Herbert William Baxter Sr.
HERBERT WILLIAM BAXTER SR. was born in Camden, New Jersey on January 29, in either 1885, 1886, or 1887 to John and Hannah Baxter. The 1900 Census and Social Security Administration indicate 1885, the local Draft Board 1886 in World War I, and to another draft board in 1942 he gave his birth year as 1887. 1885 is the most likely year. The 1895 New Jersey Census shows the family living in South Camden in the Third Ward.
When the Census was taken in 1900, Herbert Baxter, then 15, was living at the home of his cousin, Joseph Baxter, at 666 South 2nd Street. His father, by this time a widower, was also living at this location. Herbert Baxter married around 1905, and a daughter, Anna, was born in short order. The 1906 City Directory lists him at 1406 South 3rd Street. The 1910 Census shows Elizabeth and Herbert Baxter renting a house at 322 Atlantic Avenue. Twin sons, John and Herbert W. Baxter Jr. were born in 1911. Herbert Baxter Sr. was working then as a “general laborer.” The family was still at that address when he registered for the draft on September 12, 1918. He had by that time gone to work as an iron moulder at the Camden Iron Works.
By January 30, 1920, when the Census was enumerated, Herbert Baxter Sr. was appointed to the Camden Fire Department. The family had moved to 320 Liberty Street and were still there in April of 1930. Herbert Baxter Sr. was a member of the Camden Fire Department through at least 1930. All three Baxter children were still living at home at the time of the Census. By 1931 he had moved to 2791 Yorkship Road, and later moved to 940 Thurman Street.
By the spring of 1942, Herbert Baxter Sr. had retired from the Fire Department and had moved with his wife to Wildwood, New Jersey. Later in life he returned to Camden, passing away in February of 1969, survived by his son, Herbert W. Baxter Jr.
Herbert W. Baxter Jr. served with the Camden Fire Department from 1948 until his retirement in May of 1966. He was Chief Fire Marshall for the City of Camden at the time of his retirement.
World War I Draft Card
Herbert W. Baxter Sr. – World War I draft registration card
5 Firemen Hurt in Traffic Crash
Camden Courier-Post —
Truck Rams Apparatus Speeding to Blaze in Yorkship Square
Five city firemen are in West Jersey Homeopathic Hospital today suffering from injuries when their apparatus collided with a truck at Ninth street and Ferry avenue while they were racing to a Yorkship square fire late yesterday.
All are attached to Engine Company No. 8. They are:
Captain Charles Erickson, 43, of 579 Line street; bruises of the left leg and left hip.
Wallace Phifer, 37, of 1215 Atlantic avenue; possible fractured vertebrae.
Adam Mead, 32, of 1634 Sheridan street; admitted for observation.
Herbert Baxter, 45, of 320 Liberty street; cuts over the left eye and face, bruises on both knees.
Edward Menzis, 36, of 2402 Berwick street; possible fractured skull and cut over the right eye.
Fire Damage $5000
The fire to which they were hurrying damaged the apartment and drug store of V. I. Chestnut, 1200 Yorkship Square. The blaze was confined to the apartment upstairs, but water and smoke caused damage to the store and fixtures. Total loss was estimated at $5000.
The truck which hit the combination fire apparatus was operated by Joseph Scheurer, 22, of 1859 East Ontario street, Philadelphia, and owned by the Stores Realty Company, of 424 North Nineteenth street, Philadelphia.
Failed to Hear Siren
The fire truck driven by Phifer was speeding south on Ninth street while the machine driven by Scheurer was proceeding west on Ferry avenue. Scheurer said he did not hear the siren until he reached the intersection and that it was then too late to stop. The fire engine was turned around by the impact and the five occupants thrown to the street. Both trucks were damaged.
Scheurer was arrested by Detective Joseph Caputi and held in $1000 bail pending a hearing.
A short circuit in an electric heater caused the blaze in the Chestnut apartment. The fire was discovered by Marvin Chestnut, 8, who called to his father downstairs. It was extinguished with little difficulty.
World War II Draft Card
Herbert W. Baxter Sr. – World War II draft registration card
Checked and Double-Checked
Camden Courier-Post —
By JIMINY
Politix: The question mark of the budding city commission campaign is, of course, Commissioner Frank J. Hartmann. The latter was apparently defeated on the face of election day returns four years ago, but the organizations of Mayor George Brunner and Commissioner Mary Kobus put up the money to finance a recount. The result was that Hartmann was declared the winner, and the Brunner-Kobus-Hartmann majority ran the city’s affairs.
