The Turbulent Twenties

Driven by an idealistic and probably unrealistic vision, the United States went to war in 1917 in a crusade to end all wars and establish a new order of world peace.  Although victorious on the battlefield, frustrations in the peace process destroyed the vision and helped create a national mood that was far less optimistic as the 1920's began.  Instead of the return to the normalcy promised by presidential candidate and eventual winner, Warren G. Harding, the decade saw a revolution in manners and morals, life changing technological innovations and boom economic times which seemed too good to last, and didn't.  According to historian Frederick Lewis Allen, it was an unhappy decade with values being undermined so to some life seemed "meaningless and unimportant."

Left to right, Mary Winder, Mary Ann Winder and Edith Shaw in 1920

For Mary Ann Winder the level of change must have seemed overwhelming, but at least she wasn't raising children during the decade, especially girls.  Between them, James and sister Edith had six daughters while Florence had two girls in addition to four boys.  The challenge of being a parent in the 1920's were difficult enough, but Florence also suffered the tragic death of her husband.

By 1920 James and Mary Winder had been married for 17 years and were still living at 743 Stuyvesant Avenue with their four daughters, Alice (15), Elsie (11), Ruth (7) and Anna (4).  Based on the public record, the 1920's marked a decade of role reversal for James and his wife, Mary.  After almost 20 years where his name was regularly in the newspaper, James appears in the Trenton Evening Times only once during the period, in 1928 when he was a pall bearer at a funeral.  Mary, on the other hand, appears regularly, mostly in her role as president of Grace Church's mothers club.  Interestingly while Mary was a leader at Grace, it appears her daughters were active at All Saints Church which was apparently closer to Stuyvesant Avenue.

Elsie Winder with nieces, Anna (left) and Ruth Winder

 By the end of the decade Alice and Elsie had graduated from the State Normal School (later Trenton State College and later still, the College of New Jersey) and were teaching at the Jefferson (Trenton) and Homedall (Hamilton Square) schools respectively.  One other interesting note about Alice is that in 1922, she received two votes in a contest for the "most popular red head in Trenton."  It couldn't have gone to her head (sorry) as she was a mere 1629 votes behind the front runner.

While hopefully everyone found some humor in this, raising children in the 1920's was no laughing matter.  It was a period of radical change perhaps best symbolized by changes in women's dress and appearance.  Skirts which in 1919 were 6-7 inches off the ground were at the knee ten years later.  The many layers of clothing worn at the turn of the century were reduced so much that the amount of material needed for a women's outfit (excluding stockings) had fallen from 19 1/4 yards to only 7.  Out of favor too was the hour glass figure, replaced with an ideal figure that was "boyishly slender."

Picture of Elsie Winder from the Trenton Evening Times - April 22, 1923

Early in the decade younger women began to favor short bobbed hair which by the end of the 1920's was popular with women even in their sixties.  These far more convenient hair styles were topped off with a "small cloche hat" instead of the more massive styles of the 1890's.  All of this was major change, but it went far beyond dress and appearance as women drinking and smoking in public became far more common place along with a loosening of sexual mores which would seem tame to us, but were uncomfortably revolutionary to parents brought up in the Victorian era.  Indeed at the time, describing something as "Victorian" was to be harshly, if not bitterly, critical of it.

Trenton Evening Times - November 16, 1927

How much of this was an issue for James and Mary with their four daughters, especially Alice and Elsie is unknown, but it seems almost impossible that there weren't challenges and tensions along the way.  Edith and her husband, Philip, must have also faced the same issues with Edith and Phyllis, who were 13 and 8 respectively in 1920.  The Shaws hardly appear in the newspapers at all, since for part of the period they had moved from Trenton to Raven Rock, about 25 miles from Trenton.  Daughter Edith must have spent some time in Trenton as in September of 1927, she became engaged to Wilmot J. Hartpence.  Having graduated from Trenton High School, Edith was working in John A. Roebling's office while her fiancee was a deputy at the state prison in Trenton.  Cousin Alice Winder hosted a shower for Edith in November at 743 Stuyvesant and the young couple were married on November 30th at St. Michael's Church.

