Camden, New Jersey

Camden History

Historical archives documenting the people, streets, and stories of Camden, New Jersey.

Welcome to Camden History, unsurprisingly about Camden, New Jersey, a city steeped in history and brimming with stories that have left an indelible mark on the tapestry of America's past. Situated on the banks of the Delaware River, Camden has a rich and complex history that spans centuries. From its indigenous Lenape inhabitants to the bustling industrial hub of the 19th and 20th centuries, and from its pivotal role in the Underground Railroad to its contributions to the birth of the recording industry, Camden has played a significant part in shaping the nation's narrative.

Camden's origins can be traced back to the early 17th century when European settlers first arrived in the region. Over time, it evolved from a quaint village into a thriving industrial center, earning it the nickname "The City Invincible" in the late 19th century. The city's industries, including shipbuilding, manufacturing, and commerce, contributed to its growth and prosperity.

But Camden's history is not just one of industry and commerce; it's also a story of resilience, community, and cultural diversity. Throughout its past, the city has been home to waves of immigrants, each adding their unique traditions and flavors to the city's vibrant cultural mosaic.

Join us on a journey through time as we explore the people, places, and events that have shaped Camden's captivating history. From the waterfront to the neighborhoods, from famous figures to everyday citizens, we invite you to discover the hidden gems and untold tales that make Camden a city worth exploring and celebrating.

Remnants of Camden's history are all around you if you know where to look!

Camden Courier-Post, June 14, 1944 — Samuel Rosen Dies
News Articles

Samuel Rosen Dies; Beth Israel Founder

Samuel Rosen, 51, of 2597 Baird Boulevard, a leader in Jewish fraternal and charitable circles and one of the founders of Beth Israel synagogue, died at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Philadelphia.

·1 min read
News Articles

15 Dead, 2 Missing from South Jersey

The War Department's June 13, 1944 casualty list named fifteen South Jersey men killed and two missing, among them Corporal Stephen V. Koscianski of 966 Bulson Street, Camden — one of twelve on the list who had been lost with the troopship HMT Rohna in the Mediterranean seven months earlier.

·3 min read
Pvt. Henry G. C. Yip
News Articles

Pvt. Henry G. C. Yip

Pvt. Henry G. C. Yip, 18, of 5 South Thirty-sixth Street, is stationed at Camp Wheeler, Georgia. Of Chinese ancestry, he enlisted a year before being called to service in February 1944. His father is a well-known Camden restaurateur.

·1 min read
LT. EDWARD C. HAHN STRICKEN ON STREET — Camden Courier-Post, April 3, 1944
News Articles

Lt. Edward C. Hahn Stricken on Street

Lt. Edward C. Hahn, a 22-year veteran of the Camden police department, collapsed and died of a heart attack outside a drugstore near his Third District station house on April 2, 1944.

·2 min read
Roxie Allen 1944
News Articles

Detectives attend Brennan funeral

By GEORGE ZACHARIAS As they prepared to take John Brennan on his last ride, Rocco Auletto , known to the fight world as Roxie Allen , was held in $5000 bail for further arraignment next Friday and detectives spread the dragnet for five men believed implicated in the gangland execution at 17th and Rittenhouse Streets.

·2 min read
Japs Plenty Tough, Camden Man Says — Camden Courier-Post, February 21, 1944
News Articles

Japs Plenty Tough, Camden Man Says

In a February 1944 letter to Camden County registrar Victor J. Scharte, Corp. Frank A. Duffy of Marine intelligence described the invasion of Roi Island in the Kwajalein Atoll and enclosed captured Japanese money as souvenirs. Camden Courier-Post, February 21, 1944.

·2 min read
Services for Mrs. Roseanna Currie, 83, who died Sunday of a heart attack in her home at 219 North Third street, will be held at 2 p. m. Thursday in...
News Articles

Mrs. Roseanna Currie

Mrs. Roseanna Currie, 83, widow of Howard H. Currie, died of a heart attack at her home at 219 North Third Street. She was born in Camden and lived there all her life.

·1 min read
Chief Water Tender Arthur Carl Roscoe, U.S. Navy, 1332 Argus Road
News Articles

Roscoe Funeral Will Be Sunday

Obituary for Chief Water Tender Arthur Carl Roscoe, U.S. Navy, of 1332 Argus Road, killed when the USS St. Augustine collided with a merchant vessel off the Atlantic coast in January 1944.

·2 min read
St. Joseph's Church Keeps in Touch with Men and Women in Armed Forces; Four Sons Killed and Two Missing — Camden Courier-Post, 1944
News Articles

St. Joseph's Church Keeps in Touch with Men and Women in Armed Forces

A 1944 Camden Courier-Post feature by Frank Sheridan on St. Joseph's Church (the Polish parish at Tenth and Mechanic Streets), whose 1,154 mothers gave sons and daughters to the war — four killed, two missing, one a prisoner — among them Joseph Piotrowski, lost when the cruiser Helena was sunk at Kula Gulf.

·5 min read
Mrs. Anna E. McDermott obituary — Camden Courier-Post, October 7, 1943
News Articles

Mrs. Anna E. McDermott

Mrs. Anna E. McDermott, 80, wife of retired city fireman James H. McDermott of 23 North Twenty-eighth Street, died Tuesday after a long illness. Funeral at Harry Leonard Funeral Home; solemn requiem mass at St. Joseph's Church.

·1 min read
Camden Prisoner of Japanese Urges Dad to Keep on Ship Job — Camden Courier-Post, September 8, 1943
News Articles

Camden Prisoner of Japanese Urges Dad to Keep on Ship Job

Camden Courier-Post, September 8, 1943 — Lieut. Brunislaus S. Ulak, a South Camden Army officer held prisoner by the Japanese in the Philippines, sent his parents his first word in 17 months on two prison-camp postcards, urging his father to keep working hard at his shipyard job.

·2 min read
Service flag unfurled by St. Joseph's Church, Tenth and Mechanic Streets, Camden, August 31, 1943
News Articles

1150 Camden Poles In Service Honored

A service flag honoring 1,150 St. Joseph's Parish men and women in the armed forces was unfurled at Tenth and Mechanic Streets, where Mayor Brunner pinned gold stars on the mothers and a brother of parishioners killed or missing in World War II. Courier-Post, August 31, 1943.

·5 min read