Introduction
George L. Boone
George L. Boone was born in Camden, New Jersey on October 17, 1904 to George C. Boone and his wife, the former Clara Clayton. He was the oldest of four children, all boys, born to the couple. His grandfather was James G. Boone, who had served as a sergeant in the Union Army during the Civil War.
The 1900 census shows that George C. Boone and his younger brother J. Frank Boone were living with their parents at 558 Line Street. Older brother Walter Boone had moved out on his own. Both of the younger Boone sons were then working for the Pennsylvania Railroad, George as a brakeman, J. Frank as a fireman. James G. Boone had died in 1902. George C. Boone married Clara Clayton, of 605 Mt. Vernon Street, around 1903. Her brother, George Clayton, was a well-known baseball player in Camden. By the time the 1906 Camden City Directory was compiled, he and his wife and oldest son George L. Boone were living at 630 Mt. Vernon Street. His widowed mother remained on Line Street with her youngest son, J. Frank Boone. Mrs. Achsahann “Annie” Boone died in 1923.
George C. Boone was still working as a railroad brakeman when the Census was taken on April 19, 1910. He and wife Clara Clayton Boone were living at 630 Mt. Vernon Street with their four sons, George L., 6; Harry, 4; Maurice, 3; and Charles Howard Boone, 1. Maurice Bric Boone was named after Reverend Maurice Bric, who served as pastor of the Roman Catholic Church of Sacred Heart at Broadway and Ferry Avenue from 1888 through 1913.
On July 1, 1910 George C. Boone was appointed to the Camden Fire Department and assigned to Engine Company 7 at 1115 Kaighn Avenue. Sadly, Clara Boone died during the 1910s, leaving her husband to care for the four young boys. George C. Boone had moved in with his wife’s family, the Claytons, at 605 Mt. Vernon Street by the time the 1914 City Directory was compiled, and was still living there in September of 1918 when he registered for the draft. 605 Mt. Vernon Street was the home of his widowed mother-in-law, Susan Clayton and two of her adult children, Angela and John. George C. Boone and his three older sons resided at that address when the census was taken in 1920. His sons spent time with different relatives, Harry and C. Howard Boone went to their Aunt Mary Boone Colgan’s home at 1017 South 5th Street while quite young, Maurice spent most of his years with his Aunt Angela, while George L. Boone spent time with relatives named Gallagher. By 1920, George C. Boone and his three older sons were under one roof, at 605 Mt. Vernon Street, while C. Howard remained with the Colgans on South 5th Street.
George C. Boone was serving with Engine Company 2 when he was injured while fighting a fire on January 19, 1922. Captain Martin Carrigan died in the line of duty of injuries sustained while fighting this fire. Not long afterwards, George C. Boone had remarried.
It turns out that George C. Boone married “the girl next door.” Next door, in this case being 1117 Kaighn Avenue, adjacent to Engine Company 7’s headquarters. There lived a widow, Laura Wasserman and her daughter Edna. By 1924 George C. Boone and Laura Wasserman had married and soon moved to Parkside, where by 1924 they bought a house at 1013 Princess Avenue. Laura’s daughter Edna lived with them, while the Boone sons — George L., Harry, and Maurice B. Boone remained with their aunt Angela and uncle John Clayton at 605 Mt. Vernon Street, and C. Howard Boone on South 5th Street.
Maurice Boone, after leaving school to enter the workforce, apprenticed as a plumber with his cousin, Francis Colgan, and remained in his employ until 1934. He quit after discovering that his uncle had failed to turn over to the Internal Revenue Service moneys deducted for Social Security. Maurice Boone then went to work for another plumber, Joseph Barnett. Maurice Boone stayed with Barnett for eight years before leaving to take a job with the Public Service Gas and Electric Company as a plumber.
George L. Boone was the tallest of the Boone brothers, and one of the best basketball players in Camden in the 1920s. He played for the semi-pro Camden Skeeters alongside of Neil Deighan during the 1925–1926 season, and again played with Deighan as part of the Immaculate Conception basketball team during the 1927–1928 season. Bart Sheehan was also a member of this team.
On December 22, 1930 George L. Boone was appointed to the Camden Fire Department, joining his father. He reported for duty on January 1, 1931 with Engine Company 2. He was then living at 605 Mt. Vernon Street. He married in the 1930s. His wife Marie bore at least one child, daughter Marianne, who came into this world on March 27, 1937. The Boones moved to 1489 Princess Avenue during the 1930s and were still there in 1943.
