Phonograph Demo and Presentation May 5Th Lloyd Carpenter Griscom
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Gaslight News May 2008 Historical Society of Riverton vol. XXXVIII, no. 3 (#132) Founded 1970 Riverton, NJ 08075 Incorporated 1978 th Phonograph demo and presentation May 5 The Historical Society of Collection started Riverton will meet on Monday, May 5th, 2008, at 7:30 PM for with flea market find a general meeting and free Mr. Lewis bought his first Victrola at a flea program in the Media Center market in 1995 and was intrigued with the of Riverton School at Fifth and machine‘s mechanics. His interest and Howard Streets. collection has grown considerably since then, and he now also repairs and sells Riverton resident and phono- phonographs. He owns more than a dozen graph collector Mark Lewis phonographs of different sizes and makes. will present an informative and He will demonstrate several types of entertaining program on the phonographs during the presentation, Edison phonograph, history and evolution of the particularly those of Edison, Victor, and c. 1898 phonograph, along with recordings from Columbia. http://tmbw.net/wiki/images/a/ a0/EdisonPhonograph.jpg the years 1895-1945. A hands-on program In this issue It started with the “Wizard” This will be a hands-on program - not only MAY PHONOGRAPH Join us to learn more about the first will attendees be able to listen to recordings PRESENTATION phonograph which was invented in 1877 on the old phonographs, they will get the - PRISCILLA TAYLOR 1 by Thomas Edison in Menlo Park, New opportunity to operate the machines. A MAJOR Jersey and Eldridge Johnson‘s Victor –PRISCILLA TAYLOR FEATURE Talking Machine Company which was ARTICLE, established in Camden in 1900. COMPLETE IN I I I THIS ISSUE LLOYD CARPENTER GRISCOM: Lloyd Carpenter Griscom - GERALD WEABER, JR. 1 “An American Diplomat of the New Type” GENEALOGY Riverton is the proud home to a number of Griscom‘s resig- AND INTERNET famous authors, artists, captains of industry nation from his SEARCHING: A BEGINNER’S and politicians. One of the most adventur- post as United GUIDE: PART TWO ous families from Riverton may well be the States Ambassa- - MRS. PATRICIA Griscom clan led by Clement Acton and dor to Italy. At 2 SOLIN his son Lloyd Carpenter Griscom. Both the age of thirty- IF WALLS COULD father and son became two highly success- seven Ambassa- TALK Lloyd C. Griscom ful and colorful international characters of dor Griscom http://www.old-picture.com/american- - PRISCILLA TAYLOR 5 the early twentieth century. served with history-1900-1930s/Griscom-Lloyd.htm distinction in diplomatic posts in England, A REPORT ON Hugh Williard wrote―An American Diplo- THE MARCH Turkey, Persia, Japan, Brazil and Italy. mat of the New Type‖ for Putnam‘s Maga- PRESENTATION: - JOHN zine in 1909 two months after Ambassador MCCORMICK 6 See GRISCOM on 4 ② THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF RIVERTON PART TWO OF A TWO PART ARTICLE BY Genealogy and Internet Searching: MRS. PATRICIA SOLIN A Beginner’s Guide: Part Two Former school librarian, current Vice President of One day, about ten years after we had Piecing the puzzle of family history the Riverton Free Library bought our home at 406 Main Street, I Association Board, and From the Bible records that were left with HSR member, Mrs. answered a knock at our door. There I the house, I saw that Virgil MD Marcy had Patricia Solin has been found a gentleman who introduced himself presented the book to Alexander Marcy, a Riverton resident with by pointing to the historic sign on our Jr. on February 7th, 1884. But Alexander her husband, Barry and home – Dr. Alexander Marcy, Jr. House. Marcy was listed as Junior, so who was four children for over 24 He said, ―That‘s me!‖ which certainly years. Here is the Virgil and what of Alexander Marcy, Sr.? second installment of confused me as Dr. Marcy had passed Could I find any other information about her debut article for the away some sixty years before. Then he their family roots? My Internet search Gaslight News. explained, ―Dr. Marcy was my grandfather, provided me with a great deal of informa- and I grew up in this house. My name is tion, the primary sources for this history. Alexander Marcy Crowell.‖ He said he Please visit the Gaslight News‘ website, was a sailor and didn‘t know when he‘d gaslightnews.homestead.com. where active next be in the area to see his childhood links will take you directly to the websites friends or his home again, so he asked if I listed in the column at the end on this PHOTO BY PAT SOLIN didn‘t mind if he looked around. Yes, I article. 