to the hospital
as a memorial to his father. The buildings were completely remodelled,
and the vacant lot adjoining was given by Mrs. Carroll S. Tyson, Jr.
The new hospital was formally dedicated on February 25, 1924. There
are twenty-three beds, four private rooms, a fine operating room, gymnasium
and X‑ray apparatus. It cares for many children also who come
from their homes twice each week for treatment. Two welfare nurses are
employed who visit the homes of the patients. In 1926 the third floor was altered into wards for men
and boys over sixteen years of age. A small house nearby, 32 Cavell
Avenue, was bought for a nurses' home. Another addition is now being
built. The president since 1922 has been Mrs. Charles E. Gummere and
the executive chairman of the hospital is Mrs. W. M. Dickinson. CHARLES PRIVATE HOSPITAL - 1924 The Charles Private Hospital started as a small nursing
home at 56 North Clinton Avenue, but soon outgrew its quarters and a
small but fully equipped hospital building of four stories was occupied
at 142 North Clinton Avenue. The hospital has fifty rooms with individual
dining-rooms and bathrooms. Medical and surgical cases of all sorts
are treated. The superintendent is Miss Grace Fields. CHAMBERSBURG GENERAL HOSPITAL - 1926 The Chambersburg General Hospital was built by Dr. Gesa
M. Frank during 1926 and was operated as a private hospital until July
31, 1927. Since that time the hospital has been conducted by the board
of trustees of the Chambersburg General Hospital, a corporation chartered
by the State of New Jersey, as a public hospital. The officers of the
corporation are: Leon W. Goldy, president; Louis C. Kersey, treasurer;
Edward Whitehouse, vice-president; Harry Ackerman, secretary. The medical
director is Dr. William M. Stratton. The institution is equipped with twenty-five beds, minor
and major operating room, fully equipped X-ray room, maternity delivery
room and sterilizing room. Free patients are cared for, and various
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II. Homes WIDOWS'AND SINGLE WOMEN'S HOME - 1855 This institution was founded in the early ‘50’s and incorporated
in 1855. Its foundation was largely due to the initiative of the Ewing
and Green families. The first officers were Mrs. Mary Johnston, first directress; Mrs. Louisa V. Krewson, second directress; Miss Juliet Phillips, secretary; and Mrs. E. W. Ihrie, treasurer. Among the managers were the following: Miss Mary Hall, Mrs. E. I. Grant, Miss Elizabeth Stryker, Mrs. David Clark, Miss Catharine Dill, Mrs. Henry W. Green, Mrs. Lewis Parker, Mrs. Lewis Perrine and Mrs. Mary Armstrong. Among the men associated as an advisory committee were James T. Sherman, James Ewing, Thomas J. Stryker and Charles C. Yard. The title by which the association was originatty known was "Trenton Society for the Relief of Respectable Aged and Indigent Widows and Single Women." Any person contributing not less than $3 annually was considered a member; the payment of $30 at one time constituted a life membership and the payment of $100 at one time made a person a patron. Rules laid down for applicants provided that $40 be paid down as admission and that the applicants provide themselves with bed, bedding and furniture, otherwise $50 must be paid on their admission. The age of applicants must not be under fifty years. Persons seeking admission were required to make over all their property to the Home. Inmates were required to make their own beds and care for their rooms also, and if capable, to assist in domestic duties and to sew and knit. No stimulant or spirituous liquors were permitted except by order of the physician, and no profane or improper language was allowed. No person was allowed to interfere with or find fault with the matron. The interest of many charitable persons having been enlisted,
the association was soon able to purchase a permanent home in a portion
of the Old Barracks where it remained until it built and occupied its
present modern and commodious quarters. The Spring Street tract was
a gift from Judge Caleb S. Green. In 1869 a bequest of $30,000 was received
from John A. Roebling. This sum as a nucleus, together with other contributions
including benefactions from N. R. Ivins and Walter S. Lenox, enabled
the institution to erect its present home in 1902. The institution is sustained by the dues of its members
and the gifts of others. In addition the inmates each pay $300 as an
admittance fee. Before the War an annual supper was held in the home
from which a substantial fund was received. Since that time an annual
donation day has taken its place, when money is given and supplies provided
by friends of the institution. The home has accommodations for some
twenty or more persons and there is always a long waiting list. The president of the institution is Mrs. John H. Scudder,
and among other prominent women associated with her are: Mrs. John A.
