(above) Through the 1950s and into the 60s, most parking spaces were filled during the holiday season as shoppers could check off every item on their gift lists at stores like W.T. Grant, Marks Harris, Robinsons, and Oxmans. Note that cars parked diagonally on the east side of Main Street and parallel on the west side.
Nostalgic Images of Rahway at Christmas (c. 1960)
Submitted by Al Shipley, City Historian and Rahway Library Research Consultant
The holiday season is always a good time to reminisce and think back to the “good old days” when everything seemed to be better and life was slower and simpler. For those who grew up in Rahway in the 1950s and 60s, it’s a good feeling to conjure up images of the brightly colored lights that were hung across Main, Cherry, and Irving Streets and to remember the wide variety of stores, each bustling with holiday shoppers.
(above) Even the Rahway Theater took on a magical glow at Christmas time. Festive lights were strung across Irving Street from Central Avenue to Milton Avenue to create a canopy of colors. All stores were open til 9 p.m. from the Monday after Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve.
Although our mind’s recollections may be good, photos and paintings can more accurately capture what the business district was really like. Noted artist Lloyd Garrison, who was a Rahway resident for much of his life, produced Christmas cards from 2002 – 2016 showing images of different parts of the city during the holiday season. As city historian, I worked with Lloyd to ensure the streetscapes were as accurate as possible so the cards might be useful in historic research. The following four scenes of the downtown district should bring back pleasant memories. For those too young and those new to Rahway the images may be a good way to bring back one’s own memories of this time of peace and joy.
(above) Shoppers were bused in from the surrounding communities of Clark, Colonia, Iselin, and Carteret to shop in Rahway’s fine stores. Cherry Street businesses offered everything from books, jewelry, and toys, to shoes, hats, and tobacco products. This scene shows Cherry Street looking east from Irving to Main.
(above) The west side of Irving Street from Elm to Broad shows a number of storefronts including Burton’s Colonial Gift Shop where one could purchase Lenox China, and Bauer’s Luncheonette, the place to stop for a hot beverage after a long evening of shopping. The Rahway Savings Bank, located to the left of the church, offered Christmas Club savings plans.