The results accomplished by the Brunner-Kobus-Hartmann administration have caused numerous persons, political and otherwise, to express the wish that the three commisioners [sic] run on the same ticket at the May election. Mayor Brunner and Mrs. Kobus are committed to run together, but to date Hartmann has made absolutely no move to join them. In fact, it appears that he has gone out of his way in an effort to antagonize them.
Moreover, his actions of the last week or so have created doubt in the minds of some observers as to whether he intends to run on any ticket, as a lone wolf, or not al [sic] all. The last point is easily answered. Hartmann himself declared this week: “I’m GOING to be re-elected!” Furthermore, he has been busy buliding [sic] up an organization of his own. Employes in his department have been ordered to form “Hartmann for Commissioner” Clubs in their wards. A campaign fund is being raised among his employes for his election expenses. He has been having conferences with County Treasurer Ed Kelleher, Democrat, and Irving Levinsky, a Verga Republican, among others.
But some of the things that Hartmann has done or attempted during the last few days has caused a goodly portion of our citizenry to wonder whether someone hasn’t been misleading Hartmann with a great deal of very bad advice.
For instance, this week Hartmann offered a departmental budget that exceeded his last year’s budget by approximately $90,000, which would have meant about a seven-cent increase in the city tax rate for 1939. That is just about political suicide before a city election, and is not at all in line with Hartmann’s past pledges and performances. As head of the finance department Mayor Brunner cut out the greater part of this unusual increase, and was justified in doing so to protect the taxpayers.
There were a few other unusual little affairs this week. Hartmann shouted “Liar!” at City Comptroller Sid McCord this week, but apologized later. “Sid” is probably the best liked city employe and certainly one of the most efficient public servants these last ten decades. One of Hartmann’s employes went to the comptroller’s office Monday—the city payday—and asked for all the salary checks for highway department employes.
Moreover, since his own extra-high budget was trimmed, Hartmann has had an employe going over the Brunner and Kobus payrolls to see how many were hired since 1936. His own payroll might be scrutinized in the same manner.
And his attitude at the budget hearing was not in line with his previous policies. While he and Brunner were arguing over Hartmann’s request for $7000 for playgrounds, Hartmann finally said: “If you want to cross it out, it’s okay by me.”
Then remembering a reporter was at the hearing, Hartmann asked the scribe whether he had jotted down that remark, and whether he intended printing it. The reporter replied he would print whatever he considered news.
“I thought this was a meeting to go over my budget,” commented Hartmann.
“It’s a public meeting to go over your budget, the sort of thing you always yelled for before you were elected,” the newspaperman reminded Hartmann.
“Well,” retorted Hartmann, doing an about-face, “see if you consider this news: I’m going to get up at the commission meeting and fight for $7000 for playgrounds.”
Personals: Charlie Swing, majordomo of the Farragut Yacht Club in East Camden, has bought himself a boat...The vessel is the “Helma,” which has been lying off Twenty-fifth street...It was sold by the U. S. marshal in admiralty and Charlie, with the legal aid of former Senator Al Woodruff, bought it in for $100...In its heyday, this little ship was worth about $20,000, and it has quite a history...For it was the ship you often saw in that old hair-raising thriller, “The Perils of Pauline”...Pearl White fell off it or was thrown off it quite consistently...Incidentally, Al Woodruff is off to the Virgin Islands to brush up on his Shakespeare and on his game fishing...Speaking of vacationing, E. Heulings Antrim, Merchantville’s director of public works, is in Florida...So is Bill Lehman, of the election bureau...And Funnies Fitz sent us a card from North Carolina a week ago, probably his last clarified mome[?]t...
