USA > New Jersey > Camden County > Camden > The civil and political history of Camden County and Camden City > Part 4
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Prior to 1842, no lots could be purchased north of Cooper street, except in the immediate vicinity of Cooper's Point Ferry. The reason for this was that under the city charter and state tax laws then in force, farm lands were not taxable for city purposes, even though this land was within the city limits, but just as soon as the land was divided into building lots, it was assessed not only for state and county taxes, but also for municipal expenses. Until the failure of the United States Bank, in which Richard M. Cooper was heavily interested, the returns from the farm lands provided all the revenue desired, without exposing unsold lots to the higher tax levy.
Previous to the adoption of the name of Camden, many local names were used to designate the various places or sections, now within the city limits. These names were generally the result of custom, or popular parlance, and few of them had any legal or official significance. They were applied to the several localities, or settle- ments, because of some family connection with the place, or of some characteristic of the neighborhood. Some of the names were adopted from the slang expressions of the period.
Before the Town of Camden was laid out, the section north from Bridge avenue was variously called "William Cooper's Ferry," "Daniel Cooper's Ferry," or more frequently "The Ferries." After the town plot had been filed, the name "William Cooper's Ferry," "Samuel Cooper's Ferry," or "Cooper's Point," was used to designate the portion north of Cooper street. The number of settlers was small and practically all of the houses were clustered around the ferry, the
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store of Isaac and Benjamin Cathrall, later kept by Richard Wells, and the hotel. The Cathrall store, located on "Samuel Cooper's Wharf," from the variety of merchandise for sale would have rivaled the modern department store. According to an advertisement in 1776,* it offered for sale almost everything from Irish linen and silk mitts to groceries, West India rum and mill saw files.
After the establishment of the ferry at Federal street, the section south of Cooper street became known as "Daniel Cooper's Ferry," no doubt to distinguish it from the Samuel Cooper ferry at the Point, and this distinction held good until Camden was laid out. These two localities were later known as "Lower Billy's Ferry" and "Upper Billy's Ferry" respectively.
The settlement in the vicinity of Kaighn's Point, where the Kaighn family had extensive interests, became known at an early date (about 1801) as Kaighnsborough, or Kaighnton. It was officially laid out by Joseph Kaighn as one of the commissioners appointed to divide the real estate of James Kaighn and the plan was filed in the county clerk's office at Woodbury in 9 mo. 1812. By 1828, the name Kaighn- ton had become so well rooted in the public mind that the Legislature in providing for the incorporation of the city of Camden made special provision whereby it was to be specifically represented in the new city council.
"Dogwoodtown," which included the lands in the neighborhood of Tenth and Federal streets, received its name from the profusion of dogwood trees that formerly thrived in the vicinity. "Ham Shore" and "Pinchtown" were small settlements on the Delaware between Bridge avenue and Spruce street, each with only a few old houses or frame shacks. These "shacks" were occupied chiefly by fishermen, who earned a living by catching fish then very plentiful in the Dela- ware river.
"Cooper Hill," in the vicinity of Broadway and Berkely street, was part of the old "Cooper's Woodlands." A portion of this section was also called "Nanny's woods," from the fact than an old colored woman lived in a cabin on the edge of the woods near what is now West and Washington streets. Stockton, f or Centerville,} Kaighnville
* Pennsylvania Packet, March 11, 1776.
+ Beginning at the intersection of Ferry avenue and Jackson street, thence casterly along Jackson street to Seventh, southerly on Seventh street to VanHook street; thence along the latter street to Evergreen Cemetery; thence south along the westerly line of the cemetery to Ferry avenue and westerly and northwesterly along the latter street to the place of beginning. The Stockton Land Association was formed about 1855 by Isaac W. Mickle, John Cooper, R. W. Bonin, Jas. M. Cassidy, B. M. Braker, and W. D. Hicks. They bought twenty-three acres of land In this vicinity which was laid off Into building lots. On Stone & Pomeroy's map of 1860 the settlement is prominently marked by a special Insert of the town plan.
¿ In the vicinity of Seventh and Ferrv avenu This settlement was started by the Center- ville Land Assoclatlon, of which Thomas Phillips and John Crowley were the chief factors. They had purchased the northern part of the Mickle farm.
