When IU first came to Camden in ‘75 I lived at 32nd & Saunders, in the apartments across from Bob’s Market…. THANKS for posting this picture of North 32nd Street
Phil, Welcome, to the site! Let me first applaud you on your own site, which I posted a link to here (I’ve also borrowed a few East Camden pictures, which I hope you don’t mind… feel free to borrow any that I have posted that you might want to add to your site). I’ll eventually be putting up a number of pictures from Davis and Wilson, so keep checking back, and some personal pictures relating to Camden.
You lived at 32nd and Saunders when I was still living at the top of the hill on 32nd – 222. I was there until I graduated high school in 76, then just occasionally until 1978. My parents moved out in 1982.
A lot of the folks who have been checking in here, are right from the neighborhood around Davis School, where most of us went.
Stop back when you have opportunity, you never know who, or what info about Camden might surface here!
Ella-Marie, I remember your family from the block. It’s odd looking at the before and after pictures, my parents left in 82, and it was not yet too bad, hard to imagine it became what it did in the 90’s. Nice to see the transformation today back into a nice neighborhood.
I can recall some of the families that lived in the houses pictured… Commisso’s, Janice’s, Rolloff’s, then later the Corbitts, and of course Mr. Johnson’s big green house at the top of the photo. Remember he had all those pear trees… the Haines boys use to throw them all over, same with the crab apple trees before the Westfield Tower was built.
We should find a picture of 32nd street before the boards went up. This was actually a short cut for those living in East Camden and walking home from Davis Jr. H.S. There was a hole in the fence by the railroad track and you were actually behind the library in Dudbly Grange.
The new houses look great. But I dont remember the houses on 32nd street that run down. I guess I moved out before they got so bad. I had some friends on that street and their houses did not look like the houses pictured in damaged condition. Its nice to see the neighborhood got a face lift.
It sure was an interesting neighborhood and such fun growing up there. when some of us get together we cant stop talking or laughing about the antics of the gang. What great memories
Pat, the “run down” photos are probably from the late 90’s right before the houses were demolished to make room for the new ones… after a decade or so of the street being one of the worse drug markets in Camden. The decline began in the early and mid-80’s, and got steadily worse.
thanks ken for sharing that information. I returned to the neighborhood about ten years ago, by myself and came to the end of Rowe street and I was slowing down and staring at Orlow’s store, when out from nowhere came a gang of kids. They surrounded my car, probably trying to sell me drugs. I got nervous and started to back up slowly and gunned my engine in park, beeped the horn and put the peddle to the meddle and go the heck out of there. Thats my last visit. My house did not look bad, but the back of the Melleby’s yard was overgrown and you could not see through the yard. Some houses had some boards on them. It was quite sad to see a vibrant neighborhood go down hill.
I guess its a sign of the times. But the new houses look great. Hopefully, the new families can keep them from getting vandalized.
when i lived at 34th and faifax, 32nd street was known as the hill. because it was the fastest hill around for sledding. when you did the hill you were then a man. we used to cling onto cars going down hill on the ice. it was very fast…..ha……
Boy does this bring back memories!
EVEN SIDE: Buckley, Camisso ,Janice, Roloff/Corbett, Johnson, Haines,Groff/Kern, Brown, Hans, ??,??
Odd Side: Engtrom,Ormstons,??, Ivory,Grey/Sabatin, Gilman, Caneen, Brennan, Westfield Towers.
Some I’ve missed some I can’t remember. Fill in the ??
