Princess Avenue

Princess Avenue is in Parkside, running south from Walnut Street to Euclid Avenue, east of Haddon Avenue.

Our neighbors were Mr. & Mrs. James and Lois Bagby. They lived there until Mr. Bagby died and Mrs. Bagby moved to Woodbury only in about the last ten years. They bought their house in the 50s from the Narcisco family who moved to Mt. Ephraim, New Jersey where they had a florist shop. That was 1011 Princess Avenue.

My parents met at work in RCA in 1943. I don’t remember too much about those years as when we moved I was a few months from turning 8 years old. I do remember going to Kindergarten at the Parkside School. We used to walk, just us kids with a guard at the Blvd for a half a day of school. Our teacher was Mrs. Wheeler who moved back to Wheeling, West Virginia after that school year. 1956–1957 I remember stopping at a store and buying penny candy with the other kids on the way home. The next two years I attended Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic School. We had to wait for a bus at the corner of Park Boulevard and Princess. The same corner that my aunt had her house which was also the corner where the YUM YUM guy stopped in the summer and we all got our YUM YUM. Then we had a neighbor who lived on our same side of Princess Avenue a few houses down from ours toward Park Blvd and his name was Mike Doto (his wife Ruby) a son Eddie and daughter Carlotta and Mr. Doto became the first Mr. Softee that I can remember. They moved to Bellmawr, NJ in the 60s. Close to their house was a family named DeCerbo and they had about three children I believe.

Directly across the street from us were Thomas and Angie Lopez. They had three children Maryanne, Steve and Salvatore. They moved a few years after us to Magnolia, New Jersey.

At 1015 were people named Schnittlinger. They moved about two or three years before we did.

—Loretta Petrillo, June 2009

Stanton Brown, 18, of 1060 Princess avenue, arrested by Patrolman Fred Wyman and Norris Fisher, of Pennsauken township, for driving without a license, was fined $5 and $2.50 costs last night by Police Recorder George E. Yost. —Camden Courier-Post, February 12, 1938.

Several residents were rescued from the rooftop of a Camden home after it caught fire early Saturday, according to Camden Fire Chief Ralph Roberts. The two-alarm fire, at 1141 Princess Avenue, was reported at 4:33 a.m. and brought under control about an hour later. When firefighters arrived, they discovered heavy fire on the first floor that spread to the second floor. Three to five people were rescued from the rooftop by emergency personnel. One victim was treated for injuries on location but did not require hospital treatment. The fire spread to two adjoining homes, causing minor damage. No one in those homes was injured. One dog died. The fire is under investigation. —Camden Courier-Post, June 10, 2007.

My Grandmother lived at 1141 Princess Avenue while Mr. and Mrs. Wilkie lived at 1144 Princess, right across the street. I grew up at 1157 Princess and while Mr. Wilkie was as nice as a man could be, we were surely at our best behavior when he was home. A “no nonsense” type of guy.

—Pat Yocolano, September 2007

The marriage of Mrs. Evelyn Clinger Clark, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry A. Clinger, of 120 South Thirty-second Street, and Elmer Y. Gaskill, nephew of Miss Mary V. Yerkes, of 1160 Princess Avenue, with whom he makes his home, takes place at noon today in the parsonage of the Gloucester Methodist Church. The ceremony will be performed by Rev. Oliver C. Apgar, pastor of the church. Mrs. Harry Boileau, of Camden, sister of the bride, and Samuel J. Huntzinger, Sr., of Merchantville, are the only attendants. Immediately following, Mr. Gaskill and his bride will leave for Florida, where before returning to this city, they will join Mr. and Mrs. Huntzinger and their son, Samuel Huntzinger, Jr., at Fort Pierce. —Camden Courier-Post, June 11, 1932.

My mother was raised at 1139 Princess Avenue. Helen and Paul Avis were her parents. My grandfather, Paul, died when I was about 4 months old and my grandmother, Helen Roork Avis, passed in approximately 1965. Helen moved from the 1139 Princess Avenue property in approximately 1959.

Until the day my grandmother moved I spent a tremendous amount of time at that home. It was simply my second home.

The Cangelosi family whose photo is shown were our neighbors. The homes were side by sides and the Cangelosis were attached to my grandmother’s home. The nicest people. My grandmother and Mrs. Cangelosi were good friends and I always enjoyed seeing her and spoke to her often. My mother was the second eldest of 8 children. My mother and her older brother graduated from Camden High and the other six graduated from Woodrow Wilson. My mother and I spent a number of years living in the Cramer Hill section which was also very nice.

—Janice Bennett, October 20, 2012

163 Princess Avenue was owned during the 20’s through the 60’s by Joseph W. Sharp. My mother was his daughter, and she. My father and I lived there from the late 40’s through 1954. We were Preston and Mary Ellen Lindeborn and daughter Beverly. The Yocolanos were our friends. Their son, Pat, was my best buddy when we were very little.

—Beverly Lindeborn, June 5, 2011

In 1965 the home was purchased by Ada T. Bracey, she lived there until her death in 2000. She was a one woman beautification committee, always willing to assist her neighbors with planting their front and back yards. Her roses were the envy of the neighborhood. She was loved by all who knew her for her generosity, baked goods and delectable treats.

—Cheryl Leftwich, March 29, 2014

At the corner of Princess and Wildwood Avenues was a store called “Manion’s” run by the Manion family as early as 1951. The store was caddie-corner from Parkside School and was primarily an ice cream store with a soda fountain specializing in great ice cream sodas, sundaes and “penny candies,” (some were even 2 for a penny). They also had quite an assortment of groceries etc. I recall buying cigarettes for my parents at $.19 cents a pack and the Courier-Post for a nickel. When smokes went up to $.21 cents a pack my Dad swore he would quit. I wonder if he would be a smoker today at $6 bucks a pack.