406 Main Street - former invited him to tour his former home. Marcy family residence The family Bible and information from the and now home to the Solin An unexpected visitor reminisces property deed stated that Alexander Marcy family. and sparks the author’s curiosity (Jr.) (b. 1859) married Mary Ann Mecray Marcy, as he was called, walked among (b.1864), date unknown, but that date my four children‘s scattered toys, and could have been when the Bible was gifted reminisced about the house. I told him in 1884. Mary Ann and Alex had five that the snowmen that he and his brother children, with two of the boys dying at the had drawn still remains under the wall- age of five, and the third boy at the age of paper in our bedroom, along with the childish graffiti, ―A. Marcy is a dope!‖ He three. Two children, Hannah Mecray told me of their Victory Marcy and Marjorie Sumner Marcy Garden, and how wonder- married and lived to adulthood. The ful it was to grow up in younger sister, Marjorie, married James Riverton. I told him that Gardner Crowell, Jr. Marjorie and we felt the same, and were Hannah inherited the Riverton house glad that we shared his (from the deed) after their mother died in home. It was a great visit. 1928, followed by Alexander Marcy in Since that time I have 1934 (from their Bible). Gardner and wanted to learn more about the Marcy family, the origi- Marjorie purchased Hannah‘s share and nal caretakers of our home. had a family of two sons while at 406 Main Street. We purchased the home from Mr. In the previous issue of Crowell in 1983. The Gaslight News, I described my Internet Gardner Crowell shares search techniques and my delightful oral history Marcy family and friends attempt to find public domain articles Mr. Crowell provided some insight to the about Alexander Marcy, Jr. and his family. family when we purchased the house. We I found a wealth of information about the were delighted that he shared a brief oral family and was able to construct a small but history about our house while touring each interesting insight to their history. of the rooms. For example, he mentioned THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF RIVERTON ③ that a second floor balcony facing the marriage and U.S Census Records, which South side of the house was warm enough, can be highly reliable. It showed that Virgil even in winter, to be used by ―the girls‖ to M.D. Marcy was born Jan. 5, 1823 in Cold dry their hair. (He had converted it to a Spring NJ, whose father was Samuel S. bathroom). Just below that balcony was a Marcy, who was born in CT. Virgil, 26, wrap-around porch with a side entrance. married Mary Jane Bennett, 22 on Nov. Patients were to enter a waiting room that 19, 1848 in Cape May, NJ. Also listed was would be closed off from the house by their son, Alexander Marcy, born in 1859 pocket doors. This room was adjacent to in NJ (from 1880 U.S. Census), with Virgil Mr. Crowell‘s music room, where he had a being the head of the household. Virgil, 57 baby grand piano. However, Dr. Marcy was listed as being an allopathic physician had used that first floor turret room as his in Cape May. exam room. The call bell for ―next patient‖ remains on the wall. When Dr. To recap: Samuel S. Marcy, born in CT, had a Marcy was able to afford it, he purchased The call bell for ―next the house next door, which became his son named Virgil. patient‖ remains on the clinic. The call bell, conveniently located Virgil was born in 1823, was a doctor wall. ... The call bell… was on the floor under the carpet near where and married in 1848, Mary J. Bennett used to call for the ―Trusty the lady of the house would sit in the din- Servant‖ whose room was (b.1826). up the back stairs on the ing room, was used to call for the ―Trusty Alexander, born in 1859, was a medical third floor, signified by a Servant‖ whose room was up the back student in 1880, living in Virgil Marcy‘s charming door knocker. stairs on the third floor, signified by a No, neither the bell nor the household. –This man was the previous trusty servant is currently in charming door knocker. No, neither the owner of our home! bell nor the trusty servant is currently in working order! working order! Now the timeline seems to get compli- cated, but interesting! At the same website Not only are oral histories one benefit of as above, another Alexander Marcy was being able to purchase a house from a long listed in 1878 as living in Camden at age 42 -time owner, but also the serendipity of and born in 1838, whose mother and finding ―lost‖ objects around the property.