Everything about Camden New Jersey totally explained
The
City of
Camden is the
county seat of
Camden County,
New Jersey in the
United States. It is located just across the
Delaware River from
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. As of the
United States 2000 Census, the city had a total population of 79,904.
Camden was originally incorporated as a city on
February 13,
1828, from portions of the now-defunct
Newton Township, while the area was still part of
Gloucester County. On
March 13,
1844, Camden became part of the newly-formed Camden County.
History
Early history
Fort Nassau (located within the present boundaries of nearby
Gloucester City, New Jersey), was built by the
Dutch West India Company in 1626, and was the first
European attempt to settle the area now occupied by Camden. Initial European activity in the vicinity of present day Camden occurred along the banks of the
Delaware River where the
Dutch and the
Swedish vied for control of the local fur trade. Europeans continued to settle in and improve the area during the seventeenth century. Much of the growth directly resulted from the success of another
Quaker colony across the Delaware River known as
Philadelphia, which was founded in 1682 and soon had enough population to attract a brisk trade from
West Jersey and Camden. To accommodate the trade across the river, a string of ferries began operation.
1800s onward
For over 150 years, Camden served as a secondary economic and transportation hub for the Philadelphia area. But that status began to change in the early 1800s. One of the United States' first railroads, the
Camden and Amboy Railroad, was chartered in Camden in 1830. The Camden and Amboy Railroad allowed travelers to travel between
New York City and
Philadelphia via ferry terminals in
South Amboy, New Jersey and Camden. The railroad terminated on the Camden waterfront, and passengers were ferried across the
Delaware River to their final Philadelphia destination. The Camden and Amboy Railroad opened in 1834 and helped to spur an increase in population and commerce in Camden.
Originally a suburban town with ferry service to
Philadelphia, Camden evolved into its own city, as industry and neighborhoods grew. Camden prospered during strong periods of manufacturing demand and faced distress during periods of economic dislocation.
Like most American cities, Camden suffered from decline in the 20th Century as the manufacturing base and many residents moved out to other locations. Currently, government, education, and health care are the three biggest employers in Camden; however, most employees commute to Camden and live in nearby suburbs such as
Cherry Hill. Revitalization has occurred along the
Camden Waterfront and in certain neighborhoods with access to Philadelphia.
Industrial History
From 1901 through 1929, Camden was headquarters of the
Victor Talking Machine Company, and thereafter to its successor
RCA Victor, the world's largest manufacturer of
phonographs and
phonograph records for the first two-thirds of the 20th century. RCA Victor contained one of the first commercial recording studios in the United States, where
Enrico Caruso, among others, recorded. The RCA plant was also the site where the first color television was manufactured. The
General Electric Company acquired RCA in 1986.
In 1992, the State of New Jersey under the Florio Administration made an agreement with GE to ensure that GE wouldn't close the Camden site. The state of New Jersey would build a new high tech facility on the site of the old
Campbell Soup factory and trade these new buildings to GE for the existing old RCA-Victor Buildings. Later, the new high tech buildings would be sold to
Martin Marietta. In 1994, Martin Marietta merged with Lockheed to become
Lockheed Martin. In 1997, Lockheed Martin divested the Camden Plant as part of the birth of
L-3 Communications.
The famous "Nipper Building" depicting RCA's famous "His Master's Voice" trademark in its tower windows has since been renovated into a luxury apartment building called "The Victor." Building 8 is set to be rehabilitated into luxury condominiums called "Radio Lofts." Both projects are the work of Dranoff Properties, a well known Philadelphia development corporation that has specialized in these types of constructions. Another older building, Victor Building No. 2, is used to this day to house the Camden City Board of Education.
