The history of Camden county, New Jersey, Part 66

Author: Prowell, George Reeser, 1849-1928
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Richards
Number of Pages: 1220

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Mr. Fetters was three times married. His first wife, with whom he was united January 20, 1817, and who was the mother of all of his children, was Hope Stone, born April 27, 1797, and died December 18, 1839. His second wife, to whom he was married November 8, 1841, was Sarah L. Lam- born, and the third, with whom he was joined March 21, 1860, was Ellen B. Marter.

The children of Richard and Hope (Stone) Fet- ters were Elizabeth, Evaline, Hannah (deceased)

Riches Hitters

423

THE CITY OF CAMDEN.

and Caroline. Elizabeth married the late Jesse Smith, of Woodbury, by whom she had two chil- dren-Charlena F., born November 29, 1841 (died in infancy), and Richard F. Smith, formerly city treasurer and now sheriff of Camden County. Evaline married the late Richard S. Humphreys. They had two children-Richard F. (who died in infancy) and Harry, born March 2, 1855, now a lumber merchant in Philadelphia. Caroline mar- ried Charles S. Humphreys, an artist of Camden, now deceased. They had five children, viz.,- Charles F. (deceased), was married to Ella Corson of Camden, Evaline L. (deceased), George W., an attorney, married to Mary Coy of Palmyra, and Louis B., a real estate dealer, was married to Jen- nie McM. Strong, daughter of the late Nathan Strong, one of the first attorneys of Philadelphia. George W. and Louis B. are both of Camden, Ella F. (Mrs. Dr. Pemberton), now of Long Branch, N. J.

STOCKTON .- In the year 1849 James D. Crowley, Thomas Phillips, George F. Miller and William Jones, as the Kaighns Point Land Company, pur- chased of Dr. Isaac S. Mulford a tract of land east of the West Jersey Railroad, for which they paid two hundred and twenty-five dollars an acre. In the two succeeding years they purchased of Colonel Isaac W. Mickle and other Mickle heirs the land lying between Ferry Avenue and Jackson Street, to within a short distance of Evergreen Cemetery. This land was part of the large tract purchased by Archibald Mickle about 1696, and which ex- tended from Kaighns Run, or Line Ditch, to Newton Creek.

The Land Company laid out the land in build - ing lots, and named the settlement "Centreville," which was subsequently changed to Stockton. Most of the tract was a corn-field and on it were two tenant-houses, both on Central Avenue, one at the corner of Master and the other on Phillip Street. South of Ferry Avenue was a forest of oak-trees, and north of Stockton was a dense thicket, where rabbits, quail and smaller game were sought after, and not in vain. The lots were sold on easy terms and the sales were rapid until the burning of the ferry-boat "New Jersey," in 1856 (a history of which is given on page 369), checked the inflow of home- seekers from the western shore of the Delaware. The company donated land for school and church purposes. That was the gift to the Stockton Bap- tist Society, on Vanhook Street, near Sixth. When William Jones built the " Flat Iron," at the junc- tion of Ferry Avenue and Broadway, and applied

for a license to sell liquor, the society remonstrated, for which he sought to take away the ground given them by the company, but was prevented by Mr. Crowley. In 1871 Stockton, forming a part of Newton township, was annexed to Camden as a portion of the Eighth Ward, when its growth re- ceived an impetus that still continues. The intro- duction of gas and water, with other advantages incident to city rule, led to the establishment of a number of mauufactories, and these increase yearly, owing to the comparatively low price of land. With these advantages, this section of the city is rapidly increasing in population.

KAIGHNSVILLE was a settlement of colored per- sons, east of Seventh and south of Chestnut Street. Benjamin Vandyke was the first settler, an ex- emplary man, who built the small house now standing at Ann Street and Kaighn Avenue in 1838. There was no house near, and the lot upon which he built was part of John Kaighn's corn- field. Shortly afterwards Daniel Wilkins bought the land bounded by Seventh Street, Ann, Syca- more and Kaighn Avenue, selling portions to Dempsey D. Butler, who, coming from the South built on Kaighn Avenue, and to Daniel Sullivan' who built the house on the southeast corner of Sev- enth and Sycamore, now used as a store by Francis Crossley

Anthony Colding built No. 736 Chestnut Street in 1848, and about that time Joshua Martin, Luke Derrickson, Henry Mackey, Charles Sobers, Shep- pard Sample, the school-master, Harriet Gibbs, James Mosely, William Everman and other well- known colored people settled in the neighbor- bood, built churches and established schools. In 1854 a conflagration destroyed almost the entire settlement from Seventh to Ann, and Chestnut to Kaighn Avenue, but it was speedily rebuilt. In 1871 it was taken into the city, with part of Newton township, and forms a part of the Seventh Ward, the population of which was, in 1875 : White, 3001 ; colored, 758 ; and in 1885, white, 4663; colored, 1142. The colored people of the Seventh Ward (formerly Kaighnsville) support three Methodist and one Baptist Church, and recently a colored Presbyterian Church has been added to the number.

