Introduction
SPENCER HAINES SMITH was born in New Jersey on February 20, 1882. He married his wife Catherine in the early 1900s. The Smiths were living at 753 Walnut Street in South Camden when the 1914 City Directory was compiled. He was then working as a laborer.
Spencer Smith Sr. joined the Camden Fire Department on May 1, 1914, and was assigned to the Number 1 Engine Company at 407–409 Pine Street in South Camden. At the time of the 1920 census, Spencer and Catherine Smith were renting a home at 1017 Atlantic Avenue in Camden. By this time, the family included six children, Addie, Annie, Earl, Marion, Clara, Spencer Smith Jr., Walter, and Robert. Later that year he was assigned to Engine Company Number 10 at 9th Street and Morgan Boulevard in the Fairview section of Camden. By 1924 Spencer Smith Sr. had moved his family to 3022 North Constitution Road in the then new Yorkship Village neighborhood of Camden. Fire Department records from 1931 show Spencer Smith Sr. and family residing at 1190 Congress Road in Fairview.
By 1947 Spencer Smith Sr. had moved to Browning Lane and the Black Horse Pike in Bellmawr NJ. His son Spencer Smith Jr. was by then also working as a Camden fireman. Son Earl, a Navy veteran of World War II, would join the Camden Fire Department a few years later. Sadly, Earl Smith would suffer a fatal heart attack after returning from a working fire, making the Ultimate Sacrifice in April of 1968. Grandson Spencer H. Smith III served with the Camden Police department for over 30 years, and grandson Larry F. Smith serves with the Camden Fire Department today. As of this writing, in July of 2011, there has been a member of the Spencer Smith family protecting Camden every day for over 97 years.
Spencer H. Smith Sr. applied for his pension in July of 1950, a mandatory retirement at 65 law having been passed covering police and firemen. His last day on the fire department was August 31, 1950, when he retired along with Deputy Chief Clarence T. Madden Sr., Firemen John B. “Shorty” Prucella, and Fireman Frank L’Esperance.
Firemen Honor Dead Comrade
Philadelphia Inquirer —
With a guard of honor composed of forty fellow firemen and his body reposing on the combination fire apparatus, the funeral of Fireman Joseph A. Ware, of No. 1 Engine Company, Camden, was held yesterday, interment being in New Camden Cemetery. The services were conducted at the Church of Our Saviour by Rev. Martin Stockett. The pallbearers were Ware’s comrades of the engine company and included Lieutenant Charles Cook, Richard Marter, James Navin, Louis Shaw, Spencer Smith and Alfred Hayden. Ware had his face crushed in on June 6 when the crank of the battalion chief’s auto struck him. He became blind and paralyzed.
Many Transfers of City Firemen
Camden Daily Courier —
Forces At Various Stations Changed By Most Recent Orders
16 GO TO FAIRVIEW HOUSE
Recent changes in the fire department announced have provided for the transfer of twenty men and the appointment of fourteen during the week to various fire houses in the city.
Sixteen of the men were transferred and given appointments to the two new companies formed to protect Fairview and Yorkship Village. The transfers and appointments went into effect Wednesday.
The following men received transfers and appointments to Engine Company 10, one of the new companies: Horace Calera, captain; William Miller, lieutenant; Harry Selby, engineer; Charles Gaul, stoker; Spencer Smith, H. Walton, Rocco Fanelli and H. Zanders, hosemen.
Truck Company 4, the other new company, at Ninth and Morgan Streets, received the following men: Mordecai Clark, captain; James McDermott, lieutenant; James Durkin, driver; Frank Burt, George C. Wade, Samuel Felton, William Reynolds and Harry Hallo-well.
Farrington and H. Bomgartel, new men, were appointed to Hook and Ladder Company 1, to fill the vacancies left by James McDermott and George C. Wade.
Go to Company No. 1
The following men received appointments to Engine Company 1: Walter Carter, George Henry Johnson, Lewis D. Stevens, Rocco Tribuett and Benjamin Walters. W. Scott Franklin was transferred from Company 5 to Engine Company 1 as lieutenant. George Gall was transferred from Company 1 to Company 5 as stoker. Joseph Daley, of Company 5, was transferred to Engine Company 2 to fill the vacancy left by Harry Selby, who was transferred to Company 10.