From 1899 to 1967, Camden was the home of
New York Shipbuilding Corporation, which at its World War II peak was the largest and most productive shipyard in the world. Notable naval vessels built at New York Ship include the ill-fated cruiser
USS Indianapolis and the aircraft carrier
USS Kitty Hawk. In 1962, the first commercial nuclear-powered ship, the
NS Savannah, was launched in Camden. The Fairview Village section of Camden (initially
Yorkship Village) was a planned European-style garden village built by the Federal government during World War I to house New York Shipbuilding Corporation workers.
At Camden's peak, 10,000 workers were employed at RCA, while another 40,000 worked at New York Shipbuilding. RCA had 23 out of 25 of its factories inside Camden. Campbell Soup was also a major employer. By 1969, Camden had been losing jobs and residents for a quarter century due in large part to urban decay, highway construction, and racial tensions.
In Jefferson Cowie's "Capital Moves", Cowie refers to Camden City in the 1920s as the "Citadel of Republicanism". The decline of the Republican Party in Camden City overlapped the decline of Manufacturing.
Port of Camden
While rather minor in comparison to other East Coast United States ports, Camden does have
port facilities that date back to 1834. The port is operated by the
South Jersey Port Corporation, which was established as the port operator in 1928.
Situated on the
Delaware River, with access to the
Atlantic Ocean, the Port of Camden handles
breakbulk and
bulk cargo. The port consists of two terminals: the Beckett Street Terminal and the Broadway Terminal (commonly known as the Port of Camden). The port receives hundreds of ships moving international and domestic cargo annually.
(External Link
)
In 2005, the Port of Camden was subject to an unresolved criminal investigation and a state audit.
In December 2006, Governor
Jon S. Corzine speculated on moving port operations further south to allow the community greater access to the waterfront.
High crime rate
Based on statistics reported to the
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Camden was the third-most dangerous city in the United States during 2002, and has been ranked the nation's most dangerous city in 2004 and 2005. "Most dangerous city" is based on crime statistics in six categories: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and auto theft.
City Councilman Ali Sloan-El, responding to 2004 news about the 2003 statistics, cites Camden's poverty as an important contributing factor to its high crime rate. The
demographic data from the Census indicates about a third of the city's residents live below the
poverty line.
However, in 2005, homicides in Camden dropped sharply, to 34 — fifteen fewer murders than were reported in 2004. Though Camden's murder rate is still much higher than the national average, the reduction in 2005 was a drop of over thirty percent.
Former mayor
Milton Milan was infamous for his connections to
organized crime. On
June 15,
2001, Milan was sentenced to serve seven years in prison on 14 counts of corruption, including accepting mob payoffs and concealing a $65,000 loan from a drug kingpin.
In 2004, Camden was declared "America's Most Dangerous City" by the
Morgan Quitno Corporation, up from third place in 2003 and topping the 354 cities studied. The city was named "Most Dangerous" again in 2005 out of 369 cities ranked nationwide, with
Detroit, Michigan and
St. Louis, Missouri in second and third place respectively. In the 2006 survey, Camden dropped down to the fifth spot — behind St. Louis, Detroit,
Flint, Michigan and
Compton, California — out of 371 cities included nationwide in the 13th annual
Morgan Quitno survey.
Riverfront State Prison is located in Camden, immediately adjacent to Campbell's Field Baseball Park on the north side of the
Benjamin Franklin Bridge.
Government
Camden has historically been a stronghold of the
Democratic Party. Voter turnout is very low; approximately 19% of Camden's voting age population participated in the
2005 gubernatorial election.
Local government
Since
July 1,
1961, the City has operated under a
Mayor-Council form of government. Under this form of government, the City Council consisted of seven Council members originally all elected at-large. In 1994, the City opted to modify the form of government to better address the changing needs of the citizenry. To that end, the City of Camden was divided into four councilman districts, instead of electing the entire Council at-large. One Council member was elected from each of the four districts. In 1995, the election was changed from a partisan election to a non-partisan Municipal Election.
Gwendolyn Faison is the
Mayor of Camden. She is a member of the
Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, a
bi-partisan group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition is co-chaired by
Boston Mayor
Thomas Menino and
New York City Mayor
Michael Bloomberg.
