The history of Camden county, New Jersey, Part 88

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

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In addition to Mr. Anthony now employing one hundred hands and making four thousand pairs of machine-sewed shoes per week, he is making active preparations to increase the capacity of this manu- factory to seven thousand pairs per week, by an addi- tion of a fine line of hand-sewed turn shoes. The business, as conducted by Mr. Anthony, is of large proportions, extending west to the Pacific States, south to Texas and northwest to Minnesota. Mr. Anthony is a director in the Camden National Bank. In 1869 he was married to Louisa, daugh-

ter of Arthur G. and Jane Ashley, of England, who died in 1879, leaving one daughter, Laura S. On January 7, 1881, he was married to Lucretia, daughter of Evan and Ann Thomas, who were na- tives of Wales, but then residing near Scranton, Pa. They have one child,-Walter Y., born No- vember 23, 1881.

FERRIS' SHOE MANUFACTORY, at Broadway and Jackson Streets, is one of the most extensive of the business industries of South Camden. The manager of this enterprise, Isaac Ferris, Jr., pur- chased, in 1875, a lot of ground at Fillmore and Van Hook Streets, and erected a small store, in which he commenced the shoe business with three men and two girls employed. His sales to the wholesale trade increasing compelled him to fa- cilitate the manufacture. More ground was hought and a larger store was built. In 1881 he purchased land at Broadway and Jackson Streets, and built a manufactory forty by forty feet and two stories high, engaged extra hands, and en- gaged in the manufacture of all grades of ladies', misses' and children's shoes on a large scale. Agents were placed on the road and orders re- ceived from many of the Southern and Western States, and, in 1882, an extension of twenty feet was added to the building, which was found too limited in space for rapid production. At the present time he has over seventy men, girls and boys on his pay-roll, and a ready market for his goods in Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky and California, his special States being Ohio and Pennsylvania. Four salesmen are constantly on the road to keep the trade supplied. The entire management is under the supervision of Isaac Ferris, Jr., the proprietor. In the finishing de- partment forty hands are employed, under the care of Jacob Ferris. Miss Dollie Ferris has charge of the fitting department, and Washington Ferris of the stock department.

F. P. DIETRICK & Co., in 1881, began the manu- facture of women's, misses,' children's and infants' shoes, and erected a three-story brick building, fifty by one hundred feet in dimensions for that purpose, on Market Street, below Front, and fitted it up with new and improved machines adapted to the business. This firm has been succeeded by Wheat- ley Brothers. From one hundred to one hundred and twenty-five hands are employed, and the weekly product is twenty-five hundred pairs of shoes. The trade is large, and extends through several of the Northern and Southern States.

THE SHOE MANUFACTORY AT NO. 535 CHESTNUT STREET .- Thomas H. Kelly conducts this manu-

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HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

factory for the production of misses' and children's shoes. For twenty-four years he had been con- nected with the business in other localities, and in 1885 started this enterprise of which he is sole proprietor. Fourteen men and nine girls are constantly employed, and two hundred and six- teen pairs of shoes are made daily ; the weekly production will average thirteen hundred pairs of finished shoes. The products are sold to the trade in the principal cities of the Middle and Southern States.

WILLIAM A. BUTCHER'S FACTORY, at No. 1325 Broadway, was commenced in 1880 by the present proprietor, who, for three years pre- viously, carried on a factory on Kaighn Ave- nue, above Broadway. All the necessary and im- proved kinds of shoe machinery are used in the production of misses' and children's shoes of the different styles and grades. From twenty-five to thirty workmen are employed, and the product of their labor is sold to the wholesale and retail trade throughout the surrounding States. From six to eight hundred pairs of shoes are turned out weekly, and the amount of business done yearly is sixteen to eighteen thousand dollars. Mr. Butcher is now making preparations to build a large manu- factory on the site of the present one.

JOSEPH WHITAKER owns a shoe factory at No. 529 Arch Street. The manufacture of ladies', misses' and children's fine shoes was begun in this estab- lishment in 1882 by Joseph Whitaker, Harley Shemeley and Henry Hartley. In 1883 Joseph Whitaker bought out the interest of his partners and has become sole proprietor. The factory is arranged for the convenience of three single teams of workmen, with departments for cutting, lasting, and finishing, and with machines specially adapted to this line of work. Employment is furnished to sixteen men and eight girls. The manufactured goods are sold to the trade through Philadelphia houses. Nine hundred pairs of shoes are made weekly, and the necessary changes are being made to increase the production to one thousand pairs per week.

