CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY
HURLEY'S DEPARTMENT STORE
Broadway &
Pine
Street
Founded in 1890, Hurley's Department Store was a fixture in the Camden and South Jersey retail business scene until 1956, when the Hurley family closed the business. The business, originally called Gately & Hurley, was originally located in the old Wildey Hall at 4th and Pine Streets. Founder William Leonard Hurley assumed sole ownership in 1904. By this time the company had located their flagship store on the south-west corner of Broadway and Pine Street. William Leonard Hurley passed away early in 1928. His son Jerome, along with brothers James V. and Harry A. Moran, carried the business forward. In 1947, the store underwent a major renovation, as described in the newspaper article below. By that time, the Hurley chain had expanded to include a total of seven stores, including locations in East Camden, Penns Grove, Trenton, Millville, Wilmington DE, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere. Hurley's was noted for its personnel, many of whom worked fro the concern for decades. Harry A. Moran, who was general manager of the business in the 1930s and 1940s, retired in 1944 after 46 years with the firm. His brother James V. Moran also worked for Hurley's for over four decades. Hurley's closed in 1956. While the business had suffered due to competition from other, larger stores, the closing was as much a product of a lack of a succession plan for the business. The store's closing, however, was a portent of things to come later for Camden. |
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Philadelphia Inquirer August 20, 1896 Esterbrook
Steel Pen Co. John
Campbell |
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Philadelphia
Inquirer July 15, 1902 Broadway
- Spruce
Street |
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Click on Images for PDF File of Complete Article |
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Camden Courier-Post - January 5, 1928 |
VICTOR
WINS THREE AND TIES FOR LEAD With
the end of the first-half race in the Industrial bowling tournament only one
week off, Victor went into a tie for first place by sweeping all three games
from Woodbury while Freihofer’s spanked Y.M.C.A pacesetters twice. Hurley
Company took three from Warren
Webster in the other match Freihofer’s
set a new league record by rolling 928 in the third game. Krupp’s total
score was 602 pins, an average better than 200. His high mark was 221. Miller,
a teammate, rolled 203. |
Camden Courier-Post * March 29, 1930 |
HURLEY GETS CONTRACT FOR POLICE UNIFORMS Contract for new police uniforms was awarded yesterday to the Hurley store by the city commission, which heretofore had contracted with a Philadelphia firm. Changes in the uniforms of several of the police departments are planned by Chief Lewis H. Stehr and Captain Arthur Colsey. Because many bus companies have adopted uniforms similar to those of the police for their drivers, the new uniforms for the mounted police will include blue coat, blue hat and khaki breeches. Police attached to the ambulance patrol will wear dark gray whipcord uniforms. Traffic. police and others will wear the regular blue uniform now in use. Uniform Inspection will be held Monday to ascertain the department's needs. |
Camden Courier-Post - October 26, 1931 |
HURLEY’S
PLEDGES $100,000 BANK AID The Hurley Store yesterday pledged $100,000 credit to South Jersey depositors in any closed Philadelphia bank. This pledge supporting the plan outlined by the Philadelphia Record, swells the total to more than $4,000,000. It was made through Harry A. Moran, general manager of the William L. Hurley Company. Among the new credit pledges made by Philadelphia merchants and business interests are $500,000 by Stern & Co., and $250,000 by S. Kind &: Son. The Record plan, as outlined last week, advocates issuance by the Pennsylvania State Banking Department of negotiable certificates of deposit to those whose funds are tied up in closed banks. A merchant, under the plan, would agree, on presentation of the certificate, to advance a credit of 50 percent of the sum estimated as the liquidating dividend to be paid by the closed bank. Moran, in a letter to the Record wrote: "Congratulations upon your conception of this timely help to so many of those who temporarily, at least, cannot call into use money urgently needed to provide seasonable requirements. "Work, in the interest of the public welfare, that the Record is continually sponsoring of which the proposed release of bank funds is just one instance, shows the masses that your policies are decidedly in aid of the public welfare, particularly in these times of pressing need." The plan was advanced to relieve distress among depositors of Philadelphia banks and at the same time speed up trade recovery. Accomplishment of the plan would make possible the creation of at least $10,000,000 of Christmas business for Philadelphia merchants, it is estimated. |
