My Father, Artie Litzenburger, was born
in Newark, 1911. When still a little boy he worked for a well known
bakery as delivery or cleaning up, I'm not sure and darned if I
can remember the name of the bakery. His mother, my grandmother,
was married a couple of time before she married my grandfather,
Henry Litzenburger.
My Dad, Artie, moved to Livingston sometime after his father died.
My Mom and he married in 1932 and Daddy was working for Dugan Brothers
Bakery. His first delivery wagon was pulled by a horse. During the
war they used electric trucks. Right behind Dugan's ran the trolley/train.
It was an underground, above ground conveyance. I remember taking
it, probably from Newark station, and meeting my Dad after he finished
work. I was a little older then and 'Two Guys from Harrison' had
opened a store. Good buys.
As a little girl Mom and I would take a bus to my Aunt, Gladys
Mahoney who lived on 19th St. between South Orange Ave. & Central
Ave. Of course we couldn't go directly. First a bus down Northfield
Ave. to Main St. Orange continuing into E. Orange. Then a cross
town by the cemeteries in Newark & then walk a couple of blocks.
19th St. was by the Hoffmann soda bottle. Daddy would meet us there
after work. Dugan's was near Newark Stadium (I think) also Charms
Company was another company I remember passing.
On Thanksgiving Day a parade would pass 19th Street & Central
Avenue. Daddy and I would stand in front of Shehadi Rug store and
afterward go to Aunt Gladys for a hot chocolate (for me) and a shot
and a beer for Daddy, in those days that was acceptable, after which
we would drive back to Livingston. The parade was wonderful. Mother
and Daddy and I would stop occasionally for something called Ting-a-Ling.
An Italian hot dog that was absolutely the best and then get whipped
crème in cardboard cups with just a little bit of yellow
cake under the crème.
Bamberger's, & Kresge's windows at Christmas were beautiful.
We had to wait for our bus home outside Bam's. Chinese restaurant.
To a child it seemed 500 stairs, where in the summer it was cool
and quiet and chicken chow mien that was rumored to be....cat. Didn't
matter was still delicious. There used to be a movie theatre past
Kresge's by a piano store. My memory for names is going elsewhere.
At this movie theatre my uncle and I saw a small, black child in
a pale blue suit who played the piano. No one seems to remember
who this boy was.
I'm sorry if I bore you. I loved going to Newark and was so sorry
to see the 60's happen to it. Of course I am white and have not
a clue as to how difficult life was for anyone of color. Maybe the
riots were necessary. I worked there for a very short time after
high school in an insurance company. Used to go to Newark symphony
hall before it was called that to see country singers and listened
for years to a country station out of Newark.
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