The history of Camden county, New Jersey, Part 69

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

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John S. Shults was born in Reading, October 27, 1836, and has made Camden his home since 1860. Upon coming to Camden he taught school in the country until the winter of 1861, when he was appointed a clerk in the quartermaster's de- partment in Alexandria, Va. Sickness compelled him to return home, but the next year he was at- tached to the Sanitary Commission and moved with the Army of the Potomac till the war closed, when he returned to his Camden home. About this time Mr. Shults entered the office of Ed. H. Saun- ders, where he studied surveying. During the winter he taught school. Mr. Saunders died in 1869 and he was succeeded by Jacob H. Yocum, who held the office for six years and for whom Mr. Shults was assistant. At the expiration of his term Mr. Shults was elected city surveyor and is now serving his third term.

By his efficient and faithful discharge of duty he has won and retained the confidence and re- spect of his fellow-citizens. In politics Mr. Shults is an ardent Republican. He is a member of the Pine Street Presbyterian Church, of Camden.

John S. Sheets

439

THE CITY OF CAMDEN.

Building Inspectors are appointed by ordinance of City Council for such term as the ordinance may specify,-

1871. William W. Mines.

1880. James S. Woodward.

1872. Thomas B. Atkinson.

1883. John E. Smith.

1874. Christopher J. Mines. 1886. William H. Cole.

City Marshals acted as chiefs of police under the charter of 1851, and were elected annually by the people,-

1851. John W. Potts.

1861-62. Timothy Middleton.

1852. James H. Lowery. 1863. Samuel Conrow.

1853. Peter S. Elliott.

1864-66. John W. Camphell.

1854-56. Henry Belsterling.

1867-69. J. Kelly Brown.

1857-58. John Y. Hoagland.

1870. Claudius W. Bradshaw.

1859-60. Edmond Shaw.

The Chief of Police is appointed by the mayor, and holds office during the pleasure of that officer under the charter of 1871,-

1871. Daniel W. Curliss. 1880. Josiah Matlack.

1874. William H. Hemsing.

1886. Harry H. Franks.

1877. Charles F. Daubman.

Surveyors of Highways .- This office was estab- lished in 1871, and the incumbents have been Leonard Repsher, Jonathan Kirkbride, Alonzo B. Johnson, Benjamin F. Sweeten, William H. Shear- man, Richard C. Thompson.

Engineers of Water- Works .- Jacob H. Yocum. Wm. F. Moody, William Calhoun, Robert Dunham. In 1877 the office of engineer was abolished and that of superintendent substituted. These have been superintendents,-William D. Middleton, Harry Stetson, William W. Mines.

THE WATER DEPARTMENT .- The Camden Wa- ter Works Company was chartered April 2, 1845. The names of the incorporators were Isaac Cole, Benj. W. Cooper, Charles Kaighn, Henry Allen, Wm. Folwell, Nathan Davis, Benj. T. Davis, John W. Mickle, who were authorized and empowered "to introduce into and supply the city of Camden with pure water under such terms and conditions as the City Council shall ordain and establish." The original capital stock of the company was fifty thousand dollars, divided into shares of one hundred dollars each, of which Isaac Cole, Henry Allen, Wm. Folwell and Nathan Davis each took one hundred shares, Wm. N. Jeffries eighty, Chas. Kaighn ten, and James Elwell and Jasper Harding each five shares.

On June 2d the company was organized by elect- ing Isaac Cole, Henry Allen, Wm. Folwell, Nathan Davis and Wm. N. Jeffries directors, who selected Isaac Cole to serve as president, Henry Allen treasurer and Wm. Folwell secretary. A lot of ground, thirty by ninety feet, at the foot of Cooper Street, on the site of the Esterbrook Steel Pen

Works, was purchased of Wm. D. Cooper for four hundred dollars, and Isaac Cole, Nathan Davis, Henry Allen and Wm. Folwell were appointed to procure a draft and plan of the intended building, which, when completed, was thirty by forty-eight feet in dimensions.

