My cousin Anthony Tassone and his wife Lillian had a small farm market on Trenton Road better known as route 206. This two lane highway has the community of Hammonton, NJ at its southern most end point. Anthony's father was my father's oldest brother Domenick Tassone, Sr. of Hammonton. I previously have written about my father's family of whom I affectionately called "Piney Italians". Most often Italian immigrants sought the comfort of living with other immigrants in cities and some in farm communities like Hammonton, NJ. Many Italians found work on the railroads which brought my grandfather to Atsion, NJ because of the train station there. In the 1900's my grandfather, another Anthony Tassone, eventually bought about a hundred acres of land and began to grow blueberries and cranberries on the sandy soils of the Pinelands. Three brothers eventually left the Pinelands to make their homes in Hammonton, NJ. I will post a video of my parents talking about their marriage. They have since passed away. My mother tells how she wound up marrying my father. In the late 70's my parents built a home on 206 connected to land on Middle Road that had belonged to my mother's family the Baglivos. One day last year my youngest sister and I had a chance to make a last visit to the land that was so much a part of our history. It is with sadness that I say we have lost so many relatives that had connections to the Pinelands, Middle Road and route 206 in Hammonton.
My parents interview before their 60th wedding anniversary:
Lillian's and Anthony's market was a real farm market not one where much of the produce was grown some other place. The fruits and vegetables were grown on the land behind their house. I just feel that because it is so easy to make a blog that someone in the family must do this. I feel compelled to document what I can. I am not a journalist of any kind of merit but until someone else steps up to the plate, please accept my best effort here.
These signs behind me were for the other farm market----- 206 Farm Market (Monzo's ?) further north but near my cousin's smaller market.
This is the side view of my mother's home which now belongs to a Castone family:
Lillian and Anthony's home:
Looking towards 206 with the view of my mother's home on the left and my cousin's home on the right. I was able to view the car port where we were used to enjoy so many memorable summer get-togethers:
My sister pausing to reflect on Anthony's tractor:
