1916: PREDECESSOR TO THE PTA

THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY SAW THE LOCAL SCHOOLS GAINING SUPPORT FROM THE PARENTS. EARLY ON THE NAME MOST SCHOOLS CHOSE WAS "THE MOTHERS' CLUB." THAT NAME MORPHED INTO TODAY'S PTA. THEN, AS NOW, THE PARENTS PLAYED A VERY IMPORTANT PART IN THE SUPPORT OF THE TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND SCHOOLS.

1932: MS CLOWNEY, FACULTY

WHENEVER I FIND FACULTY MEMBERS FROM ANY OF OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS, I FILE THEM IN THE APPROPRIATE HAMILTON LIBRARY LOCAL HISTORY FOLDER. IN THIS CASE, THE "KUSER SCHOOL" FOLDER. CORILLA CLOWNEY WAS A PROMINENT TEACHER EARLY IN THE 20TH CENTURY.

1932: KUSER SCHOOL HOSTS A CARD PARTY

THE SCHOOLS SERVED AS MEETING PLACES FOR VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS BACK IN THE FIRST 30 YEARS OF THE 21ST CENTURY. FARMINGDALE SCHOOL HOSTED A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION, AND AS ILLUSTRATED ABOVE, KUSER HOSTE THE COLONIAL DEMOCRATIC CLUB. GONE ARE THE DAYS!

1915: KUSER SCHOOL MINSTREL

MINSTRELS ARE NOW POLITICALLY INCORRECT. BACK IN THE 20'S AND 30'S THEY WERE A POPULAR FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT. HERE'S THE KUSER KATS WHO TOOK PART IN THE MINSTREL IN 1915. MANY OF THE NAMES ARE QUITE FAMILIAR TO THOSE OF US WHO GREW UP IN THE HAMILTON-LIBERTY-COLONIAL GARDENS AREA.
IMMY BACHMAN WHO IS OBVIOUSLY RELATED TO THE JAMES BACHMAN IN THE FIRST ROW, FAR RIGHT, WENT THROUGH ALL THE KUSER YEARS WITH ME, GRADUATING WITH ME IN THE CLASS OF '51 AT HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL.

1928 JULIA MCCLAIN, TEACHER EXTRAORDANAIRE

EACH OF US HAS ONE, TWO, OR MAYBE MORE TEACHERS WHO HAD A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON US. IN MY PERSONAL CASE, I HAD 4. JULIA MCCLAIN WAS ONE OF THEM. SHE DEMANDED PERFECTION AND WAS A STRICT DISCIPLINARIAN. IT WAS SHE WHO ENCOURAGED ME TO SHARPEN MY READING SKILLS, TELLING ME THAT I HAD THE NATURAL GIFT OF ELOCUTION. I DIDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND WHAT SHE MEANT BACK THEN IN 6TH GRADE, BUT I SURE DID LEARN!

HONESTLY, I REALLY TRIED!

YOU KNOW THAT OLD SLOGAN THAT HAS BEEN
TRIPPING AROUND FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS:

"SUPPOSE YOU GIVE A PARTY AND NO ONE COMES?"

WELL, THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENED. THE WEDNESDAY EVENING HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTATION WENT EXTREMELY WELL, (AS DID THE KUSER SCHOOL PESENTATION A FEW MONTHS EARLIER). BOTH PRESENTATINS TURNED OUT A PITIFUL FEW HISTORY-ORIENTED CITIZENS. IN THE WEDNESDAY EVENING HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTATION, ALUMNI FROM THE CLASS OF '39, '46 AND '47 ATTENDED, AND APPRECIATED THE PROGRAM, SO THAT MADE IT ALL WORTH WHILE. THERE WAS LITTLE INTEREST IN THE KUSER SCHOOL PRESENTATION WHICH IS COMPLETELY PUZZLING, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE KUSER CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER.