Florence Carr and children, I'm confident that the boy is Leon G. Carr Jr and the girl is Mildred Florence Carr, but less sure of the infant.  Next in order would be Mary Ann Winder Carr, but considering the ages of the other two in the picture, the infant may be James William Winder Carr

While Florence and husband, Leon, also had two girls to cope with, Mildred and Mary Ann who were 4 and 2 respectively in 1920 were probably too young throughout the decade to get caught up in the dramatic changes in women's lives.  There is a 1921 newspaper account of Mary Ann's third birthday party which was attended by a number of her Winder and Shaw cousins indicating the Winders maintained some level of family relationships.  The decade saw three more additions to the Carr family, James William Winder Carr (1921), Earl Foster Carr (1924) and Leonard Phillip (1926).

In the 1920 the family was living at 1617 South Clinton Avenue and Leon was employed as a packer in a bakery .  Raising a family of six was difficult enough for two people, but tragedy hit the family in 1927 when Leon was fatally injured in an industrial accident at C. V. Hill.  He was rushed to the hospital, but was too badly injured to survive.  At the time the family was living at 331 Rutherford Avenue with Mary Ann and Elsie, but they eventually moved to 1928 South Clinton Avenue where in 1930 they were living with Leon's brother and it appears household income came from him and eldest son Leon, a draftsman at a refrigerator company, probably C. V. Hill.

Trenton Evening Times - May 21, 1927

While Mary Ann was employed in 1920, this was no longer the case in 1930, but exactly when she stopped working is unknown.  Certainly by 1929 with twelve surviving grand children, her grandmother responsibilities could have occupied all of her time.  She also kept busy with travel and church activities.  In 1921, she and daughter Elsie visited Niagara Falls and Canada, a year later they vacationed in the Adirondacks and Saratoga Springs.  Christmas of 1921 must have been a special time in Mary Ann's life at St. Michael's Church.  As part of its Christmas observances, the church dedicated a new chantry ("an exquisite little piece of worship").  Included in the ecclesiastical accouterments were two sets of altar linen which were edged with "filet lace with an ecclesiastical pattern of alternating crosses and chalices," made by "Mrs. Mary Ann Winder, a parishioner of many years at St.Michael's."

Trenton Evening Times - December 25, 1921

The 1920's saw many technological innovations which made the physical aspects of home making somewhat less strenuous. However, the biggest technological change of the decade didn't so much make life easier,but instead offered access to dramatically wider rangers of entertainment and information.  Introduced by station WKDA in Pittsburgh for the 1920 presidential election, radio took off during the winter of 1921-22.  From total sales volume of $60 million in 1920, annual sales of radios reached $843 million by 1929, an increase of 1400%.  Families could now enjoy music, drama and comedy every night without leaving their homes, using the radio sections of their daily newspapers to find local connections to national shows.  In 1929, for example, millions tuned in at 7:00 each evening to listen to Freeman F. Gosden and Charles J. Correll, better known as "Amos n Andy," ("Do the name Ruby Begonia, strike a familiar note?")

Trenton Evening Times - October 15, 1929 - the radio choices available in Trenton at the end of the decade

We don't know, of course, if the Winders listened to "Amos n Andy," but it is pretty clear, there was plenty of modern radio equipment at 331 Rutherford Avenue.  By late 1927, Mary Ann was listed in an ad as being a customer of Joe's Time Shop for Radios, while in early 1923, Elsie had a "three stage and dector with amplifier and a loud speaker installed in her home."  Given her love and aptitude for music, Elise must have loved the broad musical menu now available at the flick of a dial.  Elsie's musical career itself continued through the decade including a picture in the Trenton Evening Times and playing at the 25th wedding anniversary of Mr & Mrs. Samuel Hart.  Hart, a long time Trenton resident, was a descendant of John Hart, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Trenton Evening Times - January 21, 1923

The increased development of electrical appliances plus a strong economy for the last seven years of the decade was good for the refrigerator industry and James' work at C. V. Hill & Co.  The economic boom which went hand-in-hand with what seemed to be unstoppable stock market growth led many middle class families to invest in stocks.  Sadly a lot of them lost their savings when the boom times ended with the stock market crash of October of 1929.  Whether the Winders suffered such losses is unknown, but the absence (to my knowledge) of anecdotal information suggests they didn't.  How they would fare in the ensuing great depression of the 1930's is another story which we will examine next.

