George
P.
Baxter



GEORGE P. BAXTER was born on April 6, 1920 to David James Baxter and his wife Leta B. Baxter. His grandparents, James and Anne Baxter were living at 1113 Penn Street in 1910, David Baxter working as a stableman for the Pennsylvania Bottling & Supply Company at 14 Market Street. By 1912 Annie Baxter, now a widow, and her sons had moved to 1027 Penn Street.

The Baxters were living at 524 Elm Street in North Camden when David Baxter registered for the draft in June of 1917. He was then driving a wagon pulled by team of horses for the Campbell Soup Company. He learned to drive a truck soon afterwards. The family's first child, daughter Leta E. Baxter, had already been born. 

The 1924 City Directory shows the Baxter family at 828 Fern Street in North Camden, this may, however be incorrect. The 1927 Directory gives an address at 3419 River Road in Cramer Hill, while 1929 Directory shows a return to North Camden, with 334 Byron Street in the Poet's Row section as the address. 

The April 1930 Census shows the Baxter family, which included an older sister, Leta E. Baxter, living at 334 Byron Street. During these years David Baxter supported his family working as a chauffer, the word chauffer translating into today's parlance as taxicab or truck driver. The family had moved to 118 State Street by the spring of 1942, David Baxter then working at the John R. Evans & Company leather factory at North 2nd and Erie Streets.

The 1947 Camden City Directory shows George P. and Dorothy Baxter at 118 State Street. His parents also were living at that address in 1947. George Baxter's occupation was listed as "operator", most likely indicative of factory work, while his father was employed as a watchman. Sister Leta and her husband, James Schoener, also lived at the State Street address.

George P. Baxter was appointed to the Camden Fire Department on December 30, 1950. He reported for duty with

Ladder Company 1 at Fire Headquarters, North 5th and Arch Streets, on January 1, 1951. While with Ladder Company 1 he rescued a litter of puppies while combating a fire on Howard Street in North Camden on September 23, 1959. This fire was quite close to home, as the October 1959 New Jersey Bell Telephone Directory lists an address of 817 Howard Street for G.P. Baxter.

On April 1, 1961 George P. Baxter was promoted to Captain and assigned to Ladder Company 3North 27th and Federal Streets in East Camden. On January of 1963 he was promoted to the post of Chief Fire Marshall.

Sadly, George P. Baxter would not remain in this position for long. He passed away on September 30, 1966. His last address on record with the Camden Fire Department is 151 North 35th Street in East Camden.

Camden Courier-Post - December 9, 1949
...continued...
Joseph T. Hackett - Owen Gale
August L. Johnson - Harry Sterling
Albert A. Stinger - Jesthroe Hunt
Harold H. Pike - Roy R. Moffa
Allen F. Hess - Franklin Whylings
William L. Gosnell - David W. Humphries
William G. WInstanley - Joshua Robinson
Henry S. Keubler - Adolph S. Zubrzycki
Ralph H. Palmer - Alexander P. Matis
Earl G. Robinson - Anthony J. DiMaggio
Earl A, Smith Sr. - Philip J. MacDonald
Robert P. Olesiewicz - Eugene E. Demers
Chester J. Gedrich - John F. Chudzinski
Samuel D. Siniscalki - Santo Dimaggio
Ludwig Polniak - George P. Baxter
Ralph F. Schaeffer - Joseph J. McTaggart
Louis J. Monahan - John DiMaggio 
William N. Stone - Casper J. Martelli - H. Raymond Dixon

 

Camden Courier-Post - February 16, 1952
Woman Gas Victim Saved by Camden Rescue Squad

The hour-long effort of a fire department rescue squad Friday night saved a woman who tried to kill herself by gas.

Police said Mrs. Florence Marshall, 46, of 330 North Tenth Street, locked herself in the bathroom and turned on a gas jet. They added she was despondent because her daughter, Eva, 22, was planning to marry and leave
home.

A son, William, 19, broke down the bathroom door and dragged the mother from the room. Patrolmen John Voll and Harrison Wilkinson were called and 
summoned the rescue squad headed by Captains Godfrey Patterson and George Boone.

It took the squad an hour to revive Mrs. Marshall by artificial respiration. She was taken to Cooper hospital and later to police headquarters, where she was released for a hearing Monday on a charge of attempted suicide.

Other members of Rescue Squad 1 are George Baxter, William Watkin, John Mogck, Edward Brendllnger, Arthur Ballinghoff, Christopher Moll, Edwin Decker, Carl Wirtz, Robert Olesiewicz, John Kolessar and Raymond Banford.

 

Camden Courier-Post * August 19, 1957

Firemen Here Get Advanced First Aid Course

More than 40 members of the Camden Fire Department have completed the Red Cross course in advanced first aid according to announcement today by Howard F. Keller, Collingswood, chairman of the Camden County Chapter's first aid committee. 

Instruction sessions were under the direction of Fire Chief William V. Pfefferle, Drillmaster Anthony Dzinski, a member of the local chapter first aid group, assisted by Nicholas E. George, were instructors. Dzinski is a member of the Red Cross faculty at the National Aquatic School held in this area each year for instruction in advance safety techniques. Dick Harris, director of Red Cross safety services, supervised.

