William
J.
Taylor Sr.


 

WILLIAM JOSEPH TAYLOR SR. was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 2, 1885. William Taylor married Mary Hammond around 1907. The 1910 Census shows William and Mary Taylor living at 761 Mt. Vernon Street, along with Mary's mother, Laura Hammond. The Taylor's first child, son Charles Louis Taylor, was born in 1917. When he registered for the draft in September of 1918, William J. Taylor was still living at 761 Mt. Vernon Street in South Camden. He was then working as a riveter at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard. When the war ended and shipyard work fell off, he returned to work as a house painter. 

William J. Taylor Sr. was appointed to the Camden Fire Department on November 22, 1920. He reported for duty with Engine Company 8, 619 Kaighn Avenue, on January 1, 1921. 

The Taylor's were still at 761 Mt. Vernon Street when the 1924 City Directory was compiled. Mary Taylor gave birth to another son, William J. Taylor Jr., around 1925. The 1927 City Directory shows that William J. Taylor had moved to 712 Mt. Vernon Street. On August 2, 1928 William J. Taylor was transferred to Engine Company 7, 1115 Kaighn Avenue. 

When the census was taken in April of 1930, William J. Taylor, his wife, sons, and niece Bertha Powell, 23, whom he had raised since childhood, were still living at 712 Mt. Vernon Street. Fire Department records from 1931 show William J. Taylor living at 833 South 6th Street. On April 30, 1936 William J. Taylor was reassigned to Engine Company 3, 1815 Broadway.

The 1940 City Directory shows William J. Taylor and his wife Mary at 576 Spruce Street. He was still at that address when he registered for the draft in the spring of 1942. By the end of the year the Taylors had moved to 836 South 6th Street. On November 27, 1945 he was transferred to the Electrical Bureau. In July of 1949 William J. Taylor's son, William J. Taylor Jr., was appointed to the Camden Fire Department. 

Mandatory retirement at age 65 was instituted in late 1948, however, then-current employees were not then forced to immediately retire. William J. Taylor finally did go out with his pension on May 15, 1951, having served the City of Camden for over 30 years. Last a resident of  836 South 6th Street, William J. Taylor Sr. passed away on February 11, 1954 and was buried at New St. Mary's Cemetery in Bellmawr, New Jersey. He was survived by his wife and sons. Mary Taylor joined her husband on September 25, 1974.

William J. Taylor Jr. also made a career of fire service. He retired in February of 1981. Between father and son, there was a Taylor on the Fire Department every day for over 60 years. 


World War I Draft Card


Camden Post-Telegram * December 30, 1920

Peter B. Carter - Thomas Nicholas - Walter Browning - George B. Wade - William W. Patterson
Francis Ford Patterson Jr. - Charles H. Ellis - David Jester - Joseph Forsyth

Engine Co. 1 - Alfred E. Green - Charles Errickson  Charles W Cooke - Leroy Hatchett

Engine Co. 2 - Howard Landon - John K. Voll 
Edgar Ellender - Harold Lohrang - Chester Andrus  Harry G. Layton

Engine Co. 3 - Charles B. Haines - Charles Clements
August HaverkampFrank Kuda - Louis Quinton

Engine Co. 4 - Frank A. Obermann - Walter B. Gray
Albert Raeuber
- Fred Schucker - Harry Kleinfelder

Engine Co. 5 - Richard A. Farris - Frank Fennrio

Engine Co. 6 - William H. Reed - Manuel J. Kane Edward Perairia - Thomas Shanahan
Rocco De Varro

"Frank Fennrio" is for the moment a mystery

Engine Co. 7 - August Scholl - Nicholas Romaine
Lawrence H. Mathews

Engine Co. 8 - Samuel Oshushek - Edward C. Crane Adam Mead - Frank Sapp - William J. Taylor Sr.

