The history of Camden county, New Jersey, Part 70

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

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The New Jersey Fire Company was organ - ized May 1, 1851, by James Carr, Samuel Ames, Thomas Butcher, Aaron Giles, John Wood, David H. Sparks, William Garwood, E. B. Turner, Wil- liam Woodruff, Henry Coombs, Adam Newman and Caleb Clark. Henry Coombs was elected president and David H. Sparks secretary. On July 21, 1851, the company secured the engine which previously belonged to the Mohawk, and placed it in a stable near Broadway and Spruce Street, where it remained a considerable time, uu- til better accommodations were secured on Wal- nut Street, above Fourth. A lot was subsequent- ly bought on the south side of Chestnut Street, above Fourth, where a two-story, brick engine- house was built. The company was incorporated in 1854 and ceased to exist as an organization twelve years later. The presidents of this com- pany in order of succession were Henry Coombs, James Carr, John Crowley, Joshua L. Melvin, Samnel Hickman, John Warrington, Jeremiah Brannon, Richard C. Mason, C. De Grasse Hogan.

Fairmount-United States .- On July 4, 1852, the Fairmount Fire Company was organized by William C. Figner (president), William J. Miller (secretary), Frederick Breyer (treasurer), William H. Hawkins, John W. Hoey, Henry A. Breyer and Alfred H. Breyer. They rented a one-story frame building on Pine Street, below Third, which the Shiffler had vacated, and the City Council gave them the old Fairmount engine. George W. Wat-

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HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

son, Anthony R. Joline, Thomas Francis, John L. Ames, George W. Howard, William F. Colbert, Francis Fullerton, John S. Ross, Joshua Spencer, Lawrence Breyer, William H. Lane and James Scout were enrolled as additional members. On February 17, 1853, a charter of incorporation was obtained, and on February 10, 1854, the name of the company was changed to " United States Fire Company, No. 5." James Scout was chosen presi- dent, and George Deal, secretary. They secured a first-class engine, bought ground and built a com- modious two-story frame house at No. 239 Pine Street, which continned to be the headquarters of the company nntil it disbanded, with the other volunteer fire companies, in 1869.

The Weccacoe Hose Company No. 2, was or- ganized on March 15, 1858, by Allan Ward, Ed- ward T. James, Edward J. Steer, John W. Gar- wood, George W. Thomas, Simeon H. Pine, Thomas C. Barrett, Thomas Ellis, John Thornton, and the following officers were elected : Thomas D. Laverty (president), Allan Ward (vice-presi- dent), Edward T. James (secretary) and E. J. Steer (treasurer). The headquarters of the company were with the Weccacoe Fire Company for nearly two years, and they removed to a stable belonging to Isaac Shreeve, near Hudson and Bridge Ave- nues, and later to De La Cour's laboratory, on Front, near Arch. In 1863 they bought gronnd on Benson, above Fifth, at a cost of four hundred and fifty dollars, and erected a two-story building of brick, costing two thousand two hundred dollars. On February 2, 1860, the company was incorporated. In 1868 the company purchased a steam fire-engine at a cost of five thousand eight hundred dollars, which they expected to pay, by subscription, but the agitation of the question of a paid department prevented the collection of the money, and when they went out of service, in 1869, they were five thousand dollars in debt. Instead of disbanding, they resolved to maintain the organization until every obligation was liquidated and the honor of the company sustained. To do this they utilized their assets, met regularly and contributed as if in active service, and after fourteen years of honest effort, September 8, 1883, they met, and after pay- ing the last claims against them, amounting to $14.25, adjourned.

CHAPTER III.

EARLY BUSINESS INTERESTS OF CAMDEN.

Camden in 1815-Camden in 1824-Assessment of 1834-Manu- facturing Industries and Interesting Facts-Pleasure Gardens- "Sausage Weaving."