Members of the City Council include:
- Angel Fuentes - City Council President and Ward 4
- Dana Redd - Vice President and Council Member At Large
- Curtis Jenkins - Council Member At Large
- Michael McGuire - Ward 1
- Francisco "Frank" Moran - Ward 3
- Gilbert "Whip" Wilson - Council Member At Large
- Ali Sloan-El, Sr. - Ward 2 (resigned August 30, 2006).
Although not publicly elected,
George Norcross III is the current political boss for the Democratic Party of
Camden County, New Jersey.
Federal, state and county representation
Camden is in the First Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 5th Legislative District.
Geography
Camden is located at 39°56'14" North, 75°6'22" West (39.937195, -75.106186).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.9
km² (10.4
mi²). 22.8 km² (8.8 mi²) of it's land and 4.0 km² (1.6 mi²) of it's water. The total area is 15.03% water.
Camden borders
Collingswood,
Gloucester City,
Haddon Township,
Pennsauken, and
Woodlynne. Just offshore of Camden is
Pettys Island, which is officially part of Pennsauken Township.
Camden contains the U.S.'s first federally funded
planned community,
Yorkship Village (now called Fairview). The village was designed by
Electus Darwin Litchfield, who was influenced by the
"garden city" developments popular in England at the time.
Demographics
As of the
census of
2000, there were 79,904 people, 24,177 households, and 17,431 families residing in the city. The
population density was 9,057.0 people per square mile (3,497.9/km²). There were 29,769 housing units at an average density of 3,374.3 units per square mile (1,303.2/km²).
The racial makeup of the city was 53.35%
Black or
African American, 16.84%
White, 2.45%
Asian, 0.54%
Native American,, 0.07%
Pacific Islander, and 22.83% from
other races. 3.92% of residents were from two or more races. 38.82% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race. 8.9% of the population is foreign-born. 7.1% of the population were Whites of non-Hispanic ancestry.
There were 24,177 households out of which 42.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.1% were
married couples living together, 37.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.12 and the average family size was 3.62.
In the city the population is quite young with 34.6% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 16.3% from 45 to 64, and 7.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.
The
per capita income for the city was $9,815. 35.5% of the population and 32.8% of families were below the
poverty line. 45.5% of those under the age of 18 and 23.8% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Based on 2006 data from the
United States Census Bureau, 44% of the city's residents live in poverty, the highest rate in the nation. The city had a median household income of $18,007, the lowest of all U.S. communities with populations of more than 65,000 residents, making it America's poorest city.
In 2000, 28.85% of Camden residents identified themselves as being of
Puerto Rican heritage. This was the third highest proportion of Puerto Ricans in a municipality on the United States mainland, behind only
Holyoke, Massachusetts and
Hartford, Connecticut, for all communities in which 1,000 or more people listed an ancestry group.
An extensive repository of data on the City of Camden is available at http://www.camconnect.org, a local Camden-based data warehouse. The website includes information on health, housing, education, public safety, and municipal finances. Many public documents have been archived for easy access as well.
Transportation
New Jersey Transit's
Walter Rand Transportation Center is located at Martin Luther King Boulevard and Broadway. Besides being a major hub for
New Jersey Transit buses and
Greyhound Lines, the Walter Rand Transportation Center is also a PATCO high-speed line and
River Line light rail station.
The
PATCO Speedline offers frequent train service to Philadelphia and the suburbs to the east in
Camden County, with stations at
City Hall, Broadway (Walter Rand Transportation Center) and
Ferry Avenue.
New Jersey Transit's
River Line offers frequent light rail service to towns along the Delaware north of Camden, and terminates in
Trenton. Camden stations are
36th Street, Walter Read Transportation Center,
Cooper Street-Rutgers University,
Aquarium and
Entertainment Center.