In the early days of the settlement a meeting was held to select a name, and Vandykesville was proposed, after Benjamin Vandyke, the first settler, but that worthy man would not have it so, and the name of Kaighnsville was adopted.

AUTOGRAPHS OF SETTLERS ON AND AROUND THE SITE OF CAMDEN, IN OLD NEWTON TOWNSHIP.

esilliam Coupon

A first settler. Died 1710. Had sons William, Joseph and Daniel.

Intheboll mirfall

A first settler. Died 1706. Had sons John Samnel, Daniel, Archibald, Isaac, Joseph and James.

With Royoung

A first settler. Made the survey 1681, after purchased by Cooper. Died in London.

Robert Jane

A first settler. Died 1694. Had sons Nathaniel, Robert, Elnathan and Simeon.

Cooper

Second son of William the emigrant. Died 1731. Had sons Joseph, Benjamin and Isaac.

Joseph-J'aighin

Second son of John the emigrant. Died 1749. Had sons Joseph, John and James.

John michlo

Son of Archibald the emigrant. Died 1744. Had sons William, John and Samuel

Efesphere nikbu

Son of Mark the emigrant. Died 1706, leaving a son, Mark.

John Kaighi

A first settler. Died 1724. Had sons John and Joseph.

Robo Hunnen®

A first settler and wealthy operator in lands. Sold to Kaighn, Mickle and others.

The surveyor and chronicle of the first settlers. Died 1729. Had sons Thomas, Isaac and John.

Phoney GThaLova

A first settler. Died 1702, and left sons, Benja- min and Thomas.

Daniel Stroper

Youngest son of William the emigrant. Died 1715. Had sons William, Samuel and Daniel.

Games mickell

Son of Archibald the emigrant. Died 1735, leaving one son, Jacob.

Ebeneser Jane

Son of Nathaniel and grandson of Robert the emigrant.

Goo Gourofmith

A first settler in 1681, with the Dublin emigrants.

425

THE CITY OF CAMDEN.

CHAPTER II.

MUNICIPAL HISTORY.

Incorporation-Supplements to Charter-New Charter-The First City Hall-The New City Hall-Civil List-Water Department- Fire Department.

INCORPORATION .- Camden was incorporated as a city under a charter granted by the General As- sembly February 14, 1828, the bounds being thus described :

" That euch parts of the Township of Newton as are contained within the following limits: beginning at the Pennsylvania line, in the river Delaware, opposite the mouth of a small run of water he- low Kaighnton, which run is the line between lands late of Isaac Mickle, deceased, and Joseph Kaighn, and running thence east to the mouth of said run, and thence up the same, the several coursee thereof, crossing the public road leading to Woodbury from the Camden Academy; thence northerly along the east side of said road, to the road leading from Kaighnton to Coopers Creek Bridge; thence along the eastwardly side of said last-mentioned road, and the southwardly side of the causeway and bridge to the middle of Coopers Creek ; thence down the middle thereof to the river Dela- ware; thence due north to the middle of the channel between Pettye Ieland and the Jersey fast land, or ehore ; thence down said channel and river to the nearest point on the line established between the States of Pennsylvania and New Jersey ; thence down said line to the place of beginning, shall, and the same are hereby erected into a City, which shall henceforth he called and known hy the name of the City of Camden."