World War I and the Winders

Almost every generation has a seminal moment, a time that everyone who was old enough will always remember where they were, when they heard the news.  September 11, 2011 is one such moment as is, for my generation, November 22, 1963 when John F. Kennedy was assassinated.  For my parents, it was December 7, 1941.  Like many people, my father heard the news of Pearl Harbor while listening to the radio, a source of information that seems antiquated today.

Trenton Evening Times - June 29, 1914 - Trenton learns of the murders that will spark World War I

Imagine then how it was in Trenton on Monday, June 29, 1914, coincidentally the day Hank Zinn was born, when even radio was at least six years away.  James Winder and family were living at 743 Stuyvesant Avenue and James was off to work at C. V. Hill and Co, daughter Alice and Elsie were going to school while baby Ruth was at home with mother, Mary.  James' sisters, Edith and Florence were tending to their families and Elsie was alone at 331 Rutherford Avenue since Mary Ann had been in England since June 6th.  At some point that day, everyone learned of the murders of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife in far off Sarajevo (wherever that was).  Even at that early hour there was no mistaking the seriousness of the situation as the Trenton Times reported that "the gravest danger to the peace of Europe may be the result of the murders."

Trenton Evening Times - August 4, 1914

The Winder's first thoughts had to have been with their mother in an England that would shortly be at war.  If anyone envisioned that England would need more military manpower than its small professional army, they would have realized their cousins, Henry (31) and Ernest (29) Watkins were of military age.  It's not clear if the two brothers did serve, but they did survive the war years. Things went steadily down hill and by August 4th the Trenton Evening Times used bold headlines to report that England (home of so many Trenton immigrant families) was only hours away from war with Germany.

Trenton - State Street and Broad Street in 1915 

Military mobilization throughout Europe derailed most people's travel plans including whatever Mary Ann had envisioned at the beginning of her trip.  At the end of January 1915, the Times reported that Mary Ann would probably not return until the following summer.  In fact, she did not arrive back in the United States until May 21, 1916, almost two years after her departure.  Fortunately, and probably intentionally, Mary Ann sailed on an American ship, the St. Louis, and thereby avoided threats of German submarines.

One of Germany's first acts was to invade neutral Belgium that not only brought England into the war, but led to a change in American opinion which became anti German and remained that way for the rest of the war.  At the same time, however, the prevailing sentiment in the United States was the war was "none of our business."  As British immigrants with relatives in England, it's doubtful, the Winders were quite that neutral, at the very least, they most likely sent supplies of scare items to Worcester even after Mary Ann's return.

For at least the first two plus years of the war, life for the Winders in Trenton remained relatively unchanged.  James continued to work at C. V. Hill and in July of 1915, he and Mary and their three daughters, took a two week vacation at Belmar, New Jersey.  The family went on a similar trip in late August of 1917, accompanied by Alf Blake, now married to Mary's sister, Hannah Maria, forever known to Winder descendants as "Sis."  Also on the trip was a new addition, youngest daughter, Anna Jean, born on April 11, 1916, her first birthday came just 10 days after the United States entered the War.

743 Stuyvesant Avenue in 1919

While the Trenton directories for the period continue to list the family living at 743 Stuyvesant Avenue, there is a surprising 1915 Trenton Evening Times reference to J. W. Winder and family leaving a property on the Howe tract to move to Trenton.  According to contemporary newspaper articles, the Howe tract refers to the Howe Estate on the Pennington-Trenton road which was apparently being developed for housing.  But why the Winders were living there or even if this is the correct family is hard to tell.  James continued to be a leader at Grace Church as shortly after Anna Jean's birth, he was again elected to the vestry.

James Winder with daughters Alice, Elsie, Ruth and Anna at the beach (presumably Belmar) in 1919

Later in 1916, James was elected to another position at Grace church, treasurer of the men's club which the Times hailed as "the pioneer organization of its kind in this city."  It's not clear how active James was in lodge activities as the report of his attendance at an October 1917 Knights Hospitaler meeting suggests he hadn't been there in some time.  Although James was too old to be drafted, he did have to register so we know that at 40 years of age, he was 5'9", weighed 140 pounds and had brown eyes and dark hair.

