Trying to recall Main Street circa 1960
There was Bach's Rexall on the corner but there was a large Victorian buildind there as well. The building had a bakery and burned down leading to the expansion of Bach's. Anyone know Bakery name? There was also a small clothing store by Bach's and I think they sold baby clothes. Name? Helen's Playland was in the Western Auto building and Rudoff the rnr was strung across Main Streeyt at Christmas...Peoples National Bank and JJ Newberry. Dad and Lad and Lenoard's Youth Togs. The original Jigger Shoppe and the Cottage Lunch Counter. Plate Jewelers and The Strand Theater...Tony's Piazza and a Dairy Queen on the corner where Hess is now. Leeters was in the Flock building and A&P was in where Leeters for men was ( most recently Marty's.) Jack's scissor wiz and Hank Monetti Real Estate...of course Leo's and Rockaway Sales. Shop Rite was where Quick Chek is now...burned down. Kostenbakers (?) Liquor store and Kerr's Pharmacy. Reliable Furniture...burned down and Chick's barber Shop. Can anyone help fill in the blanks? I'm doing a painting of Main Street...Thanks
The Bakery was Farrells Village Bakery....The small clothing store was I believe the Genevieve shop. I worked for Leeters for a long, long time and then opened my own store/boutique down the street in the "80s. If you need any help with earlier town landmarks...my hubby was born and raised in this area so he would be happy to help you out.
The Genevieve Shop was next to Bach's drug store & the bakery....ladies' clothing.
Kostenbader was the liquor store. Don't forget the Hardware store, between the Cottage and Strand. (Joyful, was it just called Hackettstown Hardware?) Mr. Novak owned it.
The whole Main St or just certain sections?. Harpers was Tony's shoe repair, there was another shoe repair up the street I don't remember the name. Moose lodge. Central House. Grange building, (across st), Teamers. Ort Real Estate and Kraft paint store. Mik and Heddys. These stores were between Center st up to Plane st. I can't remember if OSA was there or not.
wasnt there was a youngs girls dress shop in there too, between bachs and farrells. next to geneveive, called the chicki shop , or something like that ?
LvMomof Boys..yes, it was always Hackettstown Hardware until Super Stuff rented it after it went out of business. Super Stuff was for a while next to my store and then they moved up the street when Hackettstown Hardware went out. Next to me next was a place called the Coffee Grinder selling Gourmet coffees...one of the first in the area.
Cavanaugh's was the bar next to The Cottage.
Jack & Jill's was the little convenience store at Moore St.
The Music Stand and The Potpourri store were between Church St & Moore St.
There was a Chinese restaurant on the corner at Church St.
Rockaway Sales and Kraft's Paint were at Plane St.
Please note today's classifieds on the Forum. You can buy a book put out by the historical society of Hackettstown and find out all about the Main St. of long ago. Contact Ray.. Be sure to find 205 Main St. .....that was me!!
When we moved to Htown in 1966 Mr. Thorp still had his paper goods store, a few doors down from Dad and Lad.....and I cant exactly remember the name of that either....Joyful?
te, not correct. It was Shop Rite. Some of the people on this forum worked there when they were teenagers.

the Acme supermarket was located right near the railroad tracks...and the building was later Knechel Ford...dont forget that the Grand Union food market was once located in The Flock building
I think it was Thorp Stationary LVMomOfBoys.
Mike & Bettys? Are you sure you are not thinking of Mick & Hedys?
Shop Rite was in the area where Quik Chek is now and burned down in I believe 1985 or 86. LVMomofboys.....It was Thorps Stationary Store, owned and run by Tom Thorpe...I served on the local Board of health with his wife....he was very active in local and I think county politics as well....
Mike & Betty's preceded Mick & Hedy's. The original Mike & Betty's was on High St. just up from Main. Then they moved it down next to hackettstown Auto parts.
There were two butcher shops too. Ruby's was located on the corner of Main and Church, where the hair salon is now. Tynan's Butchers I believe was located near the Strand.
