Camden People - Rollo Jones

ROLLO RICHARD JONES was born on February 3, 1879 in New Jersey. When the census was taken on June 5, 1900 he was living with his new wife Fannie at 109 North 2nd Street, the home of her father, Samuel S. Elfreth. Samuel S. Elfreth, was the Chief of the Fire Department of the City of Camden until his retirement in 1913. On June 13, 1900, only eight days later, Rollo and Fannie Jones turn up in the same census at 226 Benson Street. Rollo Jones then was working for the Pennsylvania Railroad as a fireman. On December 3, 1904 he was appointed to the Camden Fire Department, and reported for duty the following day. He served Ladder Company 1 until January 16, 1909 when he was sent to Engine Company 6. Newly-appointed firefighter Samuel Harring replaced Rollo Jones at Ladder 1.

By 1910, Rollo and Fannie Jones, along with their daughter Catherine and former Chief Elfreth were living at 638 State Street in North Camden. By September of 1918 he was then serving as a captain with Engine Company 4 on Vine Street. The family was still on State Street as late as 1920.

By the time the 1927 Camden City Directory was published, Rollo and Fannie Jones had moved to 547 York Street. In April of 1928 Rollo Jones was promoted to Battalion Chief, replacing George B. Wade, who had retired. He was then living at 536 York Street. Prior to his appointment as battalion chief Rollo Jones had also served as an instructor at the department's fire school. He was serving at Engine Company 9 in East Camden at the time of his promotion. Upon his promotion Chief Jones was sent to Engine Company 3.

Fannie Jones appears to have passed away shortly after the 1928 Camden City Directory was compiled. Rollo Jones soon remarried. The 1929 Directory shows that he had remarried. His new wife, the former Mrs. Clemence Lindley Jones, was the widow of Walter Benjamin Gray, who had served with the Camden Fire Department from 192o through 1923, and who had passed away on January 21, 1924.

Last a resident of 547 York Street, Rollo Jones passed away on April 3, 1940 and was buried at Lakeview Cemetery in Cinnaminson, New Jersey. Clemence Jones is not listed in the 1943 Camden City Directory.

Camden Evening Courier
December 3, 1904

Dr. Frank Neall Robinson - Linden Street
Rollo Jones - Charles Cook
James White - Harry C. Anderson
Ephraim Davis - Samuel Sheer
Edward Finley - Martin Carrigan
Joseph T. Daley - Joseph Ernst
William K. Buzine
"William Munson" aka Seth Monell
Charles Sturgis - Samuel W. Whitzell
J. Oscar Till Jr. - William Miller
John H. Vickers - Fred Morse

Philadelphia Inquirer
June 18, 1907

...continued...

Rollo Jones - Henry Green - John Lutts - George Kappel - Charles H. Ellis - David Baird Jr.
Captain Ricardo Pericoli - Italian Royal Navy cruiser R.M. Etruria - Howard Mulford
Ladder Company 1 - Pearl Street

Philadelphia Inquirer - May 16, 1915

Rollo Jones - David Bakley - Anna May Lander - Engine Company 6 Front Street - State Street - Linden Street - Roberts Street

Camden Post-Telegram
December 23, 1915

Joseph Maxwell
Katherine Maxwell
Rev. Rudolph Brestell
St. Paul's Episcopal Chuch
Harry Green
William Walton
Engine Company 1
Engine Company 4
Rollo Jones
Joseph T. Daley

Philadelphia Inquirer - March 23, 1918

Peter B. Carter - Harry B. Maxwell - Allen Palmer - Louis Neumann - George H. Pursglove Roy DeHaven - Julius Herbert - Harry W. Stone - Joseph Sparks - Robert Knox - Clarence Pursglove Anthony Paradise - Robert Welsh- Walter Mertz - Horace Cairns - Samuel Whitzell

Philadelphia Inquirer - June 27, 1920

...continued...

Walter Mertz - Rollo Jones - David Baird Robinson - Winston Pickle - Mrs. Anna Mosley William E. Curtis - E.F. Crane - B.E. Lane - William Carey - J.W. Young Larch Street - Vine Street - Engine Company 1 - Engine Company 6

Camden Courier-Post
December 4, 1926

Rollo Jones
Robert Gick

Trenton Evening Times
January 27, 1929

Rollo R. Jones
Peter B. Carter

Hainesport Fire Company No. 1
America Fire Company No. 4
Clifford R. Powell
George N. Wimer
Charles R. Stout

Camden Courier-Post - June 22, 1933

FIRE SCARE IS CAUSED BY BURNING RUBBISH

Smoke issuing from windows of a vacant house at Hyde Park and Kaighn Avenue caused a fire scare in South Camden shortly before noon yesterday. Investigation showed the smoke was caused by a resident of the neighborhood burning rubbish.

