Author: Camden NJ History

  • Abraham Smalls

    Abraham Smalls

    Abraham Smalls spent his formative years in Camden, New Jersey, where his family resided at 222 Taylor Avenue, situated between Mickle and Federal Streets, during the period from 1949 to 1954. On November 16, 1981, Abraham Smalls received an appointment to the Camden Fire Department. His dedicated service spanned over several decades until his well-earned…

  • Albert Berul

    Albert Berul

    Albert Berul, born on June 18, 1895, eventually made his way to Camden, NJ, by 1936. He took up residence with his wife Anna at 1395 Kenwood Avenue in the Parkside section of the city. A skilled musician, Albert founded the Berul School of Music in 1925. Operating from his Kenwood Avenue home during the…

  • George T. Quinn

    George T. Quinn

    George Tabor Quinn was born on January 23, 1875, in New Jersey, to parents Davis Quinn and Estelle Abel. The Quinn family, comprising George, his older sister Violet, and later, younger siblings Leila A. Quinn (born in 1880) and Albert Quinn (born in 1886), resided at 448 Benson Street from 1878 to 1888. They later…

  • Joseph “Polack Joe” Deven

    “Polack Joe” Deven, born Joseph Deven to Italian immigrant parents Pietro and Angelina Davino, was a notable figure in Camden, New Jersey’s early 20th-century history. His life story is marked by a series of intriguing and often controversial events. Joseph Deven was born on February 19, 1893, in Pennsylvania. The 1900 Census recorded the Davino…

  • Jesthroe Hunt

    Jesthroe Hunt

    Jesthroe Hunt’s life story is deeply intertwined with the history of Camden, New Jersey, and serves as a testament to the city’s cultural and societal evolution throughout the 20th century. Born on August 3, 1920, in Conway, South Carolina, to Benjamin and Ella Hunt, Jesthroe Hunt moved with his family to Camden in the late…

  • Clare Street

    Clare Street

    Clare Street, a one-block thoroughfare in South Camden, New Jersey, runs south from 338 Pine Street to 335 Division Street. It holds a distinct place in the city’s history, reflecting both its urban development and changes in community identity over time. Originally named Pine Avenue, this street underwent a name change to Clare Street between…

  • Clay Street

    Clay Street in Camden, New Jersey, holds a significant place in the city’s history, particularly related to its industrial and residential development in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The absence of Clay Street in both the 1891 Sanborn Map and the 1887-1891 City Directories indicates its establishment occurred later than these dates. The…

  • Sycamore Street

    Sycamore Street

    Sycamore Street in Camden, New Jersey, is a notable example of the city’s “tree” streets, a naming convention common in many American cities. Originally running east from Front Street to Haddon Avenue, Sycamore Street has played an important role in Camden’s cultural and community history. At various times, the intersections along Sycamore Street, particularly at…

  • Penn Street

    Penn Street

    Penn Street in Camden, New Jersey, has a history that reflects the city’s urban development and changes over time. Not appearing in the 1863 Camden City Directory, it is first listed in the 1867 edition, indicating its establishment or recognition within the city’s infrastructure during this period. Running east from the Delaware River to North…

  • Ralph W. E. Donges

    Ralph W. E. Donges

    Ralph Waldo Emerson Donges, born on May 5, 1868, in Donaldson, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, to Dr. John Washington Donges and Rose Marguerite Renaud Donges, was a distinguished legal and political figure in Camden, NJ. His father, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and a practicing physician, and his French-born mother, provided a nurturing environment…

  • Frank Neutze – South Jersey: A History

    Frank Neutze – South Jersey: A History

    This is an excerpt from South Jersey: A History 1624-1924 FRANK F. NEUTZE was born in Camden on December 22, 1894, the son of John Henry and Mary Steinbach Neutze. His father was at one time captain of the Camden Police, and later Fish and Game Warden of Camden County. He attended the public and…

  • Charles H. Ellis, Jr.

    Charles H. Ellis, Jr.

    Born on April 22, 1862, in Camden, Charles H. Ellis Jr. was deeply rooted in the city’s fabric. His grandfather, Samuel Ellis, notably served as Camden’s first City Clerk and initiated the city’s first newspaper. Charles’s father, a successful grocer, established a grocery store at 5th and Berkley Street, around the time Charles was born.…