October RHS Trivia

1. Jane [or Deborah] "Mother" Leeds is connected with what South Jersey "myth"? 

 answer: The Jersey Devil. According to popular folklore, the Jersey Devil originated with a Pine Barrens resident named Jane Leeds, known as Mother Leeds. The legend states that Mother Leeds had 12 children and, after finding she was pregnant for the 13th time, cursed the child in frustration, crying that the child would be the devil. In 1735, Mother Leeds was in labor on a stormy night while her friends gathered around her. Born as a normal child, the thirteenth child changed to a creature with hooves, a goat's head, bat wings, and a forked tail. Growling and screaming, it beat everyone with its tail before flying up the chimney and heading into the pines. In some versions of the tale, Mother Leeds was supposedly a witch and the child's father was the devil himself. Some versions of the legend also state that there was subsequently an attempt by local clergymen to exorcise the creature from the Pine Barrens. 

 2. Where is the oldest, still operating, light house in the United States? 

 answer: Sandy Hook, New Jersey [over 250 years old] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Hook_Light

 3. Where was the first dinosaur skeleton found in the United States? 

 answer: Haddonfield, NJ The Hadrosaur skeleton discovered in Haddonfield in 1858 was not only the first dinosaur fossil recorded found in the United States, it is also one of the most complete dinosaur fossils ever found. The Hadrosaur was also the first dinosaur ever to be put on public exhibit. https://www.thoughtco.com/hadrosaurus-1092727 

 4. Where was the world's first film studio? 

 answer: West Orange, NJ Edison's Black Maria Film Studio https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison%27s_Black_Maria

September RHS Trivia

 1. Where was the first brewhouse in New Jersey--which is the oldest extant brewhouse building in America?

Penn's Brewhouse, 1682: 6 West Pearl Street, Burlington, NJ

https://southjerseybeernews.blogspot.com/2009/10/oldest-brewhouse-in-usa-is-in-nj.html

2. What was the 12 minute "Walk of Death"?

Howard Unruh of Camden a mass shooter shot and killed 13 people in 12 minutes 6 Sep 1949

My brother was born 31 Aug 1949 at Camden Cooper Hospital. My father and I went to pick up my mother and brother from Cooper that day. I was left in the car while my dad wnt to get them. Suddenly there were sirens and, police cars and ambulances all over. It took a long time for my dad, mom, and baby brother to get back to the car!

3. Who was the first player ever to score three goals in a FIFA Women's World Cup final and the second soccer player ever to score a hat-trick in any senior FIFA World Cup Final?

Carli LLoyd of Delran

4. Who was the original host of the Jeopardy! TV quiz show?

Art Fleming [Fazzin]

RHS August 2020 Trivia

 

1. New Jersey High School Civics:  How many counties in the state of New Jersey? Which county is the largest in land area? Which, the smallest?

Twenty-one, Burlington County, Hudson County

2. "Superman" came to radio as a serial on WOR in 1940. Who originally voiced Superman? Hint: He also later hosted radio's "Time's A-Wastin' " in 1948 which became "Beat the Time" in 1949 and transitioned to CBS television as "Beat the Clock" which he also hosted 1950-1956?

Bud Collyer

3. Election Trivia: Does the District of Columbia have any electors in the Electoral College?

Yes, three

4.Has a sitting United States President ever been arrested? If so, whom and for what?

Yes, Ulysses S. Grant,  for speeding

President Grant was arrested for speeding. They brought him to the department for holding, but then the chief was unsure if they could charge a sitting President without impeachment, so they let him pay a fine and walk back to the White House after impounding his buggy.

RHS July 2020

1. Name the Al Capp-created, holey police detective, who appeared in a comic within a comic and also in Wildroot Cream Oil ads?

Fearless Fosdick

2. Who was the WOR radio NY daily nighttime radio host, humorist, and storyteller who was also famous for the popular Christmas movie, "A Christmas Story (1983),"  which he wrote (based on his novel) and narrated as the adult voice of Ralphie?

Jean Shepherd

3. Henry Ford's trademark "woody" station wagon production gave rise to a non-motor-car-related industry/company. What was the product and its famous brand name?

charcoal briquets     Kingsford Charcoal

4. Who was the New Jersey born, academic scholarship holder at Rutgers, all-American football player, Rutgers class valedictorian (who later received an LL.B. from Columbia Law School while playing in the NFL), who became a recording and film actor of note?

Paul Robeson

RHS June 2020 Trivia

1. U.S. Naval Captain James Lawrence [born in Burlington, NJ] took command of the frigate CHESAPEAKE and shortly thereafter, on 1 Jun 1813, engaged the Royal Navy frigate SHANNON off Boston where it was blockading the U.S. port. In the fray Lawrence was fatally wounded by small arms fire and died shortly after uttering his famous dying last words. What were they?

"Don't give up ship!" [Actually Lawrence uttered those words as he was being carried below and died a short while later] 

cf., https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/us-people/l/lawrence-james.html

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2. Where was the first [1624] settlement in what is now the state of New Jersey located  [it was also the site of the first known murder of Europeans in New Jersey] ?

