The Dobak Family / Florida Ave. mystery
I just got an email from a person in Slovakia doing genealogical research & asking if I would help get some information on the Dobak family. They sent over this photo of the family house on Florida Ave. in Manville. Block 22. It will enlarge if you click on it.
Here’s what I do know… a number of streets, particularly on the North side of town used to be named after states. So I know the following streets former names….
Rhode Island Ave became North 7th ave
Louisiana Ave became North 8th ave
Kentucky Ave became North 9th ave
Jersey Ave became North 10th ave
Here are few important questions…
#1 What is the current street name for what used to be Florida Ave.?
#2 Does anyone know or remember the above house?
#3 Does anyone know or remember the Dobak family?
June 8, 2012 at 7:45 am
I was born in Manville in 1947 and grow up there and never knew that the streets were first named after the states. Keep up the good work because all of us are getting an education about our home town.
Joe Dudash
June 8, 2012 at 11:18 am
According to ManvilleNJ.org, Florida Ave became S 13th – between Roosevelt and Camplain.
August 6, 2012 at 4:05 am
The thing is, the house pictured is on a flat piece of land, and that does not really exist on that block of S 13th.
June 8, 2012 at 5:04 pm
The children on the picture were born between 1906 and 1912 (girl on the right). So it’s maybe a +- year of 1920. Unfortunately on the backside of the postcard is no date.
June 8, 2012 at 8:01 pm
Ya know I was going to say this house looks like one that is stil standing on Roosevelt ave if you go down 14th ave to Roosevelt it is to the right of 14th
June 8, 2012 at 9:36 pm
Do you mean that small house on Roosevelt with the 3 porch posts? I think that is too small. If you go across Camplain Rd further up S 13th, the 3rd house up on the right is a dead ringer, assuming an addition upstairs protruding from the roof. Maybe Florida Ave was more than just the small stretch between Camplain and Roosevelt.
June 10, 2012 at 5:28 pm
Gary I am not sure haven’t been back home in many yrs but it was right next door to Hughes’ house if you knew them. Leon is my brother in law. I was just making a suggestion…
June 11, 2012 at 6:28 am
Hi Michelle. I went to school with Rich Hughes.
When I first saw that house I thought it did look very similar as well. I did some comparisons via Google street view. When I found the house on the other side of Camplain and placed the view on the same angle – bingo!
June 11, 2012 at 7:48 am
Gary, imagine the man who never visited the area and don’t know the houses…. (thar’s me). I am walkin’ by GoogleStreetview up and down for a time, but there is nothing similar to me. Thanks for link to that view, f.e., or any details.
July 8, 2012 at 9:59 am
Well,… is it possible to link that point of view here ? Thanks again…
July 20, 2012 at 6:50 am
Here is the link:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=08835&hl=en&ll=40.539044,-74.596987&spn=0.000008,0.004801&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=35.821085,78.662109&hnear=Manville,+New+Jersey+08835&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=40.539044,-74.596987&panoid=Ozu68P9vTcT9nhIws81EkQ&cbp=12,55.53,,0,0
July 23, 2012 at 1:32 am
Gary, thank you very much, again !
I saw that house at the begining of my “streetview research”…, but I thought, there is no possibility or reason to change that kind of house. (It seemes like I was wrong. ) The fact is, your description to localize the house is quite logical. But lot of elements were changed….
So, is my question answered and search is completed ? (For street, placing the house and probably for the family, too.)
Thanks to all !
July 23, 2012 at 7:27 am
It’s only a guess, but I think it looks very similar. The basic structure of the house looks the same, and it’s in the area of the old Florida Ave. Manville has changed a lot over the years.
April 29, 2013 at 1:17 pm
Does anyone know what the state name of North 2nd Ave.was?