Captain Rollo Jones, of the city fire department, said the smoke arose from a rubbish fire in a nearby stove, causing clouds to enter through open windows of the vacant house. A passerby turned in an alarm that brought three pieces of fire apparatus.

Camden Courier-Post - February 9, 1938

...continued...

Charles Errickson - Rollo Jones - Little Ray Smith

Camden Courier-Post - February 25, 1938

...continued...

Marlton Volunteer Fire Compnay No. 1 Harold Van Zant - Aubrey G. Dumphrey - Harry B. Dumphrey - George H. Cline Norman E. Wells - Mrs. Frederick Endicott - I.R. Farrow - Rollo Jones - William J. Smith Frank Watchorn - Harry Roff - Walter McClain - David A. Brotherton - Ralph McKinley

*Camden Courier-Post April 8, 1940**

Engine Company 3 - George M. Townsend - Stevens Street

Camden Courier-Post * June 5, 1940

CHANGES ANNOUNCED IN FIRE DEPARTMENT
Truck Disbanded, Engine Company Created; 13 Men Transferred

Commissioner Mary W. Kobus yesterday announced a number of changes in the fire department, including the disbanding of Truck Company No. 4; creation of a new engine company. No. 10, and the transfer of 18 officers and men, 12 of them captains.

Most of the new captains have been serving as acting captains and promotion to full rank will involve no pay increases, inasmuch as the men signed waivers foregoing the raises.

Commissioner Kobus explained most of the changes were made to conform with regulations of the National Board of Fire Underwriters. The board, Mrs. Kobus explained, made a survey of the department and advised appointments of acting captains to full rank.

The commissioner also announced she had appointed Junior Captain Raymond Smith as director of the school for firemen at Engine Company No. 10, Ninth and Morgan streets. Smith, one of the youngest at the recently appointed junior captains, will succeed the late Battalion Chief Rollo Jones.

Senior Captain Leonard Megee was appointed acting battalion chief to succeed Jones. He will continue at the Fifth and Arch streets fire headquarters.

Junior Captain William Spencer, of headquarters company, was named relief captain.

Engine Company No. 10 will use the headquarters of the old truck
company, at Ninth and Morgan streets.

To the new company Mrs. Kobus assigned Senior Captain Mortica Clark and Firemen Frank Burt, Frank Esperance and Clifford Lane.

Junior Captain Frank Oberman was transferred from Engine Company No. 10 to Engine Company No. 1, at fire headquarters.

Other assignments are as follows:

Junior Captain Robert Wonsetler, Engine Company No. 11, to Engine Company No. 2.

Fireman Harry Kleinfelder, Engine Company No. 6, to Engine Company No. 2

Junior Captain Edgar Ellender, Engine Company No. 2, to Engine Company No. 6.

Junior Captain Ralph Bingemann, Truck Company No. 2, to Engine Company No. 7.

Fireman David Humphries, Truck Company No. 3, to Engine Company No. 11.

Junior Captain Nelson Andrews, Engine Company No. 2, to Truck Company No. 1.

Fireman Albert Dukes, Jr., Truck Company No. 1, to Engine Company No. 2.

Junior Captain Winfield Levisuer, Truck Company No. 2, to Truck Company No. 3.

Junior Captain Edward McDowell retains assignment to Engine Company No. 3.

Junior Captain Maurice O’Brien assigned to Engine Company No. 10.

The changes were contained in notice to the Civil Service Commission, are effective as of June 1 and will appear on the June 15 payroll.

Philadelphia Inquirer December 4, 1904	Martin Carrigan Rollo Jones Charles Cook James White Samuel Sheer Edward Finley Joseph T. Daley Joseph Ernst Seth D. Monnell William K. Buzine Charles Sturgis Samuel T. Whitezell Ephraim T. Davis J. Oscar Till Jr. John H. Vickers Frederick Morse Harry C. Anderson William Miller Engine Company 5

Camden Courier-Post - April 4, 1928

...continued...

Thomas Nicholas - John H. Lennox - Rollo Jones - William Harring Clarence Madden - George B. Wade - William W. Patterson - George Hunt David Ellis - George Saunders - Eli Hunt - William Van Pfefferle William H. Toy - Leo Tomkins - Horace T. Molan Laurence Boulton - George W. Garner - Felix E. Bendzyn - Harry H. Hess Charles Jones - Thomas F. Gibbons - Byron Davis - John S. Anderson Ladder Company 1 - Engine Company 3 Engine Company 6 - Engine Company 7 - Engine Company 9 27th Street - Arch Street - Broadway - Clinton Street Federal Street - Ferry Avenue - York Street