Harold W. Drake (1892-1954) was born in North Brunswick. He graduated from New Brunswick High School. Drake worked at the New Brunswick Fire Insurance Co. In 1924 he co-founded Pierce & Drake which later became Drake & Drake. Drake was a member of the Borough Council from1936 to 1941. Before becoming mayor, he was vice chairman of the joint defense committee with New Brunswick which organized reserve police units (50 men) and air aid wardens (300 men and women). Drake was mayor during most of World War 2. Ex-mayor Walter Wood took over Drake’s defense committee role.. Drake was a member of the Presbyterian Church in New Brunswick. He is buried in the Van Liew Cemetery which is off Georges Road just south of Elmwood Cemetery, the only mayor to be buried there.
Voting machines were in operation for the 1941 election allowing polling places to complete their tasks within about 15 minutes of closing time. In the previous years it took until about midnight to tally the votes. The voters approved wage increases for its 10 policemen and 3 paid firemen. The Republican mayor and council candidates had run unopposed and so Drake was elected mayor and Richard Dunham and Dr. Frank V. Sander were the councilmen. Former mayor Russell B. Howell was elected as Sheriff of Middlesex County. In 1942 there were three Republican candidates for council. Alanson D. Prentis and Alvah H. Cole were incumbents and Ferdinand C. Denhard was a new councilman. Denhard was a master mechanic for Johnson and Johnson and Prentis was a manager of hospital sales at Johnson and Johnson.
Highland Park’s experience on the “home front” was much like the other towns and cities across the United States. Unlike most other municipalities, the residents of the borough were in close proximity to Camp Kilmer, to witness the staging area for troops going overseas, although New Brunswick was the place the soldiers went to shop or socialize. Some Highland Park residents worked at the camp in various capacities. For the first half of the war there was a fear of bombing in the county since it was close to the Atlantic. Thus the training of auxiliary police and firemen was a priority. As the war went on this fear subsided. Contrary to the impression of the drawing on the right, the entire population of Highland Park was “behind the man behind the gun”.
In his opening address Mayor Drake noted the difficulty of the times and the uncertainty ahead. He offered that payment of taxes was “vital to the safety of your home and mine”. The management of the borough government would continue to run on an economical and efficient basis. The mayor said that recreational activities using the new parks would be expanded to “check juvenile delinquency and lift the morale of our youth”.
A “large, modern” A & P super market was constructed at Raritan and South Fourth Avenues from 1941 to 1942.
In February the Thomas Bowling Academy opened at Raritan and Eighth Avenues adjacent to Charles Thomas’ car agency and garage. The facility had twelve lanes and was decorated in knotty pine with red trim. There were seats for 100 spectators for tournaments as well as a soda and lunch bar.
Camp Kilmer was under construction in early 1942 and completed by June 1942. The War Department requested and were given permission to use to railroad siding at the Janeway and Carpender site until tracks could be laid in the facility itself. The Council also planned a survey of vacant houses and rooms that could be used by workmen building the camp. The survey was made by three New Jersey College for Women students.
The Federal Government threatened rent control for the entire area if landlords and tenants could not work out fair rents for the workers. Landlords were warned not to jack up rents to take advantage of all the workmen moving into the area.
The sale of War Bonds was launched early in 1942. Arthur B. Hill, vice president at Johnson & Johnson was named executive chairman of the drive. Also on the committee was Robert W. Johnson, Jr. who also was appointed State Rationing Administrator.
One result of the proximity of Camp Kilmer to Highland Park was that soldiers regularly visited the high school to sell the students on war bonds. The stamps were $.25 each. The students pasted the stamps into books. To fill a book cost $18.50; the students were then able to cash them in for a $25 war bond. Highland Park High School students purchased a total of $ 3200 in stamps and bonds. This sum was enough to provide three jeeps for the U.S. Army. Three jeeps were brought over from Camp Kilmer for a ceremony in front of the high school. The jeeps were named “Owl Bouncer”, “Bloody Owls”, and “Blitz Buggy”.
