Reminiscing about Trenton

I moved to Trenton with my family in 1954 at the age of 6. It was half way through Grade 1 at the Westside School in New Glasgow. At first we lived in a prefab on Dickie Street, and I went to school at Duke Street. Then we lived above Morton's store on Main Street. The most interesting house had to be the Chisholm house, built by Alex Chisholm, and owned at that time by his grandson,Robert, who I believe was stationed in Germany. This was a very large house with a basement that had previously been a store. (I would love to have pictures of that wonderful house.) We were there in 1959 when the Queen passed by. I remember waving flags from the high verandah. Mamie Ryan lived next to us, and across Chisholm's Corner lived the Long family and Laurie Reid. On the small piece of land where Main and High met, was the foundation of the flat Iron Building, built in I have so many great memories of those years.


I attended the old Duke Street School in Grade 1,2, and moved to the old Diamond Street School for Grade 3. For Grade 4  I went to the Florence Condon School where Vesta MacDonald was my teacher.  Grade 5 and  6 was in the New Diamond Street School. Then I moved back to the Florence Condon School for Grade 7 with Mrs. Barnes. Grade 8 and 9 was in the old High School on Dickie Street. The remaining grades were in the new part of the high school. (Peter White, Catherine Logan, Ron Rice, Peg Cameron, Mrs. MacKay(German), Dave MacKay, Mrs. MacLeod)We had those old long desks made for two students in Grade 9 with Annie Duncan. 


I remember going down street, as we called it, Town Office,Morton's Store, police station. It had a jail, a courtroom, and Chief Trowell and his family lived upstairs. Then there was the post office, a bakery?, the Temperance Building, an old blackened shingled structure. This was before the NSLC store and the new Fire Station. The old fire station was across from Morton's, which was previously a theatre. Then there was a small blue building before the store that was built by the first mayor, J.B. Strickland. At that time it was not a general store, but a shoemaker repair was using it. There was Thompson's, Cooney's barber shop,Merchant's Photography, Sobeys. 
McNabb's store was next, where the Legion is now, and then the two drug stores; MacLeod's and Steeltown, owned by Elmer Humphreys.


I remember the Trenton theatre across from the post office, although it was an Irving garage at the time. I don't remember when it was torn down. I have two pictures of it; one from 1916 and one from the 50's which also shows the old Temperance building.


to be continued      anyone reading this, feel free to correct, add or tell more


In 1961 we moved to Rose Avenue.