With the increase in the growth of the city, and the erection of a large number of factories within its limits, the amount of water furnished by the company was found insufficient. To provide for a better arrangement, a supplement to the original charter was passed on the 9th of February, 1854. Hence the company secured an eligible location at Pavonia, near the city, as under the original charter it could not hold real estate in Camden. The capital stock under the supplement to the charter was authorized to be increased to a sum not exceeding one hundred thousand dollars.

At a meeting held on the 24th of April, 1854, three hundred and sixty-five shares were subscribed as follows: Henry Allen, two hundred and sixty- one shares; Richard Fetters, twenty shares ; Nathan Davis, eleven shares : Jesse Smith, Benj. Hammell, Joel Bodine and Joseph Fifield, each ten shares ; Charles S. Garrett, nine shares ; James Elwell and Wm, P. Tatem each six shares ; James McCloskey and Isaiah Bryan, each five shares; and Ralph Lee, two shares.

In 1854 the water works were completed and put into operation at Pavonia, on the Delaware River front. They are now owned and controlled by the city authorities. The engine-house is two stories high with mansard roof, built substantially of brown stone and thirty by forty feet in dimensions. The engine-house is fitted up with two pumps, one being a Blake pump of five million five hun- dred thousand gallons capacity daily ; the other, a Cornish bull pump, capable of pumping two mil- lion five hundred thousand gallons of water daily. The boiler-house is supplied with four return tu- bular boilers eighteen feet long and fifty-six inches in diameter, making two complete sets, each set be- ing capable of running either engine, and when all are fired up and both engines running, has a capacity of nine million gallons of water daily. The water works wharf is eighty feet wide and ex- tends seven hundred and fifty feet into the river from the meadow banks. The supply-pipe is thirty inches in diameter, leading to the forebay under the pumps and in the basement of the en- gine-house. Before entering the forebay the wa- ter passes through three screens and filters, and from the bay is pumped by the engines and forced into the stand-pipe upon the engine-house, which is made of boiler iron, is five feet in diameter and

440

HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

one hundred and twenty feet high. When forced above the level of the reservoir the water flows by a discharge pipe, thirty inches in diameter, into the basin.

The reservoir is built upon the highest ground in Pavonia, which is forty-seven feet higher than the level of the city of Camden, and is three hun- dred and forty-four feet long by one hundred and eighty feet wide and twenty-one feet deep, with sloping sides at an angle of one to one and a half degrees, and when filled, contains eight million gallons of water. In 1885 the greatest amount of water pumped in one day was four millions eight hundred and seven thousand one hundred and forty gallons ; in 1886, five millions one hundred and fifty-seven thousand and forty-eight gallons. Before these works were purchased by the city the pumping and distributing mains were twelve inches in diameter, but now have a diameter of thirty inches. Forty-six and one-half miles of water- pipe are now in position within the city limits, and three hundred and twenty-two fire-plugs for the use of the Fire Department are located at the most desirable points in the city. The collections of the Water Department for rents and permits for the year 1885 amounted to seventy-eight thou- sand six hundred and fifty-nine dollars.

FIRE COMPANIES AND FIREMEN.

Until 1810 wells, pumps and buckets were the only appliances Camden had for the extinguish- ment of fires. On March 15th of that year the Perseverance Fire Company was organized. Thirty years later the Fairmount, afterwards named the Niagara, and, later still, the Weccacoe, was formed. In case of fire, the water used to extinguish it was obtained from wells by means of buckets filled with it and passed from hand to hand. When the en- gine was reached and its well received the water, the bucket was returned for a fresh supply. Mean- while a number of strong men grasped the lever- arms and worked them up and down, thus forcing the water upon the flames. To fight a fire was the work of the entire community a half-century ago. An alarm was followed by a general turn-out of the people-old and young, of both sexes-each secured a bucket, and, when the scene of action was reached, long lines of people were formed between the engine and the nearest well. The empty buckets were moved toward the wells along one line and the full ones towards the engine on another.