ACCORDINGLY, I WILL CONTINUE GATHERING AND RECORDING LOCAL HISTORY AND PRESERVING IT FOR POSTERITY ON THE COMPUTER'S HARD DRIVE. AS TO THE VERY LOW TURNOUT, I HAVE TAKEN A PAGE FROM THE GOOD BOOK AS WE RECALL THE ADMONITION IN THE "GOOD BOOK:"

"WHEREVER TWO OR MORE ARE GATHERED IN MY NAME...."

I LEARNED A VALUABLE A LESSON: JUST BECAUSE I HAVE A DESIRE TO SHARE LOCAL HISTORY WITH THE COMMUNITY, I SHOULDN'T HAVE ASSUMED THE COMMUNITY HAS THE SAME ZEAL FOR HISTORY. LESSON LEARNED.
I WILL STAY WITH MY POPULAR KUSER MANSION MUSIC PROGRAMS, AT THE SAME TIME CONTINUE MY NEVER ENDING SEARCH FOR HISTORICAL GRAPHICS AND ARTICLES FOR THE LIBRARY'S LOCAL HISTORY COMPUTER.

NO HARD FEELINGS, JUST SOMEWHAT DISAPPOINTED.

1908: KUSER SCHOOL: IN THE BEGINNING

WITH THE KUSER SCHOOL (AND KLOCKNER SCHOOL?) CENTENNIAL LOOMING AHEAD IN THE YEAR 2009, I DECIDED TO BEGIN POSTING GRAPHICS FROM THE EARLY YEARS OF KUSER. ABOVE ARE ILLUSTRATED TWO LEGAL NOTICES WHICH WERE PUBLISHED IN THE LOCAL PRESS IN JULY, 1908, WHEN THE HAMILTON BOARD OF EDUCATION BEGAN THE PROCESS OF PLANNING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ROSALIE KUSER SCHOOL. BOTH KLOCKNER AND KUSER WERE THE PROJECTS OF THE DAY, AND I BELIEVE THE BROAD STREET PARK SCHOOL FIGURED IN THE SAME GENERAL TIME FRAME.

(SORRY ABOUT THE MIS-SPELLING OF "LEGAL;" IN THE LOWER RIGHT BOX IN THE ABOVE GRAPHIC. I TOUCH TYPE, AND APPARENTLY MISSED THE "L.")

Ca 1943: MISS LACY'S ROOM

ANNA LACY WAS MY FIFTH GRADE TEACHER. A NUMBER OF THE PHOTOS IN MY COLLECTION ARE OF THE VARIOUS CLASSROOM PROJECTS. THEY ALL SEEM TO BE FROM THE EARLY 40'S WHEN I WAS STUDENT AT KUSER. THE MEMORY IS FADING AS TO WHETHER ANY OF THEM WERE PART OF MY CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES, BUT THEY VERY WELL MAY HAVE BEEN.

1931: KUSER SCHOOL HONOR STUDENTS

THIS SUNDAY, JOIN ME AS WE SING AND SWING INTO SPRING!

I WILL BE KEEPING THIS MESSAGE ON TOP OF MY POSTS UNTIL SUNDAY

I HOPE TO SEE AT LEAST A FEW OF THE MANY VIEWERS OF MY WEBSITES AT THIS SUNDAY'S KUSER MANSION PROGRAM. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN OLD FASHIONED SING-ALONG, JUST LIKE WE DID WHEN WE WERE SINGING IN OUR PARLORS THOSE MANY YEARS AGO. ONLY THIS TIME, INSTEAD OF A PIANO, I AND YOU WILL BE SINGING TO THE ACCOMPANIMENT OF MY UNIQUE "COMPUTER ORCHESTRA." COME ON OUT. BASED ON PAST PROGRAMS, YOU WILL HAVE A WONDERFUL COUPLE OF HOURS, AND FINALLY GET A RESPITE FROM THAT DARN CABIN FEVER WE HAVE ALL BEEN SUFFERING FROM OVER THESE LONG WINTER MONTHS!