Hey Charles, you seem to have most of the names right. Next to the Hans at 218 was Mrs. Somers, then in the early 60’s Ed Vandergriff and his wife moved in (older couple) and they had a couple of borders… Mrs. Vandergriff’s brother Joe, and the older hunchbacked man who drove the Camaro. Mrs. Vandergriff had a yard full of roses and other plants. Ed had a station wagon full of fishing gear…LOL. At 216, the end house, for years it was an elderly woman name Mrs. Freihoffer, then she died, and a younger family moved in there, though I don’t recall their name, my sister Laurie probably does. That house was empty for a few years, I think they were settling the estate of Mrs. Freihoffer, then the house was sold. I remember someone paid my brother Mike and me to haul trash out of the house to the curb, boxes of stuff, Mike was probably only about 12, I was 8, we found some good stuff in the boxes, old cookbooks, tools, kitchen gadgets etc…
I remember Mr. and Mrs Groff at 224, my Mom kept in touch with their daughter Dottie over the years, and would occasionally see Dottie’s daughter Donna from her second marriage – you may remember Donna, she was around our age and use to spend time at her grandparents. Dottie Groff was first married to Eddie Benfold in the early 50’s, he was killed in Korea and was awarded the Medal of Honor. He was a Navy medic, who threw himself on a granade that had landed in the MASH tent he was working in, saving the lives of all the wounded soldiers being treated, but losing his own life. There is a Navy ship named after him…the USS Edward Benfold.
Hey remember the Buckley’s dog? It was an Alaskan Husky, I remember stopping to pet him most every day walking home from Davis.
Your memory is amazing. I do remember those neighbors now that you mention them. I have contact with Steve Janice and his family, I had the Buckleys over for a party with the Janice’s when I bought my first house in Williamstown. 1984 Great memory.
When we were kids we use to roll tires down the steps behind th Gulf station into the Gardens, they sometimes made it into the laundry room there. Stopped doing that when the man that managed the Gardens chased us and caught Rich Janice. I remember being scared to death.
Hey Charlie, do you remember what Mrs, Brennan did or where she worked. I remember she worked even when she was up there in years, she would walk to the corner to catch a bus everyday. She also had a woman named “Aunt Gert” who lived with her, she had one leg, and would sit on the enclosed porch most of the day.
Also can you remember who lived in the Coneens house before they moved in? Maybe Ella Marie remembers.
Kitty Cline or Kline/ Coneen Workmans/Sabatini Remember Bill and Stell Rental or Rentel lived same side as Gilmans at the bottom of the hill 2nd house to last and can remember a boy named Barry who lived in the last house
Hi Jeanette, it’s great to see you posting here at the site. I seem to remember the Kitty Kline name from before the Coneens moved in… I have no memory of the Workmans or Rentals, I was still quite young when the Sabatini family moved in.
Does anyone from 32nd Street remember the little store that was at the bottom of the hill where High Street ended at the Acres? I was a building that backed up to the yard of the last house on the Ormston’s side. It may have been a converted garage. I remember going there when I was real young, but then it closed, I think after one of the big floods and the basement flooded.
33rd and Westfield ave was a little store called Chalies It was like walking down a slant and that was Flooded. Now 32nd and High behind the house by the acres was a store called Elsies and My cousin from Williamstown met his wife there. Might have been before your time Kenny. And I remember digging out front of your house with your mother and brother Mike. We had spoons and buckets.
whoops I believe it was Workmen/Grey than Sabatini Family Before the Gilman Family was the Walker Family! Mrs. Brennon when she ran to open her front door all the glass would rattle anyone remember? Anyone remember Mrs. Summers she lived next to the last house toward Westfield Ave. She was a retired school teacher and use to invite the kids in the neighborhood to her home for a Christmas party. I know that is before your time Kenny. Good old 32nd street!
Jeanette, yes Elsies must of been the store I remember, I remember Charlie’s too, that was still open well into my childhood. I remember going to Elsies when I was real little probably walking home from Davis with Mike when I was in Kindergarten or 1st Grade.
I have only vague memories of Mrs Summers, but I remember when Ed and Mrs. Vandergriff moved into her house – 218, around the same time the Hans moved into 220… Lenny Hans was maybe three when they moved in, And I was not yet in school. The Vandergriffs had two borders, Mrs. Vandergriff’s brother Joe, and Dick, who was the hunchbacked man who drove the Camero. I recall my sister Karen saying something about Mrs. Summers throwing Christmas parties, and also ringing old sleigh bells on Christmas Eve too.
Jeanette you may remember this… on one of the other pages we were trying to remember the name of the kid who worked at the Esso station on the corner before it became Cumberland Farms. His first name was Ken, and he drove a blue and white classic Corvette. I remember he was always nice to us kids, never minded us hanging out at the station and would even give us rides on the car lift some days.