The Shoe Factory at No. 1222 South Front Street was first conducted by McAdams & Peak, who, as joint partners, started the manufacture of misses', children's and infants' shoes in 1880. In 1881 Frank McAdams succeeded to the ownership of the business, and still continues it at present location, his improved machinery enabling him to manufacture nine hundred pairs of shoes a week. He employs fifteen workmen and twelve girls; the finished products are sold to the wholesale and retail trade in Pennsylvania and adjacent States.

The factory at the corner of West and Clinton Streets was commenced in 1883 by Edward A. Richardson, and furnished with the available im- provements in machinery requisite for the mann- facture of misses' and children's shoes. Fifteen hundred pairs of shoes are made weekly. The industry gives employment to forty persons. Orders are received for the products from all parts of the country.

Charles S. Grau commenced the business of shoe manufacturing in 1877 at the corner of Sixth and Mount Vernon Streets. In 1878 he admitted Oliver S. Guthrie as a partner, and together they conducted the manufacture of misses' and children's shoes. In January, 1886, Oliver S. Guthrie with- drew from the firm, and Charles S. Gran became sole proprietor. Six hundred pairs of shoes are manufactured weekly, and eleven men employed. The products are sold to the local trade and to cities of adjacent States.

For a number of years an establishment, south- west corner of Front Street and Kaighn Avenne, was conducted by Charles H. Dirmitt, who, in July, 1884, disposed of his interest, stock and machinery to W. S. Boltinghouse & Co. This firm at once began the manufacture of ladies', misses' and children's machine-sewed shoes. The production amounts to six hundred pairs of finished shoes weekly, and gives constant employment to fourteen workmen and eight girls. Their goods are sold to the retail trade in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Oliver Guthrie has a factory at 513 Kaighn Avenne. Commenced in January, 1886, to make misses' and children's shoes. Employs eight workmen and five girls. Regular production, four hundred and thirty-two pairs of shoes weekly.

Horace Hofflinger has a large workshop at No. 112 Kaighn Avenue, commenced in 1884. Em- ploys ten workmen and six girls. Regular weekly production, three hundred and sixty pairs of shoes, misses' and children's.

William Small started a factory, in 1877, at No. 424 Chestnut Street, for making misses' and chil- dren's shoes ; at present seven workmen and five girls are employed. The weekly production is three hundred pairs of shoes.

Samuel Cook, in 1875, commenced the small factory at No. 613 Mount Vernon Street, making infants' shoes only ; at the present time but five workmen employed, making one hundred and twenty-five to one hundred and fifty pairs of shoes weekly.

ANDERSON PRESERVING COMPANY, northwest corner Front and Arch Streets,-This company

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THE CITY OF CAMDEN.

owns a large establishment occupying one hundred and twenty feet on Front Street by two hundred and sixty feet on Arch Street, and is located on the site of a carriage factory which was built in 1835. In 1880 Abraham Anderson bought the site, and in 1881 William G. Knowles was admitted as a partner. As the firm of Knowles & Anderson they began the erection of the present factory and placed in position the necessary machinery, engines, boilers, etc., for the canning of fruits, vegetables, preserves and jellies. In 1885 Wm. G. Knowles withdrew from the firm, and on June 1st of that year the Anderson Preserving Company was incorporated, with Abraham Anderson as president, John S. Cox as secretary and treasurer and L. W. Goldy general manager. Under this management the same line of goods are produced in large quantities to meet the demand. Three large eighty horse-power boilers and two engines, one of twenty the other of five horse-power, are used in the different departments for canning, preserving and running the machinery. At present thirty hands are employed. During the canning season, which lasts from June to November, from three hundred to six hundred hands are employed.

JOSEPH CAMPBELL & Co. own a canning manu- factory at Nos. 39 and 41 North Second Street. For several years previous to 1876 the Anderson Canning Company, which was afterwards known as Anderson and Campbell, carried on the business of canning at this location. In 1876 Joseph Campbell hought the factory and continued the canning of fruits and vegetables and added the jelly and preserving business. In 1882 Joseph Campbell, Arthur Dorrance, Walter S. Spackman, and Joseph S. Campbell formed a co-partnership under the name of Joseph Campbell & Company and fitted up the manufactory with new and im- proved appliances for conducting a more extensive business. A large brick building, fifty feet front on Second Street and extending in depth the en- tire square to Front Street, is occupied, in which are the different apartments for canning, preserving, storing, packing and shipping. The motive-power to drive the necessary machinery of these is derived from a fifty horse-power engine. Twenty-five hands are constantly employed and during the canning season employment is given to three hundred hands.