A fully-equipped fire company possessed an en- gine and a cart to carry buckets, and householders were expected to keep a supply of buckets on

hand. Wells and pumps were equally essential, hence the City Council encouraged the digging of wells and the placing of pumps in public places by paying part of the cost. In 1834 Joseph Kaighn was paid sixteen dollars as part cost of placing a pump in a well he had dug on Kaighn Avenue, and George Genge's bill for a pump on Market Street was also paid, while Abraham Browning was allowed part cost of enlarging a well near Front Street and Market. Richard Fetters, Richard W. Howell and Auley McAlla pre- sented a bill of fifty dollars at a Council meeting, held August 27, 1830, for a fire-engine purchased of the Fairmount Company, of Philadelphia. It was but five feet high, and eight men could barely get hold of the levers. In 1835 this engine was repaired, and its name changed from Fairmount to Niagara. . In 1848 it was bought by the Weccacoe, and in 1851 came into possession of the reorgan- ized Fairmount Company. It was eventually, after long usage, stored away until 1864, when Robert S. Bender purchased it for twenty dollars, and sold it in Woodbury for fifty dollars. It was accidentally burned soon afterward.

In 1834 the city was divided into three fire dis- tricts, Cooper Street and Line Street being the di- viding lines. There was virtually no Fire De- partment, however, for several years later. In 1848, after the erection of water-works, a better fire system was put into effect. ~ The Council ap- pointed a committee on fire apparatus, who exer- cised supervision over the companies, which, by the year 1851, had increased in number to six. In 1864 the Independence procured the first steam fire-engine ; the Weccacoe, the Shiffler and the Weccacoe Hose Company also soon after purchased steam-engines. More prompt, daring and efficient firemen than those of Camden were hard to find, but each company was independent of the others, and misdirection often caused loss of property, to remedy which the City Council, 1866, reorganized the system, and, by an ordinance, provided for the selection, subject to its approval, of a chief mar- shal, by the companies. James W. Ayers, of the Weccacoe Engine Company, was elected and served two years, when, in 1868, he was succeeded by Wesley P. Murray, of the Weccacoe Hose. Both were popular men and good organizers, but the vol- unteer system, with its rivalry and frequent insub- ordination, was supplanted in 1869 by the Paid Fire. Department under an ordinance passed September 2, 1869, which provided for the appointment, annu- ally, of five fire commissioners, one fire marshal, and two assistant fire marshals. The commissioners were empowered to appoint the firemen, and the

441

THE CITY OF CAMDEN.

city was divided into two districts. For the First District the city purchased the three-story building of the Independence Fire Company, at Fourth Street and Pine, and for the Second District erected a two-story brick building at Fifth Street and Arch. Each station was supplied with a fire-engine and all necessary apparatus, at an entire cost of thirty thousand dollars. William Ables was ap- pointed fire marshal ; William W. Mines assistant for the First, and William H. Shearman assistant for the Second District. The organization has since been modified. The department is now under the con- trol of five members of the City Council, called "The Committee on Fire Apparatus," who are appointed annually by the president of the Coun- cil, with a chief and an assistant engineer each appointed for three years by the Council. In 1874 the department purchased the Independence fire- engine, and now (1886), owns three steam fire- engines, two hose-carriages, one hook-and-ladder truck, one supply-wagon, nine horses, three thou- sand two hundred feet of serviceable hose, twenty- one fire-alarm boxes, with twelve miles of wire, a connecting electric battery, with eighty-one gallon jars to create power necessary for long distance alarms, striking the gongs, lighting gas-jets, un- hitching the horses in the stalls and stopping the clock.

The department consists of one chief engineer, at a salary of one thousand dollars per annum, one assistant engineer, seven hundred and twenty dol- lars per annum, eighteen regular men and twelve call-men. The regular men devote their whole time to the service. The engineers receive sixty dollars per month, and the hosemen, tillermen and laddermen each fifty dollars per month. The call- men pursue their regular vocation, but are required to be present at every fire, to assist, for which they are paid seventy-five dollars per year. A full record is kept of all fires, with time, duration, lo- cation, owner of property, occupant, business, value of real and personal property, insurance, and with whom, cause of fire, etc. The department is in a high state of efficiency, and the expenditure sixteen thousand dollars per annum.