Be sure to check out the Westfield Towers and Westfield Towers Being Built pages, there are photos of the tower going up!
Hey Cindy Kern, nice to see you visiting the site! How have you been? How’s Chuck, Debbie and Jeannie? Tell them about the site. My sister Laurie stops in here often to post… check out “Cat Artist of 32nd Street” page – Laurie with a stray cat she food dyed back when she was a kid…hahah.
Laurie became a grandmother in January, she’s still in Texas with her five kids and husband Keith. I moved back to Jersey with my family in ‘97 after being in Maryland for a number of years. We have three teens.
Also there is a picture on here with your house in the background. If you look for the page “Halloween 1964″ there is a picture of my brother Mike and I in Halloween costumes, and your house in the background.
Ken, Sonny and Barbara Alleanio lived in the conneens house. Before that there was a older couple in the front and a lady named Marie, lived in the back who taught me how to bake cookies and Aunt Gert lived upstairs and after sonny moved in Aunt Gert moved in with Mrs. Brennan. On the other side Mrs. Workman was in a wheel chair and I would take her newspaper from the front porch to the back and she would give me a quarter. I would go to the mail box for her and she would give me my birthday card to mail and I never knew I did it until it came and then she would tell me (I was really little) then the Grays moved in then Sabatinis. Katie Ivory lived next to Sabatinis.
Barry Scott lived in the last house on my side of the street. Stella Reynolds still keeps in touch with my mother. When she left her house she lived with us for a while on 32nd street. I remember when Jeannie Haines had a apartment on 32nd street at the bottom of the hill. I would take her to her doctor appointment when she was carring Joey.
Ella Marie I think I remember the Andrews, he kept a number of cars in his yard and did repairs on them didn’t he? I seem to remember that from before the Coneens moved in. I saw obituaries in recent years for both Mike and Jimmy Coneen, both were only in their 40’s when they passed.
You asked if anybody remembers Larrry Ugeley? Do you mean Ukele(?) There was a Lawrence Ukele in my class in probsably 3rd or 4th grade class (around ‘61-’62) and he had a bike like you described – he had taken a normal bike frame & turned it upside-down, so the pedals were at the top of the frame & somehow mounted the seat & handlebars above that. Funny you should mention him – he came into class one day all bandaged up (& possibly broken bones, I forget, it was so long ago), but he was riding that bike & went through a bus window on Westfield Ave.! It’s got to be the same kid you remember.
Yes that is him had his last name spelled wrong but I am sure larry left an impression on alot of people with that uga uga sound that he shouted out when he rode that bike.
Jeanette, I remember Chuckie had a band, I recall they played “House of the Rising Sun” quite well! I seem to recall your brother Bobby was quite good at guitar playing also.
I love this site Kenny it bring back alot of good memories. Yes Bobby still plays and when he brings out his guitar I say “see ya later” lol Bobby does play good
February 19, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Its prettier now
February 28, 2008 at 10:29 am
COOL SITE!!!!!!
When IU first came to Camden in ‘75 I lived at 32nd & Saunders, in the apartments across from Bob’s Market…. THANKS for posting this picture of North 32nd Street
Phil
February 28, 2008 at 10:48 am
Phil, Welcome, to the site! Let me first applaud you on your own site, which I posted a link to here (I’ve also borrowed a few East Camden pictures, which I hope you don’t mind… feel free to borrow any that I have posted that you might want to add to your site). I’ll eventually be putting up a number of pictures from Davis and Wilson, so keep checking back, and some personal pictures relating to Camden.
You lived at 32nd and Saunders when I was still living at the top of the hill on 32nd – 222. I was there until I graduated high school in 76, then just occasionally until 1978. My parents moved out in 1982.
A lot of the folks who have been checking in here, are right from the neighborhood around Davis School, where most of us went.
Stop back when you have opportunity, you never know who, or what info about Camden might surface here!
March 19, 2008 at 6:11 pm
I lived on the other side of this street from 1959 to 1974
March 19, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Ella-Marie, I remember your family from the block. It’s odd looking at the before and after pictures, my parents left in 82, and it was not yet too bad, hard to imagine it became what it did in the 90’s. Nice to see the transformation today back into a nice neighborhood.
