Author: Camden NJ History
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Harry J. Burrichter
Harry J. Burrichter was born in 1877 in New Jersey to Henry J. and Katherine Burrichter. In 1880, the family lived at 929 Broadway, where Henry Burrichter operated a grocery store. A few years later, he moved to 1727 Broadway and ran a feed and grain business through the late 1880s and 1890s. Around 1904,…
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George H. Durar III
George H. Durar III was born in the Bronx, New York, to Jean and George Durar Jr. He was one of four siblings, along with his brother Brandon and sisters Daralyn and Deana. After serving in the U.S. military, George Durar III joined the Camden Fire Department on December 16, 1974. By 1994, he had…
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Frederick Morse
Frederick William Sheppard Morse was born in New Jersey on February 18, 1880, to Captain William and Annie Morse. His father, originally from Germany, immigrated to America in 1870 and eventually became a sea captain, while his mother was born in Nova Scotia. In the 1881-1882 City Directory, the Morse family was listed at 625…
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Henry E. Zook
Henry Evans Zook was born on March 29, 1888, in Evesham Township, New Jersey, to John Trimble Zook Sr. and Mary B. Evans. He was the youngest of seven siblings: Amos, Sarah, Elizabeth, Joseph, Anne, and John T. Zook Jr. In late 1893 or early 1894, J. Trimble Zook moved his family to Camden, settling…
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Spring Street
Spring Street in Camden dates back to at least 1850 and was mapped by 1891 to run north-south from Clinton Street, situated between Second Street and Front Street in South Camden. Although originally planned to extend as far south as Walnut Street, its development was obstructed by Volney Bennett’s lumber yard at Pine Street. The…
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Starr Avenue
Starr Avenue, later renamed Mt. Ephraim Avenue between 1914 and 1946, ran northeast from Border Street to Federal Street near the Cooper River and was named after Jesse W. and John F. Starr, founders of Camden Iron Works. The foundry’s former site has housed Campbell Soup’s corporate headquarters since the 1960s. Starr Avenue and Border…
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Abraham Lincoln James
Abraham Lincoln James, commonly known as A. L. James or A. Lincoln James, was a career officer with the Camden Police Department, serving for 40 years. He was a close friend of David Baird Sr., a prominent Camden County sheriff, U.S. senator, and Republican leader in South Jersey. Born on August 14, 1863, at 817…
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Remembering Doctor Paul Cohen
I’ve been meaning to ask you for quite awhile if you know of, or are related to our family Doctor from the 50’s and 60’s. His name was Paul Cohen and he was at 5th and State Streets. He treated every member of our family from the early 50’s thru the mid 60’s. The good…
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Paul Cohen
Dr. Paul Cohen was born in Moorestown, NJ, in 1903. He graduated from Moorestown High School in 1922, the University of Pennsylvania in 1926, and the University of Switzerland Medical School in 1934. He completed his internship at St. Luke’s and Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia. During World War II, Dr. Cohen served as a captain…
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Dillwyn P. Pancoast
Dr. Dillwyn Parrish Pancoast was born on March 11, 1836, in Mullica Hill, Harrison Township, NJ, to Israel Pancoast, a farmer, and his wife, Sarah Ann Lippincott. As of October 1850, he had at least two older brothers, Stacy and Keasby Pancoast, and a sister, Mary Anne. He pursued his education at Marietta Academy, graduating…
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Linden Street
Linden Street runs east from the Delaware River to North 12th Street. Over the years, large portions of the street have been demolished to accommodate the construction of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, Rutgers University, the toll plaza, and related infrastructure projects.
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James McDade
James McDade was born in Pennsylvania in September 1860 and had moved to Camden by 1884. His wife, Emma Ferkler, was seven years older than him. Together, they had three children: James Jr., born in October 1886; Joseph, born in May 1887; and Emma, born in March 1892. During this period, the family lived at…
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Point Street
Point Street was originally laid out in 1804, running between William Cooper’s house and ferry in what is now North Camden and Cooper Street. It was long known as Cooper's Point Road, with its current name derived from that designation. Following the riverbank, the road provided access to local sawmills, planing mills, and shipyards. However,…
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The First Drive-In Theater
The First Drive-In Theater: The Story of Its Creation and the Woman Behind It More than 100 years ago, an article appeared on the last page of the Courier-Post, announcing the construction of a revolutionary outdoor movie venue — the Drive-In Theater. Just two days earlier, the U.S. Patent Office had approved Richard M. Hollingshead…
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The Campbell Soup Company
The Campbell Soup Company has been a cornerstone of Camden, New Jersey’s history since its founding in 1869 by Joseph Campbell and Abraham Anderson. Originally established as Anderson & Campbell, the company began by producing canned tomatoes, vegetables, jellies, condiments, and mincemeat.Over time, it evolved into one of America’s most recognizable food brands. In 1897,…