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CHARLES
HOBART
CORSON, generally known as Hobart Corson was born in Camden on July 23,
1902 to W. Penn
Corson and his wife he former Catherine Kronenwetter. The
family included one older brother, William Wallace Corson, and
two younger brothers, Edward Mahlon and John Marvin Corson. W.
Penn Corson was a successful building contractor who served
a term as Camden County's sheriff from 1917 through 1920 and was
the co-owner with Dr. Charles B. Helm
of the Camden
franchise of the Eastern Basketball League from 1913 through
1925.
In 1898
W. Penn Corson began working for Frank
B. Sweeten, who was a general contractor, where he learned enough
about the construction business to set up his own firm, in 1904. After
establishing himself paving streets and building sewers in Camden, he
completed many large projects in the new suburban towns, including the
sewage systems in Westmont and Haddonfield. Perhaps his mist notable
project was the paving of the White Horse Pike Pike from Haddon Heights
to Camden, a distance of four miles.
As
early as 1906 through at least 1912
W.
Penn Corson, his wife and family lived at
540 Newton
Avenue, in Camden's Ninth ward. By 1914 the family had moved to 506
Haddon Avenue, where they stayed through January of 1920. W.
Penn Corson
served as Camden County Sheriff from 1917 to 1920. By 1924 he had moved to 119 White Horse Pike in
Haddon Heights. W.
Penn Corson
passed away on November 29, 1927, survived by his wife and three sons,
W. Wallace Corson, C. Hobart Corson, and E. Mahlon Corson. Mrs. Corson
and her sons returned to the Haddon avenue address, where she resided in
the fall of 1936. C. Hobart
Corson was still residing at 506 Haddon
Avenue
as late as 1947. He later moved to 417 Carteret
Street.
Hobart
Corson began working for the City of Camden as a clerk in Police
Court on June 23, 1938. He was drafted into the United States
Army on August 23, 1942 at Camden, New Jersey and assigned to an
Air Corps unit. He was discharged and upon his return to Camden
assigned to a position of Chief's Clerk for the Camden Fire
Department in January 16, 1944. He was also active in the 1940s
and 1950s with the Elks
and with the 9th
Ward Republican Club, serving for a time as its president.
By
the fall of 1961 Hobart Corson's work was being affected
severely by his problem with alcohol. He was suspended twice by
Chief Edward MacDowell, the first time in September of 1961,
then again at Christmas time. A third suspension, this time at
the hands of Public Safety Director Borstein, came in March of
1962. Further health problems led to Hobart Corson's leaving the
Fire Department on September 1, 1962. Last a resident of 123 North
23rd Street, he passed away on May 15,
1964.
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