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FRANK S. VAN HART was born in 1875 in Pennsylvania. His family moved to Camden when he was a young boy. As a young man he was well known as an athlete. Frank S. Van Hart was widely regarded as one of the best second-basemen in South Jersey, playing for such local teams as the Howards and the Camden Athletic Association. Playing on the same teams as future major league stars William "Wid" Conroy and "Kid" Gleason, Van Hart was said to have turned down several offers to sign with minor league professional teams. In the days prior to million-dollar contracts, there were many superb ballplayers who chose to stay at home, work a regular job, and play semi-pro ball on the side. Frank Van Hart played football for the Camden Athletic Association, which in those days played its games at North 3rd and Erie Streets. Among his team mates were William French and his brother Samuel J.T. French, George and Martin Bergen, and Tom Peterson. The French brothers and the two Bergens all became lawyers in Camden, and had notable careers, William French rising to the judgeship. After starting his career with a rope company in Philadelphia, Frank S. Van Hart went to work in the office of the Esterbrook Pen Manufacturing Company in Camden. This led him to a sales job that saw travel to 29 states and Cuba, and culminated with his rise to the position of General Manager. At the time of the 1920 census Frank S, Van Harts was living with wife Ida and son D. Spencer Van Hart at 851 Haddon Avenue, and working as a manager at the Esterbrook Pen Company. The home was later sold to Robert Blake, who operated a funeral home there from the mid 1940s to the 1960s. Aligned politically with David Baird Sr., as president of Camden's City Council Frank S. Van Hart was named to succeed Charles H. Ellis to serve as the acting mayor of Camden NJ in 1922 when Ellis was named as Camden's Postmaster. He ran for Mayor in the election of 1923, but was defeated by Victor S. King. Frank S. Van Hart was the last Mayor to serve prior to the adoption of the commission system of government. In 1925 John Foster served as Exalted Ruler of Camden Lodge 293 of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. Frank S. Van Hart returned to private business after leaving the mayor's office. By 1930 he had moved from Camden to 910 Station Avenue in Haddon Heights NJ. He later took a position as the General Manager of the Camden Lime Company. Frank S. Van Hart retired in the fall of 1940, and moved to his long-time summer home at Pitman NJ. He died as a result of a sudden heart attack on January 11, 1941. Frank S. Van Hart was buried at Harleigh Cemetery in Camden, where he now rests next to his wife Ida. |
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Philadelphia Inquirer * August 30, 1910 |
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Charles
H. Ellis - Dr. William H. Kensinger - O. Glen Stackhouse - John
S. Roberts - George A. Frey |
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| Philadelphia
Inquirer November 16, 1914 |
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| Frederick
A. Finkledey - James
E. Hewitt Amos R. Dease - Frank S. Van Hart |
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Philadelphia Inquirer - March 19, 1915 |
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| Dr.
Emma M. Richardson - William
J. Cooper - William F. Rose Harry C. Sharp - Frank Van Hart - H.C. Dole - Lawrence B. Reader Mrs. Stephen Pfeil - Mrs. J.W.F. Bleakly - Mrs. John W. Croft Mrs. Rose Batters - Mary J. Ball Day Nursery |
| Philadelphia Inquirer - March 26, 1915 |
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Philadelphia
Inquirer David Jester Click on Image for PDF File |
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Right: Photo of Esterbrook Pen Manufacturing Co. published in 1915 Below: |
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During the 1920s, Frank S. Van Hart was the Exalted Ruler of the Elks Lodge in Camden. He was the last to hold this post while the Elks were at this building, at the south-east corner of Broadway and Federal Street. The Elks erected a new building during the 1920s at 7th and Copper Street, which in 2004 is the home of the LEAP Academy charter school. |
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| Elks
Building Federal Street East of Broadway |
Elks
Building Federal Street East of Broadway |
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| YMCA
& Elks Buildings Federal Street East of Broadway |
YMCA
& Elks Buildings Federal Street East of Broadway |
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Philadelphia Inquirer - July 27, 1917 |
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Philadelphia
Inquirer January 2, 1918 T. Gordon Coulter |
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CAMDEN COUNTY IN THE GREAT WAR |
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City Farm Gardens Another
weapon to defeat the enemy was the establishment of City Farm Gardens in
the country. They were urged by the Government and not only provided food
for city residents, but abolished unsightly vacant lots. Mayor
Ellis named the first City Gardens Committee on April 19, 1917, as
follows: E. G. C. Bleakly, Judge
Frank T. Lloyd, Zed H. Copp, William Derham, L.
E. Farnham, B. M. Hedrick, David Jester, O. B. Kern, M.
F. Middleton, Dr. H. L. Rose, Asa L. Roberts, W.
D. Sayrs, Jr., Charles A.
Wolverton, Earl T. Jackson, H. R. Kuehner, Herbert N. Moffett and
Hubert H. Pfeil. At the initial meeting of the above date B. M. Hedrick
was elected chairman; Zed H. Copp secretary and M.
