Sycamore Street

Sycamore Street is another of Camden's “tree” streets, running east from Front Street to Haddon Avenue. At different times Sycamore Street intersections at 7th, 8th, and Louis Streets were hubs of Camden's African-American, Jewish, and Polish communities.

From 1890 to 1922 this block was known as Cox Street.

141 Sycamore Street — 1933 Sherman Butler

Baby’s Back Injured By Father’s Auto: Howard Butler, 2-1/2, of 141 Sycamore Street, suffered a possible broken back last night when he was struck by the car of his father, Sherman Butler, 33, in front of his home. Butler told police he was backing the car at the curb. He felt a jar, and looking back, saw his son under the left rear wheel. He took him to West Jersey Homeopathic Hospital. Camden Courier-Post, June 29, 1933.

230 Sycamore Street — Girl Swallows Marble and Goes to Hospital: Swallowing a marble while playing with companions in front of her home at 260 Sycamore Street yesterday, Elizabeth F. Everett, 3, is in Cooper Hospital for observation. Neighbors summoned police, who, with her father, John, took her to the hospital. 1933 John Everett. Camden Courier-Post, June 21, 1933.

Gropes for Light, Man Is Killed by Fall Down Stairs: Stumbling as he groped for a light in the home of a friend, a South Camden man fell down a stairway in a Sycamore Street home early today and broke his neck.

Howard Ashton, 45 years old, 1242 South Second Street was pronounced dead when admitted to Cooper Hospital shortly after 1 o’clock.

City Detective Rox Saponare went to the home of Alfred Marshman, 258 Sycamore Street, after detective headquarters had received a telephone tip that a man had fallen downstairs.

Saponare said Ashton and Marshman apparently had been drinking during the evening. They had retired to a second-floor bedroom, and Ashton apparently had started for the first floor when he fell.

622 Sycamore Street — Boy Hurt at Circus: Joseph Hackett, 10, colored, of 622 Sycamore Street, was treated at Cooper Hospital yesterday for a wound he said was caused when a side-show attendant at Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus threw a brick. Police could find no brick thrower. 1933 Joseph Hackett. Camden Courier-Post, June 16, 1933.

Busy 24 Hours in Camden NJ — 6 Working Fires along with a Rescue

Camden Firefighters had a busy 24-hour tour starting on June 16th and ending on June 17th with four All Hands Fires and two second alarms all in the South Camden section of the city.

The first job was a working fire in a row of two-story dwellings in the 1200 block Morton Street. Later that day they had a working fire in the middle of a row of two-story dwellings in the 700 block of Spruce Street; a few hours later in the AM hours they were called to the 700 block of Cherry Street.

First-in companies found heavy fire showing in a large 3-story brick dwelling that put all companies to work within minutes; part of the structure collapsed. Battalion 1 called for a second alarm. A few minutes later, while the fire was going, another alarm came in for a working fire at 908 Haddon Avenue, about 6 blocks away.

As the companies were coming in they found another blaze a block away from the first job, in a row of 2-story dwellings at 903 Haddon Avenue.

Fire Radio put in a special call to Camden County Fire Units to respond into the city; fire companies from Gloucester City, Oaklyn, Westmont, Collingswood, and Pennsauken Township were put to work fighting these blazes. By 4:30 AM all the fires were placed under control.

A few hours later firefighters were dispatched to 620 Sycamore Street for an explosion and fire with reports of people trapped. Engine 8 was first in with Captain Dan Baker. He reported he had the end of a row brick 2-story dwelling that had exploded and had numerous people injured and one victim still trapped on the collapsed second floor; he requested the second alarm to be transmitted.

Rescue 1 was arriving with Captain Frank Sandrock and Battalion 1 Chief Daryl Lewison along with Squad 7 and Engine 1 and Ladder Companies 2 and 1 and Battalion Chief 2 Mike Dipascale on the second alarm with Engine Companies 6 and 9, Ladder 3 and Special Operations Rescue unit and Car 3 with Deputy Chief Mike Harper and Chief of Department Joseph Marini in Car 1.

Firefighters could hear a female calling for help from the collapsed second floor.

Firefighters went to work shoring up the collapsed building. Captain Sandrock of Rescue 1 was OPS Officer. About 30 minutes later firefighters were able to get to the badly injured woman. She had burns over 70 percent of her body. Rescue 1 firefighter Eli Hall was sent up the ladder to bring her down. Camden EMS removed her to Cooper Hospital Trauma.

Two other males were blown out of the second floor of the building onto the street and were taken to the hospital by Camden EMS. Two of the victims were admitted in critical condition. Car 3 Harper placed the assignment under control.

The explosion is under investigation by the Camden Fire Marshal Office and Camden Police Arson Unit along with the ATF.

Cherry Hill Twp Canteen Unit RIT team and Rehab Unit, and County Fire Police and Camden County Field Com units were special called. This was a busy 24 hours with 4 All Hands and 2 second-alarm fires and a life-saving rescue.