THE CAMDEN WALL PAPER MANUFACTORY at Coopers Point, with accompanying buildings cover an area of five acres or an entire square. For a number of years the Penn Harrow Manu- facturing Company had their works here. In 1884 Francis T. Howell came into possession of the

property and at once placed in position mills, presses, machinery and engines, necessary for the manufacture of wall paper. There are six build- ings used for the different departments. The mill proper is three hundred by one hundred feet, with an L extension one hundred by ninety feet. The machinery comprises. one twelve-color printing press, two grounding-machines, mills, mixers, com- bined lathes, etc., which are run by two engines of one hundred and ten horse-power. The depart- ments are known as color-rooms, printing-rooms, stock-rooms and the shipping department. Twenty workmen are constantly employed. The manu- factured paper has very wide and extensive sale. The weekly production is twenty thousand pieces of wall paper. The proprietor is now making ar- rangements to increase the facilities of manufacture by the addition of new presses and other improved machines. The second floor of the main building at present through its entire length is used as a stock-room and contains a large and varied supply of the manufactured paper ready for shipment. The establishment is under the care of Robert A. Edens as general manager. He is also the artist in the coloring department.

THE FRANKLIN RAG CARPET COMPANY, NO. 18 MARKET STREET .- This business was established by John Hunt in 1873, in St. John Street, for the manufacture of the finer grades of rag-carpet, in- cluding the Excelsior and Jersey Lily carpets. The factory was afterward located at Fifth and Roydon Streets, then at No. 110 Federal Street, and in the year 1886 the looms and machinery were removed to the present location. The trade in these carpets is a large one, but is princi- pally local, being custom-work made for Camden and Burlington Counties, in New Jersey. Special orders are filled for customers in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland.

THE AMERICAN DREDGING COMPANY, incor- porated under the laws of the State of Pennsyl- vania, April 9, 1867, was the outcome from a co- partnership then existing between A. B. Cooley, Franklin B. Colton, John Somers and William Somers, trading as A. B. Cooley & Co., and also from a consolidation with the Delaware and Schuylkill Dredging Company. During the time of the co-partnership, about November, 1865, a large area of real estate was purchased, since which time a considerable amount more has been added, until now the company owns forty acres of land and wharf property, fronting on the River Delaware, extending between the Pennsylvania Railroad Company's property and Spruce Street, and which has been greatly improved by filling in

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HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

that part of it which was low land, and converting stagnant pools, where chills and fever prevailed, into property which is now available for building purposes. Two large wharves have also been built, and a large machine shop and a blacksmith shop and other buildings have been erected on the property, fitted out with appliances so complete that now the company has every facility for build- ing dredges, etc., and making such repairs to their own plant as may, from time to time, be needed.

The company employ from seventy to one hun- dred men in and around the works, and from one hundred to one hundred and fifty men on the dredges, tugs and scows, according as their busi- ness is brisk or dull .:

The company started with a capital of two hun- dred thousand dollars, and, by certain legislation passed since, it has been authorized to increase its capital to one million dollars. The general office of the company is at 234 Walnut Street, Philadel- phia, and at the present time the officers are as follows : Isaac Albertson, president; Floyd H. White, treasurer and secretary. Directors, Isaac Albertson, Beauveau Borie, Samuel Castner, Jr., E. J. Heraty, Washington Jones, Jos. M. Naglee, Alexander Purves and James Simpson, of Phil- adelphia, and Henry R. Towne, of Stamford, Conn.

Other manufactories which contributed to Cam- den's prosperity, and which in one sense belong to and are a part of the city, are treated of in the chapter npon Stockton township, in which district they are located. Among these are Schrack & Co.'s varnish-works, the Fairview Brick-Works, the Pea Shore Brick and Terra Cotta Works (owned by Augustus Reeve), R. H. Comey's dye-works, the Overbrook Mills, J. L. Cragin & Co.'s soap manu- factory, the United States Chemical Co.'s Works and the Atlantic Dye and Finishing Works.

CHAPTER VIII.

The Post-Office-Market-Houses-The Read Family-Insurance Companies-The Gaslight Company-The Street Railway-The Telephone-Building and Building Associations-Drug Interests -Old Military Organizations-Cemeteries-The Tornado of 1878 -The Cyclone of 1880-Hotele.

