Joint Alley
Joint Alley runs for one block, east from South 3rd to South 4th Street, between Spruce and Walnut Streets. The street first appears in city directories in 1850, but there may not have been houses built there until 1888, as none appear in the 1887–1888 City Directory, but several are listed in the 1888–1889 edition. There were only six houses left on Joint Alley by 1947. No buildings have stood on Joint Alley for many years.
Phil Cohen
1946 Map of Camden
1946 map of Camden between Locust Street & Broadway, Spruce & Sycamore Streets, showing Joint Alley.
Joint Alley — 1906 Sanborn Map
1906 Sanborn fire insurance map showing Joint Alley.
Intersection of South 3rd Street and Joint Alley
Looking east on Joint Alley from South 3rd Street. December 22, 2005 and September 1, 2006. Photos by Enrico Doganiero.
A Memory of Joint Alley
Enrico Doganiero —
I walked down Joint Alley as a youth thousands of times. It was about one block from our barber shop. It was a small alley street running from 3rd to 4th Street between Cherry and Spruce. It has a very interesting history and was the residence of a popular Camden figure—Johnny Carroll—who rented horses and wagons to Camden City before Camden had its own fleet. He also had a beautiful tavern, for its time, and some beautiful girls, as I am told by my brothers.
Where the red building is used to be a candy store owned by Mr. Abbott. Most children would stop there on their way to school in the morning and after lunch for one-penny candy. The gray building across the alley on the right is where Mr. Carroll had his saloon & stables.
300 Block of Joint Alley
300 Block of Joint Alley — Occupants
City directory records.
318 Joint Alley
| Year ↕ | Name ↕ |
|---|---|
| 1888–1891 | Isaac Campbell |
| 1917 | Walter 'Kentucky Rosebud' Edgerton |
| 1917 | Minnie Smith Edgerton |
| 1927 | Unity Hall |
| 1947 | Brooklyn Jones |
320 Joint Alley
| Year ↕ | Name ↕ |
|---|---|
| 1888–1891 | Mrs. Anna Goss |
| 1890–1891 | William Roselle |
| 1947 | William Brown |
328 Joint Alley
| Year ↕ | Name ↕ |
|---|---|
| 1888–1889 | Henry Weaver |
| 1890–1891 | Mrs. Letetia Suders |
| 1890–1891 | William Suders |
330 Joint Alley
| Year ↕ | Name ↕ |
|---|---|
| 1884 | John W. Baynard |
| 1890–1891 | Thomas White |
| 1890–1891 | William Walker |
| 1947 | Raymond L. Boyd |
332 Joint Alley
| Year ↕ | Name ↕ |
|---|---|
| 1888–1889 | Mrs. Rebecca Darrah |
| 1888–1889 | James Fisher |
| 1890–1891 | Frederick D. White |
| 1947 | Mrs. Hettie McConnell |
334 Joint Alley
| Year ↕ | Name ↕ |
|---|---|
| 1888–1889 | Joseph Matlock |
| 1890–1891 | Charles H. Bowers |
| 1944 | Zellie Ellis |
| 1947 | Harold S. Daniels |
345 Joint Alley
| Year ↕ | Name ↕ |
|---|---|
| 1888–1889 | Charles Longbeck |
| 1890–1891 | Charles Langenbeck |
| 1947 | Mrs. Mary Shaw |
348 Joint Alley
| Year ↕ | Name ↕ |
|---|---|
| 1890–1891 | Andrew Fleckenstein |
| 1947 | Mrs. Mary Shaw |
350 Joint Alley
| Year ↕ | Name ↕ |
|---|---|
| 1888–1891 | Charles Lonenbeck |
Policy Shop Raided on Joint Alley
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Yesterday afternoon information was lodged at police headquarters in Camden that a policy shop was being carried on in Joint alley, below Fourth street. The informant was told to furnish sufficient proof, when an arrest would be made. The man at once went to the place and bought six pieces, and when they were taken to police headquarters Chief of Police Matlack, Lieutenant Kelly and Officers Peterson and John Streeper made a raid on the house at about eight o’clock in the evening, when John W. Baynard, colored, the proprietor of the house; George M. Johnson, colored, the policy writer, and Benjamin Stone, white, a player, were arrested, the latter being detained as a witness. There were also taken drawings of August 7, and of several days, a manifold book, used in writing the pieces, and a small amount in cash. The men will have a hearing before the Mayor to-day.
Mary E. Gibbs Arrested
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Mary E. Gibbs, colored, of Joint alley, is locked up at the City Hall, charged with cutting William E. Allison, of 232 Spruce street. Both are said to have used knives during a quarrel, and Allison was also arrested, but was released on his own recognizance.
Marriage Licenses
Camden Post-Telegram —
The following applications for marriage licenses have been made at the office of City Clerk Brown since yesterday:
Philip Faccenda, aged 22 years, of Philadelphia, and Mary A. Cericola, aged 20 years, of 634 Ferry avenue.
Guy P. MacKenzie, aged 25 years, of Matmosotte, Ohio, and Nellie C. Jubb, aged 23 years, of 208 Walnut street.