James Winder's World War I draft card

All of the Winders were no doubt glad and relieved to have Mary Ann safely back home in May of 1916 and she must have been especially glad to see her two newest grand children.  As with most of the post 1910 period, Mary Ann's work situation is unclear.  She was still involved at St. Michael's Church and in 1917 she also became involved in the sewing circle of Central Methodist Episcopal Church which apparently met at member's houses including 331 Rutherford Avenue.  Mary Ann's participation first appears after the United States entered the work and the group's focus was on "war relief."

Mary Ann Winder in 1917 after her return from England 

A year later, Mary Ann was also serving as a Red Cross volunteer helping to make hospital supplies and knitted articles for soldiers.  The combined experiences of spending two years of the war in England and her adopted country entering the conflict probably motivated Mary Ann to do her "bit."  Apparently her sewing skills were one of her real talents as in September of 1916, she received an award for drawn thread and crochet work at an interstate fair in Philadelphia.

Throughout the war years, Elsie lived at 331 Rutherford Avenue, worked as a music teacher and performed at a number of different venues.  By 1916 she was involved in the Order of the Eastern Star, chapter 22 where she was understandably chosen to serve as pianist and organist.  Today the Order has over 500,000 members worldwide and is the largest co-ed fraternal organization in the world.  Made up of people with spiritual values, the Order of the Eastern Star is not a religion so membership was consistent with Elise's ongoing role at St. Michael's Church.  Chapter 22 was founded in Trenton around 1900 and by 1916 had 240 members, including 52 who joined in that year which may include Elsie.  She also continued to make musical contributions to her family such as playing Mendelssohn's wedding march at the marriage of Elizabeth Shaw and Samuel Burgess.

Winder and Shaw cousins in 1917 - left to right, Elsie Winder, Alice Winder, Phylis Shaw and Edith Shaw

Elizabeth Shaw was, of course, Edith Shaw's sister-in-law and Edith was a bridesmaid.  By this point, Edith, Philip and daughters Edith and Phylis had moved from 702 Southard Street to 68 Sweets Avenue, perhaps to separate themselves from the place of their son's short life and death.  Philip was now working on the railroad which in 1916 was the nation's largest employer.  A year later however he was faced with an involuntary job change.  During August of 1917, Trenton was trying to fill its draft quota and Philip was called to take the exam which he passed.  In the end, however, Philip wasn't required to serve in the military as he was granted an exemption most likely because he was supporting a family.  As with James, his draft card does give a sense of his appearance at age 30, being of medium height and build with blue eyes and light brown hair.

Philip Shaw's World War I draft card

Although he was apparently not even called for a physical, Leon Carr's draft card describes him as being 5'6" of slender build with both brown hair and eyes.  While Florence doesn't appear on the public record during the period, Leon was a labor leader at the J. L. Mott Company where he worked as an assistant foreman.  In 1918, he was part of a union negotiating team which could not reach agreement with management as the company's offer of a 10% raise fell well short of the worker's 20% demand so a strike ensued.  By 1920 Leon had left J.L. Mott and was now working as a packer at a bakery.  Like the James Winder family, the Carr family grew during the war with the births of Mildred (1916) and Mary (1919).  Mary's birth may have necessitated a move to larger quarters as by 1917 the family had moved from 1039 South Broad to 1617 on the same street.

Although American life changed significantly during World War I, much of the change was subtle and not so obvious.  That would not be true of the new decade of the 1920's where change would be both pronounced and impossible not to notice.

Winder Women - 1900 - 1914

By 1900 Mary Ann Winder had lived almost an entire decade in her new country and by that point probaby had adjusted to her new life, which didn't include working outside the home.  Although this allowed her to concentrate on home and family, as we have seen, early twentieth century homemaking involved a lot of strenuous physical labor and parenting is never easy, regardless of the generation.  The new century did bring upgrades in household appliances and the Winders took advantage of some as Mary Ann was listed in a September 1900 newspaper article as the owner of a new gas range.  While it didn't make her workload any easier, Mary Ann was also, no doubt, pleased to win a tea set in a contest conducted by a local business in 1902.  The new set was probably put to good use the following month when she and James celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.

