Admiral Wilson Blvd, Camden

[Dave Mellor NJ]

Anybody faniliar with South Jersey knows how desperate Camden is. Here are some Pics of its better days, posted on HAMB by MrFire. The first pics are of the Sears building which timed its opening with the Delaware River Bridge,later renamed thr Ben Franklin. It was the heyday of the Model T and the first store built to cater to motor traffic. It still stands but has been embroiled in endless disputes to tear it dow

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[5219]

I spent my childhood in the 1950's on Randolph Street in east Camden, which was right behind Admiral Wilson Boulevard. My father bought a 1959 Monterey convertible at Merlin Lincoln-Mercury, which is shown in two of the pictures.

I used to play in the junk trade-in cars that Art Sharp kept in back of his lot which is also shown.

Dave Cole Pontiac, shown in two of the pictures, was originally built in 1958 as Berglund Edsel. It is interesting to note that they were selling Pontiacs by the time 1959 rolled around.

The final picture shows the Airport Circle in the early fifties. The airport was gone by then. I feel sorry for the poor guy under the hood of his circa-1928 car while all of the modern iron inches around him. I am sure that he was having a truly rotten day.

Thank you for this posting. I truly enjoyed it.

[Dave Mellor NJ]

You're welcome. I didn't know Dave Cole started as Berglund Edsel but I did know most of the other stuff.

[Dave Mellor NJ]

I just came across this old post and wanted to bring it back up. That car being worked on in the last pic looks like a Packard

[W_Higgins]

That's too bad.  They should have left the Sears building and town down Camden.

[Enos]

Brings back old memories. Raised in Pennsauken, Remember going to the first drive in movies on Adm. Wilson blvd. with parents. Had huge speaker on each side of screen.

Road was also known locally as Automobile Row with several agencies.

Thanks......

[mercer09]

Used to pass the Sears building in the early 80's, when I was attending Rutgers.................

 

was a truly beautiful bldg!

 

I agree that Camden should be torn to the ground and rebirthed.

 

Where do we put all of the residents?

 

[Moparite]

Quote

I agree that Camden should be torn to the ground and rebirthed.

 

Where do we put all of the residents?

 

Ship them up to Jersey City!

[8E45E]

On ‎12‎/‎31‎/‎2017 at 9:12 AM, mercer09 said:

Where do we put all of the residents?

North Korea.

 

Craig

[Dave Mellor NJ]

The Sears building finally went away a few years ago to make way for a front entrance to Campbell's soup and a Subaru HQ. There is a lot of development going on in Camden but they need expensive tax breaks to entice them. They offer $10,000 per year for ten years for each job created or saved.Some companies move from elsewhere in Camden. So far the leaders have offered about $50 Billion in tax incentives and many of the companies won't stay the ten years. Remember when it was a thriving industrial area wher the companies were happy to use their own money to start up.