George H. Hunt

George H. Hunt was born in March of 1873, probably in Gloucester City, New Jersey, one of 10 children of James H. Hunt and his wife Mary. The family had moved to Camden at 416 Pine Street by April of 1877, where they shared a home with James Hunt’s brother George S. Hunt. Both brothers served as members of the Camden Fire Department from 1877 through 1882. By 1878 the James H. Hunt family moved to 819 Kaighn Street, which was renamed Dauphin Street in January of 1882.

James H. Hunt in time became involved in local politics, and over the years held a number of positions. By 1894 James H. Hunt, then the Fish Warden, and his family was living at 316 Line Street. The 1895–1896 Camden City Directory shows George H. Hunt, who worked as a laborer, at 324 Division Street. He had married and started a family. The 1898 City Directory shows George Hunt and his wife Amelia at 814 South 2nd Street. They had moved across the street to 817 South 2nd Street the following year.

When the 1900 Census was taken three of George Hunt’s younger siblings were then living at his parents home: younger sisters Theodosia and Katherine, and younger brother Eli Hunt. Two other siblings had moved out; sadly, four of the Hunt children had by then died. When the census was taken in 1900 James Hunt was then a constable in Camden, a political appointment not without a measure of local influence.

The 1900 Census shows that George H. Hunt was living at 340 Division Street with his wife of six years, Amelia Hunt, and their three children, James, 4, Theodosia, 2, and the newborn Charles J. Hunt. The family had moved to 327 Cherry Street by 1906, George Hunt then still working as a laborer. The marriage, however, apparently ended around 1909; the Hunts were not living together when the Census was taken in 1910. He was appointed to the Camden Fire Department at some point after the compilation of the 1906 Directory and before May 2, 1910 when the 1910 Census was enumerated, very probably through the political influence of his father. His sister, Theodosia, was also in time politically active. As of this writing it is unclear as to exactly when George H. Hunt began serving with the Camden Fire Department. It is known however, that he began serving with Engine Company 1 on March 2, 1910, replacing James Lewis, who had resigned to join the police department.

Theodosia Hunt married coal and ice merchant Joseph Henry Conaghy sometime after 1900. The 1906 City Directory shows the Conaghys living at 246 Pine Street, where Joseph Conaghy also conducted his business, the Eagle Ice & Coal Company. The 1910 Census shows that Joseph Conaghy had gone into the tavern business. He was then operating a bar at 601–603 Kaighn Avenue, where he and Theodosia made their home; they later operated a bar known, appropriately enough, as Conaghy’s, at 950 South 5th Street. Younger brother Eli Hunt was then serving in the United States Navy; he too would join the Camden Fire Department after his military service had been concluded.

1911 Camden City Directories show George Hunt still living at 327 Cherry Street. The 1914 Directory lists George Hunt at 713 South 4th Street. Around 1918 George Hunt remarried, his new wife being named Louise. The couple resided at 340 Line Street when the Census was taken in January of 1920, next door to Victor Biasi and family at 338. By 1924 George and Louise Hunt had moved to 342 Line Street; interestingly enough by that time Victor Biasi had moved to 344 Line Street.

George Hunt was a junior captain at Engine Company 7 in the mid-1920s. He was promoted to senior captain on April 4, 1928. On that same date, brother Eli Hunt, then a driver at Engine Company 3, was promoted to junior captain.

Sister Theodosia Hunt Conaghy was widowed in the early 1920s. In 1923 the widowed Mrs. Conaghy was appointed to the position of matron at the Camden County Jail, adjacent to the courthouse at Broadway and Federal Streets. She held that position for 27 years, retiring in 1950 at the age of 75. She passed away in December of 1957.

Younger brother Eli Hunt was also a career Camden fire fighter. Both Eli and George Hunt had reached the rank of Captain by the spring of 1930. George Hunt retired from the Fire Department in late 1930 or early 1931. Eli Hunt retired from the Department by 1942. Eli Hunt registered for the draft in April of 1942, but he is not listed in the 1943 Directory; he may have passed away by this time.

George Hunt and his wife Louise were still at 342 Line Street when the 1947 City Directory was compiled.

A nephew, Eli E. Conaghy, was a longtime Camden resident, an iron worker and veteran of World War II, having been drafted at the age of 42.