THE CAMDEN HOOK-AND-LADDER COMPANY, No. 1, with headquarters at N. W. corner of Fifth Street and Arch, was organized in 1869, and is connected with Camden Engine Company, No. 2. The building is a two-story brick, twenty-four by fifty-five feet, adjoining the building of the engine company. The company is equipped with one ladder-truck (forty-five feet long, mounting nine ladders, one being an extension ladder, of the "Leverich Patent," sixty-three feet in length), one

battering ram, two fire extinguishers, four buckets two axes, four pitchforks, one crowbar, four lamps, etc. In the stables are two large and well-trained horses. The roster of the company is as follows : Tillerman, Amedy Middleton ; Driver, Benjamin L. Kellum ; Laddermen, Thomas Walton and John W. Toy ; Cell-men, William Doughten, Peter S. Gray, John Gray and Charles A. Todd.

THE CAMDEN STEAM FIRE- ENGINE COMPANY, No. 1, was organized in 1869. Their building, on Pine Street, near Fourth, is a three-story brick, twenty by ninety-four feet in dimensions, and was formerly used by the Independence, but is now owned by the city. The equipments consist of one second-class steam fire-engine, made by the Amos- keag Manufacturing Company, of Manchester, New Hampshire; one hose-cart, made by the Silsby Company, of Seneca Falls, N. Y. ; three horses, sixteen hundred feet of good hose, axes, lamps, etc. The third story of the building is used as a lodge- room, and the second story used by the company, with sitting-room, bunk-room, etc. The roster of the company for 1886 is as follows : Foreman, John A. Stockton; Engineer, G. Rudolph Tenner ; Driver, William Deno ; Stoker, William W. Laird; Hosemen, Wilson Bromley and Jacob F. Nessen ; Call-men, William Deith, Andrew Miller, William Bogia and W. Elwood Campbell.

.CAMDEN STEAM FIRE-ENGINE COMPANY, No. 2, is located at the corner of Fifth Street and Arch, the head-quarters of the Paid Fire Department. The building is a two-story brick, twenty-four by seventy feet. The ground floor has two connections with the hook-and-ladder building. The outfit consists of one steam fire-engine, second-class, made by the Gould Machine Company, of Newark, N. J., one No. 2 Amoskeag steam fire-engine, one carriage and a supply-wagon. In the second story is. a large reception-room, a sleeping-room with thirteen beds, and a battery-room. The Gould steam fire- engine is only used on extra occasions, or when the urgency of the case demands. The following is a complete roster of officers and men at head- quarters :

Chief Engineer, Samuel S. Elfreth ; Assistant En- gineer, Samuel S. Buzine ; Extra Engineer, Jacob W. Kellum; Foreman, Harry C. Grosscup; En- gineer, William Morris ; Driver of Engine, C. B. Harvey ; Stoker, Frank Turner ; Hosemen, Chas. Robinson, Isaac Shreeves ; Call-men, James Carey, Logan Bates, William Lyons, Howard Currie.

The chiefs of the Paid Fire Department have been William Ables, Robert S. Bender (second term), Robt. S. Bender, Claudius W. Bradshaw, Henry F. Surault, Samuel S. Elfreth, Daniel A. Carter, Samuel

442

HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

S. Elfreth (2d term). The committee on fire ap- paratus for 1886 are-Chairman, Saml. R. Murray ; Wm. B. E. Miller, Geo. S. West, David B. Camp- bell, James Godfrey; Clerk, D. Cooper Carman.

