The history of Camden county, New Jersey, Part 87

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

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This is the only glass manufactory in Camden at this date (1886). There were two glass works conducted formerly in the city, one by John Cape- well, on Kaiglin Avenue, corner of Locust Street, in which flint glass-ware was made. It was in operation for several years, but abandoned when the late war opened.

Joseph Wharton also operated a glass manufac- tory on Coopers Creek for several years. His works have not been operated since 1884. A. C. Lamar, the secretary of the Crystal Glass Manufac- turing Company, is alsoa manufacturer of window- glass, having two factories at Woodbury, N. J., with a capacity for producing sixteen hundred boxes of window-glass per week, and employing one hundred and fifty workmen.

PORCELAIN TOOTH MANUFACTORY, at No. 314 Mickle Street, is the only industry of its kind in Camden, and was originated and has been in con- stant operation for fifty-two years. In 1834 Sam- nel W. Neall built a three-story brick building for this purpose in the rear of his dwelling. In 1866 his son, Daniel W. Neall, was admitted as a partner, and, in 1882, the latter purchased the entire business interests of his father, and has since conducted the manufacture of artificial teeth from porcelain for the trade. The products are in demand from the principal cities of the United States, and are shipped in large quantities to these localities. Fifteen workmen are employed, and one thousand five hundred full sets of teeth are made weekly. The establishment is supplied with machinery, mills, moulds, ovens and retorts requisite for the business.

THE HAT FACTORY of Stephen Titus was established in 1885 at No. 316 Market Street, the store having a front of twenty-one feet, and ex- tending to the work-shop in the rear, one hundred and fifty feet, having also a front on Taylor Ave- nue. Silk and stiff hats, also the new style of pull-over hat, with patent seamless body, of which Mr. Titus is the sole proprietor and manufac- turer, are made here.

BLANK AND PRINTED BOOK BINDERY .- This business was first established in Camden by Jacob Bender, in 1850, at the southwest corner of Third and Arch Streets. In 1856 the location was changed to No. 223 Federal Street, when the entire business was sold out to his son, Robert S. Bender, who continued in this place until April, 1885. The bindery was then removed to No. 101 Market Street. Job binding and printed matter of all de- scriptions is executed, and the bindery is most complete in the necessary machinery for the pur- pose. A Davey safety engine and boiler fur- nishes the motive-power for the folders, stitchers, cutters, stamping presses, etc. Five workmen, five girls and five boys are employed.

BAYMORE'S MAST AND SPAR-YARDS .- There are two large spar-yards, in Camden, with ample buildings conveniently arranged and fitted for the manufacture of outfits for all grades of sailing vessels, and in which spars are made from twenty to one hundred and ten feet in length and twenty- eightinches in diameter. The logs from which these spars are made are brought from California and Oregon in sailing vessels, specially designed for loading and shipping the same. From the vessels the logs are transferred to the booms at the foot of the spar-yards and are drawn from the water as desired.

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THE CITY OF CAMDEN.

These yards were opened by Joseph Baymore, who first commenced the business at the foot of Ann Street, Port Richmond, and in 1868 established the yard at the foot of North Street. The build- ing is one hundred and ten feet front on Beach Street, and extends to the rear to the riparian line, occupying five acres of ground. On April 23, 1871, this yard was burned down, but was at once rebuilt and improved. A complete record is made of all spars furnished for outfits, so that when desired, exact duplicates can be made and for- warded to all ports in the United States. This yard has ten workmen, under the direction of Enos Bowen, as foreman. The spar-yard, on Front Street above Kaighn Avenue, at the lower portion of the city, was built by Joseph Baymore in 1883, and is forty feet wide on Front Street, and one hundred and eighty-five feet in depth. This yard, also, is fully fitted for all branches of the business; ten workmen are employed, with George J. Harris as foreman. Vessels in different ports of the country are supplied with spars of any size and properly fitted for ready adjustment; all busi- ness is transacted through the office of Joseph, Baymore, No. 118 North Delaware Avenue, Phila- delphia.

THE SPAR-YARD on Penn Street, corner of Point Street, covers an area of three acres, having a front of thirty feet, and extending six hundred feet to the rear to the port warden line, and was started, in 1879, by George Humes. For thirty- five years previously he had conducted the busi- ness of a spar-maker in Philadelphia, and the many advantages offered in Camden for his busi- ness induced him to remove his industry to the present location.

The yard is arranged for the construction of spars of various sizes for steam vessels and sailing vessels, and also derricks, flag-poles and staffs, etc. A large boom is connected with the yard, which has a capacity for guarding a supply of spar-logs.