Walter Edgerton, aged 63 years, of 318 Joint Alley, and Minnie M. Smith, aged 3[?] years, of same address.
Vice Squad Raids Nine Disorderly Houses
Camden Courier-Post —
Starting at midnight Saturday the vice squad and other police raided nine alleged colored disorderly houses in South Camden.
The biggest raid was made at the home of Walter Edgerton, colored, 1088 Ivins street. Edgerton, a former prize fighter known many years ago as the “Kentucky Rosebud,” was held in $500 bail as the proprietor of the place. Twelve men, all said to have been rolling dice, were arrested. Several of the players had scrambled for doors and windows, but nobody escaped.
Others whose places were raided and who were held in $500 bail each as principals are Ruth Smith, 714 Locust street; Unity Hall, 318 Joint alley; Addie Johnson, 213 Pine street; Mamie Booker, 703 Baxter street; Miriam Robinson, 312 Division street; John and Mary Walker, 1133 South Second street; June Loftus, 822 Locust street, and Ethel Davis, 821 Locust street. All are colored.
Intersection of Joint Alley and South 4th Street
Looking west on Joint Alley from South 4th Street. December 22, 2005 and September 1, 2006. Photos by Enrico Doganiero.
Two Men Shot in a Race Riot in Camden
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Both Victims Are Colored and One Is Probably Fatally Wounded.
POLICE USED PISTOLS
They Were Fired at When They Tried to Arrest the Fighters. “Crap” Game Started the Trouble.
In a race riot between white and colored men in South Camden last evening two colored men were shot. One of the two is seriously injured. When the police appeared upon the scene the white men turned their pistols against the officers, and their fire was returned. Arrests were made, however, without loss of life.
The night force were reporting at police headquarters for roll call at 6 o’clock last evening, when word was received that a race riot was in progress in the Seventh ward. Policemen Sayrs, George Anderson, Butts and Sage, the Seventh ward detail, were hastily dispatched to the scene.
They found a fierce fight in progress between a number of white and colored men, in which the former were using revolvers and the latter razors and clubs. As soon as they caught sight of the policemen the white men scattered.
Policeman Sayrs chased Thomas Glenn down Seventh street, near Walnut. The fugitive suddenly turned and fired his revolver at the officer. Policeman Sayrs dodged behind a freight car on Seventh street and emptied his revolver at Glenn. Howard Ever came to the officer’s assistance and Policemen Hyde and McClung joined in the chase. Glenn was finally captured in a house in which he had taken refuge.
One of the other fugitives fired at Policeman Butts, and that officer returned the fire, but neither was wounded.
The officers foun [sic] that Harry Cooper, of 706 Pine street, had been shot in the knee, and James Carter, of 332 Joint alley, had been shot in the stomach and hip during the riot. Both men are colored. They were sent to the Cooper Hospital. Carter is in a critical condition, as it is thought the bullet pierced his bladder. An operation will be necessary.
The officers arrested Henry Peters, son of Policeman Peters; John McDonald, Frank Whitaker and Thomas Glenn as the supposed assailants of the colored men. The prisoners claim that the fight started in the morning over a game of “crap,” and that the colored men left and returned in the evening with re-enforcements to “do up” the white men.
When searched at the City Hall Peters had a revolver and ball cartridges in his pocket. McDonald had a pair of brass knuckles. The police found a revolver at the scene of the fight.
50 Taken in Vice Raids
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Camden Determined to Get Rid of “Undesirables”
During a crusade against vice a number of raids were made in several parts of South Camden early yesterday morning. In the dragnet the police and detectives caught young and old and whites and blacks. Police officials stated that it was another move toward ridding Camden of undesirables. Just about the time Captain of Police Lewis Stehr and officers raided the alleged disorderly house of Louis Jackson, 74 years old, at 1814 Kossuth street, City Detective Stanley and officers raided the home of Etta Shorts, 20 years old, of 717 Baxter street. Sergeant Snow and officers raided the homes of David Castin, 27 years old, 731 Baxter street, and Robert Fisher, 3[?] years old, 1721 South Seventh street. City Detectives Moffett and Murray arrested Mary Peoples, 3[?] years old, in a raid on her house at [?] Joint alley. More than fifty men and women were arrested in the raids and ordered held as witnesses for their appearance before Recorder Stackhouse this morning.
Many Caught in Raid
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Pandemonium Reigned in Camden City Hall Following Arrests
Camden’s “Little Italy” as [sic] thrown into a ferment yesterday when Police Captain Stanley and Sergeant Reader, with squads of policemen, descended on two alleged disorderly houses and placed under arrest thirty-eight of the inmates. The proprietors included Antonio Froricano, Fourth street and Joint alley, and Andermo Clercenda, 706 South Second street. The prisoners taxed the capacity of the city jail.
It required several trips of the patrol wagons to convey the prisoners to the city prison, and in each instance crowds of gesticulating women and children followed. They crowded the police headquarters until the doors had to be locked to keep them out. What with the crying women, the bawling children and the excited talking of the men there was a perfect pandemonium.