VOLUNTEER COMPANIES .- The Perseverance was organized March 15, 1810, and was composed of leading citizens. A hand-engine, made by " Pat." Lyons, of Philadelphia, was bought and placed in a building on Front Street, above Market, sub- sequently removing to a frame, one-story house on Second Street, adjoining the State Bank, where it remained until the company erected the two-story brick building on the east side of Third Street, below Market. The oldest living member of the company is Samuel Elfreth, father of the present efficient chief of the Fire Department. On March 15, 1832, the company was incorporated; the names appearing in the charter are Nathan Davis, Gideon V. Stivers, Jeremiah H. Sloan, John Lawrence, Samuel D. Wessels, Isaac Cole, Ledden Davis, John Browning, Joab Scull, Richard W. Howell, Auley McAlla, Dr. Thomas Lee, William H. Ogden, Richard Fetters, Abraham Browning and other prominent citizens.

The charter of 1832 having expired, a new one was obtained in 1852, with the following-named persons as incorporators : James C. Morgan, Wil- liam E. Gilmore, Samuel Hanna, William Hanna, Lewis P. Thompson, Joseph D. Folwell, Pancoast Roberts, Alfred Hugg, Richard H. Lee, William Matlack, Alfred Wood, Frederick Benedict, Wil- liam Hugg, Amos Stiles, Jr., Samuel Cooper, Nathan Davis, Jr., Samuel Ashurst, Andrew Zim- merman, David Sheppard, John W. Carter, Henry Kesler, John Warner, John Ross, Charles A. Gar- ret, Thomas Sulger. The company prospered until the breaking out of the war, in 1861, when most of the able-bodied members enlisted in the company commanded by Captain Richard H. Lee.

The Fairmount Fire Company was organized October 7, 1830, and purchased an engine of the Fairmount Fire Company, of Philadelphia. The name " Fairmount" was painted on the sides of the engine, and it was then the Camden company de- cided to assume the same appellation, which was continued until 1835, when the word " Fairmount " on the engine became dim and needed repainting, which would cost as much as to have something else painted, and they changed the name to Niag- ara. By this name the company was known until it was reorganized as the Weccacoe, in 1848. In 1845 the headquarters was moved to the City Hall lot, on Federal Street. John Laning, Josiah At- kinson and Samuel Jenkins were among the orig- inal members of the Fairmount. William Hanna

joined in 1835, James M. Cassady in 1838 and James W. Ayers (afterwards fire marshal) in 1843.

The Weccacoe Fire Company No. 2, was the result of the reorganization of the Niagara in 1848. At a meeting of the City Council, Septem- ber 1, 1848, Richard Fetters presented the names of Edward Steer and thirty-two other persons who had organized as a fire company, with a constitu- tion and by-laws. The Council then recognized them and gave them the old Niagara fire-engine, which was used for a few months, when the com- pany was supplied with a better one in 1850, when a second-hand one was bought of the Southwark commissioners for seven hundred and fifty dollars and was rebuilt, in 1853, by John Agnew at a cost of eight hundred and fifty dollars. A steam-en- gine was procured in 1864. At the headquarters of the Weccacoe, between a pair of high poles, was hung a bell weighing thirteen hundred pounds which served to alarm the town in case of fire. The house used as the headquarters was enlarged, but, after several incendiary attempts, the building was burned February 17, 1854. In 1856 the com- pany moved into their two-story brick house, on the site of the old Columbia Garden, on Arch Street, above Fifth. In 1852 the company was incorporated as the Weccacoe Fire Company, No. 2, by John Laning, James M. Cassady, James W. Ayers, Isaac Shreeve, Wesley P. Murray, Joseph F. Murray, Joshua S. Porter, Daniel B. McCully, Richard G. Camp, James Doughteu, Stone H. Stow, Charles H. Thorne, Matthew Miller, Jr. James W. Ayers was made president of the Niagara in 1845, continued as such under the reorganiza- tion, and, except in 1854, when he was absent from the city, held the office until the company was dis- banded. Richard G. Camp was the secretary and Charles Thompson treasurer until 1854, and Joseph L. Bright was his successor until the end. Effi- ciency and good order were the characteristics of the Weccacoe from the beginning to the ending of their career as firemen.