Campbell, Mrs. Daniel J. Bechtel, Mrs. Charles Stuckert, Mrs. William
H. Brokaw, Mrs. Arthur H. Wood, Mrs. James J. Wilson, Mrs. W. J. B.
Stokes, Mrs. C. Edward Murray, Mrs. Horace B. Tobin, Mrs. Isaac G. Wood
and Mrs. George W. Arnett. THE UNION INDUSTRIAL HOME - 1860 The full name of this institution as given in the act
of incorporation is the Union Industrial Home Association for Destitute
Children of Trenton, New Jersey. The home was started by a group of
benevolently minded women in ift and was incorporated the following
year. The first officers were: Mrs. George G. Roney, president; Mrs.
David Clark, vice-president; Mrs. Henry B. James, secretary; and Mrs.
John R. Dill, treasurer. With the officers were associated fourteen
other women, who composed the board of managers. There was also a board
of counsellors composed of the following: Stacy G. Potts, John R. Dill,
James T. Sherman, John A. Roebling, Daniel P. Forst and Isaac Stevens. The general object of the institution as stated in the
constitution is "to provide and sustain a home for destitute children
and to afford them the advantages of moral, religious and useful training."
It was also provided that "each evangelical denomination shall
be represented as nearly equally in the board as is practical and consistent
with the interests of the institution." The home was opened on
February 10, 1860, in a small house on Perry Street. Within one year
fifty-nine children had been received and the home was moved to a more
commodious house on Warren Street, which had formerly been occupied
by Andrew Crozier. In the autumn of 1885 Mr. and Mrs. Edward H. Stokes
purchased at a cost of $7,800 a lot on Chestnut Avenue, which they presented
to the association. Ground for the erection of a building was broken
in August 1887 and on September 24 of that year the cornerstone was
laid by the Rev. Daniel R. Foster, pastor of Bethany Presbyterian Church.
The completed building was dedicated on November 15, 1888. The association still occupies this building, which has
been considerably enlarged to meet the increasing needs. The
institution is supported by the subscriptions of its friends and has
also a small income from invested funds. It has been the custom to hold
an annual supper and fair. The association has cared for and educated
hundreds of orphan or half-orphan boys and girls and sent them into
the world fully equipped to earn their living. Where it is possible
parents and guardians are expected to aid in the cost of the children's
keep. The children in the home are constituted a part of the Public
School System of the city and have regular teachers assigned to them.
The home has today an enrolment of thirty-six boys and thirty-three
girls. The officers for the year 1928 were: Mrs. Paul L. Cort,
president; Mrs. Edward L. Katzenbach, vice-president; Mrs. A. Crozer
Reeves, treasurer; and Mrs. Kenneth W. Moore, secretary. The board of counsellors are: Justice Frank S. Katzenbach,
Jr., Senator A. Crozer Reeves, Ferdinand W. Roebling, Jr., James J.
