My name is Barbara Andrews-Jenkins.
I grew up in the Third Ward of Newark, mail zone 3, better known
today as the Central Ward. My parents came from Sparta, Georgia
in 1945 and settled in Newark, New Jersey. I was born the following
year, April 21st. on Easter Sunday at Beth Israel Medical Center.
My parents were "rooming" with a family on Hamden Street
at the time and later moved to a 5-story cold-water flat at 75 South
Orange Avenue, it was a brick, 5-story walk-up (the Society Hill
development sits at that spot today). To keep warm in the winter,
we had to burn oil in one of those huge, black stoves in the kitchen,
which also heated our water tank for hot water. Everyone carried
an oil can or some type of container to get fifty-cents worth of
oil.
Mr. Johnnie's grocery store, LaMar dry cleaners (owned by Mr. Lloyd,
Miss Gussie, and their only daughter Diane), and the Big "M"
were on the corner of Wickliffe Street, Broome Street, and South
Orange Avenue, and there was Mr. Joe's grocery store, Yee Lee Chinese
laundry, and can't forget Suga Wuga's Chicken Shack.
Former Councilman Irvine Turner visited the community on a regular
basis. If you wanted some nightlife, you could go to the "Big
M" (I think James Brown put the name in one of his songs),
Frederick's Lounge where you might hear Nat King Cole or his brother,
the 94 Bar, Rex's Lounge, Manor Lounge, Howard Bar, and can't forget
Jimmy McGriff on the B-Hammond organ. If you wanted to shoot some
pool, it was a short walk to the pool hall at Howard Street.
If you lost your house keys, you could go to Jimmy Nole's to get
a new one. While playing hop-scotch and double-dutch, I listened
to live jazz jam sessions coming from Louie's apartment across the
street, and old 78 blues recordings of Bo Diddly, Lightnin' Hopkins,
Muddy Waters coming from Ms. Ella's apartment during her many weekend
gambling parties in the summer. You can't forget the smell cooking
chittlins' and collard greens for her guests.
Other neighboring stores in the community were Mr. Heywood and
Mr. Sam's candy store where they had the best shoe shine and hat
cleaning business in Newark. If you wanted fresh fish, just walk
up one block to the Fish Market where my next door neighbor, Mr.
Johnnie Allan worked; and Mr. Ben had the best ice cream after sunday
service at the Metropolitan Baptist Church.
Springfield Avenue in Newark was the economic hub of the Central
Ward. There was Wigler's and Lehrhoff's bakeries, hot-dog shops,
vegetable markets, live chicken markets, meats hanging from butcher
shop windows, Sidney's deli and Loufell's custard ice cream on Springfield
Avenue and Jones Street. When it came time to shop for school clothes
Mr. Sasson's shop had what you needed for a reasonable price, and
it was just a short walk to the next corner for your new school
shoes at Mile's Shoe Store by Broome Street. Can't forget the local
5 and 10 cent store where I bought "Midnight in Paris"
cologne for my mom one Christmas.
Summers in the Central Ward were not like any other area of Newark.
No one had air conditioning back then, you kept cool with a flavored
snow cone, swimming at Rotunda Pool or the "Down Neck"
pool, and could sleep on the fire escape during the hot summer nights.
I attended Robert Treat School (kindergarten - 9th grade Jr. High),
and Central High School where I received an excellent education.
I grew up around masonic orders, religious groups (Daddy Grace and
Father Devine), and social clubs (Conquistadors, Mighty Counts,
Barons) and my own clubs the Crusaders/Crusader Debs and Egyptian
Gods/Goddesses.
Although the community was notorious for shootings, stabbings,
number running, drugs, and other vices, most of these people were
actually our neighbors and friends. Many good things and good people
came out of the Third Ward.
Although the Newark Riots of '67 changed the community overnight,
today there is a rebirth with new housing developments, businesses
and restaurants. But it will never erase nor replace the wonderful
memories of my childhood and growing up in the old Third Ward.
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