Trenton Evening Times - June 17, 1902

If a 1903 newspaper account is accurate, not long after the anniversary party, Mary Ann and eldest daughter, Edith, left for an 11 month visit to England.  As noted previously, Mary Ann made at least four return trips to England suggesting, among other things, that the Winders were comfortable financially.  At the time of the 1902 voyage, Mary Ann's three sisters plus both of her parents were still living in Worcester so the desire to maintain the family ties is certainly understandable.  Less clear is the rationale for spending almost a year away from her husband and three other children.  On the 1895 visit, Mary Ann took Elsie and Florence, but not Edith, who at 13 probably took on some of her mother's responsibilities.  By 1902, James mother, Mary was living with the family thereby giving Edith her turn and and supplying some substitute domestic assistance.

Trenton Evening Times - October 18, 1903 

Regardless of why they were gone so long, their October 1903 return was greeted with a surprise party including the apparently obligatory "vocal and instrumental selections, games and recitations."  It is interesting that Mary Ann returned only a short time before her son's wedding, but given the wedding took place on a weekday afternoon with the reception at the bride's house,probably less lead time was necessary and it may be everything was in place simply awaiting the return of the two travelers.

Mary Ann, Elsie and lodger on the 1920 census 

Sadly by the end of the first decade of the 20th century, Mary Ann suffered the loss of her husband when James R died in April of 1910.  He had apparently been "very sick for some time," but as described in the very first post on this blog, his death was somewhat unexpected.  What sources of income Mary Ann had thereafter are unknown, but this was long before social security and pensions.  She did receive a $100 death benefit from the Independent Order of Shepherd (which also draped its charter in black for 30 days) and may have had other death benefits from James' lodge affiliations, but it also appears she never received her inheritance from her father.  On the 1920 census, Mary Ann is listed as working as a packer in a candy factory at age 62 and she had also taken in a lodger, but no nothing else is known about the extent to which she had to work after James' death.  Mary Ann shared her house with daughter Elsie who worked as a music teacher so the two of them were apparently able to manage.

Trenton Evening Times - October 17, 1903

Although Edith became an adult during the pre-war years, she appears very sparingly in the public record.  In 1900 she was working as a china polisher, probably an entry level position in one of Trenton's many potteries.  That same year Edith was also a member of the H.A.T social club and participated in the group's second annual straw ride.  Whatever her work and other responsibilities, they apparently weren't an obstacle to an almost year long overseas trip.  Upon her return Edith performed a recitation at a Coeur de Lion social event suggesting she shared the family's gifts for performing in public.

Trenton Evening Times - June 3, 1905

 Some two years after her brother's wedding, Edith herself was married to Philip K. Shaw of Trenton, then employed as a potter.  Edith and Philip had three children Edith May (1906), Leonard (1910) and Phyllis (1912) all born in the years before World War I.  Tragically Leonard died in 1913 at the family's home on Southard Street.

Elsie Ricketts Winder

While there was a lot of musical talent in the Winder family, Elsie seems clearly to have been the most gifted.  A student at the Cadwalader Elementary School at the beginning of the period, Elsie was chosen to play a piano solo at a parent's meeting in 1901.  This was only the start of her public appearances as there are multiple newspaper accounts of Elsie performing at the Coeur de Lion, the Independent order of Shepherds and the Order of the Eastern Star events including an announcement that she "will render several piano selections" as part of a YMCA program.  Her performances were so good that at the end of 1902, the Couer de Lion Lodge voted their thanks for her performances.

Trenton Evening Times - December 21, 1902

Elsie was also quite active at St. Michael's Church where she was confirmed in April of 1903 and received a Sunday school attendance award in 1905.  By 1906 Elsie was a pupil of Charles W. Petite and played Rondo Op 51, No I by Beethoven at one of her teacher's recitals.  A year later along with her father, Elsie was part of an Order of the Eastern Star farewell program for Mr. and Mrs James Atwood where James R gave a "fitting and appreciated oration" and Elise "treated the chapter to some beautiful soul stirring music."  Elsie was apparently equally comfortable with more popular music as at a December 1908 Christmas entertainment at St. Michael's, she "made a hit in giving piano selections with sleigh bells attached to her wrists."  A the time of her father's death in 1910, Elsie had clearly found her calling as a music teacher.A year later, she was "seriously ill," but had recovered by July of 1911.