Wilson and Archibald W. Browm The association is contemplating the erection of an additional
building on the present site. THE STATE HOME FOR GIRLS - 187I This institution, supported and managed by the State of
New Jersey, is located off Stuyvesant Avenue near the line of the Philadelphia
and Reading Railroad. Previous to occupying its present site the school
was at "Pine Grove," in the sixth ward of the city. The estate comprises one hundred and eighty acres of land,
the greater part of which is under cultivation. There are accommodations
for about three hundred girls, who are housed in a series of modern
buildings. The administration building is a counterpart of Washington's
Headquarters in Morristown, N.J., and was formally opened in 1910 and
named the "Fort Cottage." This building served as New Jersey
headquarters at the Jamestown Virginia Exposition before it was removed
to its present site. It is furnished in the Colonial style. The State Home for Girls is correctional in type, and is designed for girls
between the ages of eight and seventeen who may be committed to it by
the courts. The ideal of its training is to fit the girls to return
to society, sound in health and able to earn their living on a practical
basis. The institution is, at present, completing a ten-year
building program which will make its physical plant one of the best
in the country. ODD FELLOWS' HOME OF THE GRAND LODGE - 1885 The Odd Fellows' Home was organized November 18, 1885, by a few of the members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, among whom was George W. Hamell of Trenton, then grand master of the Grand Lodge. It continued as a voluntary association until 1906, when the Grand Lodge of the Order in New Jersey bought the property and took over the management. The home is located on the outskirts of the city, at the intersection of
Pennington and Parkway Avenues. The nine acres of land which, with the
buildings and furnishings of the home and farm, constitute the plant,
could not be replaced today for $150,000. It is entirely free of debt
and has an endowment of over $200,000. It is free to aged and indigent members of the order,
their wives and widows, and is now caring for about seventy-five such
residents at an average maintenance cost of $7.60 per week. The home is maintained by a per capita tax levied on all members of the order in this State, while every person admitted to the order contributes $3 toward the permanent building fund. The Odd Fellows were the first fraternal organization
in this country to establish homes for the aged and indigent members
and the home in New Jersey was the third one to be opened. This home is only for the aged, the order in this State
maintaining an orphanage in Newark for the children of their deceased
members. THE NEW JERSEY CHILDREN'S HOME SOCIETY - 1894 This society was incorporated in New Jersey in October
1894. It is governed by a board of managers, thirty-six members, who
serve without compensation. Twelve are elected each year to serve for
a period of three years. For seventeen years, prior to 1922, the property of the
society consisted of the McKinley Receiving Home, located on Brunswick
Avenue, Slackwood, in Lawrence Township. In February 1922 the society
took possession of its new Receiving Home at Parkway and Parkside Avenues,
Trenton. This property is valued at $150,000, is modern in construction
and appointments, and has normal accommodations for sixty-four children. The object of the society is to provide suitable family
homes in the State of New Jersey for homeless and dependent children
that may be committed to its care, and to do the work of the Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. The society does not provide permanently for any of its
wards at the Receiving Home. There are usually, at any time, about sixty
children in the Receiving Home awaiting placement in family homes. The society also maintains an Aid Department. Through
this department it aids and protects neglected and abused children in
their own homes. It helps mothers to find
employment where they may take their children with them. It also provides
temporary care for children in distress. The society has had three presidents: W. W. Knox, D.D.,
of New Brunswick, Dr. Daniel R. Foster, deceased, of Trenton, and Edward
S. Wood, of Trenton, the present incumbent. Mr. Wood has served continuously
since December 1909. It has also had three superintendents: the Rev.
M. T. Lamb, the founder, who died in 1912, C. V. Williams, now of Chicago,
and the present superintendent, the Rev. J. C. Stock, who has served
since 1914. The society is supported entirely by voluntary contributions. THE FLORENCE CRITTENTON CHRISTIAN REFUGE ASSOCIATION - 1895 The Florence Crittenton Christian Refuge Association was
organized February 15, 1895, for the care of wayward and homeless white
women. A rented house on Livingston Street was occupied as the
first home, until 1897, when the association moved into the present
home, situated at 1212 Edgewood Avenue, an old Colonial farm-house owned
by the Cooks. The first officers were: Miss Anna T. Bailey, president;
Mrs. T. H. Welling, first vice-president; Mrs. James B. Oliphant, corresponding
secretary; Mrs. J. L. Manning, treasurer; Mrs. M. B. Eyler, matron.