These bounds above described contained three and nine-tenths square miles, or two thousand four hundred and ninety-six acres, of fast land, and a population of eleven hundred and forty-three, separated into five groups or villages, each with one or more appellation applied to it. Coopers Point was known as "William Cooper's Ferry," Kaighns Point as "Kaighnton." "Pinchtown" was the term applied to Edward Sharp's settle- ·ment, on the river-shore, south of Federal Street. "Dogwoodtown " was the term applied to a clus- ter of houses near Isaac Vansciver's carriage fac- tory, at Tenth Street and Federal, the name com- ing from the fact that many dogwood trees grew in the large grove in that locality. Camden was the title of that portion of the present city lying be- tween the river and Sixth Street and between Cooper Street and a line between Market Street and Arch. This last was the most considerable and contained a population greater than all the others combined. Outside these villages all was farm land and woodland. Extending from the mouth of Coopers Creek in a southwest direction to Fourth Street and Line, was a fine grove of oaks and pines, many of them of large size. The re- mains of this grove are yet to be seen at the " Dia- mond Cottage." It was a mile from Kaighnton to Pinchtown, and in summer corn-fields covered the interval. With such rural belongings there seemed

little in the conditions surrounding these eleven hundred and forty-three people demanding muni- cipal government, more than had existed during the one hundred and forty-six years that had elapsed since William Cooper's first talk with Arasapha at Coopers Point, in 1682, soon after set- tling there on his arrival from Burlington. Nor, indeed, was it for the purpose of laying out and improving the roads through the fields, orchards and forests covering most of the surface within the limits of the city that a charter was desirable. The township committee could mend and make roads as well and as cheaply as a committee of the City Council ; and the township government was not superseded by the charter. Yet it was because of these very conditions that a city government be- came a necessity. The woods and orchards lured multitudes of Philadelphians to these shores in search of shade, air and recreation, and the police force of a township afforded little restraint upon those inclined to turbulence, and there were many such. Besides the Vauxhall Garden and the Co- lumbia Garden, every ferry had its pleasure garden, the profits of which arose largely from the sale of apple brandy and other intoxicants, which caused frolics and disturbances, and life and property be- came insecure. It was to suppress these troubles that led to the incorporation, with the belief that the police protection provided by a city government would accomplish the object desired. John Law- rence, Richard Fetters, John K. Cowperthwaite and other large property-owners interested in the rule of order and quiet, sought for and, in defiance of strenuous opposition on the part of ferry-mas- ters, succeeded in procuring a charter providing for the election of a mayor and other officials to restrain and arrest, and a Court of Quarter Sessions to convict and punish the unruly within the city's bounds. It was a police government, little else was sought after, and that was secured. The Quar- ter Sessions Court under the city charter did very effective work; but a certain authority says "It took thirty years before turbulence in Camden succumbed to the authority of the law."

The provisions of the charter of February, 1828, were few and simple. With the supplement of March 1st of the same year, it provided for the election of one recorder and five aldermen at a joint meeting of the Legislature, and the election of five Common Councilmen by the people, who, with a mayor elected by the Common Council, ."shall be one body politic, in deed, in fact, name and law, by the name, style and title of 'The Mayor, Aldermen and Common Council of the City of Camden.'" The mayor and recorder pre-

426

HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

sided at the meetings, the latter in the absence of the former, and both voted on all questions, but were without veto power.

As thus constituted, the Common Council was empowered

"To make such by-laws, Ordinances and regulations, in writing, not repugnant to the Constitution and laws of the State of New Jer- sey or of the United States, and the same to enforce, revoke, alter or amend, as to them shall appear necessary for the well ordering and governing of the said City and its inhabitants; to appoint a City Treasurer, Marshall and such other subordinate officers as they may think necessary for the good government of the said City."

Section 8 provided that Common Council

"Shall have the sole and exclusive right of licensing and assessing . every inn-keeper and retailer of spiritnons liquors residing within the City."

These provisions embrace all the powers ex- pressly granted, and, as will be seen, were police powers merely. Although a city, Camden was un- der the jurisdiction of Newton township, and so continued until 1831, when it was erected into a township called Camden township, thus presenting the peculiarity of a dual government, city and town- ship, each competent to exercise prerogatives both attempted to assume, the conflict of seeming authority leading at times to confusion, the same men sometimes acting in two bodies, the Common Council and the township committee, both of which were trying to mend the same piece of road, and both city and township levying a tax to raise money for the same purpose. The authority to levy taxes was not vested in the City Council, and that body never exercised such power until author- ized by the charter of 1851. The tax levy was fixed at the town-meeting, when city and township officers were elected, and the Council acted as the disbursing agent merely ; yet in the first year of its existence that body built the City Hall, and borrowed two thousand five hundred dollars of Ja- cob Evaul to pay for it. The only sure income of the city was derived from tavern licenses, and these taxed at rates ranging from ten to twenty-five dol- lars each, amounted to one hundred and eighty- two dollars in 1829.