IF YOU WANT TO BYPASS THE CALL FOR RESERVATIONS, E-MAIL ME WITH HOW MANY ARE IN YOUR PARTY, AND I WILL RESERVE FOR YOU. (thomglo@verizon.net)

2009: WILLIAM "BILL"PARENT OBIT

TO THOSE WHO WERE HAMILTON STUDENTS BACK IN THE 50'S, BILL PARENT WAS A HOUSEHOLD NAME. IF YOU PLAYED "HOOKEY" FROM SCHOOL, BILL WAS "THE MAN." HE REPLACED "POP" WATSON AS HAMILTON TRUANT OFFICER. BILL AND HIS SISTER ALICE PARENT GOETZ WERE BOTH INCREDIBLE SINGERS. ALICE HAD THE LEADS IN NEARLY ALL OF THE OPERETTAS AT HAMILTON HIGH DURING HER YEARS THERE. SHE WAS MY TEACHER AT KUSER SCHOOL IN THE 7TH GRADE. SHE WAS A MEMBER OF THE CLASS OF '39 AT HHS.
BILL'S MAGNIFICENT VOICE WAS KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE AREA AND I RECALL ONE OF HIS VISITS TO OUR HAMILTON HIGH CHOIR BACK IN THE LATE 1940'S. HE WILL BE MISSED. BILL LIVED IN HIS FAMILY HOME ON ELLWOOD STREET IN HAMILTON RIGHT UP UNTIL RECENTLY, WHEN HE BECAME INCAPACITATED. THE GLOVER FAMILY KNEW BOTH MR. AND MRS. PARENT WAY BACK IN THE 30'S WHEN WE LIVED ON BEAL STREET.

1909-2009 ONE HUNDRED GLORIOUS YEARS!

WE WILL BE CELEBRATING THE CENTENNIAL OF KUSER SCHOOL IN 2009. IF ANY VISITORS TO THIS SITE HAVE PHOTOS OR OTHER MEMORABILIA FROM KUSER, PLEASE CONTACT ME SO I CAN INCLUDE THEM IN THE KUSER SCHOOL HISTORICAL ONLINE WEBSITE.
thomglo@verizon.net,
Tom Glover, 609-587-2490 (Prior to 1 to 9 P.M. Eastern)
or at the Hamilton Library Local History Collection, Monday - Thursday: 581-4060 XT 4016

2008: LET THE SEASON BEGIN!

I HOPE TO SEE MANY OF MY WEB VIEWERS AT THIS PROGRAM WHICH IS THE FIRST OF NUMEROUS MUSIC/NOSTALGIA PROGRAMS I WILL BE PRESENTING THIS YEAR AT KUSER MANSION. THIS ONE WILL CENTER ON THE ROMANTIC LOVE SONGS WE ALL SWOONED AND DANCED TO, WITH AN OCCASIONAL NOVELTY SONG. MARK YOUR CALENDAR AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE.

2008: SCHOOL DAYS IN THE 40'S AND 50'S

HOW DIFFERENT THINGS ARE IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM OF 2008 AS COMPARED TO THE TWELVE YEARS I SPENT AT KUSER SCHOOL AND HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL. AS SEEN IN THE FLYER FROM THE FRIENDS OF HAMILTON TOWNSHIP PUBLIC LIBRARY, I WILL BE PRESENTING A VERY PLEASANT EVENING RECALLING THOSE YEARS BEFORE COMPUTERS, CALCULATORS AND OTHER 21ST CENTURY "WHIZ BANG" APPLIANCES. WE WILL RECALL THE ART OF MNEMONICS (MEMORIZING THE TIMES TABLES, ENGLISH RULES, CLAPPING THOSE BLACKBOARD ERASERS, VALENTINES DAY, SATURDAY NIGHT CANTEEN, AND OTHER FORGOTTEN EDUCATIONAL VESTIGES OF THE PAST. COME ON OUT...I'M SURE SOME OF YOU WILL LOVE TO SHARE YOUR MEMORIES. IT'S FREE, NO RESERVATIONS REQUIRED, AND REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED.