The first advisory board consisted of: the Hon. William M. Lanning,
James Buchanan, the Hon. Robert S. Woodruff, David Willetts and the
Rev. C. A. Eyler. The mission was affiliated with the national Florence
Crittenton Mission in 1901. The following have served as presidents:
Miss Bailey, Miss Heller, Mrs. T. H. Welling and (since 1915) Mrs. Samuel
D. Oliphant. Aside from the hospital aid from the County, the work
of the mission is supported entirely by voluntary contributions, there
being no endowment fund. During the thirty-three years of its existence
the mission has provided a home for more than a thousand girls and about
eight hundred babies. A salaried superintendent and resident nurse have charge
of the home under the direction of a board of managers. A competent
physician is in attendance upon call, his services being largely gratuitous. Members of the present board are: Mrs. S. D. Oliphant,
president; Mrs. A. C. Oliphant, first vice-president; Mrs. Howard Heath,
second vice-president; Mrs. Josiah Hollies, third vice-president; Mrs.
William Turner, recording and corresponding secretary; Mrs. John Pope,
treasurer. THE FRIENDS' BOARDING HOME - 1898 The Friends' Boarding Home of Burlington Quarterly Meeting
was established at Trenton, March 24, 1898. Anna T. Jeans, a wealthy member of the Philadelphia Yearly
Meeting and a woman who did a great amount of good during her lifetime,
left at her death among many bequests a certain amount to be distributed
among the different quarterly meetings comprising the Yearly Meeting,
to assist in establishing Friends' boarding homes. The object of the
donor was to provide a boarding place with a homelike atmosphere for
all Friends, but especially to make comfortable and happy members who
did not have the means to care for themselves. With this help dependent
members of the Society are cared for with but little expense to their
respective Meetings, as it is the duty of each Meeting to care for all
lacking the means to care for themselves. At the same time it provides
a boarding place for all members well fixed financially but not having
homes of their own. At any time when there are unoccupied rooms, others
of any denomination are welcome on the same terms as at other places
with corresponding conveniences. The home was originally located on North Stockton Street,
but is at present on Greenwood Avenue. The present board of managers
consist of: Arthur E. Moon, president; Laura H. Satterthwaitc, vice-president;
Elsie Prey, secretary; Franklin S. Zelly, treasurer; Sara C. Atkinson,
assistant treasurer ; and Rebecca S. DeCou, chairman of executive committee. MARY FAITH HOME - 1921 This institution was established eight years ago in honor
of Mrs. Mary Brokaw, who gave the first contribution of one dollar towards
a home for girls. At this time Mrs. Ona Anderson was a city missionary
and came in contact with many worthy cases. After starting with three
rooms it was found that more space was needed, and a house on Broad
Street was taken ; the institution remained there only a short time
and then moved to Princeton Avenue. With the demands made every day
for caring for mothers and their children, it was felt that a place
in the country was advisable and an old farm was procured and the house
remodelled to suit the needs of the institution. This home was started entirely on faith, and is supported
by voluntary contributions from interested individuals, organizations
and churches. It is a missionary work, and religious services are held
every day in the Home by the matron, Mrs. Nettie Watson, who has been
in charge for seven years. The nature of the work is to shelter those
in need of a home, to secure friends, and to encourage the weak, to
help the wayward and erring girl, and to assist widows and their children,
sometimes taking them for an indefinite period. Among those who appreciate
these services are girls and women who have been found upon the streets,
stranded and penniless, without shelter and employment. In October 1922 the institution was incorporated, and
is now governed by a board of directors. The home is situated near the
Lanning School, Pennington Road. |
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III. Philanthropic and Educational Institutions THE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION - 1856 The Trenton Y.M.C.A. was organized in 1856. According
to the authentic records of the local association the first president
was David Cole who was principal of the old Trenton Academy. The city
directory of 1857 in its enumeration of leading citizens gives the name
of Mr. Cole as president. The association in those days met the first
Tuesday evening of every month in a room located at 21 East State Street. The records reveal that in 1870 the Trenton Y.M.C.A. embraced
a membership of about three hundred, and rooms were then taken across
the street from the first headquarters, at 20-22 East State Street.
Joseph P. Welling was the president in that period and much tangible
progress was made in the development of a comprehensive program. During
1871 Dr. William Elmer, a prominent physician of those days, was made
president, and under his regime the activities of the association were
further expanded. Public meetings were held on the second Tuesday of
every month and during the winter season lectures, essays, debates and
kindred other educational functions were extensively promoted. During
the summer seasons in those years open-air meetings were prominently
featured at different localities throughout the city every Sunday afternoon.
