John Albert Stockton Hunt was born in Camden, New Jersey, to George Sawyer Hunt and Clara Cook. His father, George, served in the Camden Fire Department in the late 1870s and 1880s, starting as a stoker and later becoming a hose cart driver with Engine Company 1.
George S. Hunt married Clara Cook in the 1870s. They had three children: Walter (born 1879), David (born 1881), and John A.S. Hunt (born May 1884).
By April 1877, George S. Hunt, a laborer living at 416 Pine Street, and his brother James H. Hunt joined the Camden Fire Department, both families living at the same address. When reappointed the following year, another firefighter, Edmund Shaw, also lived there. The 1880 Census shows George, Clara, and their son Walter at 814 South 4th Street, where George worked as an oilcloth printer. The 1881 Camden City Directory lists him at 411 Pine Street.
In March 1882, George moved to 441 Pine Street, while Shaw remained at 411 Pine Street. By the end of 1882, George returned to 411 Pine Street and lived there until at least 1884. He was not reappointed to the Fire Department in 1882, but a newspaper report mentions his reappointment in March 1884, though this is unconfirmed by department records. City Directories indicate he worked as an oilcloth printer at L.D. Farr’s works.
From 1885 to 1888, George S. Hunt and his family lived at 508 Pine Street, where he operated a saloon. The 1890 City Directory shows George and his family at 417 Pine Street, where he worked as a driver for the Camden Police Department. He remained a policeman at that address during the 1892-1893 period. He is absent from the 1893-1894 and 1894-1895 directories. By 1896, his widow Clara was listed at 816 South 4th Street. Clara remarried Alexander Marcy Stone in 1897, and they had a son, Charles, in 1899. By the 1900 Census, the family lived at 740 Pine Street before moving to Glassboro, New Jersey. John A. S. Hunt returned to Camden after the 1910 Census.
John A.S. Hunt married around 1913 and joined the Camden Fire Department in 1915. He and his wife Henrietta had a daughter, Ruth, in 1916, and a son, George, in 1918.
Throughout his firefighting career, John A. S. Hunt fought numerous fires. Notably, on the frigid night of January 11, 1916, he responded to a major fire at the State Street Methodist Episcopal Church in North Camden. The fire destroyed much of the church, leaving only four granite walls standing. Miraculously, a large stained glass window depicting Christ with Martha and Mary survived unscathed. During this incident, Chief Peter Carter was injured, and several firefighters, including John Hunt, were hurt when the church roof collapsed. Captain Joseph Maxwell required hospitalization, while others, including Hunt, managed to escape with less severe injuries.
By September 1918, John A. S. Hunt lived at 1018 South 6th Street, as recorded when he registered for the draft. The 1920 Census lists him and his family at 1009 South 6th Street, where his mother also resided. The Hunts remained there through at least April 1930. John was promoted to Captain by 1929 and continued working until the 1930 Census.
Tragically, Captain John A. S. Hunt suffered a fatal heart attack on May 28, 1930, and was buried at New Camden Cemetery. His brother, David Hunt, served as a detective in the Camden Police Department from 1909 to 1932. Two of John's cousins, George H. Hunt and Eli M. Hunt, sons of his uncle James H. Hunt, were also career firefighters in Camden. Another cousin, Theodosia Hunt Conaghy, served as matron at the Camden County Jail from 1923 until her retirement in 1950.
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John A. S. Hunt
John Albert Stockton Hunt was born in Camden, New Jersey, to George Sawyer Hunt and Clara Cook. His father, George, served in the Camden Fire Department in the late 1870s and 1880s, starting as a stoker and later becoming a hose cart driver with Engine Company 1. George S. Hunt married Clara Cook in the…
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