Richard A. Farris
RICHARD ALBON FARRIS was born in Gloucester City, New Jersey on November 3, 1886. He was the third of five children born to William and Adeline “Addie” Buttersby Farris. He grew up for the most part in Gloucester City, although his family lived in Philadelphia for a time in the 1880s. The 1880 and 1910 Censuses indicate that he was born in 1878. When he registered for the draft in September of 1918, he told the registrar that he was born on November 3, 1878. However, the 1930 Census and his draft card, filled out in the spring of 1942, says he was born on November 3, 1886. This may have had something to do with his obtaining employment as a fire fighter. By April of 1930 he had been appointed to the Camden Fire Department.
Richard A. Farris and his family are not listed in Camden in the 1900 Census or the 1906 Camden City Directory. He appears to have moved to Camden along with his mother and younger siblings in the late 1900s. The 1910 Census shows Richard A. Farris boarding at 721 Penn Street and working as a railroad flagman. His mother, younger brother Charles Paul “Paul” Farris and younger sister Loretta were living at 520 Ray Street in North Camden. By 1914 he too was living at 520 Ray Street.
In the summer and fall of 1918 Richard A. Farris was living at 494 Newton Avenue in South Camden. He worked at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard as a railroad brakeman. He was appointed to the Camden Fire Department at some point in 1920 and began service when the Department expanded to two platoons in January of 1920 at Engine Company 5. The 1924 Camden City Directory shows him living at 498 Newton Avenue.
Richard A. Farris married his wife Anna around 1925. The 1927 Camden City Directory and the April 1930 Census show Richard and Anna Farris living at 3014 Mickle Street in East Camden. Also living there in 1930 was Richard Farris’ widowed mother Adeline. Richard Farris by this time had begun to report his birth year as 1886.
Richard Farris was still employed by the City of Camden as a firefighter and living at 3014 Mickle Street in East Camden as late as 1943. He was approved for a pension due to ill health on April 2, 1943, effective May 1. Anna Farris passed away on August 9, 1945. By 1947 Richard Farris had left Camden.
World War I Draft Card
World War I Draft Card — Richard A. Farris
New Firemen Assigned for Two Platoons
Camden Post-Telegram —
NEW FIREMEN ASSIGNED FOR TWO PLATOONS
Double Shift System Becomes Effective at 8 O’clock on Saturday Morning
One Ten Hours; Other 14 Hours
Saturday morning at 8 o’clock the two-platoon system of the Fire Department becomes effective. At that hour the first shift will go on duty and remain until 6 p. m., when the second squad goes on, remaining until 8 a. m. That will be the procedure in the department henceforth, the schedule being so arranged that every third day there will be a 24-hour shift to let the other off. Every man will have 24 hours off every sixth day.
The arrangements were completed last night at a meeting of Council’s Fire Committee, when assignments were made of the fifty-six recent appointees to the department. With Chief Carter at headquarters will be stationed in reserve shifts Deputy Chiefs Nicholas and Patterson. Battalion Chiefs Wade and Browning will be stationed with their shifts at No. 3 engine house.
At last night’s meeting Congressman F. F. Patterson, Jr., Mayor Charles H. Ellis, President of Council David Jester and Chairman of the Fire Committee Joseph Forsyth made addresses in which they all spoke appreciatively of the fire-fighting force and offered their congratulations to the men in getting what they had sought after many years of effort. Chief Carter was particularly praised for the efficient manner in which he has developed the department. The chief also spoke, thanking the representatives of the city in behalf of the men for the boon given them in the two-platoon system, which means the fire fighters will be able to spend more time with their families.
Everything has been worked out to the least detail and it is anticipated the new system will work without any difficulties.
The assignment of the new men to the various companies follow:
Engine Company No. 1—Alfred E. Green, Charles Errickson, Charles Cook, Leroy Hatchett.
Engine Company No. 2—Howard Lamdon, Edgar Ellander, John K. Voll, Harold E. Lorang, Chester J. Andreas, Harry G. Layton.
Engine Company No. 3—Charles Haines, August Haverkamp, Louis Quinton, Chas. S. Clements, Frank Kuda.
Engine Company No. 4—Frank A. Obermann, Walter P. Gray, Albert Ruber, Fred Schucker, Harry Kleinfelder.
Engine Company No. 5—Richard A. Ferris, Frank Fennrio.
Engine Company No. 6—William H. Reed, Manuel J. Kane, Edward Perairia, Thomas Shanahan, Rocco di Varino.
Engine Company No. 7—August Scholl, Lawrence H. Matthews, Nicholas Romain.
Engine Company No. 8—Adam Mead, Frank Sapp, William J. Taylor, William Wood, Samuel Oshushek, Edward C. Crane.
Engine Company No. 9—Keenard Naylor, Daniel McSurdy, John Mohofeld.
Engine Company No. 10—William Swarts, Hugh Rementer, Harry Greenan, Rocco Abbott.
Hose and Chemical Company No. 2—Lawrence Newton, Edward Hauser, William Getner.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 1—Tom Cunningham, Leonard Magee.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 2—John Gaylor, Walter G. White.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 3—David Ellis, George A. Addison, John Mulligan, David Humphreys, Albert Dukes.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 4—George A. Quimby.
Chief’s driver—Tenny G. Hutchinson.
World War II Draft Card
World War II Draft Card — Richard A. Farris