Camden People - Howard Firth

HOWARD FIRTH was born in New Jersey on November 3, 1874, the second of four children born to Abram and Clara Firth. His grandparents, Samuel and Elizabeth Firth, had come to New Jersey from England. When the 1870 Census was taken, Samuel Firth and family lived in Lawrence Township, Mercer County NJ, where the elder Firth conducted a grocery. Abram and Clara Firth, recently married, lived with the elder Firths. At the time of the 1880 Census Abram and Clara Firth lived in the nearby borough of Chambersburg. After suing well-known building contractor Abram Hamer in civil court for breach of contract in Trenton, Abram Firth brought his family to the Cramer Hill section of Camden in 1888. The 1900 Census shows the family at 1111 North 25th Street. Howard Firth's brothers were still living at home, Byron and Charles Darwin; sister Laura apparently had married. By 1914 the Firth family had moved across the street to 1120 North 25th Street.

Active in local politics, Howard Firth served on the Camden County Board of Freeholders from Camden's 11th Ward in 1930 and 1931. The 1929 City Directory shows that he was working as a clerk for Sophia Strahle, who owned the Pavonia House bar at North 26th Street and River Avenue.

Howard Firth was living at 1120 North 25th Street when the 1929 Camden City Directory was compiled, as was his widowed mother. He died on December 12, 1933 and was buried at Arlington Cemetery in Pennsauken, New Jesey. Younger brother Charles Darwin Firth and wife Catherine were living at 1120 North 25th Street as early as 1922 and through 1947.

Camden Courier-Post - October 26, 1931

Three-cornered Fights In Freeholder Contest
Clementon and Delaware Township to Have Bitter Battles
38 TO BE ELECTED IN COUNTY, NOV. 3
6 Additional Offices Created by Law; Candidates Listed

Three-cornered battles in Clementon and Delaware township will mark freeholder contests at the November 3 election. Ballots will be casts for an entire new board of freeholders, with 38 to be elected.

Boroughs to have freeholders representation for the first time as a result of recent legislation are Clementon, Lindenwold, Oaklyn, Woodlynne, Mt. Ephraim and Runnemede.

Rivals in the three-cornered fight in Clementon are Theodore W. Gibbs, Republican Organization nominee; Frank C. Somers, running as a Republican Independent, and Herbert P. McAdams, the Democratic nominee.

The triangular race in Delaware township finds Frank N. Walton, Republican Organization; J. Watson Matlack, Republican Independent, and Augustus A. Cornet, Democrat, as the contestants.

Nine members of the present board of freeholders will not be on the ballot for re-election. All are Republicans. They are Benjamin W. Sykes, Eighth Ward; Joseph Tarpine, First Ward, Gloucester; Philip Stohlbergel, Audubon; Joseph H. Van Meter, Collingswood; William J. Dallas, Haddon Heights; James W. Davis, Clementon; Charles C. Durges, Haddon township; Theodore Schleinkofer, Waterford township, and William A. Robinson, Winslow ..

Joseph Bennie, Third Ward, Camden, is the only Democratic member on the present board. He is seeking a re-election and is opposed by Daniel Auletto, Republican nominee.

Candidates listed on the ballots in the various wards and municipalities follow:

Camden Wards

First Ward-Samuel D. Payne, R.; Thomas J. Kittel, D.

Second-William H. Heiser, R.; William Kunitz, D.

Third-Daniel Auletto, R.; Joseph Bennie, D.

Fourth-William L. Roberts, R.; Nicholas A. La Marra, D.

Fifth-C. Leonard Brehm, R.; Leon Perozzi. D.

Sixth-Harry J. Burrichter, R.; A. W. Lazro, D.

Seventh-Mrs. Mary D. Guthridge, R.; Theodore Buczkowski, D.

Eighth-Walter Sekula, R.; George S. W. Spaide.

Ninth-Francis B. Bodine, R.; S. V. Waddy, D.

Tenth-Samuel J. Edwards, R.; Edward J. Fox, Sr., D.

Eleventh - Howard Firth, R.; Charles T. Johnston, D.

Twelfth-John T. Rodan, R.; Wilbert H. Joslin, D.

Thirteenth-William P. Cotter, R.; Frank E. Zimmerman, D.

Fourteenth-Charles H. Genther, R.; George E. Brunner, D.