Virgil Stackhouse Sr.

Introduction

VIRGIL E. STACKHOUSE was born in Camden in 1859 to David T. and Margaret Stackhouse, the second of at least six children. His parents had come to North Camden from Pennsylvania sometime after 1855, Jacob Stackhouse supporting his family as a grocer. At the time of the 1870 Census the family lived adjacent to the Himmelein family, whose sons would establish a large leather belting factory in Camden in later years near the intersection of Haddon and Mount Ephraim avenues.

The 1880 census shows the Stackhouse family living at 542 Front Street in North Camden. Virgil Stackhouse was still residing at home, and had taken up the trade of machinist. He moved out briefly in the mid-1880s residing at 926 North 2nd, before rejoining his family at 235 North Front Street by 1888.

Known to be a highly skilled machinist, Virgil Stackhouse became one of the first employees hired by inventor Eldridge R. Johnson when he founded the Victor Talking Machine Company in the 1890s. Taking a hiatus from his regular position as a toolmaker, he spent two years in England as the Victor Company’s representative there. He purchased a home at 718 Raymond Street in North Camden before 1920, where he lived for the rest of his years.

Active in the civic life of Camden, he was a member of the Elks, the Jr. Order of United American Mechanics, the Odd Fellows, and served on the Board of Deacons and the Board of Trustees of North Baptist Church.

Virgil Stackhouse worked until well into his 70s at the Victor plant. He died on October 16, 1936 after an illness of six months, his wife the former Emily Parsons, having died in the 1920s. He was survived by three brothers, well known Camden lawyer D. Trueman Stackhouse, former recorder O. Glenn Stackhouse, and Othniel G. Stackhouse, and a sister, Miss Minerva Stackhouse, the retired principal of the Genge School and the Henry H. Davis School in Camden. He also left a son, Virgil Jr., and two daughters, Miss Gladys Stackhouse and Mrs. George Hayes.