Plate jewlers was on corner of Main and Moore, where the vacuum cleaner place is now. Was such a cool store, with the big safe. Tynans was next to that, going up toward Bachs, and Knapps was in there somewhere. I think it was on the other side of the movie theatre. Always went in the back door of Knapps, came in by the small "soda fountain" counter. Would go in , look at the comic books and get an orange sherbet ice cream cone, and back out the back door. Farrels bakery had a big exhaust fan that blew out into the alley between there and the Trading Post, omg, the smell was soooo good, and the warm air felt good in the cooler months.
I remember there was Sears on Main St too, somewhere near the Strand. Maybe where Plates is now? Or was that only in the 70s? My Mom worked at the Strand when she was in High School in the 50s. My first job in High School was the Jigger Shoppe.
The Gulf gas station was across from Bach's and they gave out free Disney song record albums once.
What was between Jack and Jill and the methodist church? Wasn't there a dry cleaner?
a guitar store was near jack and jill..cool looking Beatles type guitars were in the window
Oldman: Me!! Then Basil Peluso started the newer Plate Jewelry store across the street.
Om gosh, Basil. I haven't heard his name in years. He lived in Saxton Falls didn't he??
my entire childhood was just summed up in one thread...nothing beat going Downtown!
btw...the dry cleaners was Mardinelli's...and then Lemasters...or was it the other way around?
Mardenly cleaners was out on Rockport Road....Lemasters was the last cleaning business at that address, Mrs. Lemasters was the sweetest lady in the world!! Basil Peluso (Plate Jewelers) lived in Panther Valley.
Sears was a catalog store, you used to either phone in your order or place it in person, and they would call you to tell you that the order was in..The.Sears I remember was right next to the Strand Theater . they later moved to the A&P plaza at the bottom of Hackettstown Mountain...and thats where they closed up shop...
Joyful, wasnt the owner of Thorp's Mr. Albert Thorp Sr, grandfather to Tom Thorp, local attorney? Mr. Thorp's sister was my neighbor growing up.
Yes, LVMom of Boys .. and Tom's father was the attorney for the town of Hackettstown for a long time.....I remember them all..OMG...I am old!!!
Letas Beauty Salon was owned by Leta and Tommy Tomeo... friends of my family,,,also remember Lockards barbershop...next to Western Auto...on main street
Going uptown to the "Main Street" was always an adventure. The stores were thriving & everyone cleaned their own sidewalks (daily). When my family members went there they actually cleaned up, put on better clothes & went shopping.
When I fondly recall that the place was a wholesome family place & take a look at it now I get nauseated. I went up to get a pizza & observed a drug transaction take place across the street. Nice!!!
I have heard that Centenary used to be a finishing school, and the girls would walk on Main St wearing their hats and gloves like proper young ladies. Maybe that was the 50s?
The thing is, we don't like the changes, but we've changed too. How many people shop on Main St these days? Most want to avoid the traffic and take advantage of the easy parking at the big chain stores instead.
I'd rather try to get what I need at HomeTown Hardware, for example, or eat at Stella Gs, than go elsewhere. ( I am not affiliated with either of these businesses, just a happy customer).
Centenary College was formerly an all girls school...named CCW...Centenary College For Women...the students would wear white blazers with the CCW logo on them when they were off campus.This was up until the late 60s and early 70s.Back in the 60s Hackettstown had a small town air about it. That has changed, I still shop at Home Town hardware.
C'mon gang - lets keep this thread upbeat - there are other threads already where we beat up the downtown.
Me personally - I thought a grilled cheese at the Newberry's lunch counter was something special.
Originally Centenary Collegiate Institute (hence CCI on original smokestack recently painted over). Founded in 1867 by the Newark Methodist Synod to commerate centennial of Methodism in U.S. First students (coed) entered in 1874 after completion. Burned down 10/31/1899. Rebuilt by 1901. North and South dormatories on either side of Seay Building were Boys (North) and Girls (South) dorms. Coed until 1929, then all girls (CCW as above) and in recent decades again coed and now Centenary College.
