Introduction
By Phil Cohen
Seventeenth Street runs from Harrison Avenue to River Avenue in what was originally called the Pavonia section of what is now considered Cramer Hill. All addresses here are North 17th Street. There is also a South 17th Street that runs from Federal Street in East Camden south across Carman Street and onward to Admiral Wilson Boulevard.
Cramer Hill & East Camden — 1915
Cramer Hill & East Camden, 1915
Aerial View of Cramer Hill — July 7, 1965
Looking west from over North 24th Street & Howell Street, July 7, 1965
1100 Block of North 17th Street
1100 Block of North 17th Street — Occupants
City directory records, 1920–1959.
1125 North 17th Street
| Year ↕ | Name ↕ |
|---|---|
| 1947 | Clair W. Kline |
1120 North 17th Street
| Year ↕ | Name ↕ |
|---|---|
| 1930s–1947 | William H. Kirk Sr. & Family |
| 1930s–1947 | Adelbert J. 'Duke' Kirk |
1117 North 17th Street
| Year ↕ | Name ↕ |
|---|---|
| 1920–1922 | Dominick Mueller & Family |
| 1920–1958 | Charles M. Goeltz & Family |
1113 North 17th Street
| Year ↕ | Name ↕ |
|---|---|
| 1947 | Mrs. Croline Hopkins |
| 1956–1959 | William E. Jaeckel |
1106 North 17th Street
| Year ↕ | Name ↕ |
|---|---|
| 1947 | Joseph L. Mikus |
| 1947 | Joseoh L. Mikus |
1104 North 17th Street
| Year ↕ | Name ↕ |
|---|---|
| 1947 | Stephen Augustine |
1117 North 17th Street
GOELTZ — On June 28, 1958, Charles M., husband of Lisette J. (nee White), of 1117 N. 17th St., Camden, age 68 years. Due notice of the funeral will be given from the Gustav Roedel & Son Funeral Home, 804-06 No. 27th St., Camden.
Camden Courier-Post — June 28, 1958
River Road & North 17th Street
North 17th Street at River Road — October 1986
Carman Street & South 17th Street
1600 Block of Carman Street — The Soap Works, as seen from the southeast corner of South 17th & Carman Streets. The brick factory on the right belonged to the Iowa Soap Company in the 1930s and 1940s.
A bar of Protex Toilet Soap, in original wrap & box. Protex Soap was made by Iowa Soap Company, who had factories in Burlington, Iowa & Camden, NJ. The box reads: “The Ideal Family Toilet Soap” and “Clean hands and a clean body are essential to good health. A daily bath with Protex will keep the body sweet, removing body odors and affording protection against the odor of perspiration from all sources. True cleanliness promotes and protects the Health!”
Looking northwest on South 17th towards Federal Street from Carman Street. The building was later acquired by Concord Chemical Corp., who moved their operations there from 205 South 2nd Street at some point after 1959.
100 South 17th Street — as seen from the northwest corner of South 17th & Carman Streets. Once headquarters of Goodwill Industries of Southern New Jersey, presently John Allebach Food Service Inc.
Carman Street looking east from 17th Street — March 2004
Foot of South 17th Street
“Cooper Creek Boat Houses, Foot of 17th Street, About 1900.” The powerhouse on the left side of the image was built in 1898 by the Camden Lighting and Heating Company, which was acquired by the South Jersey Gas, Electric & Traction Company in 1900 and in turn by the Public Service Corporation in 1903. It was a relatively short-lived power generating station that Public Service closed and razed after establishing the first real power distribution network in 1914.
FELL AND LAY SENSELESS
Watchman Smith Tumbled Into an Areaway at Night and Was Not Found Until Morning.
Andrew J. Smith, night watchman at the new power plant of the Camden Lighting and Heating Company, in course of construction on Cooper’s Creek, at Seventeenth street, fell from a doorway, a distance of twelve feet to the ground, between 6 and 7 o’clock Saturday evening, and lay in a helpless condition, exposed to the elements, until 7 o’clock yesterday morning. How he came to fall Watchman Smith is unable to tell, but the indicator in the office of the station shows that he had not pushed any of the buttric buttons during the night and the fire in the boiler was burned out when Day Watchman George Wheeler arrived at the station at 6 o’clock yesterday morning. When Wheeler entered the gate to the yard that surrounds the station he heard a groan, and at once got a lantern and made a search for the night watchman.
