Camden People - Samuel C. Curriden

SAMUEL C. CURRIDEN was the son of William J. Curriden. He was born in New Jersey around 1868. He was one of at least six children, the others being William, Ida Jane, Harry, Josephine, and Edward Curriden.

In 1882 Samuel Curriden and his brother Harry operated a sign business out of 764 Federal Street. Samuel Curriden then lived nearby at 752 Pennsylvania Avenue.

In 1888, according to that year's City Directory, he was working as a driver for Samuel A. Kilpatrick, with a home address of 27 South 8th Street. He is listed in the 1890-1891 Camden City Directory as a letter carrier, living at the same address.

Samuel Curriden is listed at 845 Bridge Avenue in the 1891-1892 and 1894-1895 City directories. In May of 1894 he was appointed to the Camden Fire Department, along with Joseph Logue, William Patterson, George Cox, David Andrews, John A. Dold, William Jobes, William O. Sawyer, and Albert James. Samuel Curriden did not remain with the fire department for long, however. He was let go on March 28, 1895. He was living at 734 Carman Street by the fall of 1895.

Interestingly enough, a few years after leaving the postal service, Samuel Curriden and several other Camden letter carriers received settlements from the government to compensate them for overtime work while mailmen. The other Camden mailmen included Daniel W. Leach and David S. Paul, among others. The story was reported in the Philadelphia Inquirer on December 14, 1896.

Samuel Curriden moved to Atlantic City later in the 1890s and remained for a number of years before returning to the Camden area. The 1910 Census shows him and 723 Carman Street, working as a construction foreman. He later moved to Collingswood.

During World War I Samuel Curriden was active in the Civic affairs of Camden relating to the war effort. At wars end, he served as the Chairman of the Decorations Committee, which directed the erection of all Victory Arches and decorations for receptions to the returning troops, Admiral Henry B. Wilson Jr., and the Peace Jubilee. The rest of the committee consisted of the following men: Andrew B. F. Smith, William S. Abbott, W. H. Turnbull, Charles S. Boyer, John W. Kelly Jr., Walter L. Campbell, and Charles M. Curry.

In 1924 Samuel Curriden patented a device for use in transporting sections of pipe. Samuel C. Curriden passed away in 1926.

Youngest brother Edward Curriden was appointed to the Camden Fire Department in the early 1900s and served into the mid-1920s, retiring at the rank of Captain.

	Philadelphia Inquirer - December 14, 1896

John C. Kennedy Click on Images for PDF File of Complete Article

Camden Courier-Post May 21, 1938

Harold Curriden Samuel Curriden