I don't think anyone said it but across from Rockaway Sales was Best's Meat Market. I used to go behind the counter and sit on a stool while my mom completed her weekly order and get samples of the cheeses, etc. Mr. Rogers (yes, Mr Rogers) was the delivery man -- I think they got their meats from Pennsylvania. There was also Shutterbug Ed's up past Newberry's where you'd get your pictures developed.
The Cottage used to be open at night if The Strand was playing long pictures. Everyone would go over at intermission (like in The Sound of Music) and get ice cream. I always wanted to stop because in the old days (the '60s) The Cottage had all types of stuffed animals in the window that caught a kid's eye.
Since this thread popped up again, Dave T, did you ever finish that Main St. painting? Can you post a pic?
Was there a store named "Rosie's" where you could buy jeans? And "Leo's" across from the Moose Club.
Yes, Tina #1...Rosies was on Main St. up somewhere between Moore and High St. and Leo's was the name of the restaurant across from the Moose Club that now has new ownership but I think still is called Leo's.
I'm sorry, that was 17 years before I was born (guess I just gave away my age), but the A&P used to be in Marty's shoes? I knew there was a really nice one where Kohl's is now, but I don't recall that ever.
Thank you "joyful." At the time it was not located in the heart of Hackettstown, but who didn't go to the "Orange Pit" located in Mansfield Township.
The Orange Pit that I remember was where the Riverstar Restaurant is now. I don't think that is Mansfield Township.
joyful,
your probably right, not sure about where the lines cross into Mansfield or Morris County from Hackettstown. Even Mountain Ave. was route 57 or maybe on a map it still is.
Ok – my earliest recollection of Main Street North to South:
Louie Curl
Harold Stephens
Dr Lasser
Texaco
Shop Rite
Bergen Tool
Hackettstown Coal & Lumber
Tickner’s
American Gas Station
Acme
Atlantic Richfield Gas Station
Some Insurance Company
Class & Hurley’s
Foster & Lee
Letas
Cohens
Kostenbaders
Bowers, Schumann & Welch
Thorpes Stationary
Shutterbug Eds
Newberrys
Peoples National Bank
Gulf
Bachs
Farrells
Genivieve
Chickie
Western Auto
Lockhards
Leeters
Monettis
County Trading Post
Tomainos
Nerbaks
First National
Cavanaughs
Cottage
Plates
Tonys Pizza
Jigger Shop
Music Center
Lemasters
C&B
Trinity
Diner / Chinese Restaurant
Butcher
Community Deli
Masonic Lodge
Rockaway Sales
Community Deli
Fiedlers
Hackettstown Furniture
Chicks
Krafts
Kraft Insurance
Central House
Biamontis Exxon
Osas Electronics
Moose Lodge
Cardella Carducci
Tonys Shoe Repair
Leos
Hackettstown Auto Parts
Kappers
Bodine Real Estate
Bills Hobbies
Presbyterion Church
Presbyterian Church
Graveyard
Community Center
Warren House
Sub Shack
Hess / Dairy Queen
Chevron/Shell
Broadlawns Tourists
Crazy Horse Saddlery
I'm sure I forgot a few...
It's nice to see an interesting post like this instead of the those (guns, fox, etc.) where the usual cast of blowhards bloviate their inane views ad nauseam.
That Chinese restaurant on the corner of Church St had good food back in the day. What was the name of that place?
there use to be a very nice gift shop next to Fiedlers bought some nice wine glasses there! Not sure what the name of the shop was..........
oh - and the yarns shop - Yarns Etc! next tothe Sub Shack - after the saddlery place closed
Recall getting a Disney soundtrack songs album, a 33, at that Gulf station on the corner of High and Main when my Mom was getting a fillup. I can still picture the cover.
One can sure recognize the "newbies" who miss the history by a country mile by their self assured statements!! Validate befor posting!!
@ Dam
Yup Kam Fu That was the name Thanks!! That was the only Chinese Restaurant in the area back in the day and they actual had descent food!
as a kid I remember my family talking about Bennets gas station. my uncle worked there. my family still calls that place Bennets. it was on the corner of valentine st. I wish those hardware stores were still on main, I remember going in there with my grandfather. I have a few advertising items around the house from them.