THE LARGE BOAT SHOPS on the river, at the head of Point Street, were established, in 1879, by the present proprietor, James A. Collins. The shops have a frontage of forty-seven feet, and ex- tend to the dock in the river one hundred and sixty feet, and the equipment of the shops has been especially adapted for the construction of sailing and steam yachts, of which a large number have been built in the past four years. Yawl and row-boats are also built at these shops, which, by being under cover, are in operation the entire year. The business is large and is increasing, and boats of all kinds are built, not only for home trade, but for many of the Southern ports. From six

to twelve men are employed in the shops. A large business is also done in repairing and refitting, the different branches of the business being all con- ducted under one roof.

THE BOAT-SHOP at Coopers Point was started in 1876 by George W. Masters, who had for years previously conducted the same business in Phila- delphia, at Delaware Avenue and Shackamaxon Street. This yard is one-half acre in area, and fitted up for the construction of ships, boats, sail- ing and steam yachts, fishing, rowing and pleasure boats of various kinds. Within the past twenty years the proprietor has built a large number of yachts and boats.

THE BOAT-YARD, FRONT STREET ABOVE KAIGHN AVENUE .- The increasing demand for pleasure boats, especially sailing and steam yachts, has given a remunerative industry to Camden, and the builders of this class of boats now furnish em- ployment to a large number of workmen, and are thus enabled to meet the demands from all por- tions of the river line. This boat-yard was started in 1885 by William H. Kaighn, and has been suc- cessfully operated by him. A large number of gun- ning-skiff's, and rowing and sailing boats have been constructed by the proprietor, and find ready sale to the proprietors of pleasure resorts in different parts of the adjacent States.

THE PENN MANTEL-WORKS, at No. 16 Market Street, were started in 1879 by Edmund Cotter, who had been identified for twenty years previously with mantel-works in several Northern States. The buildings, of which there are three, extend two hundred feet in depth, and occupy grounds on both sides of George Street. The main building is fitted up with marbleizing department, large show- rooms, office, etc., while the back buildings are devoted to cutting and preparing the slate for the finishing process. The products comprise marble- ized slate mantels, wainscoting, slate hearths, bracket shelves, bureau and table-tops, and various kinds of slate work, for the trade, builders, etc. Twenty-five workmen are constantly employed.

CAMDEN CITY MARBLE-WORKS, JUNCTION OF FEDERAL AND ARCH STREETS .- This enterprise has been in operation since 1867, when Webster Krips and William H. Shearman fitted up work- shops and sheds on both sides of Arch Street for the preparation of monument, mantel and house- work. The yards and work-shops cover over an acre of ground, and a large stock of marble and granite monuments, headstones, cemetery posts, etc., are kept on hand. From six to ten workmen are employed. The trade is large, though princi- pally local. Webster Krips has been the sole

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HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

proprietor since 1879, at which time he bought the interest of William H. Shearman.

THE MARBLE, GRANITE AND SANDSTONE- WORKS at the corner of Eighth and Market Streets were established in 1881 by Michael C. Lyons, who for thirteen years before owned the marble-works at the corner of Fifth and Pearl Streets. This enterprise includes office, work- shops, and a show yard, one hundred by forty feet in dimensions, and is adapted to the produc- tion of monuments, mantels, cemetery work and house trimmings, in marble, granite, sandstone, etc. From nine to fifteen men are employed. A variety of manufactured marble designs is shown at these works.

The first carriage-maker in Camden was Samuel Scull, who was engaged in the business in 1800, on Front Street above Market, near where Collings' carriage factory now stands. Twenty years later he built a large factory on the north side of Arch Street, extending from Front nearly to Second. His works included a paint shop, blacksmith shop, and all the appliances belonging to the business. Beginning with three journeymen, he eventually employed between twenty and thirty, and his car- riages were shipped to the West Indies and other distant markets as well as sold to the local trade. On his death, Isaac Cole, who had long worked for him, conducted the business for the widow, and eventually became the proprietor, and carried on the business for many years. Mr. Scull had two sons, Joseph and Samuel, both of whom engaged in the sausage business in the South Ward. The former built the brick house on the southeast cor- ner of Third and Kaighn Avenue, and the latter, who was Mayor in 1855, built the large three story brick house on the southeast corner of Locust and Kaighn Avenue.

