Thirty-Fourth Street

Thirty-Fourth Street runs from the Delaware River south, across River Road to the Pavonia railroad switching yard, then from Westfield Avenue to Federal Street, interrupted again by a rail line at Rosedale Street, and from Federal on to Highland Avenue at the Pennsauken border. As in all numbered streets in Camden, it is North 34th Street above Federal, and South 34th below.

Police were searching today for a blonde girl, about 18, and two youths who abandoned their stolen automobile after it had crashed with a taxicab last night at Morgan Boulevard and Broadway.

Duncan MacKenzie, 27, of 1154 North Thirty-fourth street, driver of the cab, told police the stolen automobile careened around the intersection on two wheels, crashed into his car and ended up at the curb. He was waiting for a traffic light to change, he said.

Immediately following the crash, a youth and the girl, who had been in the front seat, and a second youth sitting in the rear, jumped out of the car and dashed away. One ran south on Broadway; while the girl and her companion ran north on the same street.

Accident Investigator Stanley Wirtz investigated and learned the abandoned car had been stolen at 7 p. m. from in front of the American Iron Works, 1455 Broadway, about two miles from the accident, which occurred at 10.30 p. m.

Money Won in Audubon Taken From East Camden Man, Cops Told

Three men who entered pleas of guilty to stealing gas or electricity from the Public Service were sent to the county jail for 30 days each in default of $25 fines yesterday by Police Judge Pancoast.

Harry Hansen, 2733 Tyler avenue, admitted putting a detachment on his gas meter to prevent it registering. L. M. Thompson, chief clerk for Public Service, testified the device was discovered January 5.

Richard Fearon, 833 Newton avenue, put a “run-around” on his electric meter because he had been out of work he told Judge Pancoast after Thompson had testified the alleged theft was discovered January 13.

John Waldner, 814 North Thirty-fourth street, said his wife was ill and he tapped the main feed line to obtain gas. He said they had four children. Thompson said Public Service employees discovered the alteration on January 10. Waldner’s meter was shut off in November for nonpayment of gas bills.

551 North 34th Street. The original address was 555 North 34th which consisted of 3 lots, with Walter Boyer's house on the corner. By 1956 the lot had been subdivided, two houses had been built, and the corner house had been renumbered to 551.

100 North 34th Street. On April 9, 1987, a third alarm for a row of vacant dwellings kept units busy for several hours at 34th Street and Rosedale Avenue. On June 3rd, another third alarm in the same block destroyed some large vacant frames. Again on June 20th, a second alarm occurred in a vacant three-story apartment building on 34th Street near Merriel Avenue.

108 North 34th Street. Between 1928 and 1947 William J. Roles built the Roles Court Apartments on North 34th Street. The first two buildings, eight units each at 108 and 112, opened shortly after the 1928 City Directory was compiled. A four unit building at 116 opened in the early 1940s, most probably in 1940 or 1941. A six unit building at 104 and a four unit building at 100 which were not open in 1943 were occupied when the 1947 City Directory was compiled. The apartments were abandoned in the mid-1980s and destroyed by fire in 1987.

112 North 34th Street. William J. Roles built the Roles Court Apartments. He and his wife Eva lived at 108 North 34th and managed the properties for many years, which passed to their son after they died. The apartments were abandoned in the mid-1980s and destroyed by fire in 1987.

36 North 34th Street. Albert was a Civil War veteran who enlisted at age 14 as a drummer-boy for the Union Army.

7 South 34th Street — Martin Segal, 1930. Camden Courier-Post, September 29, 1930.

I was born in 1951 and brought home to 139 North 32nd Street. My parents were William Joseph and Elizabeth Mae (Reeves) Petris. These were all very happy years for me and my sister Sheree Joy Petris (married name Romesburg) who was born in 1954. These were happy years because all of our family lived in Camden. My Dad’s family was from South Camden and my Mother’s family was from East Camden.