F. Middleton treasurer. Brandin W. Wright, a farming expert, was
employed as general superintendent on May 3, 1917. At a meeting on May 18,
1918, the names of Frank Sheridan and Daniel
P. McConnell were added to the publicity committee in the place
of In his annual report to City Council on January 1, 1918, Mayor Ellis urged the appointment of a committee by City Council on City Gardens and Councilman Frederick Von Neida was named as chairman. This committee with a committee of representative citizens met in the City Hall in February, 19 18, to organize for the ensuing summer. The members of the Councilmanic committee were: Frederick Von Neida, Frank S. Van Hart, William J. Kelly and John J. Robinson. The committee planned an exposition of farm garden products for the fall of 1918, but this plan was frustrated by the Spanish influenza epidemic. The
war gardens became victory gardens in the year 1919 when the committee met
on January 29, 1919. Meyers Baker
was elected secretary and William
D. Sayrs, Jr., treasurer. At the meeting on March 25 committees were
appointed for the Victory War Gardens |
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Philadelphia
Inquirer September 7, 1919 Click on Images for PDF File of Complete Article Admiral
Henry Wilson - Charles
H. Ellis |
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Camden Daily Courier - January 23, 1922 |
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Camden Daily Courier - June 4, 1922 |
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Frank
S. Van Hart - Frank
Murray - Edward
Hahn - Walter Christy -
Albert Yost - Frank Pintozzi |
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Camden Daily Courier - June 11, 1922 |
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Camden Daily Courier - July 6, 1922 |
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Frank
S. Van Hart - Frank
Murray - Edward
Hahn - Walter Christy -
Albert Yost - Frank Pintozzi |
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Camden Courier-Post - February 8, 1933 |
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CAMDEN ELKS TO HONOR PAST EXALTED RULERS Past exalted rulers will be honored tonight by Camden Lodge of Elks with a dinner, ceremonial and entertainment. The program will be nation-wide. A dinner will be served at 6:00 PM, followed by a business session. Harry G. Robinson, present exalted ruler, will open the ceremonial and turn the lodge over to the past officers. The past exalted rulers expected are Samuel Kilpatrick, who served in 1900 and 1921; Dr. A. Haines Lippincott, Alexander J. Milliette, J. Harry Switzer, James H. Long, Marian Moriarty, Allen Jarvis, Albert Austermuhl, William L. Sauerhoff, former Mayor Frank S. Van Hart, D. Trueman Stackhouse, Harry Ellis, William G. Ferat, Judge Garfield Pancoast, Rudolph Preisendanz, Jr., Theodore T. Kausel, Edward J. Kelley, Mayor Roy R. Stewart, William H. lszard, William S. Lehman and J. Harry Todd. |
Camden Courier-Post - June 2, 1933 |
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CAMDEN
ELKS HOPE TO GET CONVENTION The
twenty-first annual reunion and the convention of the New Jersey State
Elks Association will be held in Camden next June if efforts of the
advisory board of' Camden Lodge of Elks are successful at the state
meeting in Newark on June 15, 16 and 17. Members
of the advisory board for the local lodge, who are past exalted rulers of
the Camden lodge, will present the invitation to hold the 1934 meeting in
Camden, at the twentieth reunion and convention in Newark. Members
of the lodge have adopted a
resolution
confirming the action of the advisory board and plans were made to set the
necessary machinery in motion to bring the 1934 convention to Camden. It
was pointed out that Camden Elks have the largest home in the state. Samuel
Kilpatrick, the oldest past exalted ruler of the lodge, is head of the
advisory board, and Harry G. Robinson, youngest past exalted ruler, is
delegate to the state association, which is composed of past exalted
rulers of all Elks lodges in New Jersey.
Although
the state association was formed in Camden, there has never been a reunion
or convention of the association held here, it was pointed out. The
outstanding feature of each annual convention is the mammoth sessions,
with thousands of Elks in line. It is estimated the parade would draw more
than 50,000 persons to Camden, if the local lodge's invitation is
accepted. The
Camden lodge is sending the band and patrol to Newark for the parade,
which will start at 7 p. m. on June 17. Arrangements are being made to
have the largest delegation in the parade represent Camden. Past
exalted rulers who comprise the advisory board, and the year they took
office, follow: Samuel
Kirkpatrick, 1900; Dr.
A. Haines Lippincott, 1901; Alex
J. Milliette, 1906; J. Harry Switzer, 1908; James H.
Long, 1911;
Marion Moriarty, 11113; Allen Jarvis, 1914; Albert
Austermuhl, 1915; William L. Sauerhoff, 1917; Theodore
T. Kausel, 1918; Garfield
Pancoast, 1919; William G. Ferat, 1920; Harry Ellis, 1921; Samuel A.
Dobbins, 1923; D. Trueman Stackhouse, 1924; Frank
S. Van Hart, 1925; Edward J. Kelly, 1926; Rud
Preisendanz, Jr., 1927; Roy
R. Stewart, 1928; William H. lszard, 1929; William Lehman, 1930; J.
Harry
Todd, 1931, and Harry G. Robinson, 1932. Deceased past exalted. rulers and the year they took office are: John H. Foster, 1895; W. E. B. Miller, 1896; Philip Burch, 1897; D. Harry Condit, 1898; H. L. Hartshorn, 1891; George D. Borton, 1902; Maurice Rogers, 1904; Francis Warren, 1907; E. Wilmer Collins, 1909; Lewis H. Leigh, 1910; Morris Odell, 1912, and W. Wallace Balcom, 1922. |
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Camden Courier-Post John
McTaggart
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| Camden Courier-Post - January 13, 1941 | ||
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| Camden Courier-Post - January 13, 1941 | |
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| 851 Haddon Avenue - March 15, 2003 | |
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| Click on Image to Enlarge | |