New Jersey Transit bus service is available to
Philadelphia on the
313, 315, 317, and 318 and
various 400 series lines, to
Atlantic City is served by the
551 bus. Local service is offered on the
450, 451, 452, 453, and 457 lines.
Interstate 676 runs through Camden to the
Benjamin Franklin Bridge on the north side of the city.
Camden Waterfront
One of the most popular attractions of Camden is the city's waterfront, along the
Delaware River. The waterfront is highlighted by its four main attractions, the
USS New Jersey; the
Susquehanna Bank Center;
Campbell's Field; and the
Adventure Aquarium.
The Adventure Aquarium was originally opened in 1992 as the New Jersey State Aquarium at Camden. In 2005 after extensive renovation the aquarium was reopened under the name Adventure Aquarium. The aquarium was one of the original centerpieces in Camden's plans for revitalizing their city.
The recently renamed Susquehanna Bank Center (formerly known as the Tweeter Center) is a 25,000 seat open air concert amphitheater that was opened in 1995. It is widely considered one of the best amphitheaters in the country for sound, and is known for its extremely large lawn seating area, as well as its view of
Center City, Philadelphia. It is also the most popular spot for touring artists to perform during the summertime in the
Delaware Valley.
Campbell's Field, opened in 2001, is home the
Camden Riversharks Minor League Baseball team, of the
Atlantic League; and the
Rutgers-Camden baseball team. The stadium is considered by many ballpark enthusiasts as having one of the best outfield views in all of baseball, as the entire Ben Franklin Bridge can be seen beyond its walls.
The
USS New Jersey (BB-62) was a
United States Navy battleship that was intermitently active between the years 1943 and 1991. After its retirement the ship was turned into a museum along the Waterfront that opened in 2001. The New Jersey saw action in
World War II, the
Korean War, and the
Vietnam War.
Other attractions at the Waterfront are the Wiggins Park Riverstage and Marina, One Port Center, The Victor Lofts, the
Walt Whitman House, the
Walt Whitman Cultural Arts Center, the Rutgers-Camden Center For The Arts and the Camden Children's Garden.
The Waterfront is also served by two modes of public transportation.
New Jersey Transit services the Waterfront on its
River Line, while people from Philadelphia can commute using the
RiverLink Ferry, which connects the Waterfront with
Old City Philadelphia.
Redevelopment
Camden had been passed over for redevelopment for many decades. The dawn of the 21st Century has brought new redevelopment plans.
Campbell Soup Company has decided to go forward with a scaled down redevelopment of the area around its corporate headquarters in Camden, including an expanded corporate headquarters. The nearby Sears building was brought by a local developer, with plans for loft-style housing and commercial businesses.
Cherokee Investment Partners had a grand plan to redevelop north Camden with 5,000 new homes and a shopping center on 450 acres. Cherokee dropped their plans in the face of local opposition and the slumping real estate market.
Education
Camden's public schools are operated by
Camden City Public Schools. The district is one of 31
Abbott Districts The schools are the 3rd worst in the countrystatewide.
Rutgers University and
Rowan University, both of which are public universities, maintain campuses in downtown Camden. Additionally, the city is home to one of
Camden County College's three campuses.
Camden is also home to
Cooper University Hospital, which is nationally recognized as a leader in the area of
trauma.
Sports
Additional facts
Camden is the place where the first drive-in theater opened, invented by Richard Hollingshead, on June 6, 1933.
On September 6, 1949, mass murderer Howard Unruh went on a killing spree in his Camden neighborhood. Thirteen people died as a result. Unruh remains confined in a state psychiatric facility.
The worst racial riots in the city's history occurred when a Puerto Rican motorist was beaten by city police and died in August 1971. Sections of downtown were looted and torched.
In 1996, Governor of New Jersey Christine Todd Whitman frisked Sherron Rolax in Camden, which many alleged violated Rolax's civil rights.
The shoot-out in the 4th Die Hard movie Live Free or Die Hard takes place in Camden.
The city is mentioned by name in Fountains of Wayne's song, "Places".