Camden Courier-Post - June 9, 1933 |
STORES WILL JOIN IN BARGAIN
PERIOD A committee of the Merchants' Cooperative Association, headed by Harry A. Moran, secretary and manager of the the Hurley Store, has announced a three-day co-operative promotion which will be known as Camden's Co-operation Days. All merchants of this city have been invited to participate in the event which will be outlined in newspaper and radio announcements. City and store decorations and entertainment features which may include the personal appearances of stage, radio, sports and screen stars are being arranged. The whole event has been arranged because of recent disclosures, resulting from investigation made by the local publishers proving that local industrial employment and business conditions have shown a decided upward trend in the city within the past several months. The committee includes Charles Gates, Camden manager of Sears, Roebuck & Company; J. B. Van Sciver, Jr. of J. B. Van Sciver; C. A. McGrew, manager of J. C. Penney; Lester Abrahamson of Lester's; S. Savage of Western Auto Supply; William Rothman of Barrett's Tire Shop; Leonard R. Baker of Baker-Flick; Samuel Auerbach of Auerbach's; N. Futernick of Futernick's; Max Peck of the Fashion Shop; Simon Abrahamson of Simon's; Michael LaSala of DiJulio-LaSala; Joseph Murdock, manager of the Stanley Theatre; W. L. Tushingham, business manager, and F. J. Kinsella, advertising director of the Courier-Post newspapers. |
Camden Courier-Post - June 28, 1933 |
PRE-INVENTORY
SALE GIVES REAL BARGAINS With
wholesale prices on raw materials and finished products mounting, the Hurley Store,
at Broadway and Pine
Street, is conducting a pre-inventory sale in which merchandise is offered
at considerably lower than existing prices.
"Higher
prices are coming. Put your money in merchandise, at today's low prices, and
make a sound investment in a perfect security," is the store's slogan,
for the special sale. Harry
A. Moran, manager of the Hurley Store,
said it has been its regular policy to hold the pre-inventory sale there at
the end of June, when it takes place in the other stores of the Hurley group
at the same time. Our
sole object," Moran
said, "is to dispose of as much merchandise as possible so that our
Summer inventory will be reduced to a minimum. This year, although we know
replacement values on all merchandise in our pre-inventory clearance will be
higher than that of our present stocks, we are following our regular custom.
We have every reason to believe that we are thus performing a worthy service
for old patrons and those who will wish to take advantage of these offerings
for the first time." Moran added that in the face of rising costs it is a noteworthy fact that retail stores, generally, continue to dispose of present stocks at prices based on actual cost rather than advance their retail price levels in keeping with present-day replacement values. |
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Camden January 1, 1938 This ad was part of a promotion where several local businesses donated gifts to the first baby born in Camden in 1938. |
Camden Courier-Post * February 16, 1938 |
MORAN AT 72 OBSERVES BIRTHDAY BY WORKING James V. Moran, vice president of the chain of Hurley stores, yesterday "I don't work too hard and I find time for relaxation," said Moran.
"I have Moran put in his usual full day in his office at the W. L. Hurley store, |
Camden Courier-Post * October 6, 1947 |
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Broadway, looking north at the intersection of Spruce Street, September 18, 1951 The vertical HURLEY'S sign can be seen on left side of the street. Collins, at far left, was at that location from the 1930s through the 1960s. The "STERN" building was originally the H. Pinsky & Son Co. |
Broadway, looking south at the intersection of Pine Street, September 18, 1951 Of
the buildings easily seen in this photo, only the "New York Fur
Factory |