I can recall some of the families that lived in the houses pictured… Commisso’s, Janice’s, Rolloff’s, then later the Corbitts, and of course Mr. Johnson’s big green house at the top of the photo. Remember he had all those pear trees… the Haines boys use to throw them all over, same with the crab apple trees before the Westfield Tower was built.
December 28, 2008 at 4:10 pm
We should find a picture of 32nd street before the boards went up. This was actually a short cut for those living in East Camden and walking home from Davis Jr. H.S. There was a hole in the fence by the railroad track and you were actually behind the library in Dudbly Grange.
March 18, 2009 at 6:54 pm
The new houses look great. But I dont remember the houses on 32nd street that run down. I guess I moved out before they got so bad. I had some friends on that street and their houses did not look like the houses pictured in damaged condition. Its nice to see the neighborhood got a face lift.
It sure was an interesting neighborhood and such fun growing up there. when some of us get together we cant stop talking or laughing about the antics of the gang. What great memories
March 18, 2009 at 6:56 pm
I mean the gang of kids in our neighborhood. It was pretty safe in that area growing up.
March 18, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Pat, the “run down” photos are probably from the late 90’s right before the houses were demolished to make room for the new ones… after a decade or so of the street being one of the worse drug markets in Camden. The decline began in the early and mid-80’s, and got steadily worse.
March 20, 2009 at 5:20 pm
thanks ken for sharing that information. I returned to the neighborhood about ten years ago, by myself and came to the end of Rowe street and I was slowing down and staring at Orlow’s store, when out from nowhere came a gang of kids. They surrounded my car, probably trying to sell me drugs. I got nervous and started to back up slowly and gunned my engine in park, beeped the horn and put the peddle to the meddle and go the heck out of there. Thats my last visit. My house did not look bad, but the back of the Melleby’s yard was overgrown and you could not see through the yard. Some houses had some boards on them. It was quite sad to see a vibrant neighborhood go down hill.
I guess its a sign of the times. But the new houses look great. Hopefully, the new families can keep them from getting vandalized.
April 20, 2009 at 4:54 pm
when i lived at 34th and faifax, 32nd street was known as the hill. because it was the fastest hill around for sledding. when you did the hill you were then a man. we used to cling onto cars going down hill on the ice. it was very fast…..ha……
July 11, 2009 at 11:32 am
Boy does this bring back memories!
EVEN SIDE: Buckley, Camisso ,Janice, Roloff/Corbett, Johnson, Haines,Groff/Kern, Brown, Hans, ??,??
Odd Side: Engtrom,Ormstons,??, Ivory,Grey/Sabatin, Gilman, Caneen, Brennan, Westfield Towers.
Some I’ve missed some I can’t remember. Fill in the ??
July 11, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Hey Charles, you seem to have most of the names right. Next to the Hans at 218 was Mrs. Somers, then in the early 60’s Ed Vandergriff and his wife moved in (older couple) and they had a couple of borders… Mrs. Vandergriff’s brother Joe, and the older hunchbacked man who drove the Camaro. Mrs. Vandergriff had a yard full of roses and other plants. Ed had a station wagon full of fishing gear…LOL. At 216, the end house, for years it was an elderly woman name Mrs. Freihoffer, then she died, and a younger family moved in there, though I don’t recall their name, my sister Laurie probably does. That house was empty for a few years, I think they were settling the estate of Mrs. Freihoffer, then the house was sold. I remember someone paid my brother Mike and me to haul trash out of the house to the curb, boxes of stuff, Mike was probably only about 12, I was 8, we found some good stuff in the boxes, old cookbooks, tools, kitchen gadgets etc…
I remember Mr. and Mrs Groff at 224, my Mom kept in touch with their daughter Dottie over the years, and would occasionally see Dottie’s daughter Donna from her second marriage – you may remember Donna, she was around our age and use to spend time at her grandparents. Dottie Groff was first married to Eddie Benfold in the early 50’s, he was killed in Korea and was awarded the Medal of Honor. He was a Navy medic, who threw himself on a granade that had landed in the MASH tent he was working in, saving the lives of all the wounded soldiers being treated, but losing his own life. There is a Navy ship named after him…the USS Edward Benfold.
