Introduction
HARRY McCONNELL was born Henry Francis McConnell in Camden on May 12, 1899. He was the younger brother of journalist Dan McConnell, who was a reporter and columnist in Camden from prior to World War I through at least the 1950s, writing for the Camden Post-Telegram and the Camden Courier-Post from its 1920s inception, when the paper published two editions, the Evening Courier and the Morning Post. His column was known as Dan McConnell’s Scrapbook.
Harry McConnell was the youngest of four children born to Daniel D. McConnell and his wife Teresa C. McConnell. The elder McConnell, who does not appear in the 1893–1894 Camden City Directory, brought his family to Camden, and by the time the 1897 Camden City Directory was published, the McConnells were living at 211 Milton Street in the poet’s row section of North Camden.
Daniel D. McConnell worked a variety of jobs; the 1897 directory lists him as a printer, the 1898 directory as a “bag cutter.”
The 1901 Camden City Directory shows that Daniel D. McConnell had moved his family to 125 Main Street, also in North Camden, where he operated a restaurant specializing in Oysters, which were plentiful in Delaware Bay in those times.
Daniel D. McConnell is one and the same as the top-rated South Jersey boxer of that name, who was managed and promoted by Camden businessman Oscar Adams Eastlack. Dan McConnell the boxer is known to have had at least 25 professional fights in Philadelphia, Camden, Baltimore, and elsewhere from 1896 to 1902. Local newspaper reports from 1909 mention a Dan McConnell as a formerly top rated South Jersey lightweight boxer who was training for a comeback. Daniel D. McConnell would have been in his mid to late 30s, which makes this a possibility.
Daniel D. McConnell appears in Camden City Directories at 125 Main Street as late as 1913, but not in the 1914 Directory. The Camden Daily Courier of March 25, 1914 reported that he had sold his oyster house at 125 Main Street and would go to Anglesea to spend his future days as a fisherman; what became of him after that is not known. His son Dan McConnell was left to fend for his mother and siblings. Remaining in North Camden, the family lived at 215 Grant Street until 1915, when they moved to 428 Bailey Street. Both Dan McConnell and his brother Harry McConnell gave this address when they registered for the draft in June of 1917 and September of 1918, respectively. Dan McConnell was writing for the Camden Post-Telegram while Harry was working as projectionist at the movie theater located at 203 Vine Street, next to Daly’s Cafe. Daly’s Cafe’s owner, John “Pop” Daly, would later acquire the theater. In 1919 the McConnell family moved once again, to 432 Penn Street.
The January 1920 Census shows Dan McConnell living in a rented house at 432 Penn Street in Camden, listing his occupation for the Census as a reporter for a daily newspaper. He also had worked in these years as a press agent for the Keith vaudeville circuit. The family included at the time his widowed mother Teresa, his sister Bertha, and Harry McConnell. Dan McConnell married Alice Irene Deegan of the Chelsea section of Atlantic City shortly thereafter. The couple made their home on Kwenwood Avenue in Camden’s Parkside neighborhood. Mae McConnell had married a man named Lodge and moved to Philadelphia. Bertha McConnell would also move to Philadelphia, as the bride of Frank W. Wolken.
By 1923, Harry McConnell had moved to 629 York Street. He was by this time working as a printer at the Victor Talking Machine Company. He does not appear in the 1924 City Directory but was listed in the 1929 City Directory in 1929, when he was living at 924 North 7th Street.
During these years Dan and Alice McConnell were blessed with two children, Elizabeth “Betty” Ann, born in Camden at Cooper Hospital on October 10, 1925, and Daniel J. McConnell around 1929 or so. The McConnell’s remained in Parkside through at least 1931. Harry McConnell remained single, and continued working in the printing department of the Victor Talking Machine Company. Harry McConnell and his mother still lived in Camden as late as 1931, when they resided at 229 Erie Street. They subsequently moved to Philadelphia, where Harry McConnell took a job at an office supply company. On March 31, 1942, Harry McConnell died at the age of 42, and was buried at Calvary Cemetery in Delaware Township (present-day Cherry Hill) NJ. He was survived by his mother, brother, and two sisters.
Mrs. Teresa McConnell passed away in December of 1950, at the age of 83, and is buried near her son. Dan McConnell passed away on September 6, 1956, at the age of 63, after a long struggle with cancer of the mouth, and is also buried at Calvary Cemetery.
Harry McConnell’s Neighborhood 1901–1913
1926 Aerial Photograph
Harry McConnell lived at 125 Main Street. Main Street is the wide diagonal street, between Front Street and North Second Street. 125 Main Street was still standing as late as 1947. Pop Daly’s can be seen at Second and Vine Streets, as well as the adjacent movie theater where Harry McConnell worked.
