Howard
M.
Cooper


 

HOWARD M. COOPER was born at Kaighns's Point in Camden to John and Mary M. (Kaighn) Cooper in on June 14, 1844. He was a direct descendant of William Cooper, one of the first Englishmen to settle in the area, and for whom Cooper's Point and the Cooper River is named.

John Cooper, Howard M. Cooper's father, was born in Woodbury NJ, and spent his youth on a farm in that place. When a young man he went to Camden, and engaged in the wood and coal business, building up a large trade. He was in business in Camden many years, with John W. Stone, at 32-34 Kaighn Avenue John Cooper retired around 1888, and passed away on April 18, 1894 at the age of 80. At that time he was vice-president of the Camden National Bank. Mary M. Cooper was the daughter of Joseph Kaighn and Sarah Mickle, both members of prominent families in early Camden. Younger brother William J. Cooper continued his father's business after moving it to 221 Kaighn Avenue into the 1920s.

After graduating from Haverford College in 1864, he took up the study of law with Peter L. Voorhees. He was admitted to the bar in 1867, and qualified as a counselor in 1870. 

In 1874 Howard M. Cooper served as administrator for the estate of Grace E. Kaighn. In that capacity in order to settle debts of the estate he sold land west of South 3rd and Chestnut Street south across Sycamore Street to Kaighn Avenue to Randal E. Morgan. 299 Kaighn Avenue was part of this sale.

Howard M. Cooper married Lucy Smyth on April 24, 1884. 

Howard Cooper appears in the 1887-1891 Camden City directories as living at 633 Cooper Street, where his brother William also resided. He sold this home to merchant H.B. Hanford sometime in the 1890s. In those years he maintained offices at 106 Market Street, a building which his family had built in 1865. He also was the treasurer of the Camden County Bar Association in 1890-91.  

Howard M. Cooper became a prominent attorney in Camden, and was involved in several significant enterprises in the city. By 1897 he was president of the Security Trust and Safe Deposit Company, the Harleigh Cemetery Association, and the West Jersey Orphanage for Destitute Colored Children. He was also a director of the West Jersey Title & Guarantee Company, and was director and solicitor for the Camden National Bank. Lucy Cooper was also civic-minded, and was active in the Woman's Club of Camden. N.J. in the late 1890s.

Howard M. Cooper was also a member of the Camden County Historical Society. From a paper he read to the Historical Society on June 13, 1899, he wrote the book "Historical Sketch of Camden N.J." which was published in 1909.

The building at 106 Market Street was sold in 1914 to another prominent lawyer, Thomas E. French. By the time of the 1920 census, Howard and Lucy Cooper were living at 633 Penn Street in Camden. Howard Cooper passed away on June 22, 1922 at the age of 78.


Philadelphia Inquirer - January 17, 1884
Click on Image for Complete Article

 

Philadelphia Inquirer - July 21, 1885

Camden National Bank
H.B. Anthony
Dr. George W. Bailey
Irvin C. Beatty
Howard M. Cooper
John Cooper
James Davis
Herbert C. Felton
Philip H. Fowler
Zophar C. Howell
Zophar L. Howell
Rudolph W. Birdsall
William B. Mulford
Charles E. Thomas
Isaac C. Toone
Henry B. Wilson
Charles B. Coles
Isaac C. Martindale
Thomas Boyle
Kaighn Avenue
Locust Street


Philadelphia Inquirer
January 14, 1890

Kaighn's Point Ferry Company
Herbert C. Felton
West Jersey Title & Guarantee Company
Samuel H. Grey -
John J. Burleigh 
William Casselman - D. Somers Risley
William J. Sewell - Peter L. Voorhees
William S. Scull - E.N. Cohn
Franklin C. Woolman -
Thomas E. French
Alexander C. Wood
Camden Heating & Lighting Company
E.A. Armstrong - J.E. Roberts
George Barrett -
J. Willard Morgan
William T. Bailey - David Baird Sr.
Howard M. Cooper - Rene Gillon


Philadelphia Inquirer - April 16, 1899
Click on Image for Complete Article

West Jersey Orphanage for Destitute Colored Children
Howard M. Cooper - Edward L. Farr - Alexander C. Wood
Dr. Alexander McAlister - Lucy S. Cooper - Rebecca C.W. Reeve
Susan S. Wood

Biographical Review * 1897

 

 
   

627 & 633
Cooper Street

Howard M. Cooper
lived at 633 Cooper in the 1890s

Click on Images to Enlarge


Philadelphia Inquirer - April 16, 1899
Click on Image for Complete Article

West Jersey Orphanage for Destitute Colored Children
Howard M. Cooper - Edward L. Farr - Alexander C. Wood
Dr. Alexander McAlister - Lucy S. Cooper - Rebecca C.W. Reeve
Susan S. Wood

Philadelphia Inquirer
March 1, 1906

Dr. H. Genet Taylor - Dr. Paul H. Markley
Richard H. Reeve - Augustus Reeve
Watson Depuy - Howard M. Cooper
Alexander C. Wood - Ephraim Tomlinson
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Rev. R.E. Brestell
Cooper Street - Peter V. Voorhees



Philadelphia Inquirer - July 23, 1909
Dr. H. Genet Taylor - Howard M. Cooper - Rev. Rudolph Brestell - North 2nd Street
James H. Carpenter - H.C. Alexander - Wilbur F. Rose - Edward B. Leaming
St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Philadelphia Inquirer - November 15, 1910

Bank Directory - March-December 1916

Camden National Bank
Camden, N. J.

FRANCIS C. HOWELL, President
HERBERT C. FELTON, Vice President
ELIAS DAVIS Cashier

Directors:

Francis C. Rowell        

John D. Glover 

Herbert C. Felton         

James W. Halley

Rudolph W. Birdsell         

John C. Danenhower 

Howard M. Cooper         

Dr. John W. Donges

Isaac Ferris     

Elias Davis

Philadelphia Office, Southeast corner 2nd and Walnut Streets
Discount Day, Wednesday 

Condition of Bank - March 7, 1916

Philadelphia Inquirer - September 11, 1918
John B. Kates
Charles G. Garrison

Herbert A. Drake
Howard M. Cooper
D. Truman Stackhouse
George G. Bergen
Enos Dellmuth
Louis Clark
Charles A. Duncan
F.L. Peach - W.J. Coxey
Herbert Corson
Elmer Deputy
Herbert C. Felton
W.B. McMullin - Joseph B. Davis
Charles D. Phillips - Ephraim Gilll
Charles Austermuhl
Samuel Mackler - Frank C. Dall
J.H. Knerr - Charls M. Curry
Isaiah Hatch
Harry M. Dease
Elmer F. Edwards
Thomas J. Wright -
Anthony J. Oberst

Philadelphia Inquirer
October 21, 1918

Charles H. Ellis
William H. Ellis
Howard M. Cooper
Thomas French
Wilbur F. Rose
Dr. A. Haines Lippincott
Dr. E.A.Y. Schellenger
Herbert A. Munger
T. Gordon Coulter
George Kappell
Frederick A. Finkeldey
William C. Davis
Theodore T. Kausel
Allen Jarvis
Frank S. Van Hart
Frederick von Nieda
Joseph Forsyth
Dr. Charles P. Tuttle
Dr. H.F. Bushey
Elisha Gravenor
Charles Whaland
William J. Kelly
Clifford K. Deacon


Philadelphia Inquirer - June 20, 1922

Philadelphia Inquirer - June 30, 1922

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