Hey remember the Buckley’s dog? It was an Alaskan Husky, I remember stopping to pet him most every day walking home from Davis.
July 12, 2009 at 11:16 am
Your memory is amazing. I do remember those neighbors now that you mention them. I have contact with Steve Janice and his family, I had the Buckleys over for a party with the Janice’s when I bought my first house in Williamstown. 1984 Great memory.
When we were kids we use to roll tires down the steps behind th Gulf station into the Gardens, they sometimes made it into the laundry room there. Stopped doing that when the man that managed the Gardens chased us and caught Rich Janice. I remember being scared to death.
July 13, 2009 at 11:09 am
Hey Charlie, do you remember what Mrs, Brennan did or where she worked. I remember she worked even when she was up there in years, she would walk to the corner to catch a bus everyday. She also had a woman named “Aunt Gert” who lived with her, she had one leg, and would sit on the enclosed porch most of the day.
Also can you remember who lived in the Coneens house before they moved in? Maybe Ella Marie remembers.
July 17, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Kitty Cline or Kline/ Coneen Workmans/Sabatini Remember Bill and Stell Rental or Rentel lived same side as Gilmans at the bottom of the hill 2nd house to last and can remember a boy named Barry who lived in the last house
July 17, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Hi Jeanette, it’s great to see you posting here at the site. I seem to remember the Kitty Kline name from before the Coneens moved in… I have no memory of the Workmans or Rentals, I was still quite young when the Sabatini family moved in.
Does anyone from 32nd Street remember the little store that was at the bottom of the hill where High Street ended at the Acres? I was a building that backed up to the yard of the last house on the Ormston’s side. It may have been a converted garage. I remember going there when I was real young, but then it closed, I think after one of the big floods and the basement flooded.
July 17, 2009 at 3:36 pm
33rd and Westfield ave was a little store called Chalies It was like walking down a slant and that was Flooded. Now 32nd and High behind the house by the acres was a store called Elsies and My cousin from Williamstown met his wife there. Might have been before your time Kenny. And I remember digging out front of your house with your mother and brother Mike. We had spoons and buckets.
July 17, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Does anyone remember Larry Ugaly he use to ride a bike with the seat so high up and yell ugga! ugga! He wore glasses.
July 17, 2009 at 4:47 pm
whoops I believe it was Workmen/Grey than Sabatini Family Before the Gilman Family was the Walker Family! Mrs. Brennon when she ran to open her front door all the glass would rattle anyone remember? Anyone remember Mrs. Summers she lived next to the last house toward Westfield Ave. She was a retired school teacher and use to invite the kids in the neighborhood to her home for a Christmas party. I know that is before your time Kenny. Good old 32nd street!
July 17, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Jeanette, yes Elsies must of been the store I remember, I remember Charlie’s too, that was still open well into my childhood. I remember going to Elsies when I was real little probably walking home from Davis with Mike when I was in Kindergarten or 1st Grade.
I have only vague memories of Mrs Summers, but I remember when Ed and Mrs. Vandergriff moved into her house – 218, around the same time the Hans moved into 220… Lenny Hans was maybe three when they moved in, And I was not yet in school. The Vandergriffs had two borders, Mrs. Vandergriff’s brother Joe, and Dick, who was the hunchbacked man who drove the Camero. I recall my sister Karen saying something about Mrs. Summers throwing Christmas parties, and also ringing old sleigh bells on Christmas Eve too.
Jeanette you may remember this… on one of the other pages we were trying to remember the name of the kid who worked at the Esso station on the corner before it became Cumberland Farms. His first name was Ken, and he drove a blue and white classic Corvette. I remember he was always nice to us kids, never minded us hanging out at the station and would even give us rides on the car lift some days.
Be sure to check out the Westfield Towers and Westfield Towers Being Built pages, there are photos of the tower going up!