125 Main Street
125 & 127 Main Street – June 6, 2004
World War I Registration Card: Henry Francis McConnell
World War I draft registration card —
FRONT
REGISTRATION CARD
SERIAL NUMBER 4045
ORDER NUMBER 3826
1. Name: Henry Francis McConnell (First name, Middle name, Last name)
2. Permanent home address: 428 Bailey Camden Camden N.J.
3. Age in years: 19
4. Date of birth: May 12th 1899
RACE: White [check]. Negro, Oriental, Indian: [blank]
U.S. CITIZEN: Native Born [check]. Naturalized, Citizen by Father’s Naturalization Before Registrant’s Majority: [blank]. ALIEN: Declarant, Non-declarant: [blank]
15. If not a citizen of the U.S., of what nation are you a citizen or subject? [blank]
PRESENT OCCUPATION: Moving Picture Operator. EMPLOYER’S NAME: W. G. Neal[?]s
18. Place of employment or business: 209 Vine Camden Camden N.J.
NEAREST RELATIVE: mother. Name: Tresa McConnell. Address: 428 Bailey Camden Camden N.J.
I affirm that I have verified above answers and that they are true.
[signature:] Henry Francis McConnell
P. M. G. O. Form 1 (Revised)
BACK
REGISTRAR’S REPORT 29-3-7-C
DESCRIPTION OF REGISTRANT
HEIGHT: Tall, Medium [check], Short. BUILD: Slender [check], Medium, Short. COLOR OF EYES: Brown. COLOR OF HAIR: Brown.
Has person lost arm, leg, hand, eye, or is he obviously physically disqualified? (Specify.) [blank]
I certify that my answers are true; that the person registered has read or has had read to him his own answers; that I have witnessed his signature or mark, and that all of his answers of which I have knowledge are true, except as follows:
[blank]
[signature of registrar:] C. P. Sh[?]wood (Signature of Registrar)
Date of Registration: Sept 12 1918
LOCAL BOARD FOR DIVISION No. 1, CITY OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY.
(STAMP OF LOCAL BOARD)
(The stamp of the Local Board having jurisdiction of the area in which the registrant has his permanent home shall be placed in this box.)
(OVER)
World War I Registration Card: Daniel P. McConnell
World War I draft registration card —
FRONT
Form 1 REGISTRATION CARD No. 43
1. Name in full (Given name) (Family name): [blotted] P. McConnell. Age in yrs. 24
2. Home address (No.) (Street) (City) (State): 428 Bailey Camden N.J.
3. Date of birth (Month) (Day) (Year): April 17 1893
4. Are you (1) a natural-born citizen, (2) a naturalized citizen, (3) an alien, (4) or have you declared your intention (specify which)? Natural
5. Where were you born? (Town) (State) (Nation): Phila Pa U.S.A
6. If not a citizen, of what country are you a citizen or subject? [blank]
7. What is your present trade, occupation, or office? Newspaper
8. By whom employed? Post Telegram. Where employed? Camden N.J.
9. Have you a father, mother, wife, child under 12, or a sister or brother under 12, solely dependent on you for support (specify which)? Mother
10. Married or single (which)? Single. Race (specify which)? Caucasia[cut off at the card edge]
11. What military service have you had? Rank [blank]; branch [blank]; years [blank]; Nation or State [blank]
12. Do you claim exemption from draft (specify grounds)? [blank]
I affirm that I have verified above answers and that they are true.
[signature:] [illegible] McConnell
BACK
29-3-7-A
REGISTRAR’S REPORT
1. Tall, medium, or short (specify which)? Medium. Slender, medium, or stout (which)? Slend[cut off at the card edge]
2. Color of eyes? Hazel. Color of hair? Brown. Bald? [blank]
3. Has person lost arm, leg, hand, foot, or both eyes, or is he otherwise disabled (specify)? [blank]
I certify that my answers are true, that the person registered has read his own answers, that I have witnessed his signature, and that all of his answers of which I have knowledge are true, except as follows:
[blank]
[handwritten:] 10th Ward
[signature of registrar:] J. A. Connell Jr. (Signature of registrar)
Precinct 4
City or County Camden
State N.J.
June 5th (Date of registration)
The North Camden Theater (aka The Standard)
Named: The North Camden Theater (aka The Standard), 203, 205 Vine Street, and 2002.
Harry F. M’Connell Dies of Pneumonia
Camden Courier-Post —
Harry F. McConnell, 43, former resident of Camden, died yesterday of pneumonia following an operation.
Mr. McConnell was the brother of Daniel F. McConnell, a member of the Courier-Post editorial staff. He was employed by a Philadelphia office supply company and had lived in Philadelphia for the past several years.
For several years Mr. McConnell was employed in the printing department of the former Victor Talking Machine Company. He was educated in Camden public schools.
In the pioneer days of the early silent motion pictures Mr. McConnell as a boy learned the trade of motion picture operator, at which he was employed several years.
The funeral will be held at 9 a.m. Monday in a funeral home at 1119 West Lehigh avenue, Philadelphia. Requiem Mass will be sung in Our Lady of Mercy church at 10 a.m. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery.
Those surviving are his mother, Theresa, and two sisters, Mrs. Mae Lodge and Mrs. Frank Wolken, also of Philadelphia.