Trenton Evening Times - March 13, 1907

Most of what was reported publicly about Florence during this period refers to her school days.  Like Elsie, Florence attended the Cadawalder School and in 1900, she received a certificate of merit for attendance, deportment and "diligent attention to study."  Two years later, Florence was at the Nixon School where she was one of 32 children who sang patriotic songs as part of a Memorial Day program.  Like her sisters and brother, music was apparently in Florence's blood as in 1904, she was part of a chorus of 300 children who performed in the operetta "Egypta" at Trenton's Taylor Opera House, a benefit program of the YMCA's ladies auxiliary.  By 1907 Florence had met a young man named Leon Carr who cared enough for her, to have "engineered" a surprise party for her at her parents home.  Marriage followed in 1908 and a year later, Leon and Florence were the proud parents off Leon Grant Carr, their only child of the pre-World War I period.

Marriage Certificate of Florence Mary Winder and Leon Grant Carr

By the end of 1913, Mary Ann and Elsie were living at 331 Rutherford Avenue while James, Edith and Florence were married with at least one child each.  Regardless of how well things may have been going for all of them, everyone had to be saddened at the death of young Leonard earlier that year.  Perhaps for a change or to see her sisters and their families for the first time in a while, May of 1914 saw Mary Ann on a ship to England supposedly to spend the summer.  Unanticipated international events would keep her there far longer and return in a very different world.

Trenton Evening Times - Mary 31, 1914

The busy years - James W. Winder 1900-1914

Ready or not the millennium and the 20th century came to Trenton on January 1, 1900.  According to the Trenton Evening Times, the historic occasion was appropriately observed, although a busy economy made it a working day for some.  Light snow fell that morning giving Florence and perhaps Elise a fun way to spend the last day of their Christmas vacation.  The period from 1900 through the beginning of World War I was a busy time for the Winder children especially for James, now 22 and legally an adult.  We will look first at him during this period and then come back to his mother and sisters.

Trenton Evening Times - February 4, 1912

By the beginning of the 20th century,  James had completed his apprenticeship and for most of the period, Trenton city directories list his occupation as carpenter although he also appears as a wheelwright, body maker and even a laborer.  It's not clear when James began working at C. V. Hill, a refrigerator manufacturer, but in early 1912 his cabinet making skills drew public praise.  Wherever James worked, however, he was also heavily involved in other activities.  Much of this continued to center around Grace Church even though he had almost a two mile walk each way.  At one point, James and some of his friends, debated who had the longer walk home on Sunday night, presumably James won or in came in a close second.

Trenton Evening Times - July 3, 1900

Many of the church activities were social gatherings including not infrequent parties at people's homes.  At one such party in October of 1900, the program included a soprano solo of "Holy City," a male solo of "Lady Lu," but the hit of the evening was the performance by Alf Blake and Robert Martin of a one act farce entitled "Always Silent."  Sporting activities were also on the agenda as James (along with Alf) played in a single - married baseball game, helped coach a choir boy's basketball team and captained the Young Men's Association's bicycle team.

Trenton bicycle parade on Greenwood Avenue

Being captain of the bicycle team may not have been a major responsibility, but James' selection is indicative of the numerous leadership positions he held during this period both at Grace Church and elsewhere.  Within the church, James became secretary of the Young Men's Association and in 1901 was selected to be an alternate to the Diocesan Convention.  The latter also was not usually a big responsibility, but it was followed by election to the church's vestry in 1906.  An Episcopal Church vestry is the equivalent of the board of trustees of a not-for-profit organization and election at 24 is young at least by today's standards.  James continued to serve on the vestry throughout the pre-World War I period and in 1909 added the title and responsibilities of church treasurer,(not an easy job, trust me).

Trenton Evening Times - April 4, 1904

James' leadership positions extended beyond Grace Church as he was also quite involved in the Masonic movement.  At some point he joined the Couer de Lion chapter of the Knights of St. John and Malta, his father's lodge.  Between 1902 and 1905, James held numerous leadership positions at the lodge and at the end of 1905 was elected to the head position of Eminent Commander.  Upon taking office in early 1906,  he informed the members that "camp would open promptly at 8 o'clock" so James seems to have run a tight ship.  He apparently rotated out of leadership positions at the end of 1906, but along with his father was on the reception committee for the Lodge's National Convention which was held in Trenton in the fall of 1908.