710 Sycamore Street — Circus ‘Echo’ in Court: Armed with a contract and all set for a “clean up,” Russell Fleming, 710 Sycamore Street, arrived at the scene of his work only to find the job had been usurped by a Philadelphian, Fleming told Police Judge Pancoast Saturday when he appealed to him to settle an argument over the job. Fleming said he was given a contract by Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus to clean up the circus grounds on State Street Friday morning after the circus had departed. For his work, Fleming said, he was to get the refuse, to be sold as fertilizer. He went to the circus grounds, he said, all set to go to work and found Henry Rothblath, 53, of 2549 Rees Street, Philadelphia, had already hauled away four loads. Rothblath refused to return the four loads of refuse, Fleming said, so he had him arrested. Judge Pancoast decreed that Rothblath erred in hauling away the four loads of refuse and sent him to jail for 60 days. 1933 Russell Fleming. Camden Courier-Post, June 19, 1933.

Philadelphia Inquirer — August 9, 1916. Meyer Pinsky, the Pinsky Stores, Kaighn Avenue, Ann Street.

917, 919, 921, and 923 were willed to John M. Welsh by my Great Grandfather John J. Welsh the builder. The large rear yards of 919–921 were used as a used firewood business by my Grandfather and father Edgar until the late 1950’s. All of the inventory was destroyed in the late 1950’s in a large fire. John M. Welsh (died 1936) and my Grandmother Catherine (died 1944) (nee Duey or Dewey). 917 was owned by John M Welsh Jr. and was lost to his ex-wife Helen Welsh/Helen Polanski in a divorce settlement. My parents lived in 919 and 921 until my father Edgar Welsh (died 1973) and Elizabeth moved in 1974. The 917, 919, and 921 homes were rented and burned to the ground sometime in 1978–1979. 921 was rented to my grandmother Anna from 1947–1973. My father told me that 923 was a mud house that collapsed in the 1920s.

— Ed Welsh

1124 Sycamore Street — Births (Cooper): Faith Mary, to Mr. and Mrs. Colin Joseph McCall, of 1124 Sycamore Street. 1938 Colin J. McCall & Family. Camden Courier-Post, February 16, 1938.

1133 Sycamore Street — 1938 Stanley Czajkowski. A man and woman were injured at 3:45 p.m. yesterday when an automobile struck a parked car at Fortieth and Federal Streets, according to Pennsauken Township police. Mrs. Stella Pukala, 22, of 1218 Atlantic Avenue, received cuts and bruises of the face. John Foltynski, 35, of 1168 Ross Street, suffered cuts of the eye and head. Both were treated at West Jersey Hospital. They were passengers in a car driven by Stanley Czajkowski, 24, of 1133 Sycamore Street. Camden Courier-Post, February 7, 1938.

1133 Sycamore Street — Yost Fines 4 Autoists in Pennsauken Court: Fines for motor vehicle law violations were imposed on four autoists last night by Recorder George E. Yost, in Pennsauken. Stanley Czajowski, 24, of 1133 Sycamore Street, Camden, was fined $10 and $2.50 costs for having no driver’s license. Camden Courier-Post, February 8, 1938.

1181 Sycamore Street — Man Given 30 Days in Stolen Goods Case: Judge Samuel M. Shay yesterday sentenced Spencer Murray, 52, colored, of 1181 Sycamore Street, to 80 days in the county jail after finding him guilty of receiving stolen goods. Murray is alleged to have sold $2000 worth of copper template stolen April 1 from the Camden Pottery Company, Mt. Vernon and Orchard Streets, to a Philadelphia junk dealer. He received about $3.25 for it, he said, after buying it for $2.95 from Paul K. Obylinski, 16, of 1506 Norris Street, and Edward Wisniewski, 17, of 1359 Jackson Street. The two youths were convicted recently of the theft. 1933 Spencer Murray. Camden Courier-Post, June 20, 1933.

1159 Sycamore Street — Adam Kolb Sr. was the proprietor of a bar at 302 Spruce Street. He died between April 5, 1877, when his will was dated, and April 23, 1877. Adam’s will left his money and “real estate” to his wife Mary Magdalena Kolb for the remainder of her natural life. Upon her death, half was to go to the Trinity German Lutheran Church in Camden and half to the Children’s home in Germantown. By 1880 the bar at 302 Spruce Street was no longer being run by the Kolb family. Mary Magdalena Kolb remarried on August 29, 1878. Her second husband, John Daniel Hahn, is listed in Chew’s 1878–1879 Camden City Directory as a hostler, residing at 21 North 4th Street. The 1878–1879 Directory shows John Hann at 1159 Sycamore Street. The Howe’s Camden Directory of 1885–1888 lists “Kolb, Mary, widow of Adam, home 1159 Sycamore.” John Daniel Hahn died on February 11, 1886 in Philadelphia. Mary Magdalena Kolb Hahn died in June of 1889 and was buried at Old Camden Cemetery on June 27, 1889.

I was born and raised at 1255 Sycamore Street, moved in 1960. My family, (Osinski’s) all lived in the area. I attended Lincoln School and lived in a mostly Polish neighborhood.

— Sandy Faries, June 29, 2011