July 19, 2009 at 4:22 pm
I live in 224 32 street until 1994
July 19, 2009 at 4:25 pm
OH FORGOT ALL ABOUT MRS SUMMERS WITH THE SLEIGH BELLS BUT YES SHE DID WALK UP AND DOWN 32ND STREET SHAKING THEM WHAT A MEMMORY
July 19, 2009 at 4:25 pm
I remember holding on the fences in the winter time to get down the hill
July 19, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Hey what is this a 32nd Street reunion?
Hey Cindy Kern, nice to see you visiting the site! How have you been? How’s Chuck, Debbie and Jeannie? Tell them about the site. My sister Laurie stops in here often to post… check out “Cat Artist of 32nd Street” page – Laurie with a stray cat she food dyed back when she was a kid…hahah.
Laurie became a grandmother in January, she’s still in Texas with her five kids and husband Keith. I moved back to Jersey with my family in ‘97 after being in Maryland for a number of years. We have three teens.
Also there is a picture on here with your house in the background. If you look for the page “Halloween 1964″ there is a picture of my brother Mike and I in Halloween costumes, and your house in the background.
July 23, 2009 at 1:21 pm
george marks did you hang out with my sister debbie an her x mike elkin?
July 24, 2009 at 6:00 am
Ken, Sonny and Barbara Alleanio lived in the conneens house. Before that there was a older couple in the front and a lady named Marie, lived in the back who taught me how to bake cookies and Aunt Gert lived upstairs and after sonny moved in Aunt Gert moved in with Mrs. Brennan. On the other side Mrs. Workman was in a wheel chair and I would take her newspaper from the front porch to the back and she would give me a quarter. I would go to the mail box for her and she would give me my birthday card to mail and I never knew I did it until it came and then she would tell me (I was really little) then the Grays moved in then Sabatinis. Katie Ivory lived next to Sabatinis.
July 24, 2009 at 6:04 am
Barry Scott lived in the last house on my side of the street. Stella Reynolds still keeps in touch with my mother. When she left her house she lived with us for a while on 32nd street. I remember when Jeannie Haines had a apartment on 32nd street at the bottom of the hill. I would take her to her doctor appointment when she was carring Joey.
July 24, 2009 at 6:43 pm
CINDY KERN, I DO NOT REMEMBER THE NAME, WERE THEY AROUND THE TIME 52-65? I SPENT ALOT OF TIME AROUND 32 ST. AND 35TH AND 36TH, AND PELHAM PLACE .
July 25, 2009 at 11:55 pm
I was talking to my mom and she said the couple that lived in the conneens back in the 60’s were the andrews and Kitty lived up stairs.
July 26, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Ella Marie I think I remember the Andrews, he kept a number of cars in his yard and did repairs on them didn’t he? I seem to remember that from before the Coneens moved in. I saw obituaries in recent years for both Mike and Jimmy Coneen, both were only in their 40’s when they passed.
July 26, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Jeanette(Haines)Ashton,
You asked if anybody remembers Larrry Ugeley? Do you mean Ukele(?) There was a Lawrence Ukele in my class in probsably 3rd or 4th grade class (around ‘61-’62) and he had a bike like you described – he had taken a normal bike frame & turned it upside-down, so the pedals were at the top of the frame & somehow mounted the seat & handlebars above that. Funny you should mention him – he came into class one day all bandaged up (& possibly broken bones, I forget, it was so long ago), but he was riding that bike & went through a bus window on Westfield Ave.! It’s got to be the same kid you remember.
August 7, 2009 at 11:24 am
Yes that is him had his last name spelled wrong but I am sure larry left an impression on alot of people with that uga uga sound that he shouted out when he rode that bike.
August 8, 2009 at 11:53 am
Kenny do you remember Chuckie Kern had a band?
August 8, 2009 at 11:58 am
Jeanette, I remember Chuckie had a band, I recall they played “House of the Rising Sun” quite well! I seem to recall your brother Bobby was quite good at guitar playing also.
August 8, 2009 at 5:40 pm
I love this site Kenny it bring back alot of good memories. Yes Bobby still plays and when he brings out his guitar I say “see ya later” lol Bobby does play good