Introduction
The Bismark Tavern was open as far back as the late 1930s. The Bismark, just off of Federal Street on 25th Street, was a one-story building, its masonry exterior painted tan in the 1950s and 1960s. The Bismark appears to have first operated as a bar after the repeal of Prohibition. In 1939 Amos E. Oatman and Joseph J. Meehan were the licensees. A 1943 advertisement in the St. Joseph Church Golden Jubilee Yearbook shows that Joseph Meehan was the proprietor. The 1947 Camden City Directory states that Robert J. Taylor and Edward Coach were the owners.
Jesse Keller Sr. acquired the bar in the 1950s, and his son, Jesse Keller Jr., later took over management. The Bismark closed its doors in the early 1980s. Jesse Keller moved to Forked River, NJ, where he passed away in 1994, survived by his wife Evelyn. The Bismark is no longer standing as of 2004.
Photos
Advertisement from St. Joseph’s Church Golden Jubilee Yearbook, 1943.
Inside the Bismark, 1950s.
Dart Tournament Continues Tonight
Camden Courier-Post —
24 Matches Scheduled to Be Played in Championship Event
The second matches of the South Jersey Golden Dart Tournament will be held tonight with a total of 24 contests on schedule. The same teams which met in the openers on Monday night will pair off tonight with the sites reversed. Finals of the event will be played at Eagles Hall, near Broadway and Washington Streets, following completion of preliminary rounds. Both team and singles champions will be decided at the final rounds at Eagles Hall.
The Bismark Cafe participated in the South Jersey Golden Dart Tournament.