CAMDEN IN 1815 .- The Cooper mansions were not in the town plan made by Jacob Cooper. In the list of names of those who became pur- chasers of lots will be found that of Vincent Mari Pilosi. He was an Italian and a merchant in Philadelphia. The lots he purchased were Nos. 24, 30 and 32. The last two were purchased after the death of Jacob Cooper. No. 24 fronted on Cooper Street and No. 30 was directly south, adjoining, and fronted on Market Street. No. 32 was the lot on the corner of Market and Second, where the present National State Bank now stands. In the year 1780 Mr. Pilosi built a large mansion- house, sixty-six by twenty-two feet, three stories high, of English brick, alternately red and white, upon the lots on Cooper Street, a part of which is now No. 122. The lots, with others, were made into a large garden. Mr. Pilosi died of yellow fever in 1793, and was buried in his garden. His widow afterwards married a Mr. Tiffin and in 1815 died and was buried by the side of her first husband.

In later years the remains of Mr. Pilosi and his wife were taken up and removed to the Camden Cemetery. The garden was used as a lumber-yard for many years afterward and eventually laid out into lots. A portion of the old mansion was used for five years as the "soup-house " of the Dorcas So- ciety and is now used as a carpenter shop. Years ago thirty-six feet of the front wall on the west end were taken down and the double brick build- ing was erected on its site. Probably the oldest per- son living born in Camden and now a resident is Benjamin Farrow. He was born October 12, 1804, in the two-story brick house built by his father, Peter Farrow, in 1802, which stood on the site of the State Bank, and purchased by that institution in 1812. His father was a shoemaker and carried on an extensive business by "whipping the cat," which means that he visited the farmers, engaged work and sent his journeymen with their " kits " to the several places, who made the shoes for the families, the farmers finding the leather. About 1810 Peter Farrow bought the time of a young Dutch redemptioner, who, after a few weeks' ser- vice, offered for his time to make for his son, Ben- jamin a pair of boots seamed in the side, they hav- ing been made prior with the seam at the back. . This offer Farrow accepted, and the young Ben-

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THE CITY OF CAMDEN.

jamin trod the streets of Camden, proud of his new boots, and became a walking advertisement and gained for his father much trade.

Benjamin Farrow, in 1820, was apprenticed to Gideon Stivers for five years, and continued with him until 1839, and helped to build Coopers Creek bridge, St. Paul's Episcopal Church and other buildings. From 1840 to 1856 he was in the employ of the Camden and Amboy Railroad Company and was stationed on Wind-Mill Island to light lamps, ring the fog bell and kept the register of boats passing through the canal. He handled the rope the night the "New Jersey " was burned (see page 368), and helped swing her round to start for the bar. After service with the company, he was sixteen years with Gilbert Balson in the produce business, making a term of fifty- one years in the employ of but three persons or firms. He now resides at 256 Sycamore Street. His memory of the early days is excellent.

In 1815, he states, on Cooper Street there was a group of houses at the ferry, the Pilosi house de- scribed above and then occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Tiffin ; a frame house on the corner of Third and Cooper, occupied by Isaac Wilkins, and who later kept a lumber-yard extending from the bank to where the West Jersey Press building now stands; and the brick rough-cast house of Edward Sharp, long known as the Dr. Harris house, on the corner of Second and Cooper.

Joshua Cooper's brick house was built in 1810, and was later owned by Dr. Isaac S. Mulford, and now by the Safe Deposit Company. Joshua Cooper was an ardent Federalist, and about 1803 named the road that extended down to his ferry Federal Street, hence the origin of the name. Nearly opposite Joshua Cooper's farm-house, and where S. S. E. Cowperth wait's store now stands, was a frame house. On the corner of Second and Fed- eral was a frame house, occupied by Henry Chew, a sea-captain. On Fourth and Federal stood the Methodist Church, erected in 1809, and on Fed- eral, near Fifth Street, was a frame house, occu- pied by Frank Peters.