Frank Van Never, a Camden Bridge policeman, and former Secret Service man during the war, is very ill at the Veterans Hospital in Philadelphia...”Red” Holder, the strongest man in the Campbell Soup A. A., is wearing a bearskin coat these days...He wrestled the bear for it...Hoseman Herbert Baxter, of No. 8 Engine Company, 619 Kaighn avenue, rounded out 20 years of service in the fire department this week...He has an unusual record...Another firefighter, John Peterson, of the Twenty-seventh street and Hayes avenue station, was operated on at West Jersey Hospital this week...The engagement of Miss Alberta M. Beaumont and Dale W. Petross (well known outdoor showman) was announced at Dempsey’s place in New York Saturday...Frank Donio, Republican member of the Winslow township committee, probably wasn’t any too pleased when C. P. Van Winkle and the Democrats begain [sic] calling his “Boss” Donio, but now he can laugh at it...He even gave out cigars with a wrapper bearing the legend “Compliments of Little Boss Hague Donio”...Incidentally, we haven’t heard from Van Winkle since he claimed to have affidavits from a dozen people charging relief irregularities...That was several months ago...Elmer Lee Hettrick, 16, former Wilson High student, has had three poems accepted for publication in the Crown Anthology of Verse...Walter J. Beer, of York street, Camden, probably believes, like the Bard of Avon, there can be something to a name...He works for a bottling concern.
Extry: Sam Orlando’s term as prosecutor expires tonight...Attorney General Wilentz will probably name Sam as a special assistant attorney general while the office is vacant...Wilentz may also permit Ike Eason and Pat Harding to continue as assistant prosecutors or may name Tom Madden as Orlando’s assistant...Incidentally, the governor intends to submit Orlando’s name to the Senate over the objections of Vince Gallaher, state committeeman...But Moore will have to wait until Senator Al Driscoll returns to the job, as Al is still ill of the grippe...Moreover, opposition to Orlando’s reappointment is now developing among the Republicans in the Senate...And while we’re on the subject, Prosecutor Loveland, Cape May Democrat, will NOT be confirmed, according to our best information from Trenton...Senator I. Grant Scott won’t sponsor Loveland’s nomination.
* * *
Here and There: The Dugan-Buck dart feud is now at a deadlock...The feather merchants from Dave Buck’s emporium (Cove road and Westfield avenue) defeated the Joe Dugan (Forty-fifth street and Crescent boulevard) sharpshooters in the first clash, but the Dugan team won out in last Monday’s test, the scores being 140-120, 160-183, and 161-158...The playoff will be on Tuesday night at Dugan’s...Jack McDougall, Ninth and Market streets saloonkeeper, has ordered 20 pounds of corned beef and cabbage...Getting ready for his St. Patrick’s affair...The Front Page is hitting the front pages these days...Joe DeLucca is putting on some nifty floor shows at his Red Hill Inn these evenings...
Don’t forget the Mary Kobus party for children at the Savar[words missing between crops] on Feb. 18...The now famous baseball film will be shown...The All Ireland Ball will be at Turner’s Hall, Broad and Columbia, Philadelphia, next Friday...The new storms have made Merchantville streets, particularly Maple avenue, look like Swiss cheese...The Public Service Drum and Bugle Corp, Post No. 231, was invited to participate in the Fortieth Annual Military Ball and Drum Corp Contest at the Arcadia Ballroom, Brooklyn, today...A red car was running around with one light an evening or so ago...
Peter McGlade, Gloucester City treasurer, is disappointed in the small number of old shoes he received for the WPA shoe-mending project for schoolchildren...A hot school election is brewing in Haddon Heights...Aside to Carl Christians: Joe Dugan has returned from the hospital sans operation; does that change Tuesday’s Battle of the Century?...Hank Collins’ cafe at Thirteenth and Samson is a popular nightspot with the local gentry...
The Feb. 23 reunion of the Cranmer School graduates of 15 or 20 years ago is gaining impetus...In addition to the “contact men” announced in this column last Saturday, Mrs. William Reed, the former Grace Cummings, 3006 Mickle street, is trying to locate members of the ‘20 and ‘21 classes...Dr. Richard Cranmer, 3416 Federal street, is handling general arrangements...Another aside...To Boots Pinner: How about getting our crew together and joining in on the festivities?
H. W. Baxter, Retired City Fireman
Camden Courier-Post —
Services for Herbert W. Baxter Sr., 84, a former city fireman will be tomorrow at 11 a.m. in the Edward P. Leonard Jr. Funeral Home, 35th Street and River Avenue, where friends may call tonight. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery.
A resident of 569 N. 32nd Street, Mr. Baxter was a member of the Fireman’s Benevolent Association.
Surviving are his wife Elizabeth; a daughter, Mrs. Ann McMullen of Camden; two sons, John W. of Collingswood and Herbert W. Jr. of Maple Shade; six grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.