Henry Roy Steele, widely recognized in Camden, New Jersey, for his basketball prowess and as a tavern owner, left a lasting legacy despite his passing in 1946. Taverns bearing his name continued to operate in Camden and Somers Point, NJ, into the mid-1960s, highlighting his enduring impact.
Born on October 22, 1886, in Riddlesburg, Pennsylvania, Roy Steele was the second of four children of Jacob Steele, a butcher, and his wife, Melissa Fluke. His siblings were Homer B. Steele, Mary Steele, and Ross E. Steele. By 1900, the Steele family resided on Sixth Avenue in Homestead, Pennsylvania.
Roy Steele was a skilled athlete who played professional basketball for six seasons in the Central Basketball League (CBL), a western Pennsylvania-based league. Beginning his career in the 1906–1907 season with the Homestead Young Americans, Steele quickly earned a reputation as a clutch shooter and team player. In his first season, he scored 220 points in 29 games, ranking 7th in the league. The following season, with an expanded schedule of 70 games, he scored 455 points in 67 games, placing 8th in the CBL. Steele played a key role in helping the Homestead Young Americans secure the 1908–1909 CBL Championship with a 49–23 record, contributing 412 points in 65 games, again ranking 8th in the league. He also played for the Butler and Pittsburgh South Side teams in the CBL.
When the CBL disbanded in November 1912, Steele transitioned to the Eastern Basketball League (EBL), centered around Philadelphia. Alongside notable players like Jackie Adams, Jimmy Brown, and Eddie Dolin, he joined Camden's EBL franchise. Known as the Camden Alphas from 1912 to 1917, the Camden Crusaders from 1917 to 1921, and the Camden Skeeters until the league's collapse in 1923, the team was among the top in the East. Though his scoring declined in the EBL, Steele’s defensive skills made him an invaluable team member.
During his time in the EBL, Steele occasionally played for other teams. In the 1912–1913 season, he appeared in a game with Gloversville in the New York State League. The following season, he split his time between Gloversville and Camden. In the 1915–1916 season, he divided his efforts between Camden and Hazleton, PA, of the Pennsylvania State League. He also played two games with the Paterson Crescents of the Interstate Basketball League during the 1916–1917 season.
Roy Steele's basketball career, spanning both the Central and Eastern Basketball Leagues, showcased his talent, adaptability, and lasting influence on the sport.
Henry Roy Steele's multi-faceted life as an athlete, businessman, and family man demonstrates his versatility and enduring influence in his communities.
Professional basketball largely ceased during the 1918–1919 season due to external factors, but Steele resumed playing in 1919. That year, he played a single game for the Nanticoke Nans of the Pennsylvania State League and spent the rest of the 1919–1920 season with the Camden Crusaders. The Crusaders clinched the Eastern Basketball League (EBL) championship, recognized as the premier professional basketball league of its time. Steele played 37 games, ranking seventh in league scoring. His teammates included stars like Jimmy “Soup” Campbell, Neil Deighan, and Eddie Dolin, alongside promising local players. The team was backed by Camden businessmen Dr. Charles B. Helm and W. Penn Corson.
Steele remained active with Camden until the EBL dissolved in January 1923. He briefly played with the Paterson Legionnaires in the Metropolitan Basketball League during the 1922–1923 season and returned for 17 games in 1923–1924, concluding his basketball career at 37.
Despite his modest scoring later in his career, Steele's defensive skills earned him a spot on Ed Wachter's third all-time greatest team, a significant honor considering they only competed against each other for two seasons.
In addition to basketball, Steele played minor league baseball, beginning in 1908 with the Clarksburg team in the Pennsylvania and West Virginia League before transferring to the Connellsville Cokers, where he played first base.
On November 4, 1909, Steele married Georgina "Jean" Orris. By 1918, they lived on a farm in Pitcairn, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, with their two children, later welcoming a third. The Steele family relocated to the Camden, New Jersey, area in 1919. The 1920 and 1930 censuses show them living at 704 Grant Avenue, Collingswood, NJ. Steele worked as a machinist alongside his brother Ross, while teammate Jimmy “Soup” Campbell worked as a shipyard mechanic. By 1930, Steele transitioned to selling electrical supplies, marking the start of his journey into the bar business.
Steele entered the bar business between 1930 and 1931, initially operating a tavern at 28 Haddon Avenue, later known as the Century Bar. In 1933, he created a unique floating café on a barge in the Cooper River. By 1936, he established a bar at 560 Carman Street, downtown Camden, which became known as Roy Steele's Tavern. His son Bruce K. Steele managed the family business, and his brother Ross worked as a bartender. The Steele family ran the bar until at least 1959.
Steele registered for the draft in 1942, living at 537 Benson Street in Camden. By then, he had also acquired a bar at the Jersey Shore, expanding his business ventures. His brother Ross continued living at the Benson Street address and worked as a bartender.
In 1939, Roy Steele ventured to Somers Point, New Jersey, in search of a new business opportunity. At the time, Somers Point was a quiet town, primarily serving as a route to nearby Ocean City. Steele discovered a fitting prospect at 943 Bay Avenue: an old tavern named “Stretch Inn,” formerly owned by Thomas Stretch. Following Thomas’s death, his widow, Bertha Stretch, decided to sell the establishment. Steele arranged a lease for $40 per month for three years. The property, a taproom and café, was perfect for his vision.
The tavern featured a large main room with a ship-shaped bar, a kitchen, and storage space. Above the tavern was a five-bedroom apartment with a single bathroom, a dining room, living room, and kitchen. Steele invited his son-in-law, Elmer Blake, to help manage the business. Elmer, along with his wife Edna (Steele's daughter) and their young daughter Jean, moved into the apartment. Later, Steele's younger son and his wife joined them, creating a bustling household despite the single bathroom. The tavern, renamed Steele's Inn, operated like a typical local bar, serving draft beer, mixed drinks, and simple yet popular food, including sandwiches, fries, and cole slaw. Edna Blake contributed by serving food and shared stories, including one about two German-accented patrons she suspected of being spies — a reflection of the World War II era.
Roy Steele's health began to decline in 1945, and he spent much of his remaining time hospitalized. He passed away at Somers Point on June 17, 1946, leaving Steele's Inn to his wife, Georgina. She continued living above the tavern with her family until her death on November 27, 1955. Elmer and Edna Blake managed Steele's Inn until the winter of 1965.
Following Roy's death, his family maintained their Camden tavern business for several years. Bruce Steele, Roy's son, managed Roy Steele's Tavern on Carman Street and lived in Collingswood with his wife, Lillian. Ross Steele, another son, continued working as a bartender at the Camden bar and resided at 537 Benson Street. Both remained active in the business until the late 1950s. Tragically, Bruce Steele died on October 13, 1961, and Ross Steele passed away in September 1965.
Roy Steele's Tavern in Camden closed by 1970. When Carman Street was redeveloped for urban renewal, the tavern site became part of the Walter Rand Transportation Center. Lillian Steele, Bruce's widow, lived in Collingswood until her death in 1997.
Roy Steele's ventures in Somers Point and Camden reflect a remarkable legacy of entrepreneurship, community engagement, and family resilience, leaving an indelible mark on both towns.
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