He found him senseless in an areaway below the doorway from which he had fallen. There were deep gashes in his forehead and lips where his face struck some sharp stones and his face was covered with clotted blood. Wheeler was unable to carry the injured man indoors, but ran six squares to the Stockton Town Hall and summoned a patrol wagon from Camden by telephone. Watchman Smith was removed to the Cooper Hospital, Camden, and is in a critical condition, suffering from exposure and concussion of the brain. He is 67 years old and resided at West and Washington streets. It was Smith’s duty to push a number of electric buttons in making his rounds of the premises, and it is believed that he had started to go to the stable to press the first button a little before 7 o’clock, when he made a misstep and fell.
Philadelphia The Times — January 3, 1898
Smith Dies From His Injuries.
Watchman Andrew J. Smith, of the Camden Lighting and Heating Company’s new plant on Cooper’s Creek, who received a serious fall from a doorway and lay upon the ground all night, died in the Cooper Hospital during Wednesday night from the result of his injuries and the exposure.
Philadelphia The Times — January 7, 1898
SMITH.—In Camden, N. J., on January 5, 1898, Andrew J. Smith, aged 67 years. The relatives and friends of the family are respectfully invited to attend the funeral, on Saturday morning, January 8, at 10.30 o’clock from Zion M. E. Church, near Iona, N. J.
Philadelphia Inquirer — January 8, 1898
THE SOUTH JERSEY G. E. T. COMPANY GETS ANOTHER
Camden Lighting and Heating Franchise Latest Acquirement
It became known yesterday in Camden that the South Jersey Gas, Electric and Traction Company had on Thursday purchased the Camden Lighting and Heating Company, the terms being identical with those agreed upon in other mergers.
A period of twenty days will have to elapse before the deal can be consummated by the directors of the two companies, as the sale has to be ratified by the respective stockholders. The terms of the merger were not made public, although it is said a snug sum was paid.
Philadelphia Inquirer — December 16, 1900
Big Wall Blown Down
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Watchman Mathis Hurt by the Flying Bricks.
The Camden Lighting and Heating Company is building a big boiler house, 116 by 38 feet in size, near its new power plant, on Cooper’s Creek, Camden. The west wall, 116 feet in length had been built up to the height of three and a half stories without side support. There was a sudden gust of wind about four o’clock yesterday morning that toppled over the high wall.
John Mathis, the watchman, of 738 Division street, Camden, was cut by the flying bricks but not seriously injured. Philips Anns is the contractor for the building but it is said that he had sub-let the brick work contract to Daniel Quicksall.
South 17th Street from Federal Street to Cooper's Creek
South 17th Street from Federal Street to Cooper’s Creek (the Cooper River) — property plans
Alarm Chases Robber
Camden Courier-Post —
Bell Rings and Would-Be Burglar Flees Hardware Store; Suspect in Custody
A burglar who attempted to break into the Elwood Antrim hardware store, 1541 Federal street, was frightened away when a burglar alarm went off. After a chase, police arrested a suspect, who is being detained at headquarters pending investigation.
The suspect gave his name as Walter Gibbs, 214 Friends avenue. He was arrested at Seventeenth and Federal streets by District Detectives Schlamm and Donnolley.
Worthing Truland, a watchman, 1[?]16 Federal street, was awakened when the alarm went off. He then saw a man leaping the back fence.
The detectives happened to be passing at the time and started a search of the neighborhood. A half hour later they saw Gibbs, at Seventeenth street and placed him under arrest. Gibbs will be given a hearing tomorrow.
Blair Indicted by Grand Jury for Threat to Blow Up Home
Camden Courier-Post —
Boxer Must Stand Trial With Pal on Pennsauken Man’s Charge
DRY RAIDERS CLEARED IN COOK’S GRILL CASE
Two Agents and 4 Truckmen Absolved of Mischief in Bar-Wrecking Episode
The April grand jury yesterday returned a true bill against Mickey Blair, Camden pugilist, on a charge of threatening to kill a Pennsauken man by bombing his home.