Engine Co. 9 - Kennard Naylor - Daniel McSurdy John Mohrfeld

Engine Co. 10 - William Schwartz - Hugh Rementer Harry Greenan - Rocco Abbott

Hose & Chemical Co. 2 - Laurence Newton
Edward Hauser - William Getner

Ladder Co. 1 - Thomas Cunningham 
Leonard Megee

Ladder Co. 2 - John Gaylor - Walter White

Ladder Co. 3  David Ellis - George W. Attison
John Mulligan - David Humphries - Albert Dukes

Tennie G. Hutchison Jr. - Ladder Co. 4 - George A. Quimby


Camden Post-Telegram
August 9, 1921


John H. Lennox - John A.S. Hunt
Engine Company 1
Engine Company 8
Benny Waters
William Taylor



Camden Courier-Post - June 4, 1932

...continued...
...continued...
...continued...
...continued...
...continued...
Benjamin Simon - Roy R. Stewart - John W. Golden - George Zeitz - William Taylor
Clifford A. Baldwin - Walter Keown - L. Scott Cherchesky - Garfield S. Pancoast
Charles Wilder - Liberty Street

Camden Courier-Post - February 9, 1933

COPS AND FIREMEN WILL ELECT TODAY
Herbert Bott Is Unopposed for Presidency of Camden Association

The Camden Police and Firemen's Association will hold election of officers today at its headquarters, 1175 Whitman Avenue, from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

Herbert Bott is unopposed for re-election as president. William Thorn is unopposed to replace Richard Middleton for financial secretary and Walter Vecander is unopposed for the new post of assistant financial secretary. All these are police officers.

The police trustees will be named from the following nine candidates: William Marter, George Ward, William Britner, Joseph Shreeve, William Schriber, Joseph Mardino, Joseph Dunnett, Leon Feltz and Russell Young. Two police sergeant-at-arms will be chosen from among Stanley Wirtz, Harry Cattell, Joseph Schultz and George Clayton.

Three candidates are seeking the post of vice president, which goes to a fireman. They are William Spencer, Charles Edwards and Albert Dukes. Warren Rich, a fireman, is slated to succeed himself as recording secretary and Winfield Leviseur is unopposed for the new post of assistant recording secretary, which goes to a fireman.

Four fireman trustees will be chosen from ten candidates. They are Charles Cook, Henry Baumgartel, Walter Eastlack, Arthur Batten, William Getner, William Toy, Lawrence Newton, James Young, Russell Anderson and William Taylor. Three firemen are seeking two posts as sergeants-at-arms. They are William Judge, John Mulligan and Furman Price.


Camden Courier-Post - February 10, 1933

BOTT CHOSEN HEAD OF POLICEMEN, FIREMEN
Spencer Wins 3-Corner Fight for Vice-President of Association

Lauded by the members for his splendid work in behalf of the club, Herbert Bott, a  patrolman attached to the Third Police District, last night was re-elected president of the Camden Police and Firemen's Association.

The praise was heaped upon the patrolman following announcement that he had received 107 of 110 votes cast in yesterday's balloting. He was unopposed for reelection.

In a three-cornered fight, William P. Spencer, a fireman, was elected vice president of the association. He received 73 votes. His opponents were Charles Edwards, given 12 votes, and Albert Dukes, 18 votes. Both are firemen.

Others unopposed for office were: William Thorn, financial secretary; Walter Vecander, assistant financial secretary; Warren Rich, recording secretary, and Winfield Leviseur, assistant recording secretary. The last two are firemen while the first two are policemen.

Lieutenant George Ward, Patrolman William Marter, and Firemen William Taylor, William Getner, James Young and Lawrence Newton were elected to the board of trustees.

Sergeants-at-arms named were Stanley Wirtz and George Clayton, police, and William Judge and John Mulligan, firemen. All had opposition.

After the ballots had been counted William H. Iszard, former assemblyman, appeared on behalf of the Elks Crippled Kiddies Committee, and asked police to support the wrestling show to be staged by that group February 13..


World War II Draft Card


Camden Courier-Post * May 5, 1951


 


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