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or the Town of Stockton, Liberty Park and "Sweet Potato Hill"* were other designations given to localities in the lower section of the city. Aside from "Cooper's Hill," these names are of comparatively recent origin.
The territory embraced within what is now the Eleventh and Twelfth Wards had so many names that it is almost bewildering to follow all of them. There was Wrightsville, named from John Wright; Boothmanville, south and west of Marlton Pike and Federal street, laid out by Thomas Boothman about 1871; Cramer Hill, North Cramer Hill, and Cramer Heights, which were developed by Alfred Cramer; Pavonia, which was laid out in 1852 by the Pavonia Land Company ;; Fairview, which derived its name from the beautiful view of the Delaware river that could be had from this tract; Dudley and Dudley Homestead, located in the vicinity of the home of Thomas H. Dudley, who was active in the early political affairs of Camden and was vice-consul at Liverpool during the Civil War; North and South Spicerville, named after the Spicer family, which was one of the earliest of the first settlers to permanently locate along Cooper's creek; the French Tract, a development of Emmor D. French about 1876; Rosedale, Bailytown, East Camden, Deep Cut, The Hollow, and the Bottom were other designations given to particular sections. Most of these have long since lost their distinction, and today the Cramer Hills, Pavonia, Wrightsville, Rosedale, and Dudley are the only ones which have survived. They are all, however, of com- paratively recent origin. Prior to 1850, save for a few houses around the Federal street bridge, an occasional farm house here and there and the little aggregation of small houses inhabited by colored families in the vicinity of Pavonia station, the lands on the easterly side of Cooper river, were all devoted to agriculture and the territory was strictly a rural district. In 1894, Wrightsville, Cramer Hill, North Cramer Hill, Pavonia, Dudley, Fairview and Rosedale were incorporated as the Town of Stockton. The old names, however, were still in common use for many years after the consolidation.
The topography of the city as we know it today is entirely dif- ferent from that of the days of our forefathers. Then there were many small ponds now occupied by substantial buildings and marsh lands constantly overflowed by the tides which are now banked or wharfed against such inroads. From the east side of Second street
* South of the Atlantic City Railroad tracks and east of the West Jersey Railroad electric tracks.
t In 1851, the Pavonia City Association purchased of B. W. Cooper, his farm consisting of 85 acres and the mansion house for $500 an acre and proceeded to develop the same.
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a hollow extended nearly to Third street midway between Market and Cooper streets. Where Morgan's Hall now stands was a deep hollow used as a skating and swimming pond which in time was filled with refuse from the shingle mills in the vicinity and changed from a hollow to a mound to which the name "Shingle Shaving Hill" was given. In the vicinity of the North East Grammar School was a deep hole that was quite popular in the olden days as a coasting place. South of Newton avenue and east of the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad tracks were several ponds much frequented by wild ducks and geese in season. From about Henry and Washington streets to the river was low meadow land which was frequently covered with water and was flooded in Winter to furnish a skating pond. West of Second street from Bridge avenue to Kaighn avenue was a tide-marsh or flat overflowed by every tide, while south of Kaighn avenue the river encroached almost to the present line of Broadway.
The agitation for a better form of local government and one which would provide police protection was begun in 1826. In those days, the ferry gardens always attracted a certain element from Philadel- phia, especially on Sundays, when the bar-rooms and taverns across the river were closed, because no distinction was made on this side of the river between the days of the week. Many of these persons after partaking of the refreshments sold at these places became a source of much annoyance to the peace-loving citizens of Camden. At a meeting of a number of residents held at the hotel of Ebenezer Toole on November 13, 1826, a memorial and form of charter for the city of Camden was adopted and directed to be presented to the next Legislature. No action seems to have been taken, however, on this petition by the Legislature of 1827. The next public notice which has been located that an application would be made to the Legislature for a charter is found in an advertisement appearing in the "American Star and Rural Record" of October 31, 1827, and reads as follows :
PUBLIC NOTICE
A bill for the incorporation of the town of Camden, in the county of Gloucester, into a city will be presented for enact- ment to the Legislature of New Jersey on the second Tuesday of the next session.
EBENEZER TOOLE. SAMUEL D. WESSELL. RICHARD FETTERS. On behalf of the applicants.