It was the first time Blair has ever been indicted, although his police record shows he has been arrested 10 times for various offenses.
In addition the grand jury “no billed” a malicious mischief charge made by Basil Cook, owner of Cook’s Grill, 939 South Fifth street, against two prohibition agents and four employes of a trucking firm who tore out the bar and fixtures of the cafe in a raid several weeks ago.
Dismissal of the charges against the federal men and their collaborators had been forecast by Prosecutor Clifford A. Baldwin. The agents are Nelson Snedecor, 38, of 138 North Tenth street, Allentown, N. J.; and John J. Stokes, 41, of 6100 North Seventeenth street, Philadelphia, both of the Philadelphia prohibition office.
Controversy Ends
The Grand Jury’s action, taken in a first partial presentment made to Justice Frank T. Lloyd while Judge Samuel M. Shay was busy in Criminal Court, officially concludes a case that attracted wide attention and brought stormy conferences between Prohibition Administrator John D. Pennington, Mayor Roy R. Stewart and United States Attorney Philip Forman.
Police Judge Garfield Pancoast, who issued the warrant for the agents’ arrest, freed them on their own recognizance at the request of federal authorities. Cook contended the agents unlawfully destroyed his property after leaving the place following a raid, and entering it again without a warrant. The agents said they stayed in the hotel all night following the raid, excepting for the time they were forcefully taken out by police.
The workman [sic] are Floyd E. Slamp, 20, of 148 Marne avenue, Haddonfield, son of the secretary and treasurer of the Troth Warehouse and Trucking Company, Fifth and Byron streets; Robert McKee, 45, of 4837 Duffield street, Philadelphia; John Shrom, 19, of Moorisville, Pa., and John Adams, 20, of 542 Erie street.
Pal Accused With Blair
Blair, whose true name is Michael Tenerelli, was indicted on charges made by Calvin Bell, 45, of 7349 Remington avenue, Pennsauken. Thomas Bonelli was indicted with Tenerelli on the same charge. Tenerelli is 23 and lives at 833 South Fourth street. Bonelli is also 23 and lives at 270 Walnut street. Bell, who is colored, had them held in $2500 bail each by Police Recorder George W. Yost, of Pennsauken, last May 6. Bell charged they threatened to bomb his home unless he paid them $100 to make good for 100 gallons of liquor they allegedly purchased from one of his sons and found it worthless. The defendants were arrested in Bell’s home.
Tenerelli and Bonelli were released on bail a week ago in connection with the alleged holdup of Mrs. Barbara Lehman in her cigar store at 1209 Arctic avenue, Atlantic City. Although Tenerelli has figured in police records since he was 12 this is the first indictment to be returned against him, police say.
Other indictments returned yesterday are:
Desertion and non-support: John Councellor, John Morgan, Joseph Casini, Raymond Sykes, August Remler, Thomas Early, Isadore Kramer, Martin O’Toole, Harry Gallagher, William Johnson, Charles Krown, Curtis Myers, Clarence Brinning, George Price, William Slaughter, Grover C. Bennett.
Breaking, entering and larceny: Elisha and Anna Coleman, Theodore Ruteski and Anton Zakrewski, Patrick Williams and Louis Thomas, Henry Parzewicz, Tony Renczykowski and Stanley Kidzierski.
Robbery—John Duboski, John H. Linicky; assault and battery—John Barr, Louigi Celeni, Fred D. Coleman, Benjamin Wallace, Zack McGriff, John Collins, Max Platkin, Joseph Panacola, Albert Pickering, Adolph Smith, Millard Wallace.
Larceny and receiving stolen goods—Warren Cormulewicz, Harold Wolf, William Mitchell, Stanley Kramer and Frank Gymuszuk.
Possession of liquor—Herman Fleisher, Gene Geffner, David Gold.
Statutory charge—Robert J. Sutters.
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