George C. Boone signed his pension papers on November 22, 1938. Unfortunately, within two weeks he had died, on December 4, 1938.
By 1947 George and Marie Boone and family had moved to 1449 Crestmont Avenue. On April 8, 1948 George L. Boone was promoted to Captain, and remained in that capacity with Engine Company 2. On December 1, 1965 he retired from the fire department on pension. He continued to reside on Crestmont Avenue as late as 1977. He later moved to Gloucester Township NJ.
The last survivor of the four Boone brothers, George L. Boone died on May 7, 1992.
George and Marie Boone’s daughter, Marianne Boone worked for the City of Camden as a Senior Clerk typist in the 1970s, first for the police department, then after a January 4, 1973 transfer, to the Division of Fire. She transferred out of the Fire Department in July of 1975.
David Boone, the nephew of George L. Boone and the grandson of George C. Boone, is a marine artist, known for his paintings of tugboats and waterfront scenes.
George Boone’s uncle, George Clayton, was appointed to the Camden Police Department in 1918. He served until his death in 1947, having reached the rank of Captain.
Laxton Scintillates in First Irish Defeat
Camden Evening Courier —
Brandt and Wearshing Also Sparkle as Humesmen Hit Stride
Camden’s dazzling triumph over Immaculate Conception last night might come under the classification of an upset. But we don’t think so.
In the first place, it was too much to expect any team, even one so powerful as Immaculate, to go on in a league like this Camden county circuit without getting its bumps. There never was a more evenly-balanced loop.
In the second place, Camden has a mighty strong team, one that played below par in early competition. And skipper Charley Sheets and his partners proved that fact last night.
Laxton and Brandt Sparkle
One of the main reasons for the Blue and White triumph was Eddie Brandt. For the first time this season the former Oaklyn sensation exhibited the form of which he is capable, and he played a wonderful floor game. Besides, he tallied once from the field and twice from the foul line while blanking Bill Johns and Joe Burns.
Otts Laxton, whose game is on a par with that of any player in the league, was high scorer. He is credited with two double-deckers and five fouls. Also, Otts charged in and got almost every tap from center. Grover Wearshing scored twice from the field and made two “gifts.”
George Boone, with one and five, and Bernie Maguire, with one and four, were high men for the Irish.
The going became rough toward the end of the game, when the visitors got desperate and fought for possession of the ball. Once Boone and Frank Hambleton all but tangled in fistic combat, but fellow players separated them.
After Cunneff missed a chance to break the ice, Sheets dropped in a foul for Camden. Brandt dribbled mid-floor and stuck in a spectacular field goal.
Boone made a foul for the Irish and then Camden cut loose. Saxton made a “gift,” and then scored from the field on a pass from Sheets. Brandt and Wearshing scored fouls to make the count 8-1.
Immaculate braced, and Cunneff and Boone made free shots. Boone took a pass from Cunneff past the middle and dropped in a thriller. Six minutes remained to play.
Johns further reduced the lead with a foul. Saxton and Brandt scored one-pointers and after Maguire tallied from the penalty mark, Wearshing dribbled in nicely and scored from the field. Saxton, Wearshing and Saxton scored fouls in that order and the intermission found the figures 15 to 7.
Real Foul Shooting
Camden had scored three field goals against one for the Mulligan troupe in the first half. Besides, the leaders had been making their fouls, converting nine of their 11 opportunities into points. Immaculate made five out of seven.
Captain Harry Cunneff was on the bench when the second half started. Burns going to guard and Joe Murray going in at forward. For several minutes neither team so much as drew a foul, but finally Maguire got a chance and he made it good.
Sheets scored for Camden and then Bernie tallied again for Immaculate. Cunneff went back in the game, Burns moving to center and Johns going out.
Boone scored a foul and then Maguire stuck in a long field goal with Burns assisting. That cut the lead to 16-12 and Immaculate’s followers went wild with joy.
After Hambleton made a lone-pointer for the homesters, Murray swished a long one through the cords following a pass from Maguire. The count read 17-14 and Camden considered it time to transact some business at the basket. Wearshing laid one in on a pass from Sheets in a pretty play. Sheets added a foul. Camden wasn’t taking long shots at all at this stage, remembering how such procedure had cost them a defeat at Clementon’s hands.
Boone dropped in two fouls in a row and when Maguire got his fourth straight the score was 20-17, with six minutes to play.
