The Urken Family and Local Stores
A recent item I posted was the triangular shaped building on
South Clinton Avenue and Division Street. It was PalmerTrout
in my Burg day but was Urken & Kohn Department Store before
then. Looking at my city directy of Trenton 1957 I see the
Urken family were part of a few other stores. Heres what I
found:
Edythe, Jennie, & Carl Urken were employed by SS Allen
Department Store, 694 South Broad Street, The Burg.
Hyman Urken who lived at 66 Sanhican Drive in West Trenton
owned Urkens 5&10 on 112 North Hermitage Avenue, Urkens
5 Cents to 1 Dollar Store at 1600 East State Street, and
Urkens Variety Store at 1105 South Clinton Avenue in the
Burg. Note: This store is near the former Urken and Kohn
building which is 1122 South Clinton Avenue, it was
already Palmer Trout by the date of this Trenton
Directory.
Morris Urken owned Urkens Glass Shop at 336 South Broad
Street in South Trenton.
Harry Urken owned Willets Store at 903 Brunswick Avenue
in North Trenton.
3 years ago
3 comments:
Thank you Mack. It was Harry with the glasses and ever present cigar along with his son Howard who ran the Willet's on Olden and Brunswick.
Sandwiched in to a corner of the Willet's building was a tiny "hole in the wall" newsstand. It was run by Morris and Joe Ianni. In those days "risque" meant showing a bit of leg, not like now. When we were perhaps 10 or so we developed plots to get our hands on a magazine pre Playboy called "Night And Day". We had (as seen on TV), synchronized our watches and plotted to ring the phone. When he was distracted under our jackets the forbidden fruit would go. We would then have a clue about what was ... well it never worked. Old Morris or Joe would answer the phone and never take their eyes off us.
Skip .. Urkens were nice folks
Ianni's would sell cigarettes to a baby for money. I got mine there all the time, also those good mags.
Joe, I could buy cigs back then but the day I tried to smoke, I went to every store on the block trying to buy a pack of Parliment or Tareton.
I think it was Bugdal, Ritzy and Iannni.
Morris said your Dad and Mom smoke Pall Mall can I talk to your Mom when she gets off the B-Crosstown?
Zebroski (Ritzy), hit me with the same line .. Your sister smokes Kool and parents Pall ..
I could not get my hands on a butt or girlie mag if my life depended on it. Same for beer.
I did swipe a few cigs once and choked but did not start smoking and drinking till I was overseas in the Navy. We had an Olympia Beer and cigarette machine in the barracks.
Arggggg, danged baby face.
Skip
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