Anthony Valentine and David Smith were transferred to Company 3, in place of William Miller and Charles Gaul, who were transferred to Company 10.
J. Lumbago was transferred to Company 7, in place of David Smith. George Puroglove and John Hunt were transferred to Company 8. Robert Glcks was transferred from Hose and Chemical Company 2 to Company 9, in place of William Reynolds, who was transferred to Company 10.
Nelson Till was appointed to the place left vacant by Robert Glcks, of Hose and Chemical Company 2.
man Kreber was made lieutenant of Hose and Chemical Company 2.
4 Cops, 4 Firemen, Widow of One Win City Pensions
Camden Courier-Post —
Four police officers and four firemen applied for pensions under the mandatory 65-year-old retirement law today. The applications, all approved by the police-firemen pension board, are in line with Commissioner Aaron’s order in December, 1948, advising chiefs of the respective services that state law requires retirement of all personnel who have reached 65. Police officers to be pensioned are Detective Capt. Samuel E. Johnson, 71, Capt. John T. Garrity, 65, Detective Frank Crawford, 69, and Patrolman Harry Stahl, 68. Fire department members include Deputy Chief Clarence Madden, 67, and Firemen John Prucella, 75; Spencer Smith Sr., 68, and Frank L’Esperance, 66. The eight men will retire Aug. 31, with each receiving one-half of the average annual salary of the last three years.
Also approved today was an application for a widow’s pension by Mrs. Carrie Bean, 1103 North Twenty-sixth street. Her husband, Patrolman Howard Bean, died June 8, eight days after being pensioned. She will receive $1000 annually. Captain Johnson, of 211 Elm street, is considered the dean of the police department, having served 40 years. Johnson, who will receive $2019 annually, was appointed in April, 1910, and was made a detective 10 years later. He was elevated to sergeant in November, 1928, and to lieutenant in 1930. One year after he was cited in 1942 by former Public Safety Director Mary Kobus, Johnson was raised to captain. He served as acting police chief from December, 1947, to December, 1949.
Captain Garrity will receive $1601 annually. He served as commander in each of the three city districts. Garrity was appointed in January, 1920; made sergeant July, 1930; lieutenant in 1940, and captain on June 30, 1944. He lives at 2515 Morgan boulevard. Following a “pep” meeting with city detectives Thursday, Aaron announced he had transferred Captain Garrity to his office for “special assignments.” Sgt. William Schultz was named acting captain to head the third police district to replace Garrity.
Crawford, of 578 Chestnut street, will draw $1501. He was named to the force in 1912 and resigned eight years later. In 1931 he was reinstated and received a promotion to detective status in 1942. He was cited by former Chief John Golden.
Stahl Appointed in 1917
Stahl lives at 1513 Baird avenue. After his appointment in 1917, he saw service in most departments of the bureau. He will receive an annual pension of $1401. Chief Madden, 2760 Mickle street, is serving as fire commander for the second fire district at Twenty-seventh and Federal streets. He was appointed July 1, 1910 and assigned to Engine Co. 5, Fifth and Arch streets. In 1922 he was raised to lieutenant, and six years later became senior captain. Madden was named battalion chief Nov. 21, 1944 and deputy chief on Dec. 16, 1949. Madden will receive about $2000, with the others drawing approximately $1358 annually.
Prucella, 919 Penn street, was sworn in on Nov. 1, 1911 and joined Engine Co. 5. Since 1933 he has been serving at No. 6 Engine Co., Front and Linden streets. Smith was appointed May 1, 1914 and assigned to No. 1 Engine Co., Fourth and Pine streets. He has been attached to No. 10 Engine Co., Ninth street and Morgan boulevard, since 1920. Frank L’Esperance, 604 Clinton street, is also a member of No. 10 Engine Co., where he has been attached since 1938. He was appointed June 6, 1918 and served with No. 5 and No. 3 engine companies.
Fire Department Card
Fire Department Card for Spencer H. Smith Sr.