FRANK DE VINEY was born in Camden around 1900 to Elwood and Bessie Deviney. His fathers family originally had been from Burlington County. The 1910 Census shows the DeViney family living at 734 Pearl Street. Motorcycles arrived in Camden about the same time automobiles did, and were quite popular. Frank DeViney was fascinated by them as a boy, and spent much of his free time at the shop of William Heckenhorn, who had a Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealership at 1246 Haddon Avenue. Frank DeViney eventually was hired by William Heckenhorn. He married around 1920. In 1923 Frank DeViney opened a Harley dealership of his own, the successor to William Heckenhorn's operation, at 1124-1126 Kaighn Avenue, where he had a sales, parts, and service operation. He sold motorcycles to the general public and to local police departments. Frank and Myrtle DeViney also lived at 1124 Avenue Kaighn when the 1930 Census was enumerated. One of Frank DeViney's first acts upon opening his business was to found the Camden Motorcycle Sporting Club, which engaged in touring, racing, and hill-climbing events throughout South Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. The club also fielded a team in the Eastern Motorpolo League, which competed in the sport of motorcycle polo, also known as motoball. Frank DeViney participated in the sport in 1929, but is not listed as a player in any of the news articles discovered to date. Other players on the Camden Motorcycle Sporting Club's team included Bill Gommel, Walter Norris, William Raub, Bruce Saunders, Lou Ellis, Charley Ellis, Clayton Albertson, Freddy Galardi, Walt Norris, C. Wentzel, Freddie Gomba, and men only known by their last names: Garriardi, Sherttuck, Oilinger, L. Lewis. Clayton Albertson also operated a motorcycle dealership in Camden. Frank DeViney was still in the motorcycle business in Camden as late as May of 1934. By 1947 he had left Camden. His wife Myrtle G. DeViney passed away at the age of 96 in May of 1998. She last had been a resident of Forked River NJ. |
Camden
Motorcycle Club Annual Outing Frank DeViney at center, Myrtle DeViney at right |
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Meteor
Motorcycle Club Frank DeViney seated,3rd from right; Myrtle DeViney in front of him |
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