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From Historic Roadsides of New Jersey by The Society of Colonial Wars in the State of New Jersey, 1928
Edited by GET NJ, COPYRIGHT 2002
Camden County, originally part of old Gloucester, was
organized under an Act passed by the Legislature March 13,
1844. Long. a. Coming (Berlin) was the first County Seat, but
in 1848 at a fourth election held to vote on a County Seat,
Camden won a majority and is now the seat of the county
government. The County was named, as is the City, after
Charles Pratt, Earl of Camden, a great Judge, a wise States.
man and warm advocate of fair play for the Colonies. The
County is bounded on the northeast by Burlington; on the
southeast by Atlantic: on the southwest by Gloucester and on
the northwest by the Delaware River.
CAMDEN
Originally styled "Pyne Poynte" and later
Cooper's Ferry, was settled in 1681 by Richard Arnold and
William Cooper, who built on the River's edge below the
mouth of Deer Creek. He had a deed from the Proprietors of
West Jersey, but also bought the land from the Indians, obtaining a deed executed by Tolacca, Chief of the Tribe. His
second house was above Cooper's Point called by him Pyne
Point, and is still standing. A ferry to Philadelphia was established near the foot of Cooper Street by the County and a
license to operate it was granted to William Royden. It was
bought from Royden by Cooper and the settlement became
known as Cooper's Ferry. The ferry over Cooper's Creek was
established, at what is now Federal Street, in 1747 by Samuel
Spicer.
Kaighn's Point, was settled by John Kaighn in 1696, and
land lower down the River was bought by Archibald Mickle,
who, with Cooper and Kaighn, owned practically all of Cam.
den between Cooper's Creek and the Delaware.
In February of 1778, General Wayne forced the British
to take shelter behind the works at Cooper's Point and on
March 1, 1778, a spirited skirmish took place between Sixth
and Market Streets and Cooper's Creek Bridge, Count Pulaski
distinguishing himself.
In June of 1777, the Trustees of Princeton College held a
meeting at Cooper's Ferry and granted degrees to the Class of
'76, the only meeting of the Trustees held out of Princeton
because of the War.
The first Charter was granted to Camden in 1828. The
Camden and Amboy Railroad was chartered in 1830, and the
first train ran into Camden January, 1834.
Points of interest:
HADDONFIELD On Cooper's Creek about five miles south. east of Camden. The place takes its name from the family of John Haddon, who purchased the land on which the town is built about 1710. His daughter, Elizabeth Haddon, came to New Jersey from England and built a brick residence about 1713, later referred to. Haddonfield, although inhabited by Quakers, was successively occupied by American and British Troops and was the scene of a number of skirmishes. Points of interest:
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