NJ Roofing Fire

 New Jersey Roofing Company Fire

New Brunswick Ave. & L.V.R.R

May 9th. 1928

(below) Original Photos from the collection of Bill/Kathy Szemcsak

The Day We Lost 6 Heroes

Being A Past Member and Captian of Eagle Engine Company #4, I Will Never Forget Even Though I Wasn't Born Until 30 Years Later and Became A Member 50 Years Later. 

The Following Post is from Perth Amboy News

dated June 15, 1921

For Those Who Served In PAFD, the Names of the Injured and Dead are Names That Are Recognized, Due to the Fact Many of Their Relatives Served throughout the Decades After. 

1921 Market Street Tragedy

Article is from 

The Perth Amboy Evening News 

June 22, 1959 

(Click to enlarge) 

Scene of the accident. (Where the bridge is)

The Fireman's Statue in Alpine Cemetery.

Perth Amboy's Railroad - Part 2, Passenger Service

As most of you know, Perth Amboy was crisscross with railroad tracks. Most of them were use for Freight. I remember crossing railroad tracks almost everyday, no matter where we were going.

 

 
In this section, it's about the "other" railroad, Passenger Service. Some of us used the railroad to either go to "The City" or "Down the Shore"

 

 

 

The Railroad Station to the above, was the ordinal Passenger Station before being replaced with the current one in mid 1920's. Rumor has it that the "old" station was moved to Lewis Street and still is being used as a residence. As you can see from this post card, it was "street" level. One of the main reason it was replaced with a below grade (street) due to the many crossing hazards throughout the city, especially the June 15, 1921 accident which killed 9 firefighters of the Eagle Fire Company #4 while responding to a fire on South Second Street.

 

During the 1980's the current station was placed on "National Registry of Historic Places" and was refurbished in the 1990's. The Perth Amboy Station is still in use today.

 

 

 

 

 

Besides, Lehigh Valley Railroad's mainly "Freight" service in Perth Amboy (Roundhouse was located along Parker Street), we had the Pennsylvania Railroad, New York Central and Central Railroad of New Jersey.

 

Most of us remember, the "Ditch", how many of us use to catch tadpoles and frogs?

 

We used the cement drainage shoots for sled riding with cardboard or just used the "Ditch" as a shortcut!

 

Below are just some of the many different type of trains the were accustomed to.

 

 

 

 

From Perth Amboy north, the railroad mainly used electric to power the locomotives. From South Amboy, south to Bay Head, NJ the locomotives were either coal or diesel.

See the houses along Market St.

Left of train.

 

 

 

 

At one time, the bridge crossing the Raritan River was the longest across any river in the country in the 1800's.

 

 

 

 

How many of us thought about walking across when we will younger?

 

 

 

 

 

 

I remember “playing” on the tracks and trains growing up in our city.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a scenic scene.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I still look at my HO and N scale model trains of the Lehigh Valley and Penn RR to this day, the memories of "Old" Perth Amboy, NJ!

 

 

 

 

Fire Department - Part 1

As one of the oldest Fire Departments in Middlesex County, since 1881, the Perth Amboy Fire Department provides fire protection to the citizens, visitors and property of the 4.5 square mile city. As with most of the older cities, Perth Amboy had it fair share of major fires.

The firefighting force consisted of 2 Units, a paid (career) or professional fire company and a

volunteer fire company, this made up the Perth Amboy Fire Department.

At one time, there were 2 Chief Officers of the Fire Department, 1 was a Paid Fire Chief, who oversaw the career firefighters and equipment and a Volunteer Fire Chief, who was responsible for directing all the Firefighters at a scene of a fire or emergency.

At one time there were 7 firehouses throughout the city. The locations were Rector Street, State Street next to PAHS, Grace Avenue, State & Pearl Street, Amboy & Hall Avenues, Wayne Street and Pfeiffer Blvd near Convery. At the present there is only one on New Brunswick Avenue.

From the early 1900's through to 1980's, Perth Amboy Fire Department was made up of 9 Fire Companies; 6 Engines, 3 Hook & Ladder Trucks. In the 1970's they added a Specialized truck known as a Snorkel Truck.

-In the coming Blogs, we were cover the different volunteer fire company names, type of trucks and the firehouse they belong to. We will also talk about some of the "Big Ones" (fires).