Elizabeth McLaughlin Baker

 

This is the story of your great grandmother, Elizabeth M. McLaughlin Baker. She was born in January 1886 in Delaware. It may have been in Wilmington as this was where her father was born but it’s not known for sure.  Her parents were William James and Mary Elizabeth (McFadden) McLaughlin. No surprise there since William seems to be the most common name in your dad’s family tree. Her siblings were Leo, Mary, Francis, Julie, Virginia, Regina, William and Cecilia. All were born in Pennsylvania except Virginia who was born in Delaware.

The Northeast US was starting to boom when she was born, the population

was increasing and the NE saw many factories being built. Electric lights were starting to be used. National railroads were starting to cross the country as most railroad companies adopted a standard. Coca Cola was invented that year as medicine (it had cocaine in the formulas at that time). Grover Cleveland became the first and only US President to get married in the White House. A large earthquake struck Charleston, South Carolina. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated that year.

According to the 1900 US Census Elizabeth was attending school. She was 14 at the time so her family must have valued education since many children quit school to work before that age. In that year the family lived at 4 Falls Place in Philadelphia. Except for Regina all the other children were living at home. It’s not known what happened to her although the census says that Mary gave birth to 11 children and only nine were living. Elizabeth’s father, William, was a barber.  The 1900 Census also says that both of Elizabeth’s grandparents were born in Ireland.

Elizabeth married William W. Pullen in Philadelphia on 2 August 1904 when she was 18 years old. Of course she married a man named William. She had children named William, born in 1906 and Bertha born in 1909. Her son John W. Pullen was born in 1911 and Catherine in 1914. It’s possible that Elizabeth and William were living in New York as both John and Bertha were born in New York. William died in infancy and Bertha may have died before 1915 as she is not listed in the NJ Census that year. Sometime between 1914 and 1915 her husband William died.

Life would have been difficult after William’s death. A single woman raising two young children would have been a challenge. Poverty was widespread at this time. War broke out in Europe in 1914. Wealthy people vacationed in Europe. Some were aboard the Titanic when it sank in 1912.

But Elizabeth then met William Walter Baker, and they were married in 1915. In the 1915 NJ Census the couple were living at 1114 Cooper St. in Camden, NJ. Elizabeth was 28. Living with them in the house were John 4yrs-old and Catherine 1. The house may have been an apartments since another couple, George and Emma Sisson and their daughter, Dorothy are listed as living at that address.  Then on May 25, 1916, shortly after 5PM their son, William, was born in Philadelphia at 2137 N. College Ave. in Philadelphia, PA at the residence of a doctor. Life in 1915 Camden, NJ, was defined by booming industry (New York Ship, RCA Victor, Campbell Soup), massive immigrant influx (Italians, Eastern Europeans), rapid growth, and distinct ethnic neighborhoods, all centered around factory jobs, but also facing segregation and the growing urban challenges of a rapidly growing industrial city, with communities building social structures like churches and schools among the industrial landscape near Philly. These groups formed ethnic neighborhoods (Italian in Bergen Lanning, Polish around St. Joseph's), centered around their own churches, synagogues, and social clubs. The growth fueled new residential areas like Parkside, which grew with the trolley lines, offering new amenities like indoor plumbing. William was working as a varnisher and Elzabeth was keeping house.

Five years later the family was living at 1133 Penn St. in Camden. Joining the other children was their son Leo age 2. William is working as an “erector” in a shipyard as reported in the 1920 US Census. The shipyard may have been the New York Shipyard in South Camden although there was another one in Camden at that time.

