Tag: Whitman Park
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A Child’s Life on Grant Street: Memories of Camden
It all begins in a little row house (they call them townhouses now) on Grant Street in Camden NJ. I remember my mother telling me once that she and my father paid $3,000 for that house somewhere around 1952, when they married. I slept in the same bed with my older sister Chris, who was…
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Johnny Lucas
Johnny Lucas, often lauded as “The Pride of Whitman Park,” emerged as one of the notable lightweight and welterweight boxers from Camden during the 1920s and 1930s. While boxing records suggest a birthdate of January 1, 1912, this remains unconfirmed. One of Johnny Lucas’ notable moments in the ring occurred on February 3, 1933, when…
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Time and Place Lounge
1199 Chase Street The building at 1199 Chase Street, in the heart of what was the predominantly Polish Whitman Park section of Camden, was the home of a saloon as early as 1918. Joseph Brzozowski was the proprietor then, and remained as such through 1921. City Directories from 1924 through 1928 list Simon Sochanski as…
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Mechanic Street
Mechanic Street, historically, was situated two blocks south of Kaighn Avenue and originally ran parallel to it, stretching from Front Street to Haddon Avenue, although there was a gap between 7th and 8th Streets. The street’s layout was influenced by the intersecting streets and railways that crossed its path, resulting in two distinct sections of…
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Frank J. Suttill
Frank J. Suttill, born on September 8, 1893, in Pennsylvania, made significant contributions to Camden County’s political and civic life. His family relocated to Camden County in 1902, marking the beginning of his long association with the area. Suttill’s political career was notable for breaking new ground in local politics. He became the first Democrat…
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George Ackerle
GEORGE ACKERLE was born December 14, 1920 in New Jersey. He was one of at least seven children born to Paul F. and Anna Ackerle. The Ackerles lived in Deptford NJ through at least April of 1930. Paul Ackerle was a baker by trade, working in Camden as early as 1918, and young George followed…
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Mayor, City Aides to Confer Monday on Weed Removal
Camden Courier Post – July 22, 1950 Unsightly Grass and Weeds Mayor Brunner announced today he will call a conference Monday to coordinate city departments in the movement to remove unsightly grass and weeds in the city. Attending the conference Brunner said will be Director of Public Works Abbott, his deputy, James Swanson; J. James…
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Johnny Lucas Defeats Tommy Bashara in Ten-round Windup Match at Arena Here
Camden Courier-Post – August 5, 1933 STRONG FINISH FACTOR IN CAMDEN YOUTH’S WIN Lucas Cops Five of Ten Rounds, Divides One With Norfolk Ring Foe SERODY STOPS HALEY LOCAL FIGHT RESULTS By TOM RYAN, Courier-Post Sports Editor A rally in the last two rounds enabled Johnny Lucas, blond Whitman Park junior welterweight, to gain the…
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Trenton ‘Phantom’ Gains Verdict Over Local Italian for Third Straight Time
Camden Courier Post – September 19, 1928 By TOM RYAN Before one of the largest crowds that ever witnessed a boxing shot at the Convention Hall, Vincent Forgione, of Philadelphia. won the referee’s decision over Babe McCorgary, of Oklahoma, in the last-half of the double-windup of the all-star benefit, show staged last night by the…
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Spearing May Give Michaels Real Tilt
Camden Courier-Post – August 28, 1928 East Camden Lightweight is Rapidly Developing Into Windup Performer Joe Spearing, of East Camden, who meets Joey Michaels, Riverside slugger in the eight-round semi-final to the Roxie Allen-Emory Cabana bout at Public Service Park on Friday night, is rapidly fighting his way into the windup class. It only has…