A&P – The grocery store's opening at 26 Bridge Street, Frenchtown, was delayed a day “by the auto truck loaded with their goods crashing through the river bridge at Stockton, at the second span from the Jersey shore,” reported the Frenchtown Star in the spring of 1922.
From what can be learned, the truck left Philadelphia after midnight coming up on the Pennsylvania side as far as Point Pleasant, where they were stopped at the Tohickon bridge which is being rebuilt and was not considered safe for a heavy load to cross.
They turned and ran southward again to Centre Bridge, which they ventured to cross, although not considered as strong as other river bridges.
We learn from the Lambertville Record that the driver of the truck was John Perry, and Louie DeSotti rode on the rear. The latter, hearing the noise of the breaking floor, jumped safely to an unbroken span of the bridge.
Perry fell with the truck through the floor 40 feet, the truck landing in an upright position with Perry climbing to the top and crying for help. He was rescued by P.H. Ledger and William Colligan in a rowboat.
The bridge was declared safe after recent repairs, for loaded trucks of one ton. The A&P truck was two and one half tons.
The Frenchtown A&P store received another consignment of goods the next day, and had their opening for business. The landlord was John T. Haney, who had already painted the facade red, the A&P's signature color.
At first the A&P only occupied the eastern storefront – the one currently occupied by the Junto Emporium, and the other storefront was Sid Gano's barbershop. Then the grocery store expanded into that storefront, too.
But eventually more space was needed so the A&P could create Frenchtown's first and only supermarket.
A construction permit was issued in 1967 to build on Upper Sixth Street. This was done just before Frenchtown's zoning went into effect, which is why we have a supermarket in a residential zone.
Construction was slow and intermittent, and was even suspended by the borough in April of 1970 after high winds blew down three of store's walls. Another wall had fallen over twice. Inspectors were called in and the contractor, Chardel Enterprises of Ocean City, was ordered to put up a fence and clean up the work site.
The A&P opened in its new quarters in the spring of 1971 and remained there until a corporate contraction closed the store several years into the 2000s.
From “Rick's Frenchtown Encyclopedia”
TOURS RESUMING!
If you've read this far, you might be a hard-core Frenchtown history buff. In that case you might be interested in one of my tours. I'm resuming them very cautiously. At first they will be by-appointment, limited to the Cemetery Tour, and only two or three quarantine-mates at a time. Masks will be required and a 6-foot distance from me must be maintained. I'm prepared to holler across that void. The price is $15 per person, not including anyone under 18, who would be welcome, but whose satisfaction with the tour is not guaranteed.
So if you want to set up a tour, email me at rickepstein@yahoo.com or text me at 908-200-0480.
Great story. P.H. Ledger was my grand father