Category: People

  • Benjamin M. Braker

    Benjamin M. Braker, a highly esteemed figure in South Jersey for over five decades, carved out a lasting legacy as both a journalist and a politician until his passing in December 1905. With close ties to George Lippard, the founder of the Brotherhood of the Union, and the renowned poet Walt Whitman, Braker played a…

  • George E. Brunner

    George Edward Brunner, born on January 12, 1896, in Newark, New Jersey, was a prominent American Democratic Party politician known for his extensive service as the Mayor of Camden, New Jersey, spanning from 1936 to 1959. Brunner’s roots trace back to Newark, where his parents, Eugene and Bertha (Zehnder) Brunner, both originally from Switzerland, raised…

  • William J. Cleary

    William J. Cleary

    William J. Cleary, born in Philadelphia on August 23, 1908, entered the service of the Camden Fire Department on September 29, 1940. Initially assigned to the role of a hoseman in Engine Company 3 at 1813 Broadway on October 15, 1940, Cleary’s dedication to his career faced a temporary interruption when he was drafted into…

  • Raymond E. Banford

    Raymond E. Banford

    Raymond E. Banford, born on January 3, 1918, in Camden, New Jersey, entered the world to William and Verna Banford, initially residing at 26 Marlton Avenue in 1918. The family relocated to 406 North 27th Street by 1924, with the 1930 Census revealing the presence of paternal grandmother Sarah Banford. William Banford, Raymond’s father, was…

  • William H. Heiser

    William H. Heiser

    William H. Heiser, born around 1884 in Virginia, entered matrimony with the former Carrie Van Saun circa 1905. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Heiser family resided at 633 Linden Street in Camden’s historic Second Ward. William Heiser pursued a career as an accountant with the Pennsylvania Railroad. The 1930 Census recorded William, Carrie, and…

  • Thomas Yorke Smith

    Thomas Yorke Smith

    Thomas. Yorke Smith, more commonly known as T. Yorke Smith, born around 1873 in New Jersey, entered matrimony with Harriet A. Smith at the age of 21. Around the turn of the century, T. Yorke Smith, initially a banker, formed a business alliance with David Baird Sr. In 1902, at the dawn of Parkside’s development,…

  • Thomas H. Dudley

    Thomas H. Dudley

    Thomas H. Dudley, a prominent figure born on October 9, 1819, in Camden, New Jersey, left an indelible mark on law, diplomacy, and local development during the 19th century. Dudley embarked on a legal career, gaining admission to the New Jersey Bar in 1845. His pivotal role as Camden County Clerk involved crafting the influential…

  • Frank Truax

    Frank Truax was born on September 12, 1882, to Mr. and Mrs. John Truax in Camden, NJ. His father, a trainmaster, had a notable family legacy, with his grandfather Clayton Truax having served two one-year terms as Mayor of Camden in the late 1850s. According to the 1900 Census, John Truax and his family resided…

  • Frederick Von Nieda

    Frederick Von Nieda

    Frederick Von Nieda, born in Bavaria in 1868, initially aspired to join the ministry after graduating from a seminary in 1885. However, a shift in plans due to illness led him to immigrate to America in the same year. Over the years, he engaged in various occupations, including serving as the inaugural professor of German…

  • Frank J. Hartmann, Jr.

    Frank J. Hartmann, Jr.

    Frank J. Hartmann Jr. was born into the Hartmann family on November 3, 1898, in Camden, New Jersey, to parents Frank J. Hartmann Sr. and Anna. The family’s roots in the city extended to the early 20th century when they initially settled in Cramer Hill on Cleveland Avenue near Griffee Avenue. Before the turn of…

  • Edward G. Glaze

    Edward G. Glaze, born on April 25, 1915, in Pennsylvania to William Elmer and Elizabeth A. Glaze, had family ties to East Camden dating back to at least 1906 when his grandfather, Frederick Glaze, resided at 1531 Federal Street. By 1910, the Glaze family was living at 2034 Federal Street, and shortly after Edward’s birth,…

  • Earl A. Smith Sr.

    Earl A. Smith Sr., born on April 28, 1921, was one of at least nine children born to Catherine and Spencer H. Smith Sr. The elder Smith had a lengthy and distinguished career as a Camden Firefighter, starting in 1914. Spencer F. Smith Sr. joined the Camden Fire Department on May 1, 1914, assigned to…