Plum Street was laid out in 1803, and the name changed to Arch by action of the Common Council June 26, 1873. On the north side of Plum, above Third Street, in 1815 were two one-story and two two-story frame buildings. On the northwest cor- ner of Fourth and Plum was a frame building owned by Sylvanus Shepherd, and on the northeast corner a two-story brick building owned by Isaac Smith. Next above was a frame building owned by Captain Manley Smallwood; above were two or three frame buildings owned by Amos Middle-

ton, father of ex-Mayor Timothy Middleton. Ed- ward Daugherty made sausages in a two-story frame building above Sylvanus Shepherd's. Thomas Smith lived on the southeast corner of Fourth and Plum. His widow, a few years later, erected the building on the northeast corner of Fourth and Federal. On the south side of Plum Street, below Fourth, were three frame buildings owned by John Warren. Below was a two-story frame house built in 1810 by Mrs. Peter Farrow, below which, in the same block, were two frame houses and two brick houses owned by Daniel Swim.

On Market Street were the ferry-houses. On the south side, below Second Street, was a frame build- ing put up in 1810 by Thomas Wright, and now used as a saloon, and a brick bank building corner of Second and Market, the brick dwelling-house of George Genge, still standing on the southeast cor- ner of Second and Market. On Market, above Third, the brick building now standing, long the residence of Dr. O. G. Taylor. There were no other houses on Market Street, except the academy, on the corner of Sixth and Market Streets.

The Friends' Meeting-house, built in 1801, stood at the intersection of Mount Ephraim road and Mount Vernon Streets, and near it was the resi- dence of Richard Jordan, a prominent minister among the Friends, a sketch of whom will be found on page 331.

At Coopers Point was the ferry-house, built in 1770, the dwelling-house above (now occupied by Mrs. Sarah (Cooper) Gaskill), built in 1789, and a few other smaller dwellings; the old Benjamin Cooper house, built in 1734, the I. C. E. house, built in 1788, and the Cope house, built in 1766, all still standing.

At Kaighns Point was the old mansion-house of John Kaighn, built in 1696, with its yew and box-trees in front, and the house built by Joseph Kaighn, about 1750, then used as a ferry-house and standing on the bank of the river, but now several blocks away, and a few other dwellings and out-houses.

Between the Federal Street Ferry and the Kaighns Point Ferry was the farm-house of Isaac Kaighn, occupied by Thomas, the father of Joseph Githens, now the oldest living ferryman on the river. Below Kaighns Run were the his- toric old Mickle residences.

In 1815 Randall Sparks was keeping a ferry. Soon after this time the question of extending slavery into the Western States and Territories was being agitated throughout the North, and a public meeting of the citizens of Gloucester was

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HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

called to meet at the house of Randall Sparks, in Camden, on the 10th of December, 1819, " for the purpose of taking into consideration the subject of slavery and to express their sentiments and opin- ions on the propriety of limiting its extension and prohibiting its introduction into new States here- after to be admitted into the Union."

At this meeting Edward Sharp was appointed chairman and J. J. Foster secretary. A committee was appointed-consisting of the Rev. Samuel Wil- mer, Swedesboro'; John Tatem, Jr., Deptford ; John Firth, Gloucester ; Edward Sharp, Camden ; John Clement and J. J. Foster, Haddonfield ; and Daniel Lake, of Egg Harbor-to draftresolutions, expressive of their sentiments and to prepare a memorial for signatures deprecating the admission of new States and Territories upon the terms pro- posed.

The ferries constituted the leading business of Camden in 1800. In addition, there were several tanneries, one of which was conducted by a Mr. Haines. It was near Coopers Point, north of Vine and west of Point Street. He was succeeded by Charles Stokes, who sold to Captain William Newton, who continued until his death, when the business was abandoned.

A tannery also wasin operation between Market and Arch Streets, below Front. It was abandoned about 1822.

Benjamin Allen, before 1810, established a tan- nery west of Second Street and north of Kaighn Avenne. It was continued until 1838, and at one time had forty vats.

