Days Ice Cream. 1998. Photo and silver gelatin darkroom print by Paul Goldfinger.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
Wilbur Fisk Day was born in New Providence, New Jersey on a farm, one of seven siblings. He learned the candy business in Jersey City and then returned to his family home where he made candy which his mother sold at the farm. In 1861, he opened a business in Morristown which was called W.F.Day, and the sign said, “Restaurant, Ice Cream and Caterer.”
Morristown store c.1889. Note the bicycle. All old photos courtesy of Virginia Tiger (Day family.)
The photograph of the Morristown store (1889 or 1890) has writing on the back. It names all the people in the image. Wilbur Day is forth from the left. A man named Sus is identified as “a French chef.” Several of the people are members of the Day family. There is a comment which says, “W.F. Day rode the bicycle to Washington in 2 days.” Another note says that W.F. Day was also a “confectioner.”
In 1876, in partnership with his brother Pennington, Wilbur opened the Day’s Ice Cream Garden at Auditorium Square, its present site in Ocean Grove. That was the year of America’s centennial.
Family notebooks** say that OG was an “infant camp meeting resort,” celebrating its 7th birthday. Those notes also say that there were 200 acres of grove in town along with “100 acres of beach land.”
Rev. Stokes believed in having many trees in town—he wanted the name “Grove” to mean something. It says that “only sand dunes and pines stretched from Day’s to the Ocean.” Also mentioned are “250 cottages built at that time along with forty larger buildings including boarding houses and stores.”
It goes on, “The vacationists here for the daily religious services and conferences by the sea preferred the tent colony, with over 500 tents then erected. The first auditorium was open air and nestled in a grove of pines directly opposite Day’s.” Note that the name had an apostrophe then, but lost it later in its history.
Days Asbury Park. 1878. Courtesy Virginia Tiger ©
In 1878 they opened an ice cream garden at 291 Asbury Avenue in Asbury Park and then another branch on Broad Street in Newark (which closed in 1929 and was run by another brother Waters.) It is said that Paul Robeson, who was a friend of the Day family, was a singing waiter in the AP store.
According to the “Wilbur Day notebook” kept by a Day family descendent, “In 1882 Milton Hershey worked at the Morristown store (mainly learning to make caramel) before returning to Pennsylvania to start his own candy company.” **
Postcard 1908. OG. Courtesy Virginia Tiger©
Many celebrities came to Day’s in the early 20th century, including F.W.Woolworth who liked the variety of ice creams. Others included boxers Max Baer and James J. Corbett. In addition, Frank Hague, the mayor and political boss at Jersey City enjoyed his visits to Days. We can imagine performers at the Great Auditorium such as Sousa and Caruso walking across for a treat.
The Morristown store stayed in the family until 1942. The Ocean Grove store was continued under Pennington’s daughter Agnes Day until 1950.
Two years ago the current Days team opened a branch on the Asbury Park Boardwalk, near the crossover to the Grove.
Ocean Grove. Paul Goldfinger. ©
Currently the Days Ice Cream Garden at 48 Pitman Avenue in OG looks much as it did in the 19th century with its ornate decor, original bentwood chairs and walnut tables. It still faces the Great Auditorium and is only open “in season.”
Today, Days Ice Cream is the “oldest continuously operating business at one location in Ocean Grove.” * The building is owned by Phil and Karla Herr. The business belongs to Dave Fernicola and Tom Wilson.
Fast forward to 2014 on the Internet: A few days ago, a “Yelp” reviewer posted ” I live almost two hours away so I normally don’t get to have this ice cream, but whenever I come down the shore I make sure my group and I always get Days! —–best ice cream I’ve ever had!”
Happiness at Days. Paul Goldfinger photo ©
YOU’RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN: “Happiness.”
References:
- **Day Family Notebooks: One of the Day brothers, Stephen S. Day, was “an avid family historian, passing that interest to his daughter and granddaughter,” who was the mother of Virginia Tiger, who provided Blogfinger with much of the information used in this article. In an email to Blogfinger, Virginia said, “I am very pleased the name Day has continued to be associated with the business—-138 years!”
- Prof. Ruth Kittner, PhD whom we interviewed during her recent visit to OG. She told us about the Morristown Day family connection and referred Blogfinger to Virginia Tiger.
- *Wayne T. Bell and Christopher M. Flynn. Ocean Grove in Vintage Postcards. Arcadia Publishing. 2004
- Asbury Park branch opens: Days opens in AP 2012 BF report
- Blogfinger photo August, 2013 Blogfinger photo link for Days 2013
- Days opens for the season 2013 Days reopens for season
The Days we see today was the result of a 1904 renovation. The house was cut back 3 feet and the garden pavilions redone in the emerging Colonial Revival style. Previously, the garden was surround by frilly Victorian gingerbread panels with openings to allow waiters to serve guests from there. In 1938, the “tea room,” site of the present indoor restaurant, was built. Originally, the Days site was a large inconvenient sand dune that ran through town.
Ocean Grove had a second ice cream garden, Morrow, Day & Co. at 50-58 Main Ave. The “Day” was the uncle of Wilbur Day, Sr., of of Pitman Ave. This garden was quite grand and featured a rather tall fountain jet. It was part of a complex that included a bakery, ice cream factory, and a hotel at the western end that still stands as apartments.
Thank you for the history and photos.I loved learning about Pennington and Wilbur Day, they were ‘Confectioners’ who owned an ‘ice cream garden’ ….How poetic….
So happy it is still operating as Days, and I can go over for some java chip!
Thanks for reposting this, Paul. On my birthday no less! My mother and Day ancestors would be thrilled to know their family history and the Day legacy continues and even garnered the interest of others.
Reblogged this on Blogfinger and commented:
We first posted this history of Days Ice Cream in Ocean Grove last summer, but for those of you who missed this piece last August, it’s important enough to offer it again now. It is a rare example of new OG historical research made available to the public. We now see signs that the HSOG is beginning to do the same, and that is excellent for the residents of the Grove who need to know the town’s history to gain perspective for today.—Paul Goldfinger @Blogfinger
Yes, and maybe the 7 dwarfs also.
Jersey City Mayor/Boss Frank Hague supposedly had “meetings” and made shady deals while riding the ferris wheel that was at the Palace Amusements Building in Asbury Park.
Wonder if the 7 presidents whom 7 presidents beach/park in Long Branch is named after went to Days while visiting OG.
They catered my grandparents’ wedding in 1913, in the house I now live in in Ocean Grove. I am so happy that Starving Artist has made the food part a going concern again, and continued the wonderful ice cream part. Many happy memories and current eatings.
Frank S: I did not attempt to track Days history past 1950 which was when the Day family was no longer involved. I did come across the Douglas name–they may have come after Agnes Day. —-Thanks, Paul (If anyone else wants to fill in some more blanks, please do so.)
A history of Days should mention the Douglas family. Ben Douglas with his wife and family owned and operated Days. I believe this was in the 1960’s until the 70’s. They were local OG citizens. Ben was founder of OG citizens patrol. Seems he was quite patriotic as a project of his was to send a copy of the U.S, Constitution to every schoolchild in America. He also wrote 2 books. His son David still lives in OG.
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