POST-OFFICE .- A post-office was established in Camden in 1803, and was called the Coopers Ferry Post-Office, and changed, in 1829, to the Camden Post-Office. It was first located at the foot of Cooper Street, where the Coopers had es- tablished a ferry ; hence the name. The first post-

master was Benjamin B. Cooper, a cousin of Rich- ard M. Cooper. He removed to Delaware town- ship, where he planted extensive orchards and built a distillery. His successor, as postmaster, was Charles Cooper, appointed in 1806. Richard M. Cooper, after president of the State Bank of Camden, was appointed postmaster at the Coopers Ferry Post-Office in 1810, and held the office until 1829, when the name of the office was changed to Camden. Richard M. Cooper owned a store at the ferry, which for many years was in charge of Nathan Davis, who was the acting post- master,-not a very responsible position, if his statement be correct, that " a segar-box was ample to hold the mail of a day."

Isaac Toy was appointed in 1829, under Presi- dent Jackson, and held the office for nine years. The office was in the bar-room of the hotel. Toy then kept the ferry-house at the foot of Federal Street.

Isaac Bullock became postmaster in 1838, and, as he boarded at the hotel, the office remained there until 1840, when James Elwell was ap- pointed and kept the office in the Railroad Hotel, which he conducted, at the foot of Bridge Avenue. He was succeeded, in 1849, by Charles Bontemps, who, owning the building southeast corner of Sec- ond and Arch Streets, fitted it up in good style for the purpose, thus giving the people a post-office, for the first time, separate from other business pur- suits. Bontemps resigned in 1852, before the ex- piration of his term, and Jonathan Burr, a Demo- crat, was appointed by a Whig administration, and it came about in this way : When the Democrats elected Franklin Pierce, in 1852, Bontemps knew he had no chance of a reappointment, and pro- posed to Mr. Burr that if the latter would pay him fifty dollars for the fixtures, he would resign and use his influence to secure Burr's appointment to the place. The proposition was accepted, and Mr. Burr was made postmaster, but held the posi- tion four months only, for, soon after Mr. Pierce was inaugurated, John Hanna was appointed and Mr. Burr had the fixtures on his hands. Mr. Hanna's sons-Samuel and William Hanna-man- aged the office, which was removed to the old frame building adjoining Parson's Hotel on the north, and long used by Denny & Bender as a paint-shop. Hanna held the office eight years, and until 1861, when Samuel Andrews was appointed by Presi- dent Lincoln. He removed the office to No. 214 Federal Street, one of the two-story bricks built by Isaac Cole in 1834. Andrews, dying in 1863, was succeeded by Captain Richard H. Lee, who leased the Roberts building at the southeast cor-

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THE CITY OF CAMDEN.

ner of Third and Federal Streets, where he fitted up an office much in advance of any that had pre- ceded it, afterwards removing to the northwest cor- ner of Third and Arch Streets, where it remained until July 1, 1875, when he moved into the build- ing now in use, built for the purpose by the late John S. Read. Captain Lee was removed by Presi- dent Johnson in October, 1866, and Colonel Tim- othy C. Moore appointed. The Senate, however, refused to confirm Colonel Moore, and, in March, 1867, Captain Lee resumed the duties of the office, holding the position until 1879, when Henry B. Wilson was appointed. He served one term of four years and was succeeded, in 1883, by William T. Bailey, who, in 1885, was followed by Charles Janney, the present incumbent.

The following list of names, with the dates of appointment of postmasters since the time of the establishment of the office, was furnished by the Post Office Department at Washington :

Post- Office at Coopers Ferry, Gloucester Co., N. J.

Benjamin B. Cooper, appointed January 1, 1803 ;1 Charles Cooper, appointed January 1, 1806; Richard M. Cooper, appointed April 13, 1810; (changed to Camden, June 22, 1829).

Camden, N. J. (late Coopers Ferry).

Isaiah Toy, appointed June 22, 1829; Isaac Bul- lock, appointed May 24, 1838; James Elwell, ap- pointed July 2, 1840 ; Charles Bontemps, appointed April 21, 1849; Jonathan Burr, appointed Decem- ber 17, 1852 ; John Hanna, appointed April 6, 1853 ; Samuel Andrews, appointed April 5, 1861; Richard H. Lee, appointed May 18, 1867; Timothy C. Moore, appointed October 12, 1866; Richard H. Lee, appointed May 18, 1867 ; Henry B. Wilson, appointed February 22, 1879; William T. Bailey, appointed March 2, 1883; Charles Janney, ap- pointed April 23, 1885.

Of the above, there are now living Jonathan Burr, for thirty years secretary of the Camden Fire Insurance Company, from which he volun- tarily resigned a few years since ; Richard H. Lee, until recently in the Philadelphia Custom House ; Timothy C. Moore, residing in Milwaukee ; Henry B. Wilson, coal dealer at Kaighns Point ; William T. Bailey, in the real estate business in Camden ; and Charles Janney, present incumbent.

