Christopher
L.
Dietz

CHRISTOPHER LUDWIG FRIEDRICH HEINRICH DIETZ, known best in his time simply as Christopher L. Dietz was born in Germany, in what was then the Kingdom of Wurttemberg. The 1900 Census states that he was born in February of 1839, which is consistent with what was written in his obituary, however it should be noted that the 1880 Census gives the year 1841 as the time of his birth. The 1900 census also indicates that he came to America in 1865 and over time was naturalized as an American citizen.

The 1870 Census shows Christopher Dietz living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with his wife Helen and a daughter, Catherine "Kate" Dietz, aged 3. Two sons were subsequently born, George, in 1870, and John, in 1871. Sadly, Helen Dietz passed away during the 1870s. In 1885 Christopher Dietz remarried. His second wife, Margaret, bore five children, Louis (1876-1882, Frederick (1878-1879, Caroline, William, and George Henry.  

When the Census was taken in 1880, Christopher Dietz was living at 272 Susquehanna Avenue in Philadelphia with his second wife Margaret, daughter Catherine, and two sons, John, 9, and Louis 4. Christopher Dietz operating a lager beer saloon. City Directories show him at that address from 1877 through 1881. The 1882 Directory shows him operating a cigar store at 2239 Germantown Avenue. Directories from 1885 through 1888 have him at 2510 Kensington Avenue, operating a lager beer saloon. He then moved to 160 Lehigh Avenue, where he ran a restaurant specializing in oysters from 1889 into 1891, before moving to New Jersey. 

Christopher L. Dietz came to what is now known as the Cramer Hill section of Camden by the time the 1892 Camden City Directory was being compiled. This neighborhood and what is now referred to as East Camden the comprised the town of Stockton, which was annexed by Camden in the Spring of 1899.

Christopher L. Dietz first appears in the Camden City Directories in 1892, as the proprietor of the Union Hotel, at Union Street and River Road. Union Street was renamed North 26th Street after the annexation, and River Road was renamed River Avenue, although to this day most people call this thoroughfare River Road. This building was given the street address of 948 North 26th Street. after the annexation as well.

In 1893 Christopher L. Dietz moved one block, to the corner of River Road and Fulton Street (present-day 1001 North 25th Street), where he founded the Crescent Bottling Company. His daughter Catherine and her husband, Valentine Doerr Jr., who had come to Camden around the same time, stayed at the Union Street and River Road house, where they operated a retail business selling cigars and "notions" until 1898, when Doerr was granted a retail liquor license. Sadly, Valentine Doerr Jr. passed away on October 10, 1899, leaving his widow and young children. 

Shortly before the 1896 City Directory was compiled, Christopher L. Dietz hired John Schimpf to work as a driver for at the Crescent Bottling Company. John Schimpf eventually took over management and ownership of the business, which is still at the same location, albeit in a more modern building, in 2013. 

Christopher L. Dietz passed away on September 1, 1900 at the age of 61. He was buried in Philadelphia at Glenwood Cemetery, and later was re-interred at Glenwood Memorial Gardens in Broomall, Pennsylvania. Christopher L. Dietz had been a member of the Germania Maennerchor Society, the German-American Beneficial Society, and the German Quartette Club. 

Camden City Directory Ad - 1892

Philadelphia Inquirer
September 20, 1892

Philadelphia Inquirer
April 24, 1895

Philadelphia Inquirer - April 29, 1896

Philadelphia Inquirer April 28, 1897

John G. Schramm
Walter W. Sellard
John Hoosey 
George Doerfuss
Louis Everly
Joseph Diehm 
Christopher L. Dietz
Jacob Walz
B.L. Buenzle
Captain Merritt Hall
Gottlieb Jung
Isaac Adams
George W. Spicks
Dora Andrews
Frederick Wolfinger
John J. Trost
William Denneller
Jacob Bendinger
August Muench
John Costello
Gotthard Eisener
Harry G. Vennell
Charles L. Zeller
John Gallagher
Thomas Tracy
Frederick Lechleimer
Dorothea Feil

Philadelphia Inquirer
April 27, 1898

John Hoosey - George Doerfuss
B.L. Buenzle - John G. Schramm Dorothy Feil - Jacob Bauck
Valentine Doerr - B.J. Lyons
Thomas Tracy - Isaac H. Adams George W. Sterling
William Denneller
John Costello - Jacob Bendinger
Gotthard Eisener
George W. Spicks
August Muench - Dora Andrews
John Hafner - Charles Zoller
John J. Gallagher
Harry G. Vennell - John J. Trost
Charles Mangold
Merritt Hall - Pavonia Park Frederick Wolfinger - Jacob Walz
Charles Kleeman - Stockton Park
Christopher L. Dietz
Frank Grunert

Philadelphia Inquirer - October 12, 1898

Philadelphia Inquirer
April 12, 1899

Jonas S. Miller
Charles G. Garrison
John Hoosey
Oscar Scherer
Jacob Bauck
John Costello
Town Hall Hotel
Julius Stienger
Jacob Bendinger
Merritt Hall
Pavonia Park
Chalres Kleeman
Stockton Park
Harry G. Vennell
William Denneller
Charles Zoller
John J. Gallagher
William Walz
August Muench
Pauline Everly
 George Doerfuss 
Christopher L. Dietz
Frank Grunert

Philadelphia Inquirer - September 2, 1900