Some other early presidents whose administrations showed marked progress
were the Rev. John C. Brown, Lewis Parker, Jr., and John C. Titus. A lull in the onward march of the association seems to
have occurred about 1878 and for some years thereafter only meagre accounts
are given in the historical records of the Trenton Y.M.C.A. A healthy reorganization of the association is chronicled
as happening in the year when the late judge William M. Lanning, as
president, R. M. Anderson, as recording secretary, and Samuel L. Baily,
as treasurer, guided the destinies of the institution. At that time
quarters were leased at 33 West State Street, known as Concordia Hall,
until the Sunday Advertiser purchased and took over the
building. The first general secretary was E. M. Thompson and he was
succeeded in 1887 by R. Howard Taylor. After serving about a year Judge Lanning resigned and
was succeeded by the late Sering P. Dunham, who held the office for
nearly four years. The next presiding officer was John A. Campbell,
who is now president of the Trenton Potteries Company and still actively
identified with the work of the association. The old rooms at 33 West State soon proved too small for
the manifold endeavors of the institution and during the season of 1889
and 1890 the churches of the city were utilized for the religious services
and various halls for entertainments and other social features of the
organization's work. Soon this arrangement became inexpedient and a
suite of rooms was occupied in the Baker Building, the gymnasium being
located in the Masonic Hall Building. Library Hall was engaged twice
a week for entertainments and the religious services conducted by the
association were usually held in Taylor Opera House or in different
churches throughout the city. In March 1892 a new building for the exclusive use of
the association was erected on East State Street at a cost of about
$120,000. The East State Street structure at the time of its erection
and for a long while subsequent was considered one of the best-equipped
Y.M.C.A. homes in the country. It was 228 feet deep with a 56-foot frontage,
four stories high, and contained a commodious auditorium seating about
one thousand people. Additional facilities included a very fine gymnasium,
swimming pool, bathrooms, shower baths, locker rooms, dormitories and
bowling alleys, parlors, reading rooms, recreational and educational
classrooms. Dedicatory exercises for the East State Street building
were held in November 1892. The building was later furnished by the
ladies of the Women's Auxiliary at a cost of about $6,000. With the opening of the building the work of the Y.WC.A.
of Trenton began to leap forward with great alacrity. The membership
of the organization soon reached the one thousand mark and as the years
went on branch buildings were established in other sections of the city. Under the direction of men instilled with the spirit of
real sportsmanship the Trenton Y.M.C.A. did more, perhaps, than any
other local institution for advancing the interests of clean sports.
For many years the association conducted a high-class baseball team
that was recognized throughout the country as one of the best diamond
aggregrations outside of the big leagues. Its splendid supervision over
the calendar of sports was also largely instrumental in bringing Trenton
to the front as the basketball center of the country. Tennis and other
pastimes - both of an outdoor and indoor nature - were promoted under the most wholesome influences
as the result of the organization's efforts in this respect. The sports-loving
proclivities of the youth of the city were thus given an opportunity
to be developed under Christian auspices and in an environment free
from all semblance of moral corruption. In 1909 Harry G. Stoddard succeeded Mr. Campbell as president
and he continued to serve in that capacity until February 1911, when
Edward L. Katzenbach was elected to the chief executive office. The
administrations of both Mr. Stoddard and Mr. Katzenbach were marked
by innumerable triumphs in the expansion of local work and the association
continued to prosper under their able management. Since 1915 H. Arthur Smith has been president of the organization
and it has been during his regime that recognition was given to the
fact that conditions demanded a new and larger building. With this knowledge
in mind a committee from the board of directors was appointed during
the summer of 1918 to negotiate the sale of the old building to Nevius
Brothers and on August 8 of that year the transaction was consummated. At about the same time Mr. Charles A. Green, the present
general secretary, was called to take charge of the local field. Mr.