For three and one-half minutes, both teams tried desperately to score, but business was nil until Laxton was fouled and made it. Exactly a minute later, Burns got a foul, but when Wearshing passed to Laxton and Otts scored as he cut, the game was on ice. Cunneff’s foul represented a game but futile gesture by Immaculate.
Ott Laxton – Grover Wearshing – Abe Corotis – Eddie Brandt – George L. Boone – Bart Sheehan
Taps Sound for Jack Airedale, Canine Mascot of Fire Laddies
Camden Courier-Post —
Camden firemen and policemen paid their final respects to stout-hearted Jack Airedale yesterday.
The beloved mascot of Headquarters Fire Company, Fifth and Arch streets, whose life was crushed out under the wheels of truck No. 2, his own wagon, Monday, was accorded a hero’s funeral. His body was interred in the cemetery at the rear of St. Paul’s and the First Baptist churches, close by his fire station home, and taps were sounded at 5 p. m., just as the sun was setting in the west.
People from every station of life visited the fire station to pay homage to the doughty fire-fighter, who was killed answering his last call. Senator Albert S. Woodruff, City Commissioner Harold W. Bennett, Miss Florence Hughes, chairman of the Camden County Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; Fire Chief John S. Lennox and Deputy Chief William Hearn were among the estimated throng of 3500 who passed his bier.
Letters and telegrams of sympathy poured into the headquarters company throughout the day. There were more than 10 offers of dogs to serve as mascots and take Jack’s place. These were kindly but firmly rejected by members of the headquarters company. “There will only be one Jack,” they said. “We appreciate all these offers, but we don’t want another mascot right now.”
The funeral rites for the dog were impressive.
Active bearers included Raymond Stark, John K. Taylor and Everett Joslin, members of the Camden police department; William Spencer and John Strouss, of fire truck No. 1; John McKay, Lester Anderson and Chester Andrews, of truck No. 2.
The honorary members were Captain Van Phefferts, Russell Anderson, Harry Haines and Charles Edwards, of truck No. 1; Nelson Andrews, Christopher Moll, Arthur Batten, George Boone and Rox Abbott, of truck No. 2.
At the appointed hour a dummy alarm was sounded. Jack Airedale was carried to his favorite place on fire truck No. 2. The vehicle moved slowly along Fifth street to Federal, then to Fourth and back to Arch street. When it passed the fire station the bells in the tower tolled.
At the cemetery Jack was placed alongside his predecessors, Alva and Gimp, dogs, and Skibby and Old Black Bill, cats, who were at one time mascots at the fire station.
Fire Truck-Auto Collision Breaks Store Windows
Camden Courier-Post —
Car Mounts Sidewalk After Crash at Broadway, Stevens
An automobile was driven onto the sidewalk and broke two windows of a store at Broadway and Stevens st. today after colliding with a fire engine returning from a false alarm.
Leonard Chasey, 19, of 1437 S. 9th st., was proceeding west on Stevens st., when his car was in collision with the truck of Engine Co. No. 2 proceeding north on Broadway. The engine was operated by Hoseman Carl Wirtz, 29, of 1421 Norris st.
The impact of the crash sent Chasey’s car onto the sidewalk on the southwest corner and broke the windows of Rolan’s Clothing Store.
Treated at Hospital
Chasey suffered minor bruises and was treated at Cooper Hospital. Riding with Wirtz on the engine at the time was Capt. George Boone. They were uninjured.
Joseph J. Shapiro, manager of the clothing store, estimated damage at $200. He said windows on the Stevens st. and Broadway sides of the store were broken.
Boone said the engine was returning to its station at 5th and Arch sts., at the time of the crash. He said a telephone operator had called the police and fire board in the electrical bureau, and reported a fire at 516 Powell st. He said that when they arrived at the scene there was no fire.
Fire In Gloucester
Boone said that while the firemen were en route to Pine st., another call was received at the electrical bureau stating that there had been a mistake and the fire was at 516 Powell st., Gloucester.
The Gloucester fire was in the home of Robert Lewis and had been caused by a defective oil burner. The fire was quickly extinguished by Gloucester firemen.
ACCIDENT SCENE at Broadway and Stevens st., is shown shortly after the car above, operated by Leonard Chasey, 19, of 1437 S. 9th st., collided with a fire engine returning from a false alarm.
Badge Card
Camden Division of Fire — George L. Boone
First Annual Retirement Dinner, City of Camden Fire Department
GEORGE L. BOONE, Captain
Entered Department December 22, 1930
Promoted to Captain April 8, 1948
Retired December 1, 1965
35 Years of Service