Many things happened in Camden during the 1920s. It was a major city in NJ at that time. The slogan "On Camden's supplies, the world relies" reflected on the manufacturing occurring in Camden at that time. The Delaware River Bridge (later renamed the Benjamin Franklin Bridge) was under construction. Its completion in 1926, linking Camden to Philadelphia, symbolized unlimited potential, envisioned to make Camden a "second Brooklyn," according to the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. (Joe Baker later told us about shoveling snow on this bridge a few years later. He also said he would show up in the morning, then disappear only to show back up to collect pay.) Improved trolley lines connected Camden to South Jersey, facilitating movement within the growing city. (Arlene’s grandfather Charles Moore was an engineer constructing some of the trolly bridges going south from Camden). The city was also home to Walt Whitman (who lived across from the current Camden County jail) in his final years, where he wrote about its vigorous growth. 

The family was still living in Camden in 1930 but now at 1019 Cooper St. The only children listed in the home in the Census were John, Catherine and William. I don’t know where sons Leo, Thomas (later taking the name Chris) and Joseph were living, all of whom were younger than 14-year-old William. Catherine and William were attending school. William Sr. was a “ground man” at an electric company. This census confirmed that he was never in the military.  John was working in the printing industry. The fact that both William Sr. and John were working was significant since this was the beginning of the Great Depression and were able to provide for their families.

In the year before the start of WWII the family now lives at 2308 Carman St., in Camden. The 1940 US Census reports that the highest grade Elizabeth completed was 8^th, better than most people her age. She is now 54-yrs-old, William is 53, William Jr. is 23, Leo 22, Thomas (Chris) 19 and Joseph 18. I’m sure she had hopes for her children to gain higher education than she and two did. William Jr. and Leo completed 11^th grade. Thomas (Chris) and Joseph stopped after 8^th grade. William Jr., Leo and Joseph are all unemployed seeking work. William Sr. is a lineman with Public Service and Thomas (Chris) works in a printing factory. WWII will soon draw in the USA and some of her sons will go into the service.

After WWII Camden was an industrial giant, a center for industry, shopping and vibrant neighborhoods like Cramer Hill. Life gathered around Catholic parishes. By the end of the 1950s Camden would see a decline in all of these areas.

In 1950 the family is a blended unit. According to the 1950 US Census William Jr., his wife Miriam and children William age 8 and daughter Miriam 4 live with Elizabeth and William Sr. They still live in the Carman St. house. William Sr. is a ground man in a transportation company (probably Public Service). Miriam is an operator in a leather factory. William Jr. is out of work but previously worked as a carpenter in construction. Other information in the census revealed that William Sr. attended 8^th grade but did not finish that grade. He earned $2600 in 1949, and Miriam earned $900 in 1949.

Elizabeth died in January 1954 at the age of 67 in Camden, NJ and was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Cherry Hill, NJ.

I wish I could share personal memories of Elizabeth, but I don’t remember any that your father told me. He said one of his grandmothers made good pies. I think it may have been Elizabeth. Also, he said his grandmother had her hands full with very active sons.

  

 

 Elizabeth Baker and Edith Baker (her daughter-in-law

Elizabeth McLaughlin Bak                                                                                                                                                                                                       Elizabeth McLaughlin Baker and granddaughter Miriam Baker

    

 

 

 

1113 Penn St. Camden today                                  1019 Cooper St., Camden today

 

2308 Carman St., Camden today

#Elizabeth McLaughlin, #Elizabeth McLaughlin Baker, #Elizabeth Baker, #Camden, NJ

 