August 22, 1827.
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As a result of this agitation on February 13, 1828,* the Council and General Assembly; passed an act creating the city of Camden out of a portion of Newton township. At the time of its incorpora- tion, the city had a population of 1143. The original boundaries of the city of Camden were, (1) "a small run of water (Little Newton creek or Line Ditch)} below Kaighnton, which run is between the lands of the late Isaac Mickle, deceased, and Joseph Kaighn;" (2) "the road leading to Woodbury from the Camden Academy" (Broad- way) ; (3) "the road from Kaighnton to Cooper's Creek Bridge" (Newton avenue) ; (4) the road leading to the bridge over Cooper's creek (Federal street) ; (5) Cooper's creek and (6) the Delaware river. Under this charter, however, the city was subservient to the old township of Newton and this dual control was the source of constant strife between the township committee and city council.
The act provided for a mayor, a recorder, four aldermen, five councilmen and a town clerk. The mayor, recorder, aldermen and councilmen constituted the "body politic and corporate," under the style of "The Mayor, Alderman and common council of the city of Camden." Of the councilmen, one was to be elected to represent "the village commonly called William Cooper's ferry and one shall always be a resident of Kaighnton." The same provision regarding residence applied to the aldermen. The mayor presided at council meetings, and in his absence the recorder, both having votes on all questions, but they were without veto power.
This charter, and the amendment passed fifteen days later, in- creasing the number of aldermen, gave the people very little direct voice in the creation of the governing power. While it provided that five of the common council should be elected by the people, the five aldermen and the recorder were appointed by the Council and General Assembly in joint session. There was much opposition to the charter on the part of some of the ferrymen, who, as subsequent events proved, feared the effect stricter police regulation would have on their busi- ness. In spite of this opposition the charter was obtained and an election for councilmen, assessor, collector and town clerk was held in the Camden Academy on March 10, 1828, at which less than fifty
* Public Laws of N. J., 1828, p. 193.
The title by which the State Legislature was then known.
# Little Newton Creek was in the early days a stream of some importance and was navigable as far as Broadway for barges loaded with hay and bricks. It was the dividing line between the Kaighns and Mickles, who jointly constructed and maintained meadow banks along its course to prevent inundation of the adjacent low land, a work taken over in 1844 by the Little Newton Creek Meadow Company and continued by the latter until 1874. About 1908, the Line Ditch sewer following substantially the creek bed was completed to take care of the old stream and the low lands filled up to grade.
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votes were cast. The first city officials elected were: Councilmen- James Duer, Cooper's Ferry ; John Lawrence, Ebenezer Toole and Richard Fetters, Camden; Joseph Kaighn, Kaighn's Point; Assessor, Jacob B. Stone; Collector, Paul C. Laning; Town clerk, Samuel Ellis.
The first meeting of the city council was held on March 13, 1828, at the hotel kept by John M. Johnson on the site of the old Vauxhall Gardens on the west side of Fourth below Market street. The Mayor was, according to the charter, elected annually from among the alder- men by the council and Samuel Laning was the first one selected to fill that office, while Samuel Ellis, who had been elected at the town meeting, acted as clerk. Of the five councilmen elected only Richard Fetters, John Lawrence and Ebenezer Toole attended the first meet- ing, James Duer, the village shoemaker, and Joseph Kaighn failed to put in an appearance and afterwards resigned. According to tradition, it took Fetters and Lawrence the greater part of the pre- ceeding night to induce Toole to attend, notwithstanding the fact that he had been one of the petitioners for the charter. Duer having refused to serve, William Ridgeway was elected in 1829 to represent Cooper's Point, but never attended the meetings, nor did Joseph W. Cooper, elected in 1830, nor Charles Stokes chosen in 1831. In 1832, however, Joseph W. Cooper was again elected and then consented to perform the duties of his office.