William Williams, an enterprising resident of Camden, as early as 1816, constructed a large hath- house, which in the warm season he moored on the west side of the har above Wind-Mill Is- land, and running row-boats to Market Street, Philadelphia, for passengers, secured a good pat- ronage and made money. When his house was worn out, however, he quit the business. In 1835 similar boat-houses on the river excited the ire of City Council, and a committee was appointed to induce the Philadelphia anthorities to suppress the annoyance to the modest who crossed the river on the ferry-boats.

CAMDEN IN 1824 .- About 1800 William Bates, a blacksmith, opened a shop on the east side of Front Street, above Market, and on the site of Joseph Z. Collings' present coach factory. A few years later he sold to Thomas L. Rowand, who conducted the business several years and sold to Samnel Foreman, who had been his apprentice, and continued many years, and in 1841 the busi- ness was sold to Samuel D. Elfreth, who, in 1848,

moved to the site of the Electric Light Company's works and continued as a machinist, repairing ferry- boats until 1863, when he sold to Derby & Weath- erby, who then began their present business. Sam- uel D. Elfreth was apprenticed by his father, Joseph Elfreth, of Haddonfield, in 1824, to Samuel Fore- man, the blacksmith, in Camden. In April of that year, when fourteen years of age, he came to Camden and began his apprenticeship. He de- scribes the business interests of the place at that time as follows : Foreman's blacksmith shop and Samuel Glover's carriage shop were on the site of J. Z. Collings' present coach factory ; Samuel Scull had formerly occupied the place of Glover, but was then carrying on the same business at the corner of Arch and Front Streets. He died a few years later.

William Carman, who married Mary, the daugh- ter of Daniel Cooper, removed to Camden about 1820, and in 1823 built the large brick house stand- ing on the northeast corner of Broadway and Bridge Avenue, where he resided. By his marriage he came into possession of considerable land lying between Federal Street and Washington, and made .many improvements. In 1830 he built the large frame house on the southwest corner of Broadway and Federal Streets. He carried on the lumber business and saw-mill at Coopers Point many years and was active in city affairs.

On the southwest corner of Front and Cooper stood a livery stable, occupied hy Joshua Porter and John Thorn. A tannery had formerly stood upon its site. On the west side of Front Street, joining the livery stable, was the printing-office conducted by Samuel Ellis, who then published the American Star and Rural Record.

On the corner of Front and Market was Brown- ing's Ferry House, leased then to Benjamin Springer who ran the Market Street Ferry with a nine-horse team-boat. Between Market and Plum and on Front Street stood the carriage factory and black- smith shop of Isaac Vansciver. It was destroyed by fire Nov. 24, 1834, with a large amount of stock, also his dwelling-house adjoining. The buildings in the vicinity were much endangered, and the progress of the fire was stopped by fire companies of Philadelphia that crossed the ferry. The build- ings belonged to Abraham Browning, Sr., who promptly rebuilt on the site three brick buildings, and Vansciver again took possession. The citizens of Camden met at Isaiah Toy's Ferry House and passed resolutions recognizing the efficient ser- vices of twelve fire companies and ten hose con- panies of Philadelphia. On the 18th of January, 1842, Vansciver's coach factory was again de-

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THE CITY OF CAMDEN.

stroyed by fire, and rebuilt by Mr. Browning, and again on the 19th of May, 1856, a fire occurred at the place and destroyed one of the buildings in which was a barrel and keg factory on the first floor and a soap factory on the second floor.

Thomas Rogers, whose house was on the north- east corner of Second and Market, was a brass founder, and had a shop to the rear of his resi- dence. This section of the town was very swampy, and an elevated walk was built from his house to the shop. To the rear of the shop was a large pond, where the boys of the neighborhood sought cat-fish and eels, with which it was plentifully stocked.

Samuel Cake, in 1824, kept the Federal Street Ferry House, and ran a stage from the ferry to Leeds Point, Atlantic County. In a slack time of business, between 1820 and 1825; Benjamin Farrow, apprentice to Gideon Stivers, drove a stage a short time over this route, leaving the ferry at six o'clock A.M., and reaching the terminus at four o'clock P.M., making six miles an hour, and car- ried the mail in his pocket. Stages also ran from the same ferry to Cape May and Tuckerton, under charge of Joel Bedine; to Woodbury, under John N. Watson; and to Bridgeton, under John Parvin. On the south side of Federal Street, at the ferry, were the livery stables of Samuel Laning and the hay-scales and grocery of John Wessels.

