Visitor Comments and Family Contributions

Jackie Sparra — June 11, 2019

My grandfather was John Joseph Sparra born May 6, 1902 passed November 1964. Mary & Joseph were his parents.

Reply from Tom Kessler:

Jackie, hi. Can you help by telling me about John Joseph? Wife, children, grandchildren? My wife is a second or third cousin of yours. Mary and Joseph were my wife’s grandmother’s grandparents. : ) If you can provide any information or photos I can add the information to the family tree and perhaps write about them in the Rykoski blog. Thanks, Tom.

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Vicki Murray — November 11, 2018

You have the death of my father incorrect in here – Stanley Wade died in 1994, not 1984. I’m pretty sure that there are some other things about my grandmother, Josie, that are not entirely correct.

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Artur Sparzak — November 7, 2018

Hi my name is Artur Sparzak. I’m living in the USA science 1985. I did plenty research about my Sparzak family. I found my great-grandfather Jozef Sparzak graveyard near Baltimore. Died in 1967. He had second wife in the USA. My grandfather Stanislaw was one year old in 1903 when Jozef left him and his first wife in Poland and came to his brother living in the USA. Jozef he brought two daughters, one of them soon she went back Poland.

Reply from Tom Kessler:

Artur, thank you for your post. The family would like to learn more about where in Poland the family lived, what it was like, and about your memories. Can you perhaps call me or my wife, who is your cousin, so we can talk? If you have photos perhaps, we can obtain copies. Thanks so much for sharing with us.

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Margaret E. Krieg-Allman — July 19, 2021

The article was so interesting. I was so happy to read it. I found a record on Ancestry.com where my great grandmother’s brother came to visit her from Ireland in 1898, the address he came to on the ships records was 1300 Garret Ave. I knew Mary McClure lived in Locust Point; your article was such a help to find out the street was renamed Reynolds St.

Reply from Tom Kessler:

The block was originally named Garrett Street but was renamed Reynolds Street in the early 1900s. The 1300 block of Reynolds Street was demolished in 1924 to make way for construction of the B&O Grain Elevators.

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Francis Tewey — October 1, 2016

Found your writings while searching maps for Locust Point. My father lived in L P from 1900 to 1925. His grandmother, Jennings, married Tewey, they were on the point from 1857 for sure. They had arrived as early as 3 Feb 1848. Thier children married into the Prenger, Luebehuesen, Lambert, Noon, Doran, Lambert, and Gallery families of L P. The were members at St Lawrence Chapel and later Our Lady of good Counsel. Your information is good. Is there any way I could get a copy of your book.

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Rita Schaefer — June 29, 2015

Thank you. Tom.

William did a very good job of covering everything. I’m a little younger than he – I was born in 43. I loved my childhood in locust point. I was raised at 1448 Richardson st. My dad was a stevedore. Your blog brought back good memories. I feel sorry for the youth of today they are missing the best time of their lives. Many thanks.

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Annie Potts — July 1, 2015

I was not born until 1956 but my childhood memories of our life growing up in the point were wonderful. Thinking back as a child life was both exciting and boring. I was one of the kids out shinning shoes in the 60’s. I was also one of those kids running errands for those stevadores shooting crap behind the union hall on hall street. Also used to watch Mr. Eagle burn 20.00 bills for some crazy reason. And at age 10 to 13 I used to hang down the fruit pier when ships would come in and help the truckers load bananas onto their trucks. We were paid 5.00 and a case of bananas to split between all us kids. I also remember when we would go to Mr. Miesel garages on Cookie St. and help load or unload trucks and get paid with a case of can sodas. Another fun time was fishing and crabbing on the old Southern States pier where the Cruise pier is now. Looking back it was a wonderful life. As I visit family still living in the point I look around and wonder where our great neighborhood has gone.