You missed Helens Toyland corner of Main and Liberty streets. Hackettstown Hardware [next to the Cottage restaurant]. The diner/chinese place was called Danleys Diner. Dont forget the Hackettstown Masonic Lodge.
I stumbled on this thread looking for info on the old Strand Theater. I lived in Hackettstown in the early 80s. I remember a huge fire on Main St, but can't place where it was. I remember it being a huge 2 or 3 story building that was built in the 1800s and had been recently converted into a mall. In the back was a long narrow addition that had a video arcade in it.
The building took up a large portion of a block. i remember it being on the other side of the street from Rockaway Sales, but I can't find the location when I look at downtown Hackettstown on Google Earth.
It was a huge fire and destroyed the building. probably 1982. I remember they dammed a stream that ran out back to draw water to fight the fire. They were taking so much water, that the town water pressure dropped.
I think that place was called the Little Village I remember the arcade,it was all the way in back at the ground level.It has a few stores/restaurant at present on the first floor,apartments on the second floor.It's still at the same location,and I definitely remember the fire,think you're right on the year.
I was employed part time in the Leather Place that was in the Little Village on Main St at the time of the fire. The man I worked for had not obtained insurance yet on the merchandise in his store and everything he owned went up in smoke. It was, I believe, caused by candles left burning in the Candle Store downstairs. I was and still am good friends with the owners of the Little Village and remember sitting out in the rescue squad truck crying while the fireman fought this fire..
Moved LongAgo - Use the address 229 Main Street. "Rockaway Sales" today is known as "Home Towne Hardware". The term I've heard now is "The Mini-Mall".
The term used for that building now, GC (across the street from the old Rockaway Sales) is The Mini Mall (which came after).. but at the time of the fire it was known as The Little Village...
The building that burned in 1980 was at the corner of Main and E. Plane, which is now a parking lot, not across from the old Rockaway Sales (Hometown) Was a Sunday morning as I recall, burned for hours and hours.
Unless I am having a Senior Moment, I believe ExTownie, that you are talking about Charlie Ort's building that burned on the corner of E.Plane and Main...The Little Village was next to Dimicelli's Barber (same side) and now a brick building which houses several businesses. P.S. Before the Little Village...that spot belonged to Benny Kass (sp).. who owned a furniture store there...
That fire was Kraft's Insurance and Kraft's Paints. The story goes that a painter working on the outside was using a heat gun to strip the old building and it caught fire.
The Little village Mini Mall went down about the same time. Only Chicks Barber Shop was left.
I remember the music store on Main Street. My parents bought me my first electric guitar there in the mid-70s - Japanese copy of a Gibson ES-335. They paid like $95 with the case. Thing is worth like $700 today. When we first moved to town there was a bar at the corner of Moore and Main. Was torn down the next year. Don't remember the name, but seems the town was happy to see it go.
Trivia for Joy- Who owned those buildings before Kass. Around WWII. Lester might remember.
Auntiel....The Duke says that the Kass family always owned that property and even when he was a small boy growing up. The Father had it first, and then the boys took over.
Auntel...The Duke does not remember who owned that property before Mr. Kass...that was even before his time...lol! btw, Auntiel...You have mail!
The Little Village Mini Mall was it! thanks. Nov 1980 sounds about right.
I'm fairly certain that the building was over 100 years old, all wood and was completely destroyed by the fire. It was a raging inferno that threatened to take out a large chunk of Main St.
And I remember it had been a furniture store before being converted to the mini mall. Was it the old Hackettstown Furniture in Barbacle Bill's list above? I still can't place where it was on Main St.
Trying to recall, MovedLongAgo, just where Hackettstown Furniture was. Definitely not located down the street by the old Little Village that burned but instead . Hackettstown Furniture, I believe, was originally in the building where the Trading Post and the Old Bach's Drugstore was and then at the end was downstairs in the Newberry Store...I remember it was Frank Delello's store when I worked at Leeters.