In May the council addressed concerns about phrenologists and gypsies setting up shop in store fronts on Raritan Avenue by instituting “prohibitive” license fees. The license was $250 a years and penalties were $100 for phrenologists and $200 for gypsies. The number of gypsy licenses was limited to 10.
The first meetings between the commanders at Camp Kilmer and local officials took place in June. It was hosted by Rutgers University. The mayor and police chief of Highland Park attended along with officials from New Brunswick, Piscataway and Raritan Township. The focus of the discussions was what the army expected of the public.
Gasoline shortages were announced by the New Brunswick War Price and Ration Board on June 29. The service stations received 50% of the previous years sales. One station in New Brunswick was limited to doctors, nurses and public health and safety officials. Residents were asked to limited their driving to essential trips. If a person could walk or use public transportation to work they were expected to do so.
The Highland Park firehouse was designated as a supplemental scrap rubber collection depot. The service stations could still participate. A truck was to make regular stops at the firehouse to haul the rubber to central depots.
Ross Industries on North Second Avenue were presented with blue and white Treasury Department Minute Man flag because of 100% participation of its 188 employees in the voluntary payroll deduction War Savings plan.
In September the War Price and Rationing Boards announced a plan for coupon rationing for fuel oil; households would be required to supply detailed data about their house and furnace.
Also in September Highland Park and New Brunswick began their scrap metal drive. Mayor Drake used a hard sell saying that if you have something in your house you think you may want some day and we lose the war, that day may never come. Mayor Drake also called upon home folks to write letters to their soldier sons.
In November it was announced that all the Highland Park food merchants agreed to collect tin cans. Residents were to “process: them first, that is washing out the contents, cutting off top and bottom flaps, and inserting flaps into the flattened can.
On November 23rd the following Highland Park draftees left for Fort Dix: Fred D. Marchitto,28 Woodbridge Avenue; Alex Kecskes, 30 Archer Street; Peter J. Piccolomini, 144 Washington Avenue; Joseph Arthur Schlosser, 111 North Seventh Avenue; Joseph Reuben, 25 South Fourth Avenue; Alfred O. LaTourette, 324 Cedar Avenue; Andrew Kirkpatrick. 233 Lawrence Avenue; John E. Hannon, 22 North Seventh Avenue; William Odatto, 56 Karsey Street; George F.. McCurcheon Jr., 1321 Barnard Street.
Ex-Mayor Walter Wood made the news in a controversy about many residents in the county not dimming their lights. Merchants were being fined when they failed to dim their lights and were incensed about the unfairness. Wood said it was up to each local Defense Council to enforce these rules and some were not doing their job (he mentioned South River as an offender). According to Wood, Highland Park was in complete compliance.
Wayne Street got permission from the Borough Council to hang a huge service flag at North Third Avenue. Eleven “boys” from the two block area of Wayne Street encompassing 40 residents were “in the service of their country”. A plaque with the names also was erected. The men were Donald W. Jackson, Harold D. Salkin, William Altman, Floyd D. Mehrof, David McCorvey, George A. Pancza, Athur E. Metz, Norman V. Hawley, James G. Walker, Milton Cohen and Robert G. Heinold.
Magnolia Street at South Seventh got its own service flag (see below).
In his annual address in 1943, the mayor praised the voluntary efforts and the “spirit of cooperation” of borough employees and officials who were doing everything asked of them. The mayor also expressed pride in the “sons and daughters” who have joined in the fight against wrong.
The police ratcheted up the enforcement of non-essential use of gasoline including checking out cars at the bowling alley and the Masonic Temple. Names of those cited were turned over to the OPA officials. The Office of Price Administration was assigned the task of controlling rationing during the war.
To make up for anticipated shortages of food, residents were encouraged to create Victory Gardens. The New Brunswick/Highland Park Victory Gardens Committee was headed up by a professor in the College of Agriculture and the director of the State Committee was Frank G. Helyar. People were encouraged to register. The Borough Council made some of the municipal land available for gardens. The Victory Garden was defined as one that grew enough food for a family for summer and winter under “competent management” without wasting fertilizer, seeds, etc. In addition to vegetables and fruits, flowers were encouraged for morale purposes.
Mayors of Highland Park 