Hainesport History

     I came across an old Christmas card that my mother saved.  She tucked it away after she received it in the 1950's, probably never thinking anyone would see it as a historical document.

      This house, located on Marne Highway near the intersection of Lumberton Road, is currently home to the Winzinger family.  The previous occupant and sender of this holiday greeting was responsible for the the development of Hainesport in the 20th century.
     Her name was Lydia M. Parry.  The name Parry probably doesn't mean anything to anyone except old timers, people with deep roots in the township. However, mention her mother Mary's maiden name - Haines - and every resident, old and new, will have an "ah-ha" moment.  Mary Haines' father, Lydia Parry's grandfather, was Barclay Haines.  This house is the Haines estate.

     In 1847 Enoch Barclay Haines, called Barclay, purchased 311 acres, known as Long Bridge, along the south branch of the Rancocas Creek.  He established a port that provided water transportation for freight and travelers.  It was the most efficient way to get from the backwoods to the Delaware River and the city of Philadelphia.  The area was renamed Haines' Port and eventually Hainesport.  Barclay Haines' wharf, and later the railroad, made Hainesport a good place to establish a business.  In addition to the wharf, there was a foundry and a sawmill.  But things change.  The Great Depression came, and the foundry and sawmill closed.  While the Depression years were a low point for Hainesport businesses, there was real estate development thanks to Barclay's granddaughter Lydia.
     Lydia M. Parry (called Lilly as a child and, as an adult, known to some as "Lil") was born on April 8, 1876 to Mary Haines Parry and Dr. William Conard Parry.  Mary and William, both Quakers, had married in 1875.  You can see a copy of their wedding invitation at Haverford College in their Quaker and Special Collections.  The couple lived in Northampton (present day Mount Holly) after their marriage.  After Lydia's birth in 1876, a brother, William H. Parry, followed on November 11, 1877.  Then there were two babies who died in infancy.  Public records show that Mary R. Parry was born in January 1880 and died on July 13, 1880.  Another baby, Mary (or May) M., was born on November 23, 1881 and died on August 14, 1882.  Mary/May M.'s obituary was published in a Quaker periodical called the Friends' Intelligencer.  The last Parry child was Edda Middleton Parry born August 14, 1884.  Edda died on December 2, 1902 at the age of nineteen. The cause of death was some sort of infection.
     According to the 1880 U.S. census, the Parry's lived in Mount Holly.  They had moved into Barclay Haines' homestead by the time time the 1900 census was taken.  It is difficult to determine when and why they decided to come to Hainesport.  The census of 1890 was lost due to a fire in the federal archives, so where they lived in1890 is a mystery.  My theory is they came shortly after the death of Barclay Haines which occurred in January 1881.  The house would have been too big for Barclay's widow and bachelor son.  The Parry's would fill the void, and Hainesport could use a doctor.
     Dr. Parry began calling himself a physician and a farmer.  He grew fruit trees which he advertised for sale in the Friends' Intelligencer.  He attended state agriculture meetings at which he expressed concern that rising property taxes would drive farmers out of business.  Dr. Parry died of pneumonia in 1911.  His wife Mary died in 1930.
     William H. became a lawyer and practiced his entire career in Newark, New Jersey.
     Lydia graduated from Swarthmore College in 1895 with a B.A. degree.  She returned to the homestead.  While she never ventured out of the house for employment, she reported being a farmer on the 1920 census, a realtor on the 1930 census, and a boarding home mistress on the 1940 census.  I'm not sure Lydia needed the money from elderly lodger, Clara Gruhe, because she had a live-in housekeeper at the same time.  As a realtor, Lydia divided up the land of Barclay Haines and sold it off piece by piece from the late 1920's through 1950.  The town was growing, and the school needed to be enlarged.  Lydia sold the ground to the board of education. Hainesport formed a fire company in 1922.  Lydia sold them a plot for building a fire house.  In 1948, she sold a lot across the street from the homestead to my father, so that he could build a house.  By 1950, Lydia had divested herself of at least 150 properties.    
     My father often visited "Lil."  I remember tagging along once (I was told to call her Miss Parry).  I don't recall the nature of the visit.  Dad helped my grandfather with his painting and wallpapering business, and they did a lot of work for Parry/Haines relatives in Moorestown.  Maybe someone wanted to paper a bedroom.  The purpose of the visit might have been to deliver eggs.  We had chickens and sold our excess eggs during the 1950's.  I remember the front room of the house being big and the ceiling being high. Miss Parry was very friendly toward me, and there was another woman sitting in the corner in an upholstered chair.
     Lydia M. Parry died on June 24, 1960.  She is buried in the Friends Cemetery in Mount Holly.  Her nephew Robert Parry finished selling off her remaining land.

     If you want to learn more about Hainesport's history, read Hainesport: Biography of a Small Town published in 1969 by Richard Pedlow.  The Burlington County Library has ten copies in the reference section.  That means the book stays in the building; you have to read it there.  Since it's only 32 pages long, that shouldn't be a problem.  If you would rather buy the book, it will cost you. I located a copy on AbeBooks.com for $100.00.  http://www.abebooks.com/Hainesport-New-Jersey-Biography-Small-Town/1197403126/bd  

     If you believe in ghosts, visit this site to find out what happened when South Jersey Ghost Research investigated the Barclay Haines estate.  http://www.southjerseyghostresearch.org/cases/01067.html

     If you want to throw a party, part of the estate is a catering venue.  Here's the link:
http://cateringconnections.net/barclay-haines-estate/

  
                   

Who Carries a Handkerchief Anymore?

     One of the many things I like about Mike is that he always carries a handkerchief.  Once, while with some friends, I asked to borrow his hanky.
     "We used them as kids, but who carries a handkerchief these days?" a male friend wondered.
     A lively discussion ensued which touched on the the unsanitary nature of used handkerchiefs versus the blow and throw virtue of tissues, the disgusting thought of laundering hankies with other clothing versus the equally disgusting thought of saving them up until there were enough for a separate load, and the options of ironing or merely folding.
     There's no denying the romantic images those squares of cotton conjure up - ladies dropping lace trimmed swatches for the nearest man to retrieve, men offering crisp, white cloths to teary eyed damsels, John Wayne, face wrapped in a bandana, staggering through a dust storm, a dirt poor farmer mopping his brow.  Perhaps handkerchiefs should never be used for clearing the nasal passages.  There are plenty of reasons we should have a drawer full of them.
     Campers and survivalists point out that hankies are useful for:
          Bandages
          Water Filters
          Sweatbands
          Ties for Splints
          Tourniquets
          Signal Flags
          Sun Hats (Corners tied)
          Neck Protectors (Dry) and Coolers (Wet)
      You don't have to venture out into the woods to find some alternative ways to employ a handkerchief.  In a pinch they can serve as placemats, napkins, dish cloths, or pot holders.  You can get some extra traction by wrapping a hanky around a hard-to-open jar lid.  You can tie loose change, your rings, or any collection of small objects into a handkerchief for safekeeping.
    There are some other ways to press one's handkerchief into service.  Dressing up the dog and performing magic tricks are wholesome activities.  Then there is the seamy side - blindfolding kidnap victims or making a mask to rob banks.  I would never rob a bank, but, I confess, I have, on dinner outings, been tempted to stuff one of Mike's neatly creased hankies into a screaming brat's mouth.  My bad.
  
   

Not "Our House," Arhaus

   About this time last year, I went to Arhaus Furniture located in Freehold, New Jersey.  http://www.arhaus.com/  I didn't need any furniture, but it's always fun to look around.  I discovered a store that is not as pretentious as Restoration Hardware and hipper than Pottery Barn.  Maybe it could be considered the new Pottery Barn since Arhaus has since opened a store in the Marlton Promenade, in the space once occupied by PB.
     As I said, I don't need any furniture, but I hated to leave without buying some little item.  I settled on an oblong glass jar.  Throughout the past year, I've changed the contents of the jar to fit the season.

The Jar

Forsythia

Gladiolus

Rose and Berries

Pine Cones and Holly Berries

     As long as Michael's keeps sending coupons that I can use to purchase floral stems, there's no end to the possibilities.  

Soup Season

     This is the time of year for soup.  Yesterday's snow storm inspired me to whip up a batch of spicy winter squash soup.  This recipe has just enough spices to make it interesting.  It would probably appeal to those who claim to dislike spicy food.  It's that good.

Spicy Winter Squash Soup

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large, sweet onion, chopped (Vidalia)
3 celery ribs
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. Madras style curry powder (the red one)
1-1/2 lbs. (or one average sized) butternut squash, peeled and cut up
2 green plantains, peeled and sliced into rounds
6 cups chicken broth (vegetarians could use veggie broth)
2 springs fresh oregano or 1/2 tsp. dried
2 springs fresh sage or 1/2 tsp. dried
1/2 tsp. hot red pepper sauce (I used Goya)
salt and pepper

     I assembled the ingredients and cut up all the veggies in advance.  The only hard part about making this soup is peeling the butternut squash.  Microwaving the squash first allows for easier peeling.  Also, using a vegetable peeler rather than a knife works best.  Peel the skin until you get to the orange flesh.  After peeling, cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.


 
     Green plantains aren't as easy to peel as bananas.  You have to cup off both pointy ends, then make shallow cuts along the ridges of the peel.  The skin should off cleanly.



     When the ingredients are ready, heat oil, medium/low, in a large pot.  I used an 8 quart pot.  Add onion and celery.  Cover and cook about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute.  Add curry powder and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in squash and plantains, then broth, oregano, sage, and hot pepper sauce.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce to low and simmer about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.  Puree for a smooth soup or mash with a potato masher for a chunkier soup.
     This soup is great before a meal of roasted chicken.  Enjoy.
  

You Know You Are From Hainesport If ...

     Blogger has a feature that allows me to see what searches lead people to the blog.  Sometimes they plug "how to darn socks" or "old ladies who get tattoos" into their search engines.  The other day I noticed someone entered the phrase "you know you are from Hainesport if ..." into their Google or Bing or Dogpile.  It was probably a township resident with a sense of humor and some time to kill.
     It got me thinking.  How do you identify someone from Hainesport.  Does it show on a person's face or in their demeanor?  Does a person have to open their mouth to give themself away?  When I was in grade school lots of kids pronounced the word "street" as "shtreet."  Was that a Hainesport accent?
     I have decided you most likely have Hainesport roots if you know about Harry's Road Market, Paul's Drive In, or the Shady Rest.  Ditto if you know where The Heights, Claremont, and Oakdale are.  If you and your children had the same teachers, you might have been educated at Hainesport School.  Thank you Mr. Dinkler, Mr. Cook, and Miss Saitta.  If your house has only been hooked up to public sewers for a decade, you are from Hainesport.
     I've had a couple of encounters that lead me to believe Hainesport is this area's best kept secret.  From time to time I speak to someone from a couple of town's over, and they ask, "Where is Hainesport?"
     I'm tempted to answer, "About three miles, as the crow flies, from your front door."  But I explain that my town lies between Mt. Laurel, Lumberton, and Mt. Holly.
     "Has it always been there?"
     "Just since 1924."
     If someone not knowing that Hainesport exists blows your mind, then you are definately from Hainesport.  You might be living in Djibouti, but you'll always be from Hainesport.