Camden People - Isreal Ross

ISREAL ROSS was born in the Minsk gubernya (province) of Russia on June 7, 1890 to H. Louis and Lena Ross. He spelled his name in this manner, although certain records show the more common “Israel” spelling. The Ross family, which included old brother Harry and younger daughter Sadie, came to New Jersey in the 1890s. Another brother, Albert was born in New Jersey around 1898. The family lived at different addresses in South Camden, including 267 Kaighn Avenue, 320 Washington Street, and 934 South 5^th Street, where they resided when the census was taken in 1910. At this point H. Louis Ross was working in one of Camden’s iron foundries. Israel Ross had began his career as a plumber, a trade which he would follow all his professional life. By 1916 he was working with Francis Bicker Jr., son of physician Dr. Francis Bicker. The two acquired a building on Van Hook Street in that year.

In April of 1918 Isreal Ross married Anna Silverman, who had been a neighbor of his on Kaighn Avenue. In 1906 Rebecca Silverman, a widow with seven children, purchased 299 Kaighn Avenue and went into the retail clothing business. Besides Annie, the Silverman family included siblings Sarah, Fannie, Rose, Irene, Lena, and Samuel Silverman. This business has survived moves and the march of generations, and has been known for several decades as Rochester Formal Wear.

Isreal Ross went into business for himself as a plumbing and heating contractor in 1918. The young couple soon bought a house at 1145 Baring Street, where they were living in January of 1920. A set of journals that begin in 1924 seem to indicate that the partnership with Francis Bicker Jr. had dissolved, and that Israel Ross had started his own business. These journals, which show every job that Isreal Ross undertook, indicate that he worked for many people who were or would become well known in Camden. He also was doing work for various real estate operators.

When the census was taken in April of 1930, Isreal and Annie Ross still lived at 1145 Baring Street, just off of Kaighn Avenue with sons Manuel, Edward, and Leonard.

Sometime after the fall of 1936 Isreal Ross acquired the building at 1142 South 6^th Street, where the Tarter family had once conducted a bottling business. Isreal Ross lived and operated his business here, the Ross Plumbing & Heating Company, through at least 1947. By that time sons Edward and Leonard had joined the business.

Ross Plumbing and Heating did a great portion of its business with Camden real estate operators and landlords. Some of the larger and more notable clients in the 1930s and 1940s included Benjamin Natal, Theodore Tiedeken, Samuel Gelfand, Louis Richelson, Louis Dorflinger, Ellis Goodman, Zellie Ellis, Joseph and William Lipkin, and Alex Malamut. There was also institutional work, for the Talmud Torah building, churches and synagogues, and Belleview Hospital. They also did work for several Camden physicians, including Dr. Ulysses Wiggins, Dr. William Lashman, and Dr. Marcus Wheatland. Commercial accounts included Trilling & Montague, a company involved with many of the bar businesses in Camden, Quality Drugs, and several businesses on Broadway, Kaighn Avenue, and throughout the city. They also worked for several Building and Loan Associations and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's real estate operation.

Isreal Ross passed away on April 12, 1962. He was buried the following day at Crescent Burial Park in Pennsauken NJ. He was survived by his wife and sons. Anna Silverman Ross passed away in Cherry Hill NJ in 1993.

The Ross Plumbing and Heating Company was still operating at this address as late as the fall of 1977, and owned the property into the late 1990s.

	1142 South 6th Street March 14, 2004 1920s S. Tarter Bottling Company 1930s-1990s Ross Plumbing & Heating Company 2003 Sank Inc. Tire Repair Click on Image to Enlarge

As you can see in the picture, 1142 was a fairly large house, depth-wise. Prior to the 1980s, this photo would not have been possible, because the fenced in lot, 601 Kaighn Avenue, was the site of a bar from the days prior to Prohibition through the early 1980s. As of this writing I'm not sure when the garage to the immediate left of 1142 South 6th Street was built, other than it was up by 1947.