Hackettstown furniture store was where the Me to You Consignment store is - my Dad's store was Class & Hurley's ( with Bud Class ) and the back parking lots all went together and I knew all the DeLello's as we all moved trucks and cars back there ! I can't remember the name of Kass's store but they lived up in back of Prospect St across the street from Bud and Bea Class on a corner -
Kass's was Reliable Furniture - The gift shop by Fiedler's Real estate was Helen Fiedler's shop where she sold fine glass ware and cooking ware - I still have my mother's cookware from there !
After reading these memories;didn't Htown main st. have a measurable number of fires ? Anyway, who remembers Sinclair gas station just just off of main st. where we use to get truck tubes to raft down the Musky. They cost 50 cents. We would start up near Stephensburgh state park and float down to the dam near the old factory in Mansfield. Then our fathers would pick up up late and give us a lot of grief.
Thanks for refreshing my memory, Peggy...Now I remember Frank Delello's furniture store being right where you said. Frank used to walk down the street and sit with Chet Lee in the front part of the Leeter store and have coffee when I worked there so many years ago. I remember you too and also Class & Hurleys... Quite frankly, I am amazed I remember anything anymore!
How interesting to have stumbled across this conversation! I was looking online for something specific about my family's bakery and happened upon this. Here are a few little details about the bakery, for anyone who may be interested.
My mother and father bought the Hackettstown Village Bakery in 1961; it was at 155 Main Street. The previous owners were a German couple and another German women, who all lived in the gigantic apartment on the second floor. We moved in when we bought the business.
Our name is FERRELL (not Farrell), and although it seems that the bakery was known as Ferrell's, my father never officially or legally changed the name (or the sign!) from Village Bakery. I'm sure he was thrilled if he had any idea that our customers thought of the bakery as "Ferrell's."
The apartment on the second floor ran over the bakery, from front to back, and was also over the two shops next door (it was like a big L-shape). When we moved in, those two shops were the Genevieve Shop right next to the bakery, and the Chickie Shop next to that. By the time the building burned, the Chickie Shop was gone and there was a lighting store there. Bach's Drugs was on the corner.
The fire happened in September 1972. It started late one night; ostensibly it began in the basement of the Genevieve Shop. The volunteer firefighters (of which my dad was a member) put out the initial fire, but there was a lot of smoke damage so my family left to spend the night elsewhere. Unfortunately, though the fire appeared to be out, it continued to smolder in the walls, and flared up again in the middle of the night.
The bottom floor, the actual bake shop, was pretty much gutted, parts of the floor collapsing into the basement, everything charred. Part of the upstairs was also burned, parts of the floor collapsing, and the rest of it was ruined by smoke and water. My family got very little out of there, not much at all. We did get some photos, at least, the ones that were not all stuck together from getting wet. A few pans from the bakery, etc. Although we weren't supposed to, one of my sisters and I snuck into the building before it was torn down, and went upstairs (rather stupidly) so we could see our old room, and we took some pictures.
When the fire happened, I was away at school, and my mother was away, driving my sister to school. My father called me after the fire, looking for my mother; he did not want her to arrive home and see the remains of the building before she knew what had happened. It was an odd-enough thing for Dad to be calling me the way he did that I asked him what was the matter, and he said--I'll never forget this-- "We had a little fire." The master of understatement.
When Mom and Dad bought the bakery, Dad put me to work right away. I worked there from the time I was 10 until it burned down, after school, weekends, summers. It was really a great way to grow up. My whole family still compares every baked good we ever eat to Dad's.
As kids, we basically lived on Main Street, played in the parking lot behind the building. Being right next door to the County Trading Post gave us an endless supply of big appliance boxes. We were some of Knapp's best customers for ice cream (and comic books), and of course we knew every other shop owner and they knew us. We could always tell which movies were hits by how long the line was to buy tickets, and sometimes the line reached all the way down past the bakery, and around the corner.
Anyway, I'm sure I could go on and on… Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
Hey Fran,
Thank you also for the memories and filling in details of the fire.
In the 60s my mom and dad would takes us all there after Sunday mass.