Green had had extensive experience in other cities and his acquisition
by the local organization was prompted largely with the thought in mind
of promoting a new building campaign at the most expedient time. December 5, 1918, a committee composed of Messrs. H. Arthur
Smith, H. M. Voorhees and James J. Wilson was appointed to consider
the selection of a site for the new building. At a meeting of the directors,
April 28, 1919, this committee reported that it had purchased the property
at the corner of East State Street and South Clinton Avenue, familiarly
known as the Dolton estate, and, a few days later, the Farley and Bugbee
properties, adjoining the original purchase, were secured. This gave
the association for its new project a site of 150 feet on East State
Street and 195 feet on South Clinton Avenue. In July 1919, a special meeting of the board of directors
was held for the purpose of authorizing and formulating a campaign for
the new building fund. General C. Edward Murray was made general chairman
of the new building committee and an aggressive campaign was conducted
during the week of January 20-28, 1920. Prior to the formal opening of the city-wide canvass eight
business men voluntarily made donations of $25,000 each to start the
campaign. The donors of these handsome contributions were General C.
Edward Murray, O. O. Bowman, George R. Cook, Frederic A. Duggan, Colonel
Washington A. Roebling, W. J. B. Stokes, J. Oliver Stokes and a joint
contribution of $30,000 by Karl G. Roebling and F. W. Roebling, Jr.
The campaign won a hearty response from the people of Trenton and the
quota of $500,000 was over-subscribed to the amount of $53,000. The
success of the movement has made possible the erection of the magnificent
monument of which the association may justly be proud, for the building
at East State State and South Clinton Avenue undoubtedly represents
the last word in Y.M.C.A. edifices. 2 2 See Y.M.C.A. booklet, printed by
Hibbert Printing Co., 1922. The total cost of the land, building and equipment was
$757,500. The approximate membership is two thousand eight hundred,
of whom eight hundred are boys. There are one hundred sixty members
resident in the dormitories. THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD Y.M.C.A. - 1892 The Pennsylvania Railroad Y.M.C.A. was organized November
13, 1892, and its first home was on Perry Street near the coalport yards.
The first secretary was Mr. Busey. The City Y.M.C.A. secretary, W. A.
Venter, with the following railroad men, were at the organization meeting:
Messrs. Hatfield, Rathbun, Shepherd, Bailey, Joslin and Archibald Green,
secretary of the religious work committee. The following named men composed the early committee of
management: Messrs. H. Johnson (Chairman), A. F. Spicer, Jas. Broughton,
Frank Kitchen, Bailey, A. Green, Joslin and Howell. The second building was at 43 Chestnut Avenue, near the Barracks yards. J.
R. Campbell in the year 1903 was appointed secretary to succeed William
Charles and served the association until he retired on January 1, 1927,
at which time D. J. Kennedy from New York City was appointed secretary.
The third location for the railroad work was established at 508 East
State Street, and remained there until April 1923, when it was united
with the Central Y.M.C.A. in the present building located at 2 South
Clinton Avenue. The following-named railroad men compose the present
Pennsylvania Railroad Department committee of management: C. H. Miller,
chairman, E. P. Bruere, treasurer, H. S. Fry, recording secretary, W.
L. Anderson, Dr. R. H. Moore, C. O. Long, D. R. Worthington, M. B. Slack,
Geo. L. Ziessel, G. A. Pitman, P. P. Anderson, Z. C. Johnston and E.