SUPPLEMENTS TO CHARTER .- Various supple- ments to the charter were passed by the Legisla- ture. Those of 1833 and 1837 were unimportant, while that of 1844 (the year Camden County was erected), in addition to the provision making the mayor elective by a direct vote of the people, gave the Council the exclusive authority to grade, curb and macadamize the streets, and to compel owners to pave their sidewalks.

The supplement of 1848 divided the city into three wards-that portion lying north of Arch Street and Federal to be called the North Ward;

the district between the above-named streets and Line Street to be called the Middle Ward; and all south of Line Street to be called the South Ward. Each ward was entitled to elect two Councilmen and one chosen freeholder. These six Councilmen the five aldermen provided for in the charter of 1828, with the mayor and recorder, constituted the Common Council, with little increase of power over that conferred by the act of incorporation of twenty years before. There was no authority to survey and regulate the grades of the city. Houses were built in swamps and on hilltops, each side- walk had an altitude of its own, and adjoining pavements would vary in height. The city was laid out in sections. Jacob Cooper laid out the town of Camden, in 1773, on a regular plan, which, if it had been followed, would have resulted in some approach to uniformity, but, unfortunately, the city was planned in sections, each regular with- in itself, but irregular in relation to the others. Joseph Kaighn laid out Kaighnton, and Richard Fetters planned Fettersville. Robert Stevens made his plat, south of Bridge Avenue and west of Fourth Street, to correspond with Jacob Cooper's original plan of a town, but the streets running south from Camden, and the streets running north from Kaighnton, reached Line Street two hundred feet apart. William D. Cooper laid out Coopers Hill into lots without regard to any of the streets to the north, south or west. The result is that Sec- ond Street is the only street west of Eighth con- tinuous in its course from the northern to the southern bounds of the city. The Council had no power to prevent such an untoward state of affairs. The city was growing rapidly, with a population of nearly ten thousand. The old charter, intended only to confer police powers, was inadequate to present needs, which required prerogatives of a more enlarged character.

NEW CHARTER .- A new act of incorporation, which should cover present and future require- ments, was drafted, which served its purpose, with a few simple modifications, for twenty-one years, and until the population had increased three-fold. This was known as the Dudley charter, being drawn up by Thomas H. Dudley, and was passed by the Legislature at the session of 1850. The bounds of the city, under this charter, were left unchanged, and the division into North, Mid- dle and South Wards was maintained. The offi- cers were a mayor, a recorder, six aldermen, six Councilmen, a clerk, a treasurer and a marshal, besides ward officers. The mayor and Councilmen were elected annually, the recorder and aldermen triennially. The mayor, aldermen and Councilmen,

427

THE CITY OF CAMDEN.

or a majority of them, constituted the City Council of the city of Camden. The mayor or, in his ab- sence, one of the aldermen presided, but the mayor had no vote save when there was a tie. By the supplement of 1851 the mayor and aldermen were eliminated, and each ward elected six Councilmen for three years, two each year, and the Council thus constituted elected a president from their own number to preside. Among the new and essential powers granted by the new charter to the City Council were these,-To cause the city to be sur- veyed and mapped, and compel persons opening streets to open them in accordance with the sur- vey ; to regulate the, erection of buildings and pre- scribe their character; to raise by tax money for municipal purposes, and also for school purposes ; to appoint police officers; to regulate the water supply, appoint fire wardens and regulate firemen. The power to raise money for school purposes was transferred to the school trustees by the supple- ment of 1853. Under the charter of 1828 farm lands and improvements were not taxable for city purposes, but it was to be assessed at its true value, and taxed for all purposes. The authority to grant liquor licenses was omitted, but the omis- sion was supplied by the supplement of 1852, which also enlarged the powers concerning the construction of houses, and authorized the appoint- ment of building inspectors. Other supplements to the charter were made from time to time, as new wants, suited to the new conditions attending rapid growth, made it necessary. One, in 1860, conveyed authority to construct culverts and abate nuisances, while that of 1866 divided the city into culvert districts, and, under its provisions, more drainage has heen accomplished than in most cities of the size, and the cost so distributed as to be scarcely felt. In 1864 power was given to build a work-house and to borrow money, limiting the sum to not more than one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and not more than twenty-five thousand dollars in any one year. The same act provided for the election, by the people, of a city treasurer, city surveyor and a city solicitor for terms of two years. They had been elected annually by the City Council.