1931: THE LAWTONS OF HAMILTON

THE LAWTON FAMILY NAME IS LEGENDARY IN THE LIBERTY-NEWKIRK-HAMILTON COLONIAL AREA. SOME YEARS AGO, I WROTE A COLUMN RECOUNTING THE REUNION OF CIVIL WAR CAMP OLDEN VETERANS BEING HELD BY THE LAWTON BROTHERS ON THEIR FARM IN THE AREA OF HAMILTON AND LIBERTY STREET. THE LAND ON WHICH KUSER SCHOOL IS LOCATED WAS PURCHASED FROM THE LAWTONS FOR $1.00. I HAD THE ACTUAL RECEIPT MANY YEARS AGO, BUT UNFORTUNATELY A BASEMENT WATER PROBLEM DESTROYED A NUMBER OF HISTORIC ITEMS WHICH I CARELESSLY LEFT IN A BASKET ON THE FLOOR.

1947: KUSER HONOR ROLL

HERE THEY ARE.....THE HONOR STUDENTS FROM KUSER FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY, 1947. IF THIS WERE THE YEAR 1946, I WOULD HAVE BEEN AMONG THE HONOR ROLL LISTINGS. I WAS AN HONOR STUDENT ALL THROUGH MY KUSER YEARS UNTIL 1947. IT WAS DURING THAT YEAR THAT I DISCOVERED GIRLS AND GAVE THEM MORE ATTENTION THAN MISS AMY BELLE SMITH'S ARITHMETIC CLASS...I JUST COULDN'T GRASP THAT ELEMENTARY ALGEBRA.

1940'S: MISS (MRS.?) MCELHENNEY'S 2ND GRADE

THIS IS ANOTHER PHOTO THAT WAS DESTINED FOR THE RECYCLE BIN. THANKFULLY, I WAS ALLOWED TO GO THROUGH THE TRASH BAG AND SALVAGE IT AND A NUMBER OF OTHER ORIGINAL PHOTOS OF VARIOUS CLASSROOM PROJECTS. MCELHENNY WAS A TEACHER AT KUSER SCHOOL. DON'T MISS THE TWO "SWINGING DOORS SHOWN IN THE PHOTO NEXT TO THE EXHIBIT. THEY GAINED US ENTRANCE TO THE "CLOAK ROOM." REMEMBER THEM?

1951: KUSER CLASS OF '51

THERE'S MY BOYHOOD SHORTSTOP IN THE FIRST ROW, SECOND FROM LEFT, ALEX BENCIVENGO.. DAVE SNEATH, LEFT BACK ROW IN POSITION NUMBER ONE, EDDIE PETERSON, 6TH FROM THE LEFT IN THE BACK ROW, ALSO AN ACQUAINTENCE FROM OUR YOUNGER DAYS IS IN THIS CLASS, ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF KUSER KATS WITH WHOM I AM QUITE FAMILIAR.

1921: EMILY C. REYNOLDS

BEFORE SHE WAS A KUSER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, BEFORE SHE HAD A MIDDLE SCHOOL NAMED FOR HER, MISS REYNOLDS WAS A COMMON, EXTRAORDINARY TEACHER. SHE WAS ALSO A NATIVE OF THE BROMLEY SECTION; HER HOME WAS ACROSS FROM THE FAIR GROUNDS ON NOTTINGHAM WAY. THIS LETTER OF APPOINTMENT AS A TEACHER IS FROM MY KUSER SCHOOL FILES.

1947: KUSER ANNEX "CRIER"

FOLLOWING ARE A FEW PAGES FROM KUSER ANNEX 1947 NEWSPAPER, "CRIER." NOT JUST BECAUSE THIS WAS MY CLASS, BUT MORE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE ENTRIES ARE SO VERY INTERESTING THESE 60 YEARS LATER. THANKS TO BILL "BEB" PETERS AND LORRAINE FEEHAN MAY WHO HAVE BEEN VERY KIND CONTRIBUTORS TO MY KUSER AND HAMILTON COLLECTION.