The bank was then in operation on the corner of Second and Market Streets, the building having been formerly used as a dwelling and shoe-shop of Peter Farrow. Richard M. Cooper kept a store at Cooper Street Ferry and also the post-office. Nathan Davis was for many years his deputy, and finally succeeded him in the post-office. A cigar- box was the receptacle of all the letters brought by one mail then. William Cooper kept the Coopers Point Ferry and Ferry House. A store was kept at that place by John Wood.

Where the Camden and Amboy Railroad track crosses Market Street, Isaac McCully had a black- smith shop, William Caffrey soon after opened a wheelwright shop, and around these shops grew up Dogwoodtown in later days, and the shops developed into the establishment of Charles Caf- fray.

At the head of Market, on north side, above Fifth Street, and the upper end of the town plot, in 1824 Jacob Lehr built a large candle factory, twenty by fifty feet, with a capacity of making at oue time one thousand two hundred candles daily. It was continued by him until 1840, and was later used by Frederick Fearing, who manufactured pianos in the building until about 1854. The

drug store of Charles Stephenson occupies part of the site.

Benjamin Allen was running a tannery with forty vats at Kaighns Point, west of Second Street, and north of Kaighn Avenue. It had been in operation many years.

Elias Kaighn had established, at Kaighns Point, an edge tool and carriage spring manufactory, which he enlarged and added thereto a foundry. He also had a foundry in Camden about 1835 to 1840, which, in the latter year, he leased and con- tinued at Kaighns Point. In 1834 he opened a coal-yard at Kaighns Point, and kept the Lehigh and Schuylkill coal. His foundry and shops were continued many years.

The Ferry House and ferry at Kaighns Point were kept by Ebenezer Toole.

ASSESSMENTS OF 1834 .- In 1834 Isaac H. Porter was assessor, Caleb Roberts, collector, and John K. Cowperthwaite, treasurer of Camden township, with Nathan Davis, Gideon V. Stivers and Isaac Vansciver, commissioners of appeal. The tax re- quired was,-For State, $158.90 ; county, $470.25; poor, $235; town ship, $600,-total, $1463.15. The tax-rate was 25 cents on the $100; householders, 45 cents ; single men, $1.65; horses and mules, 40 cents ; cattle, 18 cents; gigs and chairs (pleasure carriages), 28 cents; common wagons and dearborns, 40 cents; jack-wagons (leather springs), 80 cents ; sulkies, 21 cents. There were 561 ratables, of whom 440 were householders and 121 single men. The tax duplicate footed up $2153, less $74.50 dog tax. The dog tax was 50 cents. The following, taken from the assessments of that year, will give an idea of the possessions of the leading property- holders of that day :

Mrs. Ann Andrews was taxed $4 for a lumber- yard. Josiah Atkinson was assessed at $1000. Ben- jamin Allen, the tanner, for forty vats, $1300 mortgages and $1900 real estate. Atwood & Caw- cey, five lots on Market Street, $1300. Ann Bur- rough, for the Taylor property on Market, above Third, was assessed $300, and $2000 for other property. William Bates, house and lot, southeast corner Fifth and Market, $1500; five lots on Fifth, below Market, $300, and lands, $600. Abraham Browning, Sr., store and lot, Second and Market, $1000; livery stable, $500; other property, $1500. Richard M. Cooper, property, $12,200; lands, $1500; his tax was $39.40. William Carman's property was assessed at $18,800; one lot, $300 ; and his saw-mill was taxed $4. Daniel S. Carter, assessed at $800 and Edward Dougherty at $700. Elizabeth Heyle was assessed at $7000, besides twenty-three lots at $900. Hugh Hatch, assessed

