FIRMIN F. MICHEL was born in New Jersey around 1900. He married his wife, Gertrude, about 1927. At the time of the 1930 Census, Mr. and Mrs. Michel were renting at 518 Essex Street in Gloucester City NJ. At the time of the census, in April, he was finishing law school, and his wife was working as a bookkeeper at a printing company.
After his 1930 graduation from the South Jersey Law School in Camden, Firmin Michel took a position with former assistant county prosecutor and future judge Joseph A. Varbalow, in Camden.
On October 21, 1936 after the New Jersey State Supreme Court handed down its final and conclusive decision regarding the Camden municipal election of 1935, Firmin F. Michel was named City Solicitor of Camden, replacing E.G.C. Bleakly.
A son, Firmin F. Michel Jr., was born in New Jersey on October 12, 1938.
Interestingly, someone named Firmin Michel at the same Essex Street address claims to have invented the roast beef sandwich, presumaby Firmin’s father. From Patrick Ward in his Facebook group, Gloucester City History in Photos, he states:
1898- Gloucester City NJ, where the Hot Roast Beef Sandwich was invented? Maybe not but there was a serious business in Gloucester based on selling Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches.
518 Essex St. Gloucester City was home to a Frenchman Firman Michel who claims to be the “originator” of the “Hot Roast Beef Sandwich” in fact Mr. Michel patented a “Beef Roaster” in 1898.
In 1900 “The Michel Hot Roast Beef Sandwich Company” was located at 225 Essex Street in Gloucester City.
The company would have hot roast beef sandwich stands at many of the major exhibitions throughout the country and was reported to have had capital stock of $125,000 in 1905.
1898 Omaha Worlds Fair Exposition Omaha NE.
Patrick Ward, Gloucester City History in Photos Facebook Group
1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, NY
1909 The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle, WA
1904 The St. Louis World’s Fair
Firmin Michel died unexpectedly at home in early November, 1942.
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