 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #28 Harry Freely Mackin

Harry Freely Mackin

My grandmother was a girl with a family of all brothers. Harry was the youngest. He was born October 29, 1877 in Philadelphia, PA. He joined the Army. In January of 1900 he was in Co. H of the 5^th Army Infantry in the Philippines. Then in June they went to Guantanamo, Cuba. After his two year enlistment was up he returned to the States and was living with his sister at 1209 Locust Ave. in Camden, NJ. On September 21, 1905 he married Mae Elizabeth Missimer. The 1910 Census lists him as living at 1825 Fillmore St., Camden, NJ. He was an iron worker on bridges. In 1912 he lived at 1725 S. 6^th St., Camden, NJ. In 1913 when he registered for the WWI draft he resided at 560 Ferry Ave., Camden, NJ. The document stated he was and engineer and was 5’10” tall. In 1920 he lived at 1755 S. 6^th St., in Camden and was a portable engineer. He continued to live in Camden throughout his life. His occupation changed over time. In 1930 he was a marine engineer. In 1931 he was a port engineer and later a construction engineer. He died on August 26, 1953 while living at 2525 Morgan Village, Camden, NJ. Paperwork lists his burial site as Beverly Cemetery but there is conflicting information that he was buried at the Veterans Cemetery in Honolulu, Hawaii according to the Find a Grave website.
#Mackin, Harry Freely, #Harry Freely Mackin, #Spanish American War, #Camden, NJ

Sources

1.       National Cemetery Administration, U.S. Veterans Gravesites, ca.1775-2006 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006), www.ancestry.com, Database online.

2.       The National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; World War II Draft Cards (Fourth Registration) for the State of New Jersey; State Headquarters: New Jersey; Microfilm Series: M1986

3.       Database online. Year: 1880; Census Place: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll: 1169; Family History Film: 1255169; Page: 21B; Enumeration District: 071; Image: 0044.

4.       Year: 1900; Census Place: Guantanamo, Cuba, Military and Naval Forces; Roll: T623_1838; Page: ; Enumeration District: 114; FHL microfilm: 1241838.

5.       Ancestry.com, 1910 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.Original data - Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Was), Ancestry.com, Database online. Year: 1910; Census Place: Camden Ward 8, Camden, New Jersey; Roll: ; Page: ; Enumeration District: ; Image:.

6.       Database online. Year: 1920; Census Place: Camden Ward 8, Camden, New Jersey; Roll: T625_1023; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 52; Image: .

7.       Ancestry.com, 1930 United States Federal Census (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.Original data - United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626,), Ancestry.com, Database online. Year: 1930; Census Place: Camden, Camden, New Jersey; Roll: ; Page: ; Enumeration District: ; Image:.

8.       Year: 1940; Census Place: Camden, Camden, New Jersey; Roll: T627_2396; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 22-128

9.       Ancestry.com, U.S. Army, Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914 (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007.Original data - Register of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M233, 81 rolls); Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1780’s-1917, Rec), Ancestry.com, Record for Harry F Mackin. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=USArmyEnlistments&h=996954&indiv=try.

10.   Ancestry.com, U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005), Ancestry.com, Registration State: New Jersey; Registration County: Camden; Roll: 1711989; Draft Board: 3. Record for Harry F Mackin. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=WW1draft&h=32717524&indiv=try.

11.   Ancestry.com, Web: Hawaii, Find A Grave Index, 1779-2012 (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012), Ancestry.com, Record for Harry F Mackin. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=WebSearch-3898&h=151298&indiv=try.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #23 John Grossmick

John Grossmick

John was born on 22 July 1870 in Stockton Twp., Camden Co.,  New Jersey to Frederick and Maria Grossmick.  The 1880 census still lists their residence in Stockton. Gopsill's Philadelphia City Directory showed John and his brother Henry running a wine business in Philadelphia. They reportedly ran a bar on John or Johnson St. in Philadelphia, PA. On 27 Sept 1893 John married Stella M Van Doren in Camden, NJ. In 1900 they lived on Main St. in Cramer Hill, Camden City, Camden Co., NJ. At this time John was a day laborer. They had several children by this time, Lester, Clara, and Florence.  In 1910 he was an oil wagon driver for the Electric Light Oil Co. and they lived at 924 N. 26^th St., in Camden. There had been a fire at the oil company on 1 May 1901. John was seriously burned about the head, face and hands and was taken to Cooper Hospital when he tried to stop the progress of the fire. They had moved to 1032 N. 25^th St. by 1930. At this time he was a laborer in the ship yard. John died on 15 Mar 1926 in Cooper Hospital, Camden. He was buried in New Camden Cemetery.