E. Pyle. THE WILLIAM G. COOK MEMORIAL Y.M.C.A. - 1909 Hampton W. Cook, desiring to perpetuate the name of his
father, William G. Cook, in the Wilbur community and city of Trenton,
sought the advice of the Y.M.C.A. board of directors and decided to
erect a building to be named the William G. Cook Memorial Y.M.C.A. On
October 18, 1909, the deed for the ground was turned over to the board
of directors and accepted by President Harry Stoddard. The ground was
broken for the building at the corner of Greenwood and South Olden Avenues
in the fall of 1910, and finished in November 1911. The board of directors
of the Y.M.C.A. appointed a committee of management which under its
supervision was authorized to direct the affairs of the branch. This
committee of management was composed of Messrs. C. B. Case, chairman,
W. J. J. Bowman, J. Clarence Richardson, Robert V. Whitehead, Frank
Thropp and J. Edward Myers. The committee installed Frank Condon, as
secretary, and Albert E. Bratton, as physical director, in charge of
the building and to organize and plan for the activities. The first
meeting of the organization was held on November 18 at the home of Harry
Baxter on Olden Avenue where a number of young men of the community,
together with the secretary and physical director, organized and formed
a nucleus of the first men's group. On Thursday, January 4, 1912, the
dedicatory services were held. The association has grown from this small beginning to
a membership of 709. The building consists of fifteen dormitory rooms
on the third floor that are filled to capacity; a men's room, two boys'
club rooms, dining-room and kitchen on the second floor; lobby and gymnasium
on the first floor; swimming pool, locker room, bowling alleys, filtration
and heating plant in the basement. This has given the community of Wilbur
an institution that is being used by people of all creeds. THE YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION - 1903 The Trenton Y.W.C.A. was organized in the autumn of 1903
at the home of Mrs. Henry W. Green, and the following spring Mrs. Austin
C. Cooley was elected as the first president of the organization which
started with a larger membership than any similar association up to
that time. Quarters for the new organization were secured in the W.C.T.U.
Building and later in the Wilkinson Building. When a call for gymnasium
work came the association rented the old Armory room on Hanover Street
in the rear of the First Presbyterian Church. The next growth took the
association to Hanover Street, opposite the present quarters, where
rooms were rented to transients. The fact that more than one thousand
members were enjoying the varied activities of the association by the
close of the third year proved the need of a more adequate building,
and in the summer of 1908 the association established itself at 138
and 140 East Hanover Street. There regular gymnasium work and a cafeteria,
now grown to large proportions, had their beginnings, as well as did
extension work in factories. Classes in domestic science were offered
before this branch of knowledge was taught in the public schools, and
were well attended. Outdoor life was supplied for the girls by a summer
cottage at Somerset and by a camp at Point Pleasant on the Delaware.
An outstanding piece of work rendered by the Y.W.C.A. along civic lines
was the aid given city officials by organized bands of volunteers in
the fight against the influenza epidemic in 1918. By 1923 the association had outgrown its quarters, and
after a successful building campaign work was begun on the present well-equipped
administration building on East Hanover Street, with a residence building
facing on Academy Street. These buildings were dedicated January 25,
1925. In 1927 work for colored people was begun at the branch
on Montgomery Street. The following have served as presidents: Mrs. Austin C.
Cooley, Mrs. Charles Howell Cook, Miss Edith C. Moon, Mrs. William N.
Mumper, Mrs. Howell C. Stull and Mrs. Edward W. Dunham. THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE - 1911 In 1911 was organized the second International Institute
in America, - the first being in New York, It was first known as the
Branch Y.W.C.A. A room was rented at 400 Genesee Street and put in charge
of Miss Aimie Sears. The activities consisted of dressmaking, cooking and English
classes. A library of books in Polish, German, English and Hungarian
was at the disposal of the people on stated evenings. The use of several schools was secured and English classes
were taught by volunteers. In one building folk-dancing and gymnastics
were added to the general program. There was a club for boys and on
Sundays the branch room was open and young people encouraged to use
it at stated hours. The names of new arrivals were sent from New York and
such were met at the station by a worker who took them to their new
homes. Subsequently work was begun in East Trenton and classes in English
were conducted not only in school buildings but also in public halls,
kitchens and one in the laundry of Mercer Hospital. In October 1914 the Cavour Lyceum was opened for young
Italians, who studied and debated on many questions of current interest,