William Ables, appointed in 1879, was the first assistant postmaster. He resigned in 1882 to ac- cept the position of post-office inspector, and Jesse

K. Mines was appointed in his place and served until 1885, when Frank L. Vinton, present incum- bent, was appointed.

The first clerk, called for by the business of the office, was Richardson Smith, in 1861, who, in 1864, resigned to accept the position of mail agent, and was succeeded by Jehu Evans, Charles Wat- son and, in 1867, by Robert B. McCowan, who was retained until 1885, when William Hanble was appointed.

The first regular letter-carrying was in 1852, when Samuel Jenkins delivered letters, receiving two cents as recompense. To increase his gains, he placed tin boxes at convenient locations for the re- ception of letters to be passed through the post- office. He was not the first carrier, however. As early as 1840, when James Elwell kept the office at the foot of Bridge Avenue, so far from where people lived, Lawyer Jeffers, to save labor and in- sure rapid receipt of mail matter, engaged Alfred, son of the postmaster, to bring him his letters as soon as they arrived, and others following his exam- ple, the lad made a snug sum for pocket-money.

In 1863 the free delivery system was established and abolished the year following, and again estab- lished in 1873. The number of carriers employed in successive years have been as follows: 1851, one; 1861, two ; 1863, three ; 1873, six ; 1880, eight; 1883, nine ; 1884, eleven; 1886, thirteen. Their salary in 1863 was six hundred dollars per year, and in 1886 eight hundred dollars per year. In 1863 there were two deliveries and two collections daily ; in 1886, in some portions of the city, four, and, in all bnt remote points, three deliveries and three collections daily.

For the year ending July 1, 1886, the carriers delivered 2,218,243 and collected 907,955 pieces of mail matter. The sale of stamps at the office ag- gregates in value $28,430; the registered letters received numbered 6377 ; sent, 4482.

The following-named persons have been the letter-carriers :

1875. Charles S. Wilkinson.

1852. Samuel Jenkins. Peter Bleyler. 1876. George L. Simpson.

1861. Jehu E. Smith. 1880. Howard M. Kemble.

Robert Patton. Jesse K. Mines.

1863. Benjamin M. Braker. 1881. William S. Pattit.

J. Kelly Brown.

1864. Charlas Parker.

Albert F. Mattocks.

1867. Howard Lee.

1882. Herman Rosade.

1873. Arthur Stanley.

William G. Dorman. 1883. Charles Fowler.

John C. Clopper. J. Oscar Nichuals.

William S. Darr.

L. F. De La Croix.

1874. Thomas M. K. Lee.

William C. Jobneon.

Those serving the longest terms were Jehu E. Smith, 22 years ; Charles Parker, 21 years ; John C. Clopper, 13 years ; and Wm. G. Dorman, 12 years.

1 The date of the establishment of the office cannot be definitely ascertained ; therefore, the date of the commencement of the ac- count with the United States Post-Office is given.

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HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

MARKET-HOUSES .- There was never a curb- stone market in Camden,-a market where the producer could back his wagon against the curb- stone and sell direct to the consumer. The first conception of a market-place was, probably, when Jacob Cooper laid out the town of Camden, in 1773, and dedicated extra space for public use at the intersection of Third and Market Streets. James Kaighn dying in 1811, seized of the land lying between Kaighn Avenue and Line Street, his brother, Joseph Kaighn, owning the land . south of Kaighn Avenue, having charge of the matter, in laying out Kaighnton, widened Kaighn Avenue, then called Market Street, to a width of one hundred and thirty feet between Second and Third Street that there might be room for market- sheds in the centre. His idea was not realized, and, in 1874, the City Council passed an ordinance making the street of @ uniform width of sixty-six feet between the curbs.

In the recorded proceedings of a town-meeting held in the City Hall, March 13, 1837, appears this minute : "On motion of Richard Fetters it was ordered that Council construct a market at the intersection of Third and Market, containing eight stalls, to be paid for out of the present funds of the City." From the treasurer's statement, made at that meeting, the fund on hand, after deduct- ing $42.48, due the Camden Bank, was $159.20, and this was the amount intended to be expended for the purpose. The next item found in the records, relating to the market, is in the proceed- ings of City Council, September 30, 1837, when "Richard Fetters, Robert W. Ogden and John W. Mickle were appointed a committee to build a market-house on Third Street south of Market Street, to be roofed with shingles."

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The history of Camden county, New Jersey, Part 88

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