THE OLDER SECTIONS OF CAMDEN, that is, the area that was Camden prior to 1871 and the areas in old Newton Township that had already been developed, had many tiny streets, alley, and courts. The homebuilders of the day would cram a few houses in whatever land was big enough to accommodate them in the areas between the larger streets. Although today this would not happen for concerns about overcrowding and the desire for open spaces, this practice benefited everyone concerned in a time where people walked to work. There were no autos then nor public transportation. It also increased the city's tax base.

Many of these streets have been completely erased, existing only in memory. A few still exist with houses, others only as cutouts in the sidewalks with an overgrown path where thee had been cobblestones.

In the fall of 1932 the Courier-Post newspapers... then the Morning Post and the Evening Courier... published a series of three articles with photos about the small streets that existed at the time, with pictures. A fourth article was announced but may not have been published. These were followed up by a two article feature on the shanty town of Liney Ditch, at the foot of Jasper Street. These articles are below, with links to the pages on this website that concern each of the places mentioned.

Do you have any photos or images of the places concerned, let me know by e-mail so it can be included on this website.

 Phil Cohen
Saturday, February 15, 2020