In the middle 50’s Mrs. Manion started a job while someone else ran the family store. My mother took care of little Frankie Manion (a little redheaded demon as I recall) for a few bucks a week while Mrs. Manion was at work. Shortly after that the Manions were moving to Pennsauken and a Jewish immigrant and his family purchased the store and gave it their family name of “Zimmer’s.” Mr. Zimmer ran the store with his wife and her sister as well as her husband Mr. Wasser.

The Zimmer family quickly changed the store from a soda fountain to a variety/grocery store and what a variety they had. After a few years Mr. Wasser opened a carbon copy of Zimmers store right across the street selling more delicatessen types of fare than his brother-in-law. I still recall the Hebrew newspapers sold there as Parkside was comprised mostly of Jews and Italians at that time. Apparently there were plenty of customers for both stores to make a living since they survived well after my family moved on to the suburbs in 1963. To the best of my knowledge there were never any other stores or businesses on Princess Avenue which runs from Chestnut Street to Euclid Avenue.

—Pat Yocolano, November 2008

Philip and Fanny were my grandparents. They had six children. 5 are listed under them — David, Rose, Samuel, Dorothy and Benjamin (who is really Ben Zion, my father). Their 6th child was Gertrude, who married Bernard (Baruch) Kushner and they are listed right after the Steinbergs in the census. I do not know who Abraham Kushner is. Bernard and Gertrude had two sons — Alvin, who recently passed away and William — aka Bill — who is my eldest cousin and who has the best recall of all the family and life in Camden.

—Saul Steinberg, November 23, 2010

Miss Alice E. Miller, of 1345 Princess avenue, is motoring to Miami, Fla., for a two weeks’ stay. —Camden Courier-Post, February 16, 1938.

Miss Adelaid Hankins, a lifelong resident of Camden, died yesterday at the home, 1421 Princess avenue. She was the daughter of the late Elias and Marie Hankins and is survived by a sister, Miss Laura Hankins, with whom she lived. The funeral will be held at 2 p. m., Thursday, at 1401 Princess avenue. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery.

HANKINS—On February 14, 1938, Adelaid, daughter of the late Elias and Maria Hankins (nee Rubert) and sister of Laura Hankins, of 1421 Princess Ave., Camden, N. J. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral services on Thursday afternoon at 2 o’clock at the Holl Funeral Home, 1401 Princess Ave., Camden, N. J. Interment at Evergreen Cemetery. Friends may call Wednesday evening. —Camden Courier-Post, February 15, 1938.

Call letters for the operation of amateur radio stations have been assigned to several residents of Camden, N. J., and nearby communities, the Federal Communications Commission announced. They include: Russell W. Finger, of 312 Morse street, Camden, W3BFH; and Arthur H. Stead of 1472 Princess avenue, Camden, W3EHU. —Camden Courier-Post, February 14, 1938.

My earliest memory of growing up in Parkside was at 1157 Princess Avenue as early as 1950.

My Grandparents Pietro and Ethel Cangelosi lived 8 houses away at 1141 Princess Avenue.

At the corner of Princess and Wildwood Avenues was a store called “Manion’s” run by the Manion family as early as 1951. The store was caddie-corner from Parkside School and was primarily an ice cream store with a soda fountain specializing in great ice cream sodas, sundaes and “penny candies,” (some were even 2 for a penny). They also had quite an assortment of groceries etc. I recall buying cigarettes for my parents at $.19 cents a pack and the Courier-Post for a nickel. When smokes went up to $.21 cents a pack my Dad swore he would quit. I wonder if he would be a smoker today at $6 bucks a pack.

In the middle 50’s Mrs. Manion started a job while someone else ran the family store. My mother took care of little Frankie Manion (a little redheaded demon as I recall) for a few bucks a week while Mrs. Manion was at work. Shortly after that the Manions were moving to Pennsauken and a Jewish immigrant and his family purchased the store and gave it their family name of “Zimmer’s.” Mr. Zimmer ran the store with his wife and her sister as well as her husband Mr. Wasser.

The Zimmer family quickly changed the store from a soda fountain to a variety/grocery store and what a variety they had. After a few years Mr. Wasser opened a carbon copy of Zimmers store right across the street selling more delicatessen types of fare than his brother-in-law. I still recall the Hebrew newspapers sold there as Parkside was comprised mostly of Jews and Italians at that time. Apparently there were plenty of customers for both stores to make a living since they survived well after my family moved on to the suburbs in 1963. To the best of my knowledge there were never any other stores or businesses on Princess Avenue which runs from Chestnut Street to Euclid Avenue.

Another fond memory of Princess Avenue for me was selling “Yum Yum” on the island of Park Boulevard and Princess Avenue from Johnny’s or Leo’s Yum Yum. Johnny stopped selling the creamy type of water ice in the early 60’s while Leo still sells his terrific Yum Yum in Medford next door to “Donkey’s Two,” another Parkside favorite that started on Haddon Avenue and Liberty Street.

Returning small soda bottles for a $.02 deposit while larger empties brought a nickel, (a nice score for a little kid). Pimple balls were a dime and were needed to play “stickball” at Parkside School. When they broke we played “half ball.” Once a year the custodian at Parkside School would climb up onto the roof of the school and throw down all of the “roofed” pimple balls that accumulated during the year. The kids that were lucky enough to be around on those days screamed with delight as the shower of free treasures came tumbling down.

Ah, they were surely the “good old days.

—Pat Yocolano