The second meeting of the city council, on March 20, 1828, was held in a second story room of a frame house owned by Richard Fetters on the east side of Third street just below Market, which the council subsequently rented for twelve dollars per year. One of the first actions at this meeting was the granting of licenses to Benjamin Springer, who kept a ferry and hotel at the foot of Market street ; Joseph English, a ferryman at Cooper street; Isaiah Toy, for the ferry hotel at Federal street, and William Ridgeway, the proprietor of the Cooper's Point Hotel. The license fee was fixed at twenty-five dollars. At the same meeting Reuben Ludlam was elected treasurer and his salary was fixed at "two and one-half per cent. of all monies receivable by him from taxes and loans, and five per cent. on all monies arising from the ordinary receipts of the corporation." The total salary of Treasurer Ludlam during his year of office-holding amounted to $87.80, which was considered entirely too much and the percentage was reduced for the following year to one per cent. on all monies received. Isaac Smith, the second city treasurer, received only $6.75 for the year's work. The explanation of Ludlam's "large
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salary" was that the $2500 which the city borrowed to build its first city hall came under the first class of receipts .*
Camden's first City Hall was authorized by an ordinance adopted by city council on June 18, 1828. It was erected on the south side of Federal street between Fourth and Fifth streets, the site now being occupied by the Public Service Building. Originally it was a stone building about twenty by forty feet, two stories high with an attic. The lower floor was to be used as a lockup and the upper floor, reached by a wooden stairway on the outside of the Federal street front, as a council chamber and court room. The attic was used as a jury room and also rented out for various purposes.
In 1835, the Mayor and Recorder were instructed by city council to tender the use of the old City Hall to the Justices of the Supreme Court for the Special Term which they proposed holding in Camden, and a committee composed of Robert W. Ogden, John W. Mickle and Richard Fetters was appointed to prepare the building for the holding of such court session. What these preparations were, or whether the special session was held in the City Hall, the minutes of city council do not disclose.
Under the act creating Camden county it was provided that the City Hall and jail of the city of Camden should be used as a County Court House until other quarters could be erected by the county authorities. For this reason the building was, in the newspapers of that period, sometimes called the City Hall, and sometimes referred to as the Court House.
The first courts for Camden county were held in the City Hall on March 26, 1844. Justice Elmer had been assigned to the new county by the Supreme Court, but was prevented from presiding at the opening session on account of court engagements at Woodbury, and Justice J. M. White therefore acted in his place, being assisted by the following Judges of the Court of Common Pleas for Camden County : Isaac Cole, Nathan M. Lippincott, S. B. Hunt, J. B. Sickler, and J. G. Clark, while Thomas B. Wood was clerk and James Gahan, crier. Upon the adjournment of the special session of the Circuit Court, the members of the Court of Common Pleas selected Isaac Cole as its first Presiding Judge.
The members of the first Grand Jury called before Judge Moore were J. G. Delacour, William Corkery, John D. Glover, James Lin-
* This money was borrowed on a note bearing six per cent. interest from Jacob Evaul, a wealthy farmer of Newton Township, who died Friday, November 16, 1828, at the age of 92. The note, however, was not entirely paid off until 1843.
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nett, Caleb Nixon, Joseph Burrough, David Albertson, David Borton, Josiah B. Sickler, Charles B. Robbins and Joseph Rogers.
In 1862, a one story building was added to each end of the old building, one side being the office of the Mayor and the other that of the City Clerk. Another addition was made to the building in 1871 to provide rooms for the City Treasurer and Receiver of Taxes. The entire structure was torn down in 1878.
While this building was erected for the use of the city officials, including city council, a reading of the council minutes and the early newspapers would indicate that it made little difference where, or when, they met. We find them meeting at Toole's Hotel, at Vauxhall Garden, at Toy's Hotel, at Alderman Smith's house, at the "Baptist Meeting House" and in later days at either Paul's, Clement's or Cake's Hotels.
The agitation which culminated in the erection of the present City Hall was begun prior to 1868. In the latter year, a committee appointed to select a location advocated the erection of the new build- ing on the site of the old City Hall. This report was, however, not adopted and the matter dragged along until 1871, when Jesse W. Starr came forward with an offer to donate four and one half acres of land, at the junction of Haddon avenue and the West Jersey Rail- road, upon the express condition that a City Hall should be erected thereon and that the unoccupied portion should be laid out as a public park. On July 2, 1874, Mr. Starr also gave the city the ground on which the Soldiers' Monument now stands, upon the same conditions. The limitations as to the use to which the ground might be put were extinguished in 1883, upon the payment to the donor or $10,813.19, and while the original conditions have not so far been altered, the city may now use it as is deemed best in the public interest. Upon this site the erection of the present City Hall was begun in 1874, and was so far completed that the first meeting of city council was held in the building on Thursday, January 27, 1876.
