420 Carl Miller Blvd, Camden, NJ
By 1876, the Tiedeken family had already put down roots in the Philadelphia area. Just across the Delaware River, in Camden, New Jersey, Theodore A. Tiedeken opened a small wagon-repair and blacksmith shop at 425 Van Hook Street. The shop's second floor served as a home for Theodore, his wife Josephine, and their sons, Theodore C. and William H.
After Theodore's death in 1887, his son, Theodore Jr., left the fifth grade at St. Peter & Paul’s School to help his mother run a boarding stable from the shop. His younger brother, William, pitched in by cleaning stalls and shining carriages. The family soon hired a blacksmith to train Theodore Jr., who quickly picked up the trade and began reviving the business.
One of their earliest clients was S. Canning Childs, for whom the Tiedeken brothers made pushcarts. Childs’ Grocery Store would eventually evolve into Acme Markets. Other notable clients included Campbell Soup and J. B. Van Sciver, who also commissioned carriages from the Tiedekens.
During the 1918 flu epidemic, the family built caskets and lent wagons to transport the deceased to cemeteries. As the business continued to grow, the brothers expanded their shop. However, by 1917, the rise of automobiles and trucks was rendering horse-drawn carriages obsolete. Like many others in their field, the Tiedekens adapted by converting their shop to build commercial truck bodies and to provide auto and truck body repairs.
Theodore Tiedeken was also deeply involved in civic and business affairs. He played a key role in fundraising efforts that led to the construction of the Walt Whitman Hotel at Broadway and Cooper Street. When William Tiedeken passed away in 1940, Theodore retired, and the business was taken over by William's sons—William, Edwin, and Theodore.
Although the family sold the business in 1981, it retained the Tiedeken name. Theodore A. Tiedeken's great-grandson, Robert Callaway, even worked there after the sale. In the early 2000s, the business was acquired by Joel Bain, a member of the Camden Fire Department, who began restoring and improving the building.
Today, Tiedeken Auto Body Works stands as the oldest business in the city of Camden.
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The brewery’s impact on Camden went beyond its customers and employees. The Camden brewery and other similar factories were a source of business for many businesses, such as hardware companies, office supply houses, and as illustrated here, the nearby Tiedeken auto and truck body works.
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