Years ago when I first started my Maple Shade History website I did not know much about the town and relied more on emails from people telling me what was on Main Street, etc... I did not even know at the time that the old Maple Shade Progress newspapers were on microfilm at several libraries.
The website then was more folksy and even though I hadn't researched as deep as later on, I think people enjoyed it perhaps more then as they were giving inputs. Later I think I just went to more of my own research work.
One of the people who used to be a email friend of mine was Fred Olt. (Fred is the brother of Marion Latwinas.) Below are informations about the Olt family of Maple Shade.
-Dennis
I got this email from Fred Olt beacause I sent him a scan of a 1940s newspaper article about the Olts and their champion bowling-
Thanks for the article on Ezra Olt and his bowling highlights.........
FYI Ezra Olt was my uncle (brother of Fred) and the Olt Bros. bowling team was well known around south jersey and even as far away as Chicago. There were 5 brothers.........Fred, Ezra, Elmer, Floyd and Bob they bowled 3 nights a week in Camden, Maple Lanes (formally BenD bowling alley) and Moorestown........they all have passed away.......they had a sister named Mary......Ezra Olt owned much of the farmland behind Yellow Sub and later the whole corner property opposite the Custard Stand (where the cleaners is located) his orginal house is still seen (old brick) behind it......he sold that to a Santore and built the 2 rancher typed on the same lot that face Coles............he owned like all of it to Steinhauer Park........and in the early fifties use to have pony rides on the corner........later came a gas station and then later Bill McDevitt ran a reality company and bought the custard stand for his wife and now a cleaner.........
The Olt's were all in oil, except my dad who owned the M.S. Garage.
Ezra and Elmer owned Olt Bros.
Floyd owned Floyd W. Olt in Merchantville
Bob Bob Olt Fuel in Haddon Twp.
Story has it that my dad parents named all the Olts from the bible, except for Floyd (who was named after the Floyd Stove Co.) Granma was out milking the cows, felt labor, went to the kitchen and delivered the baby and got the name off the stove by which she was cooking an apple pie.........haaaaaaaaaaThe Olts were a big part of Marlton/Kresson area in the 20's /30's and located on Old Dutch Mill Rd. behind Lion's Lake off Rt. 73
-Fred
The Maple Shade Bus Company was on Spruce Ave. (owned and operated by Fred Olt) later to become Towne Auto Body. Prior to Maple Shade Bus Company it was the Frech wagon works paint shop building. Here is some information from Fred Olt-
My dad's Bus Service was a school bus service and he transported the Maple Shade kids to Moorestown H.S. for like 20 yrs. and then when we no longer sent our kids to M.H.S. he transported our kids to Merchantville for like 10 yrs. .......he employed bus drivers for the daily run from the town which included Harry Mennel, and Frank Morrison and others........they would go about their daily work jobs and then report back to the garage for the afternoon pickups......then back to their jobs............My dad's Maple Shade Garage repaired all the police and fire trucks for the town....
-Fred
Ezra Olt bought the half of the "Collins Lane house" that was moved to the other side of the street. He later sold the house to the Santore family. Leon J. Santore who owned the Arts and Drafting store on Main St. said the Santore family used the property to raise race horses at.
The Olt and Santore families were both involved in the fuel oil business, the Santores first selling coal at their Maple Shade Coal Company on Stiles Avenue before changing to selling oil. I asked Fred Olt if the two families got along, as they were business competitors. Here is his reply-
Dennis,
The Olts and Santores were the best of friends for as long as I can remember and...........they owned race horses together and went by the stable name of "S.O.S. Racing"........Santore*Olt*Santore
They had a horse named "Chapped Lips" that did well and their best horse was a horse named "Darten".........
-Fred Olt
Taken from top the old police-firehouse which is now Fontana's looking west down "old" Main Street. Starting closest to the camera and working away towards The Roxy is Fasto's 5&10.... Diedrich's Bakery (later Paula's).... Tories Tailor Shop... Henny's Meat Market....near the end of the view near the gas station.....Chernin's Shoe Store.... My maternal grandmother, Mae Sipp, is in the second row from flag row and first on left in front of the little boy.
Mae's husband George Sipp my grandfather was either the fire chief for a period of time or a high upper. Their house is the little grey house on the corner of Cherry and Fellowship ....house faces Cherry and rear faces Fellowship and is a long pointed lot that at the end you would be looking at Sub Shoppe front. My grandmother was mother to Dorothy Sipp who married Fred Olt. At some point my mom's sister Grace Sipp ran a beauty salon on the front enclosed porch of the house.........44 Cherry.....Grace married Harry Ristine ( past president of M.S. Sportsman Club ) and still resides on Ruth Ave..............
-Fred Olt
Fred Olt Sr. (my Dad) is the owner and mechanic on the right next to the guy in street clothes....(directly in front of door).....the two mechanics may or may not be younger pics of mechanics dad had for years.... Perhaps someone will recognize them.....one mechanic was named Russell Houston ("Chubby") and lived on Fellowship Rd.....the other mechanic might be Roy Addisson...
-Fred Olt
The email from Fred before he sent me the second scan (The above information is repeated.)-
I have a picture of Main Street......taken from in front of the municipal bldg....looking West......it's a parade of sorts and my grandmother is pictured (mom's mom Mae Sipp)....row 2 far left.. I believe it's a celebration (possibly) the 4th of July.....this is a group from the American Red Cross...... I scanned this and it should fit your screen, and I'll send one more of my dad's garage circa mid 30's.... This picture clearly show's Roxy, Chernin's, Fasto's 5&10, and Tori's meats, Diedrich's bakery, etc.......didn't know their was a gas station at gazebo corner?????
I'm not sure who all the guys are in the photo.....I do know that Fred Olt Sr. (my dad) is the mechanic on the right next to the guy in street clothes....(directly in front of door).....the two mechanics may or may not be younger pics of mechanics dad had for years.... Perhaps someone will recognize them.....one mechanic was named Russell Houston ("Chubby") lived on Fellowship Rd.....the other mechanic might be Roy Addisson........maybe Marion will know....
-Fred Olt
Fred sent me these two photos of the family's old house in Maple Shade.
 119 East Linwood Avenue in 1944 |
 119 East Linwood Avenue in 2000 |
