Postcards offer glimpse into Jamesburg's past
BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer

Above: Karen Mayo, of Jamesburg, admires the coach once owned by James Buckelew and ridden in by Abraham Lincoln, when she visited Lakeview on Jan. 28. Visitors to the historic mansion on Route 522 can learn more about Lincoln courtesy of impersonator Robert Costello from 1 to 5 p.m. on Feb. 25. At right: An old postcard depicting a landscape in Jamesburg is on display as part of an exhibit called "Jamesburg of Yesteryear: Postcards of the Past." Borough Historian Tom Bodall (pictured) curated the exhibit. Below: A postcard mailed from Jamesburg to Linden in August 1930 contains a brief note about a weekend being spent in the borough.

JAMESBURG - A new exhibit at the Lakeview mansion features more than two dozen authentic postcards showing borough scenes in the early part of the 20th century.

Borough Historian Tom Bodall said the postcards date back as far as 1903 and represent a vivid reminder of Jamesburg's past.

Titled "Jamesburg of Yesteryear: Postcards of the Past," the exhibit opened Jan. 28 and runs through May 28. In addition to the actual postcards, there are about 100 scans of other postcards.

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"For a small town like Jamesburg, you wouldn't think we'd have so many postcards," Bodall said. "But back then it was very common and popular to send them."

The postcards include scenes of buildings and events as well as street views, he said.

The postcards, typically purchased by travelers to Jamesburg at a local drug store or dry goods store, would be sent to family and friends as a way of "checking in" and letting them know their trip was safe.

"Many times people would come to visit and then drop a line back home," Bodall said.

The postcards on display date to the early 1930s. The earlier ones are in black and white, and the later cards are in color.

Some of the postcards have notes indicating that the traveler was visiting Jamesburg, that the trip was safe and that they wish the folks back home were along.

Bodall, a 21-year-old history major at Rowan University, told the Sentinel some of the postcards and photos belong to the Jamesburg Historical Association and others are part of his personal collection, having purchased them on the eBay auction Web site.

Bodall said the cards offer "a glimpse into a moment in history." They are accompanied in the exhibit by text panels with information about the town's history.

Lakeview, also known as the Buckelew mansion, has quite a history of its own. It was built in sections between 1685 and 1870 and became the home of James and Margaret Buckelew in the 1800s. James, for whom the town is named, was involved in various industries and businesses, and the home he helped build has lasted despite never really being modernized, Bodall said.

Also on display is the Lincoln Coach, a stagecoach on which Abraham Lincoln rode in 1861. Bodall said James Buckelew heard Lincoln would be at the Statehouse in Trenton, and drove the coach there. He was one of many who offered to give Lincoln a ride from the train station to the Statehouse, and Lincoln chose Buckelew's coach over the others.

For more information about

the historical association, visit www.jamesburghistory.com or call (732) 521-2040 and leave a message. Lakeview is open the second and fourth Sunday of each month from 2 to 4 p.m. and is located at 203 Buckelew Ave., across from Dunkin' Donuts.