Thomas
Homan

THOMAS HOMAN was born in England around 1871. He came to America in 1885, and by 1892 as a naturalized American citizen.

In the early 1900s Thomas Homan lived at 129 Main Street. His neighbor at 125 was Daniel D. McConnell, who ran an oyster restaurant there. His son, Daniel P. McConnell, would have a long and distinguished career as a journalist in Camden. Homan gave the then ten-year old McConnell, who had left school, his first job, in his cobbler shop. He encouraged the youngster to continue reading and writing, which young McConnell did to the point of becoming a professional writer. Thomas Homan was somewhat less successful in teaching his young charge to play the cornet.  

By the time of the 1920 census Thomas Homan owned a home at 526 North 2nd Street in Camden. For many years he operated a shoe repair shop at North 2nd and Elm Street. He also made shoes, an art common then but lost in today's mass manufactured world.  This shop was  around the corner from Dr. Howard Palm, and a short walk from John Daly's bar, at 201 Vine Street. Thomas Homan was then married, and with wife Ada had three sons, George F., Thomas R., and William W. Homan. William W. Homan graduated from Camden High School in 1926.

In January of 1938, noted journalist Gordon Mackay wrote a column about Tom Homan, writing about his shoe shop, his hobby of building model ships, and his activity as a tuba player with the Shriner's Lulu Temple band in Philadelphia.

By the time the 1947 Camden City Directory was published the Homan family had left Camden.

Camden Courier-Post - January 21, 1938