Bill, I just printed off your description of Tier's Pond. My husband and I are the ones who put the postcards up. He says his family had fond memories of it, and, though he is not old enough to have seen it himself, he remembers his family showing him where it was. I can picture his parents "courting" there. He had always been told it was destroyed by a flood. Thanks for bringing it more to life for us. If you do not mind, I would like to put up a summary of the history, at least as much as I can squeeze on the site. Would that be Ok with you? Thanks so much for the colorful poignant history. BTW, I notice the Smalley. If you had a Smalley/Munro connection in the Plainfield area, please email me privately. Sydney Cardner, (the Sydney is female) Florida -----Original Message----- From: BILL CADMUS <[email protected]> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Date: Friday, April 28, 2000 12:36 PM Subject: Re: [NJUNION] Tier's Pond >I've seen the postal card pictrure of Tier's Pond in Plainfield which appears >very plain and without >historical significance or any description to inform our modern generations >about what was once >perhaps Plainfield's most popular place when it was located at Bank Place and >East Front Street. > >In its heyday from 1865 to 1907 it was situated at the front of the 14-room Tier >Homestead. In >the winters it was crowded with ice skaters, but it reached its zenith during >the spring, summers and >fall by providing recreation to swimmers and boaters. John H. Tier raised >cattle and also owned an >abbatoir. He harvested ice from his lake and was the first to offer home >delivery of block ice, all by >horse and wagon. Mr. Tier was the first in the Plainfield area to make homemade >ice cream and it >became such a successful business that he built an ice cream pavilion along the >bank of the pond. > >Tier rented row boats and after young men took their sweethearts for a ride on >the lake, they retired >to the pavilion for a dish of delicious homemade ice cream. He also took orders >for home delivery >of the ice cream which he sold in bulk for 30-cents per quart. His delivery >route became so successful >that he added bells to his delivery wagons and sleighs. > >Children always recognized the approach of his wagons by exclaiming, "here comes >the "Hokey Pokey >Wagon" as it became to be known. Another building on the same property was for >years known as >the Clara Louise Tea Room. Water from the dam at Tier's property was used to >run French's Mill on >Somerset Street. Each time floods ravaged the dam, John Tier and Phineas French >sought to repair it. > >After 1915 the homestead was razed and the pond later filled in. With the >introduction of automobiles >and the need for additional parking spaces in downtown Plainfield, the site of >the former Tier's Pond >was acquired and destined to become a m municipal parking lot. This information >has been furnished >by William Smalley Cadmus, grandson of the late John H. Tier, Jr. > > > > >