These comprise the principal amendments to the Dudley charter of 1850, which had served its pur- pose well and under it the city had made phe- nomenal advances, but in 1870, with a population of over twenty thousand and over eight thousand people in Stockton and other contiguous settle- ments, whose wants were identical with those with- in the corporate limits, it was deemed wise to extend the borders, and so enlarge the prerogatives

of the city government as to enable it to meet exigencies sure to arise and increase with its growth.

Alden C. Scovel was city solicitor, and to him was assigned the task of preparing a fundamental law broad enough to provide for the present and future requirements of the metropolis of West Jersey. The result was "An act to revise and amend the charter of the city of Camden : Ap- proved February 14, 1871," precisely forty-three years after the first charter was granted, in which time the population had increased over seventeen- fold, or, including the annexed suburbs, twenty- five-fold.

The revised charter extinguished the ancient township of Newton. Camden was taken from it in 1831, Haddon township in 1865 and what re- mained was annexed to Camden in 1871. The new hounds of the city are thus given in the charter,-

"Beginning at a point in the river Delaware, as far westerly as the jurisdiction of the State of New Jersey extende, opposite to the mouth of a stream of water called Newton Creak ; thence running easterly to the mouth of said Newton Creek, and thence up the centre of said creek, the several courses thereof, to the North branch of said Newton Creek ; theace following the centre of said North branch of eaid Newton Creek, its several courses thereof, to the middle of the Mount Ephraim turnpike road ; thencs in a northwesterly course along the middle of said Mount Ephraim turnpike road to the intersection of said Mount Ephraim turnpike road and the Stockton aud Newtown turnpike road, also known as Kaighas Point ferry road ; thence along the middle of the said Stockton and New- town turnpike road, in a northeasterly direction, to the middle of the White Horse turnpike road ; thencs northeasterly along the middle of the said Stockton and Newtown turopike road to the middle of the Haddonfield turopiks road ; thence, in a northeasterly direction in a straight line with the middle lins of the said Stockton and Newtown turnpike road to the middle of Coopers Creek ; thence down the middle of said cresk iu a northwesterly direction along the. several courses thereof to the river Delaware ; thence due north to the middle of the channel hetwean Petty's Island and tho Jarsoy fast land or shore; thencs due west to a point as far west as the jur- isdiction of the State of New Jersey extende ; thencs down the Dela- ware river on a lins as far westerly as the jurisdiction extende to the place of beginning."

The area within these bounds was six and a half square miles, and the population in 1870, 28,482. That census shows a remarkable similarity in the population of the three old divisions of the city : North Ward, 6666; Middle Ward, 6684; South Ward, 6695.

The city was divided into eight wards, Fourth Street serving for the north and south line between the three-North, Middle and South-wards, and forming of North Ward, the First and Second ; of Middle Ward, the Third and Fourth; and of South Ward, the Fifth and Sixth Wards; while Kaighn Avenue, extended in a straight line to Coopers Creek, forms the division line between the Seventh and Eighth Wards.

428

HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

Each ward, besides ward officers, an assessor, constable, overseer of the poor, ward clerk, com- missioners of appeal and election officers, was en- titled to elect one chosen freeholder, one alderman, two members of the Board of Education and three Councilmen.

The mayor, recorder, city treasurer, receiver of taxes, aldermen and councilmeu were made elec- tive by the people for three years, and members of the Board of Education for two years. The City Council was empowered to appoint a city clerk, city surveyor, building inspector, city solicitor, sealer of weights and measures and such other officers as might be deemed necessary for the proper conduct of the affairs of the city. Under this provision, the Council has established the offices of superintendent of the water-works, clerk of the Water Department, chief of the Fire Depart- ment, supervisor of highways, city controller and subordinate offices in these various departments. The appointment and control of the police and a chief of police was with the Council, but was trans- ferred to the mayor by a supplement in 1872. By a supplement passed in 1874, provision was made for the election of three city assessors, who shall have sole charge of the valuation of property for taxing purposes, and the ward assessors, who pre- viously performed that duty, all of whom were constituted a court of appeal from unjust taxation. The ward office of judicious freeholders or com- missioners of appeal, was abolished.

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The history of Camden county, New Jersey, Part 66

Author: Prowell, George Reeser, 1849-1928 Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : Richards Number of Pages: 1220

Author: Prowell, George Reeser, 1849-1928
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : Richards
Number of Pages: 1220