In the 90's Sitcom "A Different World", the character Jaleesa Vinson (played by Dawnn Lewis) is from Camden, NJ.
The Church of Scientology was founded in Camden.
A group of poor Camden residents were the subject of a 20/20 special on poverty in America. Broadcast on January 26, 2007. In the special, Diane Sawyer profiled the lives of three young children growing up in Camden. (External Link) A follow up was shown on November 9, 2007. (External Link)
Camden is the place where the action of the TV series "My name is Earl" (featuring Jason Lee and Ethan Supplee) is set.
Points of interest
Harleigh Cemetery
Noted residents
Some noted current and former residents:
Prince Badi Ajamu (born January 24, 1974), professional boxer
Rob Andrews (born August 4, 1957), member, U.S. House of Representatives, 1st Congressional District, New Jersey.
William J. Browning (1850-1920), represented New Jersey's 1st congressional district from 1911-1920.
Pam Casale (born December 20, 1963), professional tennis player
Russ Columbo (January 14, 1908 – September 2, 1934), singer, actor, composer.
Donovin Darius (1975-), played in the NFL for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Samuel Dash (February 27, 1922 – May 29, 2004), lawyer, professor, chief counsel for the Senate Watergate Committee during the Watergate.
Rachel Dawson (1985-), field hockey midfielder.
Martin Dillon (June 17, 1957 – August 21, 2005), musician, operatic tenor, and professor of music at Rutgers University in Camden.
Andrea Dworkin (September 26, 1946 – April 9, 2005), author, activist.
Lola Falana (born September 11, 1942), singer, dancer, actress.
Bruce S. Gordon (born February 15, 1946), former president and CEO, NAACP.
George Hegamin (1973-), former offensive lineman in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Leon Huff (born 1942), of the songwriting team Gamble and Huff.
Bob McElwee (born August 20, 1935), former National Football League official
Claude Maurice "Turk" McBride (1985-) defensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs
Francis F. Patterson, Jr. (1867-1935), represented New Jersey's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1920 to 1927.
Jim Perry (born November 11, 1934), U.S. and Canadian television personality.
Dwight Muhammad Qawi, a.k.a. Dwight Braxton (born January 5, 1953), professional boxer, former light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion.
Marco Reginelli (1897-1956), underworld boss from Nepezzano, in the Province of Teramo Italy.
Buddy Rogers (February 20, 1921–June 26, 1992) professional wrestler.
Mike Rozier (born March 1, 1961), former Heisman trophy winner and NFL running back.
Billy Thompson (born December 1, 1963), former professional basketball player.
John F. Starr (1818-1904), represented New Jersey's 1st congressional district from 1863 to 1867.
Tye Tribbett (born January 26, 1977), gospel recording artist; founder of Tye Tribbett & G.A.
Nick Virgilio, internationally recognized haiku poet.
Dajuan Wagner (born February 4, 1983), professional basketball player.
Milt Wagner (born February 20, 1963), former professional basketball player.
John S. Watson (1924 – ca. July 9, 1996), an African-American politician
Walt Whitman (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892), poet, essayist, journalist, born in New York, Whitman lived his later years in Camden and died in the city. His Camden home is a historical monument. Whitman is buried in Harleigh Cemetery on Haddon Avenue in Camden.
Gary Williams (born March 4, 1945), current head coach of the University of Maryland's Men's Basketball team; he started his coaching career at Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden.
James Miller Williams (September 14 1818 – November 25 1890), businessman and political figure commonly viewed as the father of Canada's petroleum industry.
Karen Zerby (born July 31, 1946), current leader of the Children of God, a new religious movement.
Tasha Smith- February 28, 1971-, Actress, Movies; "Playaz Ball," "Daddy's Little Girls," "Why Did I Get Married."
Sidra Smith- February 28, 1971-, Movie Director, Writer, ProducerFurther Information
Get more info on 'Camden New Jersey'.
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