Isaac Vansciver learned his trade, carriage mak- ing, in Mount Holly, and when free came to Cam- den. After a campaign with the Camden Blues, in the War of 1812, he settled at Kaighns Point, where Joseph Kaighn gave him encouragement, and he started a carriage factory, subsequently re- moving his works to Dogwoodtown, on or near the site of Caffrey's carriage works. He afterwards erected a large factory on the west side of Front Street, above Arch, where he was burned out. He transferred his business to Philadelphia for a time, but returned to Camden and resumed work at his old place on Front Street, where he continued un- til a few years before the War of the Rebellion, when he retired from business. In his long and busy life he gave employment to many persons,

and the product of his factories found sales in dis- tant markets.

Samuel Glover had a carriage factory on Front Street above Market, after Samuel Scull left there, and was succeeded by Jacob Collings, whose sons, Thomas S. and Joseph Z. Collings, continued the business and enlarged it, the latter being now the proprietor.

CAFFREY'S CARRIAGE MANUFACTORY is at Market and Tenth Streets. The buildings were erected and the business originated in 1853, and for many years was conducted by Charles S. Caffrey individually. In 1879 the Charles S. Caffrey Com- pany was organized, with a paid-in capital of sixty-three thousand dollars. An extensive busi- ness is done here and the trade extends throughout the United States and in Great Britain, France and Russia. The main building occupied is three stories high, and one hundred by one hundred and eight feet in dimensions. It was specially con- structed for this business after the former building was destroyed by fire, in 1877, and is supplied with all the conveniences for the manufacture of fine carriages of numerous styles. Facilities are af- forded at this factory for producing finished work to the value of three hundred thousand dollars annually. The company make fine carriages, top and no-top huggies, end-spring and side-bar buggies, two and three-spring phaetons, jump-seat and side-bar rockaways, hroughams, laundalettes, and make a specialty of the Caffrey track wagon and sulky, for which they control two patents. The officers of the company are : President, Charles S. Caffrey ; Treasurer, Harry Stiles ; Secretary, Ed- ward Nieland. The directors are Charles S. Caf- frey, Andrew Marshall, George K. Caffrey, John Stiles, J. H. Caffrey and Harry Stiles.

THE CARRIAGE MANUFACTORY, NON. 108 to 116 North Front Street, was established in 1827 by Collings & Richardson. In 1829 the partner- ship was dissolved, and Jacob S. Collings leased a lot of ground on Federal Street, below Second Street, and built thereon a large frame carriage factory, which he conducted until 1845, when he purchased the lot at present location (and where he had first started business), one hundred and twenty feet front by one hundred and seventy feet in depth, on which he crected five hrick buildings. The main factory is four stories high and fifty-six feet square, back buildings three stories high and forty by cighty fect, and the smithi-shop twenty by one hundred feet, in all of which are the wood- work, smith-work, painting, trimming, finishing, etc., of fine family carriages. The salesroom was

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THE CITY OF CAMDEN.

first established in Philadelphia, in 1859, and is now located in their large warehouse, No. 625 Arch Street. On April 25, 1862, Mr. Collings was succeeded by his two sons, Thomas S. and Joseph Z. Collings, who conducted the business as Col- lings Brothers until 1877, when Thomas S. sold out his interest to Joseph Z. Collings, who is now the sole proprietor.

WILLIAM HUNT'S CARRIAGE FACTORY, located at Nos. 19 and 21 Market Street, was erected upon the site of a small one-story structure built as a carriage factory in 1866 by the present proprietor William Hunt. The present factory is a three-story brick building, forty by ninety feet, and especially designed for the manufacture of light road car- riages, and as a specialty the construction of light road sleighs and cutters. The entire work, includ- ing the wood-work, painting, trimming, finishing and carriage-smithing, is all done on the premises. Twenty workmen are employed. The salesrooms are at No. 910 Arch Street, Philadelphia. The trade extends over a large tract of country.

ELIJAH E. WEST'S CARRIAGE AND WAGON MANUFACTORY, No. 29 HADDON AVENUE .- This establishment occupies the site of a large manufac- tory formerly operated by the Charles Caffrey Carriage Manufacturing Company, which was destroyed by fire. After it was rebuilt Hosea Madden first occupied and operated it. It was also leased to Young & Ireland, and later to Strat- ford, Dockerty & Sidesinger. In 1881 the present proprietor, with his son Thomas, leased the works, and conducted them under the name of E. E. West & Son. In 1884, by the withdrawal of the son from the firm, the business was and has since been under the direction of Elijah E. West alone. A large carriage smith-shop is connected with the works, and seven workmen are employed in the construction of carriages, business and farm wagons of all descriptions.