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HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

at $15,100; tax, $47. Joseph Kaighn's assessments were,-three lots, $450; three lots, $150; a store, $400; bonds and mortgages, $47,985; other prop- erty, $4400,-total, $53,385; his tax was $136.50. Charles Kaighn was assessed at $2900 and taxed $1 for a lumber-yard, Charity, Grace and Ann Kaighn were assessed $1700, $1100, and $3200, re- spectively. John Kaighn, real property, $4500 ; lands and mortgages, $5000. Ebenezer Levick, the tanner, was taxed for forty vats, and Anley McAlla, long cashier of the State Bank, was assessed for $2000 of property. Dr. Isaac Mul- ford was assessed at $4300. William Fortner was assessed at $2100, and for a lot and shop he bought of Caleb Roberts, next to the south- west corner of Second Street and Federal, $200. Richard Fetter's 48} Fettersville lots were as- sessed at $50 each. The frame two-story house which he used for a store, and an upper room of which he rented for Council meetings in 1828, for $12 per year, on Third below Market, where As- sociation Hall now stands, was assessed at $400. His other property was assessed at $11,485, besides $4655 in lands and mortgages and $100 for "the Shivers lot," total, $19,080. This tax was $47.62}. Ellen Genge, real property, $7300 ; personal, $4,- 000. Her tax was $28.55. Frederick Rath, the veteran ferryman, was assessed at $2200. Collector Caleb Roberts was taxed 63 cents. John Sisty, the Baptist preacher, was assessed at $5800, besides $3900 in the name of Sisty & Richards, partners in real estate transactions. Isaac Smith's property was assessed at $8600, and bonds at $400. Joab Scull was assessed at $1200, and taxed $4 for his store at Second and Federal.

Gideon V. Stivers was assessed at $9400, besides $350 for his carpenter shop, which stood on Fourth Street, adjoining the First Baptist Church on the north. He was also assessed $150 for "Stokes' shop." Ebenezer Toole, of the Kaighns Point Ferry, was assessed at $19,250 ; also $900 for 3} lots and $50 for a lot. His tax was $50.25. Isaac Van- sciver's carriage factory, Front and Arch, was as- sessed at $1200, and his other property at $5000. Joseph Weatherby built and opened the Railroad Hotel, Second and Bridge Avenue, when the Cam- den and Amboy Railroad was built, and was as- sessed at $600. David Read, grandfather of Joseph J., Edmund E. and the late John S. Read, was assessed at $2900, besides a lot at $300.

The legal fee of the assessor was eight cents per name, but the economic voters of that day devised a plan to save by voting for the candidate who offered to do the work for the lowest price. Thus Daniel S. Carter, at the spring election in 1833,

offered to assess for four cents, and being the low- est bidder, got the votes and the job, but when he asked for eight cents a name he received it, for the law was on his side. When, however, at the next town-meeting, he made a similar offer, the voters preferred the bid of Caleb Roberts for four cents and made him assessor, with Isaac H. Porter collector on the same terms. The emoluments of the offices that year were,-Roberts, assessor, $34 .- 02; Porter, collector, $35.52; while Josiah Shi- vers, assessor in 1835, received $59.73 for his ser- vices, his popularity, or, maybe, absence of compe- tition, securing him the contract at six cents a name.

INTERESTING FACTS AND INCIDENTS .- Joseph Edwards, in the year 1826, erected a distillery for the distilling of spirits of turpentine, on the west side of Front Street, south of the old print- ing-office. Rosin was brought from North Car- olina, and for several years he carried on an extensive business, and until distilleries began to be erected nearer the supply of rosin. About 1833 he sold to Benjamin F. Davis, who turned his attention to the preparation of camphine, burning- fluid and other illuminators. He did a large busi- ness and made money. Several disastrous fires occurred at his works, and Council passed an ordinance restricting the boiling or distilling of oil or turpentine within the city limits. With the advent of coal oil, Davis' occupation vanished.

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The history of Camden county, New Jersey, Part 70

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