It always smelt soooooo good!
I remember the big bread loaf cutter on the right end as you entered.
Do you have any pictures of the bakery?
Is your sister Joslyn? We use to hang out at the Community Center.
Thanks
Fran - I really loved your " story " about Ferrell's bakery ! My Mom only shopped at Genevieve's and Chickie Shop ( and Cohen's - as I worked there ! ) !!! as my father always said " if they buy from us we must buy from them " ! I think I have away's remembered that !!!! but - remember - my Dad was always really good friends with the Cass's and DeLello's -- compitition is always good !!!!
Peggy, you probably waited on me at Cohen's! My mom and dad paid me for working at the bakery, and when I was a younger kid my earnings went to buying ice cream and comic books from Knapp's. But when I got to be a teenager and became a fashion plate (haha) pretty much all of my earnings ended up at Cohen's. John Meyer skirts, sweaters. Maybe Villager, too? Is that right?
JoeBee, yes Jocelyn is my sister. And as far as pictures of the bakery, I have one picture of Mom and Dad in the store, I believe it was taken for a newspaper article? And then I have the photos that my sister and I took after the fire.
I would love to see what old pictures people have of or can find of historic Hackettstown!
Fran - Yes - that is right !!! a real preppy store! I do remember he had a locations on both sides of Main St. ( I think by Leta's Beauty shop was one ) and then moved across the street ? ?? He also had one in Newton that I worked at for a while - I think maybe you went to school with my sister Lucy ? Your parents had a great bakery and I remember so many people being sad they had to leave after the fire -
in 1963 bill osa bought the building at 255 main street bill and his wife shirley opened the shop and he use to do electronic repair then in 1977 he started his arcade when he purchased his first pinball machine threw the 80's it became a thriving video arcade if you were a teenager in the 80's it was the hot spot to go and meet up with all your friends we would meet at osa's and and go to the strand theatre where bill osa use to run the projecters for the strand from the early 60's threw to the 80's to the day it closed. how do i know all this well i am bill and shirleys youngest daughter.
Hi Joy! Remembering all of this as well...I also remember you as just a little girl coming into the Leather Place in the Little Village Mall on Main St (that later burned down). when I managed the Leather Place that was there... It was then when we realized we had the same name...
Tossing in a little more trivia of Main Street; Hackettstown. Going back to the post of locations listed north to south, directly across the street from what was then the Acme Market (later Knechel Ford) was an American Service Station. The building was erected around 1954 and if memory serves me correctly, Jack Pace's (of Jack's Sissor Whiz fame) father was the first operator.
It later became Hackettstown Glass and is now Exoticustom. The next building dates back to the early twentieth century and was a Flying Cloud Service station with pumps on the street. It was known as Dans & Dans. When the American station was built, John Diehl took over the building where Dans and Dans was located and operated a lawn mower repair and ice skate sharpening service. In 1960 it became Hackettstown Glass and when that business relocated next door to the American Service Station building, it housed a variety of businesses and is now "Wonder Nails."
I'm surprised many have missed mentioning Johnson Jewelers on Main Street, a door or two north of the old Hackettstown National Bank. While I do not recall when the business closed but at my age the memory gets a little foggy and perhaps that is the business Kenny Nerback took over before relocating across the street after the bakery fire. At the far end of Main Street, across from the Hess Station and on the location of a bank, was Ted Osa's garage. Then Osa built the place on Steiger Street.
Ferrell's Bakery was one of the best, ever. I have fond memories of Kenny Ferrell and always considered him a friend. As my Bride and I travel, we seek out fresh bakeries but never manage to find any to stir the taste buds like Ferrell's.
I only lived in Hackettstown for 35 years and think fondly of my time there. If only it wasn't so damn cold in the winter ............
Thanks for sharing the memories, Lone Star...If you recall also there were "2" Kenny Ferrells in town at that time too. One spelled his name with a "E" and was a baker and the other spelled his name with a "A" and was a cop....
Yes, I do recall Kenny Farrell. Where is he now? I seem to recall he was planning on retiring in Florida.
