Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-02-16

PAST Is YEARS
Lively Business Block Sur
plants Plain Cow Fields.

pidHtS fIdlH VVW fsctaos
UPPER Smith Street." which Is
that portiea lying between State
street and Madison avenue has grown
from ordinary farm fields to n OF
the busiest and brightest business
districts OF Perth Amboy. When 1t
Ia considered that fifteen or eighteen
wears ago there were no houses or
store buildings on the northeriy sido
OF Smith street between State street
and Madison avenue and but two or
three on tn southerly side and then
a giimpseNbut a glimpse, for that Is
all thai is necessary-is taken of the
present array of buildings, somei
idea may be gained of the enormous
growth Of that section. The block
now occupied by the Scheuer, Palisi,
Hess, Martin. Stricken, Wilder, new
Hendricksen and Laurisen buildings,
and many others Including the hand
some Wolff building, was q field used
as q pasture for cows less than a
score of years ago. On the southerly
side OF Smith street there are the
numerous, large and small business
buildings. all containing stores on the
ground floor and offices or fashion
able dwellings, above.
buchanan House Was First.
The first building in the block, ac-
eording to old residents, was the
former two-story frame residence of
Captain William Buchanan, which,
until a FIVE months ago, occupied a
prominent space at the southeast cor
ner OF Smith and State streets, That
ground. the entire tract once owned
by the Buchanan family, is now
graced with several new brick build
: ings just completed for the Hyme
Company On the corner is a three
story brick store and Office building
known as the american" Adjoin-,
ing IN the westerly side are several
~one-story store structures and at the
westerly end OF the property Is a two
story brick building.
Among the first buildings in the
block besides the Buchanan residence
was the three-story brick store and
dwelling structure which for many
years has been occupied by Jacob
Kreielsheimer. One of the oldest
buildings on the southerly side Is the
one at 139 Smith street, which, for
many years was occupied by John
and Edward D. Switzer, and Is now
AtA4Ff - ~S CAtS 49, VIVA 10kSA bNAAt
Old Vienna restaurant.
Paiisi Erected Building.
Marine Palfsi was the first prop
erty owner to build on the northerly
side OF Smith street, between State
street and Madison yenne He erect
ed a two-story brick building In
which he still conducts grocery
store and lives. He purchased a lot
about a hundred feet west of State
street and erected his building about
1896. AT that time David Tutley
conducted a news stand on the cor
ner where New Brunswick avenue
fntersects Smith Street. "A few years
later Cohen brothers opened the
cfty's first lunch wagon just north
Of the nesw stand. Both places
grew; the news stand was enlarged.
and sold to Moore brothers and sew
eraa lunch wagons were later In
stalled. There might have been a
bank building on the property now
held by MIR. Palisi, he says, for a
bank had an option on it and was
about to purchase it while he was
negotiating to buy the corner now
occupied by the Seheuer store and
office structure.
The Palisi building was the round
alton for q number of modern store
and dwelling houses along that side
of Smith street. Soon afterward
Richard Martin put up his building
almost opposite Hobart street and
Hess brothers followed with a most
modern two-story store building be-
tween the Martin and Palisi build
ings. This was destroyed by fire
several years ago asd rebuilt. Fol-
lowing its erection came the building
OF what Is Familiarity known as Wild
81 hall, and a little later the struc-
ture adjoining it on the west occu-
pied for many years by James Kirby
as a cafe and bowling alleys and
ney by Emil Rohnsack.
Other Structures Followed.
Other buildings since sprung up
Other buildings have since sprung
up until every inch of land on both
sides is now taken up with strne-
lures ranging from one-story stores
and lunch room to three-story build
ings OF the most expensive and mod
ern& kind. Little pain wal spared in
the erection of some OF the late mod
ern~ buildings In the block. The own
ers@in almost every instance seemed
inclined that theirs should be the
best and mos attractive building in
the, block and to that end most of
the work was carried out. AS a re-
suit the city has al array of struc-
lures on both sides on both sides of
Smith street from State street and
New Brunswick avenue to Madison
avenue of which it can justly boast
and be proud. Late among these
buildings erected under the~name of
the Hyme Company.
At Is amusing to many to hear old
resident OF the city tell of cattle and
horses grazing In fields on both sides
Of Smith street, then little more than
an ordinary country road with COM
MOI rail fences on both sides. Now
Smith street, both upper and lower,
Is recognized as the leading business
-uhoroughfare In the city.
The NENg has Aha |