Many well-known Trentonians; assisted in inspiring these young men to
qualify for business and professional careers. In 1914 the Sharp property at 942 South Clinton Avenue
was purchased, and continues as headquarters for the institute. Miss Emma Linburg, now Mrs. Horace B. Tobin, was the first
chairman, later succeeded by Mrs. Thomas Trenchard, Mrs. C. Edward Murray
and, at thepresent time, Miss Mary L. Johnston. The program includes in its scope the welcoming of new
arrivals, teaching them whatsoever they need in the new environment,
providing necessary recreation, securing work, assisting in family problems
and so far as possible thus bridging the chasm between the old and new
life. No distinction is made between races, classes or creeds. The work
is carried on by a staff of five and reaches between one and two thousand
people each month. THE WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION - 1876 The Women's Christian Temperance Union was the outgrowth
of a visit made to Trenton by Miss Frances E. Willard and Mrs. Mary
R. Denman, the union being organized on February 29, 1876, with thirty-two
members. Through the courtesy of the Board of Trade business and prayer
meetings were held in its rooms for nearly two years. Subsequently,
a room was rented over Washington Market, and occupied until October
1878, when quarters were taken in the Y.M.C.A. building. In February
1879, the Y.M.C.A. surrendered the custody of its library into the hands
of the W.C.T.U., and the rooms formerly occupied by the Y.M.C.A. were
leased until February 1885 when the Union Library, 214 East State Street,
was formally opened and dedicated. The cost of the building was $33,000,
and when it was dedicated there was no debt upon it. In 1880 the union organized a night school for boys who
were at work through the day, teaching them some of the rudimentary
studies, promoting habits of thrift and in many ways befriending them.
This was kept up for several years until the school authorities, recognizing
the need of this work, established the Public Night School thus relieving
the union of further responsibility. For two years a similar work was
done among the working girls. For eighteen years Sunday Public Temperance Meetings were
held, conducted by noted speakers on the temperance platform, as well
as a large number of Trenton ministers. In May 1883 a separate organization was f ormed called
the Bible Readers' Aid. In 1884 the Fruit and Flower Mission was started,
and ever since visits have been paid weekly to the hospitals, almshouse,
prison, county jail and homes of the sick, for the distribution of flowers,
fruit, papers, tracts and also for the holding of Gospel services wherever
the way was opened. When the Y.M.C.A. was reorganized and the Ladies'
Auxiliary was formed, members of the union became active in that organization. In 1891 a work was begun for business girls which gradually
broadened its sphere of usefulness, and weekly singing, gymnasium and
cooking classes were held with a monthly social where the girls listened
to earnest addresses on topics of vital interest to young women. The
interest in this increased so that four hundred young women signed the
pledge "Total Abstinence or No Husbands." The Y.W.C.A., desiring
to organize a branch in Trenton, in 1904 the union agreed to lend its
aid and to turn over its work among girls to that society, with the
result that one thousand members were enrolled of which the Amethyst
Club of the union formed the nucleus. In 1895, the work for erring girls was brought to the
attention of the union and as the result of its cooperation the Florence
Crittenton Mission was started. When the Free Public library was organized,
the Union Library sold the majority of its books to that institution. At the present time the work is divided into nineteen
departments. There is also work among the colored people, which is under
the charge of the president, Mrs. Howard Heath. In addition to the mother organization (Trenton No. 1),
there are four branch societies, viz.: Willard, Emma Bourne, Hillcrest
and Whildy Union. Each of these has from one to nine departments. At the present time Mrs. Howard Heath is president, Mrs.
M. E. Thompson, secretary, and Mrs. Margaret H. Hunt, treasurer. THE MOUNT CARMEL GUILD - 1920 (NATIONAL CATHOLIC COMMUNITY
HOUSE) The Mount Carmel Guild is a charitable and social welfare
organization of the Catholic women of the City of Trenton. In January,
1920, the Right Rev. Thomas Joseph Walsh, Bishop of Trenton, established
this guild for the purpose of banding together those interested in being
of practical aid to the poor and needy of the community. All the workers
are volunteers and the organization is supported by the dues of the
members. The annual dues of the active members are $i1; of the
associate members, $5; of the supporting members, $10; and of the special
benefactors, $25. Those desiring to contribute larger sums are designated
as special annual contributors, and this class of membership includes
the $100 contributions. The work of the guild is divided into twenty-four departments, each under a special chairman. The guild has a membership of upwards of three thousand. The first president of the guild was Mrs. John L. Kuser, no |
