Category: Historical Accounts

The Camden Cemetery, known in modern times as Old Camden Cemetery, adjoining the Newton Friends' burying grounds, through an action of a town meeting of the Township of Camden, was founded on March 10, 1836. The control was vested in trustees appointed by the township meeting. A plot of ground containing 2.94 acres was purchased from Isaac Cooper for $590.

By act of Congress on June 30, 1834, Camden became a Port of Entry in the District of Bridgeton. The several surveyors of the Port were:

That section of the city commonly known as Fettersville was purchased by Richard Fetters in 1833 from Charity and Grace Kaighn and embraced the land lying between Line and Cherry Streets, extending from Third Street to the Delaware River. Fetters, a Quaker, was a political and civic leader light years ahead of his time in his commitment to address the needs of his fellow citizens, and was involved the 1828 incorporation of Camden. The town of Fettersville grew rapidly, and in 1835 an additional tract was purchased from the Kaighn family extending south to Mount Vernon Street.

Cholera appeared in Camden. This was said to be the first appearance here of the disease in epidemic form.

The Township of Camden was created by an act of the Legislature passed November 28, 1831, with boundaries coincident with those contained in the act of February 28, 1828, incorporating the city of Camden. The act provided that a township meeting should be held in the Court House in Camden annually on the second Monday in March. It further provided that the township committees of Newton and Camden Townships should meet at Toy's Hotel and settle the apportionment of the public property and effects between the two townships.

Benjamin Dugdale, son-in-law of James Kaighn, established a tannery on Cooper Street below Front, on the site of what became the Esterbrook Pen Company. In 1845 the place was used as a livery stable by Joseph Myers.

Camden's first City Hall was erected in 1829, pursuant to an ordinance of City Council passed June 18, 1828, appointing John K. Cowperthwaite, Samuel Lanning, and Richard Fetters as commissioners to purchase a plot of ground and build a jail and a courthouse. The commissioners were also authorized to borrow $2500 at 6% interest from Jacob Evaul for this purpose, the funds of the corporation being pledged for the loan. The commissioners secured lots 32, 33, and 34 on the plan of Camden Village, situated on the south side of Federal street between Fourth and Fifth Streets, and erected a stone building two stories in height, the attic, which was of brick, being added later. The lower floor was used as a lock-up, the second floor as a council chamber, and the attic as a city court room. The entrance to the council chamber was by a wooden stairway from the pavement. In 1862 a one-story building was added to each end of the building, one side being the office of the mayor and the other that of the clerk.

On February 13, 1828 the Council and General Assembly passed "An act to incorporate a part of the Township of Newton in the County of Gloucester." This was the first charter of the City of Camden.

The land upon which Camden is located has been more or less regularly settled for nearly 250 years, but the idea of forming a town of Camden seems to have first taken shape during the period of the Revolution. Philadelphia at that time was the largest city on the continent, and Camden was the outcropping of those influences which made the Quaker City what it was. The name given the town - Camden - was chosen in the spirit of patriotism and gratitude, for it was Charles Pratt, Earl of Camden, and Lord Chief Justice of England, who had uniformly befriended the colonists in their struggle for independence.