My Dad was terrific at carpentry and for several years in their spare time, he rebuilt the entire inside of 139. We had indirect lighting in dining room which shone pink from the outside and they made a faux pink marble fireplace in the living room. Strange, but I guess they were into pink. My Grandparents, George and Ruth Reeves lived at 3173 Merriel Avenue and I could see their house from my back bedroom window. My best friend Janice Olnhausen lived next door at 3171 Merriel Avenue with her parents Emil and Betty Olnhausen. My Great Grandparents, William and Eva Roles (parents of Ruth Roles Reeves) built Roles Court Apartments on North 34th Street and Rosedale Avenue, they lived there and ran the apartments until both passed away. The apartments then passed to George and Ruth Reeves who later sold the property. Most of our family the Petris’s, Reeves, Roles, and Kellys were brought up and lived and had happy times at Roles Court Apartments. My parents lived there from 1947 (the year of their marriage) to 1950 until they purchased 139 North 32nd Street.

Our playground were those streets, the back alleys and of course Dudley Grange Park, where they had a ball game going every night during the summer and then there were the swings and slides. My Grandfather George “Rick” Reeves along with his friends George Kissinger, Inky Workings and Harry Hoffman all played baseball there. My Dad Bill Petris also played at one time or other.

My Mother Betty Mae lived in Westfield Acres from 1938 to 1941 or 1942 on a third floor apartment with her sister Ruthie and baby brother George “Richard” Reeves until they moved to 3173 Merriel Avenue.

I went to Henry H. Davis Elementary School from kindergarten (Mrs. McCarroll), 1st grade (Mrs. Braun) 2nd grade (Mrs. Brown), third grade (Mrs. Elliott), fourth grade (Miss Williams), fifth grade (Miss Quinn) and 6th grade (Miss Costello). Mr. Showalter became the principal at some point. I think he had come from Cramer School.

Everyone was friendly, we took the bus everywhere but mostly to 27th Street to go to the M&H to get ice cream, Kotlikoff’s to get clothes and the 5 & 10 to look at Barbies. My Mother and my Aunt Carol Kelly would push coaches with their children into “town” as they called it on nice days.

My sister and I would walk to Grace Baptist Church on Sundays, where most of my Mother’s family attended (the Reeves side). William Reeves owned the house on Cramer Street across from the church and sided up against the bank parking lot. Later the house was lived in by my Aunt Ida and Uncle Sam. Ida was George Reeves’ sister. William Reeves, my great grandfather was the fire chief at the firehouse.

During the Fourth of July celebrations, every year, Dudley Grange Park would set off a wonderful fireworks display. I don’t remember if it was big in relation to displays now. It was huge, and beautiful and implanted in my memories so much so that I have to rush out and see fireworks somewhere on the 4th. Unfortunately, someone was killed in the 1950’s as I believe one of the fireworks went into the crowd. After that, the fireworks stopped at Dudley Grange to my recollection.

Harry’s Grocery store was on the corner of North 32nd Street and Westfield Avenue. On the other corner was Sy’s Cleaners. The Esso station was on the other side of the street facing North 32nd. Frank’s soda fountain and candy shop was on North 34th and Westfield on the way to school. There was another candy store across from Davis on the corner. The playground at Davis was the scene of many Halloween parades when we had to march around the school for our parents to see back in the 1950’s. The playground was wonderful, life was fun and easy.

I had wonderful holidays and many happy memories of 139, 3173 and Roles Court Apartments and the neighborhood in general. The library was great. I would go once every two weeks and take out as many books as I could read. There was roller skating, bike riding, the kid who sold water ice and snowballs in his wagon, the milk truck, the ice truck, the clothes prop man and people who were homeless that would knock on your door to ask for a bowl of soup. You did not say no and always gave them something to eat and you never locked your doors back then. You didn’t have to be afraid of anyone. It was a close neighborhood and everyone knew who you were from street to street and neighbors looked out for one another.

My parents sold 139 North 32nd Street around 1962 to move to Cherry Hill after 6th grade. My Grandparents lived at 3173 from about 1941 to approximately 1974 when they past on and my Uncle Richard Reeves inherited the house and then sold it to move near Gibbstown, NJ. My Aunt Ruth Reeves Feairheller moved out of 3171 when she got married in 1957 and at some point moved to a street that paralleled Route 130 near Pennsauken and the Penn Fruit. She may have also lived on Carman Street at one time.

There is so much more and I could go on all day but I won’t. It was a lovely, uncomplicated, innocent and wonderfully happy time for all of the family. Now family is scattered all around the U.S. The “olden” days were great fun.