THE CARRIAGE AND WAGON WORKS, and smith-shop, of Hamilton S. Davis are located at the northwest corner of Kaighn Avenue and Marion Street. In 1872 Mr. Davis bought this corner lot, sixty by seventy-two feet in size, and built the shops the same year, and has since conducted the entire business. Light carriages are manufactured, but the principal trade is in milk, ice and heavy business wagons, as also farm wagons, carts, etc.

THE CARRIAGE AND WAGON MANUFACTORY, Nos. 15 and 17 Market Street, was first started in 1860 by William Butler. In 1865 he sold out the business and location to Braker & Rettberg, and in 1868 Braker sold out his interest to the present

proprietor, Jacob Rettberg. The manufactory has a frontage of twenty-eight feet by one hundred feet in depth. Business wagons of all descriptions are made and repaired. Ten to twelve workmen are employed.

SILVER-PLATERS .- The carriage factories gave employment to many silver-platers, some working . for the manufacturers and others carrying on busi- ness for themselves, and giving employment to others. Gordon states that there was a gold and silver-plater here in 1833, but the first establish- ment of which there is authentic record was that of Gibson & Morgan-Henry Gibson and John Morgan-the latter mayor in 1876-77. Their works, started in 1841, were over the wagon-sheds built by Jacob Ridgway, in 1832, at Second and Arch. Gibson left the firm, and in 1845 Morgan removed the factory to a stable, fitted up for the purpose, on the rear end of a lot on Fourth Street, above Market, afterwards erecting a large brick building on the line of Fourth Street, since converted into dwellings.

Among his workmen were his brother, George Morgan, now in the business at 52 North Second; Edward Fitzer, now in the same trade in Phila- delphia; George Welden, Charles Newmayer and others. The work was for volantes, used in Cuba, and the trade was exclusively with that island. As the correspondence was in Spanish, Newmayer, who from journeyman became manager and then partner, learned the language, to avoid the need of an interpreter. The firm employed as many as thirty at one time, and the employes testify that there was never a murmur about wages, even the apprentices receiving full pay for overwork, and the payments were not only prompt, but made in the best currency. The Rebellion put a stop to the trade, and the firm, dividing a competency, dissolved.

Edward Fitzer and George Morgan joined in business in the "fifties," with their establishment on Market Street, the site of Herbst's Hotel, but in a few years separated.

Michael Seibenlist was a well-known silver-plater as early as 1840, but the most of his work was for Camden harness and carriage-makers.

THE MOROCCO MANUFACTORY on Broadway, below Kaighn Avenue, was first put into operation in 1884 by the present enterprising proprietor, Frederick Kifferly, who for seventeen years previ- ously had been engaged in the same business in Philadelphia. Eight acres of land are owned by Mr. Kifferly, on which he has erected a four-story brick building, one hundred and twenty-two by forty-six

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HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

feet, with basement, and two four-story side-wings, each fifty-two by twenty feet, in which is a twenty horse-power engine for driving the machinery. In this establishment he manufactures morocco leath- er from goat-skins, which are imported from South America, Mexico, East Indies, Cape of Good Hope and the countries of Southern Europe. There are four large drying lofts, and various dyeing, tanning, finishing and storage-rooms. Four hundred dozen skins are tanned and finished weekly by a force of seventy-five workmen. The business is under the skillful and experienced management of the pro- prietor, Mr. Kifferly.

Frederick Kifferly, the proprietor of this enter- prise, was born in the kingdom of Würtemberg, Germany, September 9, 1835. After attending school for two years in his native country, in 1844 he emigrated with his parents to America, and located in Philadelphia, in which city his father died one year after their arrival, and the son was thrown upon his own resources. Being by nature industrious, he engaged with his uncle at the butcher's trade one year, for the same length of time with a baker, and after the second marriage of his mother, to a baker, he became the employee of his stepfather during four successive years. At the age of sixteen he entered the morocco factory of Baker & Nevil, at Front and Poplar Streets, Philadelphia, remaining two years, and then, in 1853, went to Wilmington, Del., and engaged with Hackett & Griffin, morocco manufacturers, until 1859. The seven succeeding years he conducted a bakery on York Street, Philadelphia. In 1867 he embarked in the manufacture of morocco leather, as a partner in the firm of Turner & Co., on Second Street, below Beaver. They soon thereafter removed their factory to Front and Poplar Streets, and from thence, in 1869, to 209 Willow Street. Three years later they purchased the morocco fac- tory at Dillwyn and Willow Streets. This part- nership continued until 1883. In the mean time Mr. Kifferly had removed his residence to Camden, in 1881, and seeing the advantage to he gained by removing his business to Camden, he, in 1884, sold out his factory in Philadelphia, having already commenced the erection of the present establish- ment operated by him.