Burlington Island in the Delaware between Bristol, PA & Burlington, NJ *

cf., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burlington_Island#Fort_Wilhelmus

* My 10g grandparents, Joris Jansen Rapalje & Catelyntje Trico were one of these first ten families. Their first child was the first child of European descent born in New Netherlands. She lived to be over 80 and gave several depositions about the first days of the Dutch colony. Here is one: "The Deposicon of Catelina Trico aged fouer score yeares or thereabouts taken before the right honoble Collo. Thomas Dongan Lent. and Governour under his Rlyll. hignss James Duke of Yorke and Albany etc. of N York and its Dependencyes in America, who saith and Declares in the prsens of God as followeth

"That she Caine to this Province either in the yeare one thousand six hundred and twenty three or twenty fouer to the best of her remembrance, and that fouer Women Came along with her in the same Shipp, in which ship the Governor Arian Jorissen Came also over, which fouer Women were married at Sea and that they and their husbands stayed about three Weekes at this place and then they with eight seamen more went in a vessell by ordr. of the Dutch Governor. to Dellaware River and there settled. [Burlington Island just off Burlington, NJ] This I Certifie under my hand & ye seale of this province. THO. DONGAN."

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3. The U.S. Navy's first submarine, the human-muscle propelled Civil War ALLIGATOR, was first tested which American water way [and for extra credit--in which town did its French inventor and crew stay during the testing]?

The Rancocas Creek.  Delanco, NJ. 

[http://www.delancotownship.com/content/5300/5919/5951/default.aspx ]

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4. WCAU TV [channel 10] had one of Philly's earliest kids' TV shows hosted by a puppet called "Willie the Worm" who introduced old kids cartoons. Willie had an off-screen assistant who ran the projector for the cartoons. "Who" was this projectionist?

"Newton the Mouse"

http://www.broadcastpioneers.com/willietheworm1.html

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RHS May Trivia

1. 1. Traynor Ora Halftown (February 24, 1917 – July 5, 2003), better known as Chief Halftown, was a Native American entertainer who hosted a children's show that aired on WFIL-TV (which became WPVI-TV in 1972) in Philadelphia from 1950 to 1999. Originally intended for a six-week series, his show went on to become the world's longest running local TV children's show.  Chief Halftown also was a sports professional. What was his sport?

"Chief" Halftown, a Seneca tribesman from upstate New York, was also a professional bowler and spokesman for the Brunswick Bowling Manufacturing Corporation.

2. Twins were an advertising shtick for Doublemint Chewing Gum. A Saint Paul, Minnesota, cosmetics manufacturer also used twins in its advertisements, "Which twin has the _________"?

Toni Home Permanent. 

3.  A major league catcher later was a team co-owner and the longest serving MLB team manager. Who was he?

Cornelius McGillicuddy   aka Connie Mack. 

The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds records for wins (3,731), losses (3,948), and games managed (7,755), with his victory total being almost 1,000 more than any other manager.

Mack managed the Philadelphia Athletics for the club's first 50 seasons of play, starting in 1901, before retiring at age 87 following the 1950 season, and was at least part-owner from 1901 to 1954. He was the first manager to win the World Series three times, and is the only manager to win consecutive Series on separate occasions (1910–11, 1929–30); his five Series titles remain the third most by any manager, and his nine American League pennants rank second in league history. However, constant financial struggles forced repeated rebuilding of the roster, and Mack's teams also finished in last place 17 times. Mack was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, New York in 1937. 

4. There was park a short block away from the Riverside Washington Street schools complex. If one stood looking in the direction of the school, the street running alongside the park to one's left often was the scene of a lawn game popular in Italy or France. What was the game? What was the name of  the park?

Bocce:  bocce ball, bocci^, or boccie, is a ball sport belonging to the boules family, closely related to British bowls and French pétanque 

Spring Garden Park.

RHS Trivia April 2020

1. An early local Philadelphia kids' TV show which aired on channel 3/NBC was hosted by the father of the actor who portrayed Frankenstein's monster opposite Gene Wilder's Dr. Frankenstein in "Young Frankenstein". The show featured old "Our Gang" movies and the show's set was made to resemble the Our Gang kids' clubhouse. What was the title of the show and who was the host?

"Pete's Gang" & Peter Boyle, sr.

2. What was the early name of the town of Riverside back in the days when the town was a spot where Philadelphians came to get away from the city?  HINT: It began with the letter "P".

Progress

3. Riverside's signature soft drink, Tak-a-Boost 's trademark was registered in 1913. It was the creation of a pharmacist who first had a shop on Scott Street, but later moved to Bridgeboro Street. The pharmacist's name was Benjamin Rice _________?

Faunce

4. When the class of 1959 were seniors, RHS won the Group II State Championship in boys basketball, they defeated  _____________________ High School in the finals.

North Arlington High School