#Grossmick, John, #John Grossmick, #52 Ancestors, # Van Doren, Stella, #Stella Van Doren, #Camden, NJ

52 Ancestors #8 Charles Shoemaker Moore Jr.

Charles Shoemaker Moore, Jr.

            I love my grandfather. That’s not very remarkable since most of us love our grandfathers. But I never met my grandfather. In fact he died over fifty years before I was born. My only emotional connection was listening to my father and aunt speaks of their father. Theirs was a child’s view since he died before they were grown but they also had their older sister to tell about their father. That sister was twenty-six when their father died so she was able to share her memories. I wish I had asked more questions before my dad died, not the facts type of questions but more about his personality, what was their relationship and how did he look, talk, hug and more. So I’m left with the love that was handed down to me from my dad.

Charles was born on Dec. 4, 1869 in Camden, NJ to Charles Shoemaker and Fannie Elizabeth Moore. He had an older brother Franklin Thomas who was born in 1867. His father died 1874 leaving his mother to struggle raising two young boys. The boys went to live in a children’s home in Camden. She remarried a few years later. The curious thing was after she married, Charles came to live with her and her husband William Burns. Franklin went to live with William Burn’s parents. I wondered how this affected them. A few years ago I made contact with Franklin’s granddaughter. She described her grandfather as a mean man. Not being the one chosen to live with your mother may have that effect.

In the 1890-1 Camden City directory he is listed as a waterman and living at 1239 S. 2^nd St. How my grandparents met I don’t know but on November 16, 1891, Charles married Margaretta Virginia 

Mackin. They were married by W.H. Brinell and Margaretta’s mother, Mary was the witness. At this time Charles was living at 1017 Federal St. and Margaretta was at 1013 Linden St. In the 1893-94 city directory Charles is listed as a blacksmith for the Camden Iron Works and lived at 1102 Cresson Rd. In the 1897 directory Charles and Maggie Moore live at 211 Sycamore St. and Charles was a laborer. He was back working as blacksmith according to his son’s birth certificate in 1897. Wilson, Harbison Co. listed him as an engineer in 1900. He was a master mechanic with the Snare and Triest Co. in 1905. He eventually was a master mechanic for a company whose parent office was in

Jersey City. At his death his occupation was stationary engineer.

            He had seven children. Caroline Grover was born on May 11, 1893. Marie Robinson was born on June 18, 1894. Charles Shoemaker, III was born on June 28, 1897. Thomas Henry was born on April 17, 1902. Franklin Thomas was born on Aug. 2, 1909. Margaretta Virginia was born on Oct 23, 1910. Earl Mackin was born on Nov. 24, 1913. Marie and Franklin both died as infants.

            Charles became a Mason in 1905. He was a member of Fernwood Lodge No. 543 in Philadelphia. He completed all degrees through Master Mason during that year. Other affiliations were Tall Cedars of Lebanon No. 5, Lodge of Moose No. 111 and Engineers Union Local No. 506 of Philadelphia.

            On Apr. 16, 1919 he died of bronchial pneumonia. Although this was after the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918 I have always wondered if his condition could still be from that virus since he was a healthy man of just 49 years. His residence at this time was 1450 or 1451 Mt. Ephraim Ave. in Camden, NJ. He was buried in the New Camden Cemetery, Camden, NJ in Section B Lot 337.

            For me his lives on in those inherited memories, pictures and other documents. When my aunt was in her nineties and living in a nursing home because of Alzheimer’s, I brought her a framed picture of her dad to put on her dresser. As soon as she saw it her face lit up and she said, “That’s my dad. Charlie Moore they called him.” The joy she showed in that moment affirmed that he was a great dad and would have been a wonderful grandfather to me.

#52 Ancestors, #Charles S Moore, #New Egypt, NJ, #Camden, NJ