That is where he is Lone Star...Just spoke with him yesterday.. He and my husband worked together and he stood up for us when we got married...
As a kid, it was considered a BIG treat to take a walk down to Main Street after church for Ferrell's sticky buns. Have NEVER had any sticky bun as good as those. A sad day when the bakery was lost. :(
Can anyone list the main st businesses now in 2016. It seems we have an abundance of auto shops restaurants and now beer distilleries. Old member of the Elk's Lodge on Mt Ave. now live up on Budd Lk Mt or Hack Mt??. Across from the obscenity covering it now!
Hello
My father and mother owned Tonys Pizza back in 1972 or so when we lived in Hackettstown. If anyone might have a picture of the outside that would be great. I have no memory of it and dad just passed away
My condolences to you and your family Jeffrey. I am sorry to hear the passing of your dad, I remember him well. I wish I had a picture for you, I'm sorry to say they are only in my head.
Sorry to learn of the passing of your Dad, Jeffrey. He was also a good friend of my husbands as well.
Endiicot Johnson shoe store 162 main st. Managed by Dorothy Carpenter in the 60s.
Thanks for that Memory, John. I remember Dottie Carpenter very well. I worked at Leeter's Dept store just up the street for many years...
togs:
clothing; especially: a set of clothes and accessories for a specified use, i.e. riding togs
Bug 3: Leonards Youth Togs had clothing from newborn infants up to teenage. They sold beautiful clothing and accessories for youngsters in that store.. Leonard's .Youth Togs was just the store name and not exclusively the clothing type that they carried in that store.
What incredible memories. Thank you one and all for sharing! I’m surprised no one has mentioned Niper’s Studio on Moore Street. We lived just 2 doors from them. Great neighborhood...Lani Niper, Bill and Tommy Welsh, Sharon Webb, and me (Lori Solomon). We went out to play together for hours and hours...no cell phones and went home when we were hungry, tired, or it was getting dark.
I don't recall having a Dairy Queen on Main Street ever. I think that was wrong info.
Yes, there was an ice cream store near the Community Center, or a door or two down from there in the 1950’s. I believe it was a Dairy Queen type establishment.
A Dairy Queen was located where Speedway gas (or the Old Hess Gas station was)
Rockaway Sales was originally the Food Basket grocery store in the 50's. Next to it on Main was a Studebaker dealership and a house on Main and Plane. Dr Silber DDS was on the other side.
Knapp's (next to the movie theatre) had an ice cream counter at the back of the store. The nicest people. Such great memories!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have lived here since the early '70's and remember a lot of the posts, although many were before my time. But one thing I do remember is Kostenbader's Liquor Store on the corner of Main and Liberty (?) Sts. and their dog Rusty. They would put the day's receipts into a pouch on the dog's collar and send him to the bank on the corner of Main and Grand, People's Bank I believe. He would walk to the bank (with help of course) and the tellers would remove the money and put a receipt in and the dog would bring it back to the store. My husband and I were amazed at that practice, having come from Essex County. But we knew we chose the right place to live.
western auto was on the corner.you could go in and buy a stick or two of dynamite and blasting caps to blow up a stump or two or split some giant stones or rocks to clear a foundation.
The children's clothing store was Leonard's it was just down from
JJ Newberry's. I got alot of my dresses there when I was a kid....
Hi - former 30-year resident here.
I'm going to resurrect this thread to ask a question that literally kept me up all night last night.
Jack and Jill was once the name of the convenience store at Main and Moore which The Mighty Google tells me is now called Sunrise Dairy.
But in the late 70s, early 80s, I think the name changed.
Q: What was the store called?
I want to say Somerset Farms but everything on The Mighty Google points me to the actual Somerset Farm on Route 22.
To help with the era, Basement Billiards was next door, under The Music Center.
I was store manager of Sunrise Dairy before it was sold. I believe the name before that was Cumberland Farms..
What a great thread and journey for one ( relatively) new to the area.
I can feel the spirits of the past lingering when I glide down Main Street and very disappointed when they removed the larger trees several years ago.
