The West Jersey Depot
With all these facts about the West Jersey Depot, it is possible to analyze the variety of possible experiences of customers in this place. The trains in this area indirectly came to Glassboro because of the global desire to use glass products, so this surely influenced the culture of the trains in general. Additionally, the global desire to not stay in the same spot and the desire to visit the shore influenced the culture of this local means of transportation as well. With such a diverse set of cultural influences, the passengers of the depot must have had a variety of perceptions and sentimental attachments to the place. Those students going to the Glassboro Normal School or a regional high school may have associated the depot with the stress of their classes. However, it may have been a place of joy for those who used it to travel down to the shore. It was a connection to the outside world for those who received mail that came through the West Jersey Depot. Because of the variety of opportunities that the West Jersey Depot provided its customers, there were a multitude of ways that people could have all experienced the same space.
Furthermore, one element of American history that had an impact on passengers of many modes of transportation was segregation. One Glassboro Historical Society member, Robert P. Tucker, used the West Jersey Depot when it was still operational. Interestingly, from what he recalls, there was little to no segregation on the trains that came to the West Jersey Depot. This is a rather unique observation, and hopefully more research will be done on whether his perception of the West Jersey Depot in this way was shared by others.
While it is clear that the West Jersey Depot allowed many people to expand their transportation horizons, there are always some people that have more power than others. To the right can be seen a sample train schedule from back when the West Jersey Depot was in operation. Obviously, there are only so many stops.
Most likely, these stops were determined by a small group of people deciding where the majority of train passengers would like to visit. This naturally would produce the greatest reward for all the individuals earning money from the transportation of passengers. Those that did not have the power to change where the train line went had to make a more difficult journey. This was remedied when the car became more affordable, and people could drive exactly to their desired location. Unfortunately, those that could not afford a car were marginalized when the West Jersey Depot closed largely because of the shift towards cars as a primary mode of transport. If not having a car today affects an individual’s ability to thrive or increase their economic status, then it is likely that back in the 1970s there were some Glassboro residents who were similarly affected. Undoubtedly, transportation is not something that is shared equally by all, and the West Jersey Depot was no exception.
Personal Reflection on the West Jersey Depot
Besides these various experiences of the West Jersey Depot that occurred in the past, the West Jersey Depot can also produce various experiences in the present. One discovery that I found personally interesting as a researcher is how the West Jersey Depot was geographically portrayed in images over its existence. Below are three images, all of which depict the West Jersey Depot in some way. In the first image, the West Jersey Depot is shown in an artistic and happy industrial light. In the second image, the West Jersey Depot is presented very analytically from above in the Sanborn Map, and oddly enough is called the Glassboro Station. Finally, in the Hagley Digital Archives aerial image, the West Jersey Depot is just barely visible at the bottom of the photo. Without being familiar with the location of the West Jersey Depot, an individual would most likely not recognize this entity in all of its different visual representations even though they all represent a single place. However, a person with a sentimental attachment to the West Jersey Depot would most likely be able to look at both the aerial photo and Sanborn Map with the same warmth that one feels when looking at the first image. Because of different experiences and perspectives, the perception of the same space can vary greatly from person to person.
While it may seem insignificant to an outsider, the West Jersey Depot was a part of a very dynamic and global environment that produced varying experiences for both those that experienced in while it was in operation and those who experience it today. Past students and the glassworks all influenced how this site was experienced, and the knowledge of their presence influences how people experience it today as visitors of a historical site. I personally was unaware of the history of the West Jersey Depot, but now I see it as space where evidence of past generations lives on. When I started looking at the various depictions of the West Jersey Depot, they had little sentimental meaning to me. However, now I can look at the same images above and recognize the West Jersey Depot with warmth. Because I spent a significant amount of time researching the West Jersey Depot before actually visiting it for the first time, my perception of the place was affected. It was amazing to actually be in the space I had spent so much time looking at in maps. Furthermore, my research has left me with a greater appreciation of all the history in Glassboro, and the evidence of all the history is more obvious to me now. Every time I hear the train go by my apartment at Rowan on the same tracks that go past the West Jersey Depot, I am reminded of the rich history of Glassboro.
References:
Drobil, Rich. Interview by Rose Dickmann. Rowan University Libraries Digital Scholarship Center. November 28, 2018.
Glassboro Normal School 1929-09-24, 70_200_04738, J. Victor Dallin Aerial Survey collection (Accession 1970.200), Audiovisual Collections and Digital Initiatives Department, Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE 19807. http://digital.hagley.org/70_200_04738
Tucker, Robert. Interview by Rose Dickmann. Rowan University Libraries Digital Scholarship Center. November 2, 2018.