Mr. Kifferly, in 1854, married Mary, daughter of Jacob and Eliza Martin, of Brandywine Hun- dred, Del., by whom he has four surviving children, viz .:- Christopher E., George, Frederick and Harry.

SHOE MANUFACTURERS .- In the manufacture of shoes for the trade supplying the Middle and Southern States the city of Camden has acquired

a favorable reputation. A large amount of money is invested, and nearly a thousand of the citizens of Camden have constant employment in this branch of industry. Some of the large establish- ments, with the appliances of steam-power as a motor, and with improved machinery, have facili- ties for producing from six hundred to three thou- sand pairs of shoes weekly. In some of the smaller establishments, known as "buckeye fac- tories," the work is performed by teams or double teams of workmen, the shoes passing from hand to hand as they leave the laster, and, at the end of the line, pass the inspection of the foreman com- plete in finish. The production is rapid, as only two or three kinds of goods are made and find ready sale to their customers.

H. B. ANTHONY owns one of the largest shoe factories, at 521 South Seventh Street. Paul Anthony came from Germany to this country more than a century ago. He was a hatter and located at Rahway, N. J., for a short time, and then removed to Northumberland, Pa., where he resided until his death. By his marriage with Elizabeth Van Buskirk he had five children,-John, Phillip, Esther, Ann and Elizabeth, who married and settled in Northum- berland and assisted him in his manufacturing in- terests, excepting John, who migrated to Louis- ville, Ky., and Phillip, who became a river pilot. Phillip was married to Sarah, daughter of Isaiah McCoy, of Cumberland, by whom he had seven children,-Sarah, Paul, William (who died in in- fancy), Thomas, George, Mary and Henry.

George Anthony was born in Northumberland August 18, 1824, and lived there until 1840, when he went to Milton, Pa., to learn harness-making. After finishing his apprenticeship he removed to Camden, in 1854, and worked at his trade in Phil- adelphia until 1881. On December 27, 1847, he was married to Sarah, daughter of Diedrick and Catherine Fegenbush, of Philadelphia, by whom he has seven children,-Charles D., Harry B., Kate F., Paul (deceased), William E., Edwin T. and George E.

Harry B. Anthony was born in Philadelphia September 27, 1849, and came to Camden with his father in 1854. He was educated in the public schools. At the age of thirteen he entered the National Iron Armor and Ship-Building Com- pany's works, of Camden, and continued thus em- ployed for two years, when he again went to school, until he took a position with the firm of Edmund A. Souder & Co., of Philadelphia, who controlled the steamers on the Schuylkill, and which was afterward the Fairmount Steamboat

Frederick Kifferby

HOB. Anthony.

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THE CITY OF CAMDEN.

Company. He rose from the position of ticket agent to that of superintendent and treasurer of the company, was the first to introduce propellers from the Falls to the Wissahickon, remained with the company for twenty years and is still a di- rector. This occupied ouly the summer months, and during the winter he learned the trade of fur- niture finisher with E. D. Trymby & Co., of Philadelphia, where he was employed for ten years during the winter months. In 1872 he opened at 1146 Broadway a crockery store, and after building up a large business, transferred it to his father, in 1876, who still manages it. Mr. An- thony began the manufacture of shoes in a small way, building a factory on Kaighn Avenue, above Broadway, doing nothing but hand work. His business grew so rapidly as to demand increased facilities, and in 1881 he purchased the building 521 South Seventh Street, and placed in it a full line of the most improved machinery for the man- ufacture of misses' and children's machine-sewed shoes, where he is now making four thousand pairs of shoes a week, and employing one hundred hands, thus giving Camden a profitable and successful business and adding to her improvement and pros- perity. The property purchased by Mr. Anthony was sixty by one hundred and ninety-three feet in area, and a brick building forty by fifty feet had already been erected upon it. Shortly after, through the increase of business, he was compelled to make important additions to the factory,-one addition of brick, thirty-five by forty feet, and a general improvement of the factory and purchase of additional and improved machinery. The fac- tory is heated by steam throughout, with high ceilings and ample arrangements for ventilation. The location is a most desirable one, being on the line of the West Jersey Railroad, affording good facilities for receiving coal, etc. The factory is supplied with two large boilers, one for heating purposes, the other as a motive-power for the different and varied machinery used in the manu- facture of their products, with ample power for all purposes.

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The history of Camden county, New Jersey, Part 87

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