Still, a very pretty town.
“Last Stop” on Rte. 46 before the Water Gap?
The original Jack and Jill was located across the street from the Central House, in the now unoccupied building next to Valley Auto. Teamer Applegate ran the store.
Anyone remember the family that owned the Cottage on Main Street back in 70's, early 80's? I worked there on weekends. I remember Fred, Chris and I think Anna was Fred's daughter. Cant remember the mom, the pretty white haired woman who was there everyday as well. Was up half the night trying to recall.
The Oullettes (sp?). I believe Mrs Oullette at the HS was a sister in law. They also ran the Restaurant in PV where Welsh Farms used to be.
Don’t forget Cohen’s. It was a clothing store next to JJ Newberrys I think. Got my first crucifix at Plates in 1972 and my mom gave me a birthstone ring for my graduation in 1977. Both of which I wear every day today. We called it “uptown”. Some people called it downtown.
Sorry I missed this forum when it was active. It was a wonderful walk down memory lane! I haven't lived in Hackettstown for many years, but my brothers and I grew up there. My Dad (William E. Roberts) and his family had roots in Hackettstown.
I'd love to see the painting that prompted this discussion.
Best Regards, Karen (Roberts) Dailey
David’s Country Inn. Can’t remember the name before Lou bought it. We were the second wedding that they had . 1978.
My grandparents, Tom & Helen Sniegocki were the owners of Helen's Playland in the 1950s and finally sold the shop... MY Aunt Stella Grabinski worked at Chickie's, there is a new thread or two about some of my family on the gfacebook page uknow youre from hackettstown when: if this link works: https://www.facebook.com/groups/233273403377624/3315471375157796/
Anyone remember Town and Campus Shoes 164 Main St and moved to 123 Main St my parents Rev and Dolly Costello owned the business. My dad was also pastor of Holy Cross Orthodox Catholic Church from 1962 til the 1980's
Mike Costello, yes I remember the store and yes my grandmother would take us to the church all the time. I remember you father he was such a nice man! I vaguely remember your mom from the store..
I know for sure but forget exactly where it was. Somewhere around the Strand Theater was a bowling alley. It was a small place.
Jack Pace obtained Jack's Sizzor Wiz from his father in law Charlie Tomaino. I remember Charlie and his father ( little white haired fellow ). Charlie made house calls to cut hair also. Acme was where Dollar General is now. My first job. My dad was manager there when I was a kid. Across the street American Station. Lloyd Henderson ran it. Next door was Hackettstown Glass. Kenny Keyes owned it. Cozy Corner across from the hospital. Fred and Betty Almindingers owned it. The Bolithos owned the Dairy Queen where Raceway Gas is not. Where Mr. Sawdust on Willow Grove St is now was a hardware store owned by Mr. Hawkins if I remember right.
Wasn't Jamesway in the location that the movie theater and Dollar Tree is now? Like in the 1970s and 1980s?
and A&P was where Shop Rite Liquors is in the Quick Check strip mall.
And Walmart, Reynolds where Lowe's is now.
Grants was where Lowes is now. I worked there for a short time. The Quick Check Mall was Shop Rite till it burned.
Grants became a K Mart eventually before the mall basically closed & was changed into the Lowes. And that was the original Shoprite where the Quik Chek is on Main/Stiger corner. I worked there as a cashier/checkout gal for a couple years in high school. Once the larger Shoprite was built in Mansfield, we called the original the "little Shoprite" until it burned down in late 1980's.
The Golden Q Pool Room. Think it was near Tomanios barber shop around the mid 60’s.
This was a fun read. I didn’t go through the whole thing but Ive been sitting with my grandfather asking if he “remembers X” and get to hear a few minutes of stories for the places he remembers. Though it’s not Hackettstown, I think many may enjoy this. I found this site many years ago and thankfully had the foresight to save the link. It’s photos of Washington (Warren Co) throughout the years from the early 1900’s to 1998 when the site was seemingly last updated. Enjoy
http://www.ebpm.com/menu_washnj.html
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