The Mohawk Fire Company was formed in the spring of 1849. It had a short and turbulent life, and in the confusion the record of its birth was lost. The meeting-place of the company was in the three-story building northeast corner of Third Street and Cherry. Lambert F. Beatty was president and William S. Frazer secretary. The company was strong in numbers and contained many excellent men, giving promise of a career of usefulness, but a lawless element gained admission, after a time, and brawls, riots and, it was feared, incendiarism, resulted. On April 23, 1851, it was determined to disband.

443

THE CITY OF CAMDEN.

The Independence Fire Company No. 3, or- ganized with Lambert F. Beatty, president; William S. Frazer, secretary ; and Joseph Wagner, treasurer. Among the early members were Jacob Prettyman, David Page, Thomas Stites, Andrew Stilwell, Francis E. Harpel, Restore Cook, John Wallace, Claudius W. Bradshaw, William H. Hawkins, Christopher J. Mines, Henry Bradshaw, William E. Walls, William Howard, Albert Den- nis, Elwood Bounds, Samuel H. Stilwell, Albert V. Mills, Robert S. Bender, Lewis Yeager, Thomas McCowan and William W. Mines. The company met in a building at Third Street and Cherry for a year, when it was burned. Lewis Yeager gave the company free use of a lot on Third Street, above Cherry, where an engine-house of slabs, donated by Charles Stockham, was built. In 185 3 a lot on Cherry Street, above Third, was purchased and on it a frame house was built. This was used until 1859, when, owing to a defect in the ti- tle, the sheriff advertised the property for sale. When he reached the ground on the day of the sale he found the house, with its contents, and a number of the members of the company, on an ad- joining lot belonging to James B. Dayton, who permitted the action. The following year, 1860, they bought and built, on the north side of Pine Street, above Fourth, a three-story brick, then the most complete fire-engine house in Camden, and which was sold for four thousand five hundred dol- lars to the city. The Independence was a hose company until June 4, 1864, when they secured an Amoskeag engine, being the first fire-engine in use by the fire companies of Camden. Early in 1869 they purchased a larger engine and when the volunteer firemen were scattered, in the latter part of that year, they sold the Amoskeag to Mill- ville, and the later purchase was kept until 1874, when it was sold to the city. Lambert F. Beatty and Timothy C. Moore were presidents of the Mohawk, and L. F. Beatty, John Wallace, Wil- liam H. Hawkins, J. Kelly Brown, W. W. Mines and Edward Gilbert were presidents of the Inde- pendence, while its secretaries have been Wil- liam L. Frazer, William W. Mines, Mortimer C. Wilson and Thomas McCowan ; and the treasur- ers Joseph Wagner and Robert S. Bender, who, elected in 1854, served until October 13, 1874, when, with a roll of sixty members, they met, President Gilbert in the chair, paid all claims against them and formally disbanded.

The Shiffler Hose Company No. 1, was or- ganized March 7, 1849, and recoganized by the City Council August 30th of the same year. The original members of the company were George W.

Thompson, president ; George F. Ross, secretary ; Joseph Brown, W. W. Burt, Charles Cheeseman, Robert Maguire, Samuel Brown, John G. Hutch- inson, Armstrong Sapp, Richard Cheeseman, Al- bert Robinson, George F. Ross, William Wallace. A fine hose-carriage was obtained from the Shiffler Hose Company, of Philadelphia, for the nominal sum of ten dollars. It was placed in a carpenter shop on Sycamore Street, below Third, and that remained the headquarters of the company until the two-story brick house on Fourth Street, below Walnut, was built. In March, 1852, the company was incorporated by William W. Burt, Armstrong Sapp, George W. Thompson, Robert Maguire, James Sherman, William Wallace, John G. Hutch- inson, Samuel Brown and William Harris. John G. Hutchinson became president, and in 1857 was succeeded by Jacob C. Daubman, whe held the position during the continuance of the company. On March 29, 1864, a new charter was obtained under the name of the Shiffler Hose and Steam Fire-Engine Company. A steam-engine was pur- chased, and the company maintained a high state of efficiency until disbanded, in 1869.

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The history of Camden county, New Jersey, Part 69

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