Introduction
Harvey Flitcraft born in 1862 to George and Joanna Flitcraft in Pilesgrove Township, Salem County NJ. George Flitcraft was a farm worker, and by the time of the 1880 census Harvey and older brother Wilmer were both working on the farm as well. The two brothers left the farm, and by 1887 Wilmer Flitcraft had established his grocery business at 501 South 3rd Street, the corner of South 3rd Street and Berkeley Street. Harvey Flitcraft was working for his brother. The 1888–1889 and 1890–1891 Directories show that Harvey Flitcraft had established his own grocery store at the southwest corner of West Street and Clinton Street, and that he lived there as well.
Harvey Flitcraft was one of the pioneer movie theater owners in Camden NJ. From 1905 until his death in 1913, Harvey Flitcraft operated at various times three different theaters in Camden at different locations on Broadway, known as the Casino, the Royal, and Fairyland. He owned a home in the latter part of his life at 558 Washington Street, but was residing at 942 Newton Avenue at the time of his death.
Harvey Flitcraft was survived by his wife Elizabeth, a daughter, and a son, Emmor W.H. Flitcraft, of Haddonfield NJ, and his brother Wilmer, who had moved back to Pilesgrove by 1920. He was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Camden. Elizabeth Flitcraft passed away in 1935.
The Camden Primaries
Philadelphia Inquirer —
A Stubbornly Contested Fight Among the Republicans Last Night.
One of the hardest fought political battles that has occurred in Camden for some time took place at the Republican primaries last night. There were fierce fights in the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Eighth wards. In the Second ward Frank H. Burdsall, the ex-President of the Young Republicans, made the nomination for City Councils after a hard fight.
At an early hour this morning the First ward had not completed counting off their votes. The indications pointed to this ticket:
Delegates to the City Treasurer’s Convention—Joseph Burt, William Baily, James Logan. Councilman-at-Large—Samuel Elfreth, Robert Stehr, John T. Levett. Excise Commissioner—Benjamin Hutchinson, Samuel Vanatta, Charles Holiker. City Council—Robert Smith. Board of Freeholders—William C. Hansell. Board of Education—Henry Winters.
The delegates to the City Treasurer will be unanimously for Frank F. Michellon, present incumbent. Dr. W. B. E. Miller will be nominated for Councilman-at-large by acclamation. The delegates elected to the various conventions and the ward nominees are as follows:
Second Ward—City Treasurer, W. T. Y. Young, George E. Wilson, Harry Callowing; Council-at-Large, George Cook, John Broom, Thomas Reed; Excise Commissioners, Harry Walker, L. Peak, James Stewart; Freeholder, Cooper B. Hatch; City Council, Frank H. Burdsall; Board of Education, Charles Woolverton.
Third ward—D. Lewis Ireton, H. L. Lawler, George Walls; Council at Large, Thomas Bareford, Harry Twoes, William Schimp; Excise Commissioner, James M. Lane, D. M. Freeman, Isaac C. McKinnely; Council, George F. Hammond; Freeholder, William D. Wilson; Board of Education, Harry C. Sharp.
Fourth Ward—City Treasurer, Heber C. Robinson, Joseph B. Fox, Caleb Williams; Council-at-large, Frank B. Sweeter [sic], Albert Barber, Harvey Flitcraft; Excise Commissioner, William D. Hart, William Schregler, John Baker; City Council, William S. Jones; Board of Freeholders, Richard C. Mason; Board of Education, Joseph B. Fox.
Fifth Ward—City Treasurer, John Mesham, Maurice A. Rogers, George W. Thompson; Council-at-large, John R. McCabe, Septimus Knight, Harry Mines; Excise Commissioner, John D. Leckner, M. D., J. Oscar Weaver, Harry Gibbs; City Council, Ben Lawton; Board of Freeholder, Harry Wolf; Board of Education, Homer Snyder.
Sixth Ward—City Treasurer, Samuel H. Stiles, Pierce Brown, Robert F. Stockton; Council at large, Reuben Gaskill, Jacob Thompson, Samuel Stillwill; Excise Commissioners, John Snitcher, James Brown, Miles Sage; City Council, Edward E. Jefferis; Board of Freeholders, Mark H. Mapes; Board of Education, J. Wesley Sell.
SEVENTH WARD.—City Treasurer, B. C. Lewis, Elijah Thompson, Frank A. Ward; Council-at-Large, Jacob T. Fish, Frank A. Ward; Excise Commissioner, W. K. Price, Edward Johnson, John Long; Board of Freehold, William Anderson; Board of Education, John Carmany.
Eighth Ward—City Treasurer, Gabriel Johnson, Horace J. West, Peter P. Custis; Council-at-Large, Jonas Mellor, Stephen Harvey, John Collins; Excise Commissioner, Charles H. Helmbold, Lawrence Rhoads, Gabriel Johnson; Freeholder, Henry Sparrow; Council, Samuel H. Mowery; Board of Education, James Ware, Jr.
Ninth Ward—City Treasurers, John N. Zanders, Martin Frank, Frank S. Heisler; Councilman-at-Large, L. B. Brown, G. W. Davis, Thomas Thornley; Excise Commissioners, D. B. Carriden, U. G. Lee, Edward Weston; City Council, P. W. Beale, M. D.; Board of Education, Frazier Baker.
Theatre Owner Found Dead
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Seated in the ticket box in front of his moving picture place, Harry Flitcraft, 51 years old, of 942 Newton avenue, Camden, was found dead by his wife yesterday. Coroner Bentley said death was due to heart disease, superinduced by the escape of gas from a radiator which Flitcraft had in the office. He was proprietor of two moving picture places, one at 935 Broadway and the other at Broadway and Benson streets, and he had gone to the former to prepare for the day’s entertainment. He was followed shortly after by Mrs. Flitcraft, who found his lifeless body. Besides his widow, two married children survive him. He was a member of Camden Lodge of Elks.
Evergreen Cemetery
Camden, NJ
Named: Flitcraft grave marker, Evergreen Cemetery, Camden, NJ. Harvey Flitcraft (1862, 1913) and Elizabeth C. Flitcraft (1865, and 1935)..