Our early city fathers did not believe in profiteering, and soon after attending to the licensing of the taverns and authorizing the building of a city hall, they took steps to prevent it by regulating the prices which the hotels or inns might charge the traveling public. A few of the rates were as follows :
For Breakfast 25 cents
" Dinner in common
25
" Dinner extraordinary 371/2 "
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For Supper 25 cents
Lodging per night 121/2 "
" Claret per quart 371/2"
Brandy per gill
121/2 "
Cider per quart
61/4"
Strong Beer per quart 121/2 "
Stabling a horse per night on English Hay.
121/2 "
" Stabling a horse for twenty-four hours on English Hay 25
V
Stabling a horse per night on Salt Hay 121/2 "
'Stabling a horse for twenty-four hours on Salt Hay
183/4 "
In the light of our present currency, the above fractional amounts seem very strange, but it must be remembered that "fips," or "fipenny bit," a corruption for "five-penny bit," and "levies"-614 and 121/2 cents-were extensively used as subsidiary coins of the land.
From a collection of villages whose total population did not much exceed one thousand souls, the new city within five years increased to 2341 and had at least assumed the aspect of a municipality.
Camden, although a municipality with a Mayor, Recorder, Alder- man and Council, had powers which were very much circumscribed and limited. It was still under the jurisdiction. of Newton township and so continued until 1832, when the legislative act creating the township of Camden went into effect. There was very little for the city authorities to do except grant tavern licenses, over which they had "the sole, only and exclusive right and power" and to pass ordinances for the protection of life and property and the abatement of nuisances. The city council was specifically prevented from levying any taxes on lands used for "the purposes of husbandry" or on any farm buildings thereon-a provision not contained in any other municipal charter in the state.
During the first twenty years of its existence the majority of the ordinances related to the control and supervision of dogs, hogs, horses and goats, which had a penchant for roaming at large through the city streets and over private property. The early city fathers, like their successors, did not overlook the authority, to create public of- fices, among which were a city treasurer, poundkeeper, street com- missioners, city surveyors, board of health and city solicitor.
The several early supplements to the original charter still gave the legislature control over the majority appointments of members of the local governing body. In 1842,* the people began to agitate the
* American Eagle, 12-31-1842.
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modification of their charter so that these officers might be elected by the inhabitants. To this end a town meeting was held in the City Hall on December 28, 1842, presided over by Richard Fetters, at which resolutions were adopted requesting the legislature to amend the city charter so that this condition might be remedied. The legisla- ture by an act of March 9, 1844, not only provided for the election of the Mayor by a town meeting, but gave city council the exclusive authority to grade, curb and pave the streets, and to compel property owners to pave the sidewalks.
Up to this time the supervision of the highways and streets of the city had been under the jurisdiction of the township authorities and had, consequently, received very little attention. The care of the sidewalks was nobody's business and was like the fire service, a voluntary matter. In front of some of the houses the owners had laid down planks or flagging. Occasionally a progressive resident would pave that portion in front of his house, with bricks, while his neighbor refused to make any improvement. There were no curbs, but in the more traveled thoroughfares posts were set up along the outer edge of the sidewalks.
The first attempt to compel the property owners to improve their sidewalks was made in April, 1844. The order provided that the sidewalks on the south side of Cooper street, along Market, Plum and Federal streets, as well as all the cross streets between Cooper and Federal street from Front to the west side of Sixth street should be immediately put in first-class order.
The first mayor of Camden to be elected directly by the people "in the town meeting assembled" was chosen in 1844. John K. Cowperthwait, who had been very active in city affairs from the time of its incorporation, was selected and served for one year.
The supplement of 1848 provided for three wards; the North Ward, embracing all the land north of Arch and Federal streets, the Middle Ward, extended from Arch and Federal streets to Line street ;* the South Ward, included all that portion of the city south of Line street. Each ward was to elect two councilmen and one chosen freeholder. Council now comprised the six councilmen above noted, the five aldermen as provided in the act of 1828, together with the mayor and recorder.
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