Trenton Evening Times - January 4, 1906

The lodge was now in its 15th year of operation and was reported to be in "flourishing condition" with 160 members.  To lead an organization that size at 28 was no small accomplishment and a tribute to James leadership abilities.  While the local chapter may have been "flourishing," the same couldn't be said at the national level as dissatisfaction with the insurance section led the the Trenton chapter to secede and join the Knights Hospitalers under the Couer de Lion name.

Trenton Evening Times - October 5, 1900 giving a sense of the content of social events, James Winder and Mary Proctor were both present

As with Grace Church, lodge membership included social and cultural activities, "open meetings" (women allowed) feature piano playing (by Elsie Winder), songs such as "Holy City" (again), "By the Sea," a violin and piano duet plus readings from Shakespeare.   While members of both the lodge and Grace Church appear to be upper working class (carpenters, potters, etc), most of their cultural/social activities, seem (to me at least), to be more of an upper middle class nature which appears to be different from today's world over 100 years later.

Marriage record from Grace Church Parish registers, now in possession of Grace/St. Paul's Church in Mercerville

Although James clearly was a leader at the Couer de Lion chapter, by the end of 1910, he had joined another Masonic group, Lodge No. 61 of the Knights of Pythias.  Once again James' leadership ability was recognized as in early January of 1911, he was elected to what appears to be second in command.  Nothing discovered to date explains why he joined a second lodge.  An analysis of the age and occupations of the leadership of the two lodges doesn't reveal any significant differences, although the Couer de Lion Lodge does seem to be heavily made up of pottery workers.  Perhaps after his father's death in April of 1910, James wanted more of his own identity.  There does also seem to be some overlap between the members of the Pythias Lodge and Grace Church so perhaps the church members recruited James.  What's really important, however, is to take note that in the case of both lodges and Grace Church, James was singled out for leadership positions in what were not small organizations.  In fact the Pythias Lodge was larger than Couer de Lion with just over 200 members.

Trenton Evening Times - October 16, 1903

Busy as he must have been, James had time for pleasure as early September of 1900 found him in Cape May with a few of his friends.  However, his bachelor day's were rapidly drawing to a close.  As noted previously, James joined Grace Church, apparently by himself, within a year of his arrival in the United States.  Also members of Grace were the Proctor family, also English immigrants, who had moved to Trenton a decade before the Winders.  Accounts of Grace Church related social activities frequently listed James and Mary Elizabeth Proctor as participants.  One thing led to another and on October 14, 1903, "a pretty wedding was solemnized at Grace Church," between the two "contracting parties."

Wedding portrait of James William Winder and Mary Elizabeth Proctor

Amazingly James' mother Mary Ann and sister Edith returned from what was reportedly close to a year's visit to England just a week before the wedding.  The young couple were attend by Alf Blake and Hannah Maria "Sis" Proctor who would themselves marry two years later.  Following a wedding reception at the Proctor home at 53 Garfield Avenue, James and Mary enjoyed a honeymoon trip to Niagara Falls before returning to live with Mary's family.  Shortly after their return some 26 friends and family gave the young couple a surprise party and serenade at 53 Garfield.  Although literally "taken by surprise," James and Mary put together an elaborate spread for their "guests" to top off an evening that included vocal and instrumental music, speeches, parlor games and ended with "a parting goodnight song" at midnight.

Modern view of 743 Stuyvesant Avenue  - unit on the left

Exactly how long James and Mary lived with the Proctors isn't clear, but by 1904 they were living at 482 Stuyvesant Avenue, very close to James R and Mary Ann on Rutherford Avenue.  By 1908 they moved a little further up the block to 743 Stuyvesant where they would live for the rest of their lives.  No doubt, the young couple wanted a place of their own, but they soon had practical need for the additional space.  Alice Mary Winder (head of the Walsh line) was born on June 10, 1905.  She was followed by Elsie Virginia Winder on November 23, 1909 and Ruth Elizabeth almost four years later on August 22, 1913.  Interestingly the four year intervals are almost identical with the time periods between the births of James W and his three sisters.

Alice Winder (sitting), Elsie Winder (standing) and Ruth Winder (infant) - probably taken in 1913

Working full time, active in church and lodge activities plus becoming a husband and father, James certainly put the first years of the 20th century to good use.  Next we will take a look at his mother and sisters during the same period.