Alfred Cramer

Alfred Cramer was born on a farm in Blackwood in 1844. He remained on the farm till the age of sixteen, when he took a position selling books. The sales experience would prove invaluable in his later ventures.

In 1870 he married Priscilla Wright, whose father John had founded the village of Wrightsville in Stockton Township, present day East Camden. In the mid-1870s he ventured into real estate, and developed a program of selling building lots on a monthly installment plan. In this manner he purchased large tracts of land in Cramer Hill and East Camden and sold over 5000 building lots. His home and office were, in the late 1880s and early 1890s, on “Westfield Avenue near Cooper Avenue” in Stockton Township.

His younger brother, Joseph Cramer, came to Camden, settling at 27th Street and Westfield Avenues, and also became heavily involved in real estate and homebuilding in the area.

Alfred Cramer involved himself in politics, serving 16 years as a justice of the peace and at least two terms on city council. He was a Republican. He also served as postmaster in the section for fifteen years, running a “Cramer's Hill” post office from April 24, 1878 to Dec 12, 1893. When he resigned, Charles W. Scott too over as postmaster of “Cramer Hill” from December 12, 1893 to September 30, 1899. After that mail service was then done by Camden.

Alfred Cramer passed away at his home, 433 Penn Street, on December 15, 1912. Survived by his wife, Priscilla, he was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Camden.

The Eastside Elementary School, built in 1913 at South 28th and Mickle Streets was renamed the Alfred Cramer Junior High School in his honor, and has been known as the Alfred Cramer Elementary school since 1957. Cramer Street, in East Camden, also was named for him. Of course, Alfred Cramer is forever remembered by the neighborhood which bears his name, Cramer Hill.

Fifty years ago, the old town of Stockton was annexed to the City of Camden over the protests of Democratic members of the town council.

But a Republican Legislature approved a bill introduced by former Justice Frank T. Lloyd on March 24, 1899. He was a member of the Assembly at the time. He resided then in the structure now occupied by the Sheltering Arms Home at Eighteenth street and River avenue.

The town of Stockton had been in existence five years when the annexation took place. Merchantville and Pennsauken township were part of the original Stockton Township with the present East Camden area. Merchantville received its charter as a borough 75 years ago this month. In 1892. Pennsauken township withdrew, from the. township to become a separate municipality.

For two years East Camden remained in the township. In 1894 Alfred Cramer, founder of Cramer Hill, launched a movement to create the town of Stockton and the first governing body was elected. Edward Dudley, then a leading lawyer, was elected councilman-at-large, which entitled him to preside as mayor. William S. Abbott, a lifelong resident, became became clerk.

The town was divided into three wards. fred voigt and Justice Lloyd also served with Cramer and Dudley in the town council. The town hall was on the triangle, at Twenty-seventh and Federal Streets.

Albert Plum and William C. Reeves were justices of the peace. Samuel M. Jaquillard served on the Board of Freeholders as did W.O. Buck and Joseph Funfer. Charles E. Allen was a member of the Board of Education.

After the annexation Abbott was elected to Camden City Council. Others elected were Dr. William H. Kensinger, now a resident of Florida; Frederick S. von Nieda, Frederick H. Finkeldey, president of the first Playground Commission; Arthur R, Gemberling, now of Woodstown.

Other active citizens were Lemuel D. Horner, undertaker; Dr. H. F. Hadley, Jacob Bendinger, proprietor of the Rosedale Inn, and Walter L. Tushingham, former vice-president and general manager of the Courier-Post Newspapers.