All members of the graduating class are personnel of several units housed at fire department headquarters here. These include the Headquarters Company, Engine Company 2, Rescue Squad 1 and Truck Company 1. These groups include: 

Rescue Squad: Captains Arthur Batten, Philip A. Stinger and Albert Weller; Edward Brendlinger, Harrison MacNeir, Robert Olesiewicz and James W. Smith.

Headquarters Company: Raymond Banford, John K. Voll and John W. Yates.

Truck Company 1: Captains Daniel Jiannetto, Robert E. Dukes and Otto V. Kaiser; William Watkin, Chester Gedrich, George Baxter, John Mogck, George C. Hennessy, Charles Devlin, Ambrose W. Faust, Joseph McTaggart, Howard R. Taggart, William G. Winstanley and Elmer Johnson Jr.

Engine Company 2: Captains James R. Asher, Thomas Winstanley; Carl Wirtz, James McGrory, Edwin V. Decker, James Stewart, Francis X. McTaggart, Anthony T. Orme, Mario D. Fattore, James O. Jones, Francis P. Stibi, William Hopkins, Robert E. Briggs, John Giuliano, Casper Martelli, Harold H. Pike, John J. Vane, William Stibi, John DiMaggio and Harry Kleinfelder.

 

A VERY LUCKY LITTER

Fireman George P. Baxter  of Ladder Company 1, displays the fruits of his labor, a newborn litter of pups, rescued from a working fire on Howard Street in North Camden on September 23, 1959. Fireman Baxter's home was at 817 Howard Street at the time of this fire.

Photo by Bob Bartosz

Click on Image to Enlarge


Promotional Appointments to Captain 1961

From Left: Harold Pike, Albert Stinger, George Baxter
William Winstanley
Click on Image to Enlarge


Camden Courier-Post - March 23, 1963
George Baxter - North 35th Street - Edward R. MacDowell

Camden Courier-Post  - April 1963

Col. Arthur Bedell - George Baxter - John Gaffney - Austin Marks


George Baxter - John Gaffney - Alfred Pierce - Ray Meadows - Parkside - North Camden
Bradley Avenue - Cedar Street - Sycamore Street - Madeline Saracino


George Baxter - Louis Martelli - Edward R. MacDowell

Camden Courier-Post * October 4, 1963

George Baxter - Edward R. MacDowell


Lobby Display at the U.S. Post Office - 1963
From Left: Mr. Espaland, Building Manager; 
Mr. Wallace, Personnel Manager; 
Chief George Baxter, Fire Marshall


George Baxter - Kathleen Wilson - Judith Moffa
Deborah Speno - Patricia Papandrea 

George Baxter - Kathleen Wilson - Judith Moffa
Deborah Speno - Patricia Papandrea 

George Baxter


"SPARKY" and "SMOKEY" giving candy to school children
Left on Ladder is Sparky - Chief
George Baxter
Below on Ground is Smokey - Inspector
Kenneth Clark


"SPARKY" and "SMOKEY"
at the
H.C. Sharp Elementary School
Sparky - Chief
George Baxter
Smokey - Inspector
Kenneth Clark


"SPARKY" and "SMOKEY"
at the
H.C. Sharp Elementary School
Sparky - Chief
George Baxter * Smokey - Inspector Kenneth Clark


Controlled burn of swamp land - 1964

North 36th Street - Farragut Avenue
Godfrey Patterson
- George Baxter - Bob Bartosz


North Camden
Winter of 1964

Longtime friend of the Camden Fire department and Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper reporter, Mrs. Sara Sanderson, Chief Fire Marshall George Baxter and Camden Police Officer William Latham

Click on Image to Enlarge


Camden Courier-Post
1965

Keith Kauffman
Edward V. Michalak

George Baxter

 



Camden Courier-Post
1965

Keith Kauffman
Edward V. Michalak

George Baxter



Camden Courier-Post * May 22, 1965

Charles Bates - George Baxter - Burns Street

...continued...
George Baxter - Poets Row - Burns Street - North Camden

George Baxter - Raphael Meadow - North Camden

George Baxter - Edward V. Michalak - Tony Scappa

George Baxter - Edward V. Michalak - Keith Kauffman


 




i

...continued...

George Baxter - Edward V. Michalak - Otto Kaiser - Joseph Anderson - George Getty
William Hopkins
- W.J. Gribble - West Jersey Hospital - Walt Whitman Hotel - Jane Born

 
George Baxter - Edward V. Michalak - John J. Graw - Y.M.C.A.


 


May 1966

Camden Courier-Post * February 5, 1966

SHROUD-COVERED body of one of three biys who died in row house fire on Mechanic Street near 4th Street is carried out by firemen while neighbors look on from nearby porch.

...continued...
...continued...
...continued...
Mechanic Street
Edward V. Michalak
George P. Baxter
Thomas Carter Ratcliffe
Randy Smith
Robert Smith
Emilene Green
Edward Sharp
Philip Bocelli
James Snyder
James Green
Shirley Ratcliffe
George Pugh
Emma Lou Ratcliffe
Patricia Smith
William Roane
Benjamin Walters
William Kamman
William Stibi Jr.
John Dimaggio
James T. McGrory
Ladder Company 2
Rescue Company 1
Engine Company 3

 

CAMDEN POLICE lead woman tentatively identified as grandmother of three children killed in fire away from scene of tragedy

ABOVE, LEFT: SMOKE SWIRLS around fireman as he leans from second-floor window of row house on Mechanic Street near 4th where three small boys perished in blaze


 


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