Camden People - Oscar Weidenhammer

OSCAR WEIDENHAMMER was born at Richmond in Berks County PA around 1864. His great-grandfather, George Weidenhammer, had fought in the Revolutionary War, as a Private in the 2nd Battalion, 7th Company, from Maidencreek PA. George Weidenhammer later rose to officer's rank, and from 1790 through 1800 was a Captain of the 3rd Company, 1st Regiment from Pennsylvania.

Oscar Weidenhammer was working on his father Adam's farm when the census was taken in 1880. He moved to Philadelphia shortly after the 1887 Philadelphia City Directory was compiled, and soon after married Ida V. Eggert. By 1890 Philadelphia City Directory lists him as a laborer, and living at 2111 Orkney Street.

Oscar Weidenhammer may have already been involved in the bottling business when the 1890 Directory was compiled. The Directories for 1892 and 1893 show him as still residing on Orkney Street, and working as a bottler. The 1894 Directory has him as a laborer, and living at 2022 North 5th Street. He may well have been laboring in the bottling business, as the next available directories, for 1897 and 1898, show him once again as a bottler, no living at 1315 Wishart Street.

The Philadelphia City Directories from 1899 through 1903 show Oscar B. Weidenhammer as living at 2003 Madison Street. His occupations progressed from bottler to foreman to manager. It appears he was working for a Philadelphia firm, the Pennsylvania Bottling and Supply Co., Ltd., which had facilities at 14 Market Street in Camden and 2915 Kensington Avenue in Philadelphia, and by 1903 he was managing the firm's Camden branch, replacing Henry E. Nunnich. The 1903 Camden City Directory lists Oscar Weidenhammer as the company's manager, and residing in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Directory seems to confirm this. A daughter, Estella, was born on October 23, 1902. Census information states that she was born in New Jersey, this may have occurred shortly after the information for the directories were compiled.

Camden City Directories from 1904 through 1913 indicate that Oscar and Ida Weidenhammer lived at 904 North 6th Street in North Camden. The 1912 directory indicates that Oscar Weidenhammer was still working for Pennsylvania Bottling & Supply, while the 1913 directory simply states that he was working in the bottling business at 14 Market Street in Camden. The next directory, that of 1914, shows that Oscar Weidenhammer had made a significant move.

The Camden City Directory for 1914 shows that Oscar Weidenhammer had established a bottling business, the Weidenhammer Bottling Works, at 50 York Street in North Camden, and that he resided in the house next door, at 48 York. The 1930 Census shows that Oscar and Ida Weidenhammer still lived at 48 York Street. Oscar Weidenhammer passed away in June of 1932. The Weidenhammer bottling business remained in business at 48-50 York Street through at least 1936. By 1940 the business, then run by son-in-law Walter J. Beer, had relocated to 61 York, and the old property was being used by the Camden Casket Company. The bottling business survived to at least 1943, but was gone by the time the 1947 Directory was compiled.

Ida V. Eggert Weidenhammer died at her daughter Estella's home, 2140 Scovel Avenue, Pennsauken NJ on July 30, 1946. She was buried at Hillside Cemetery.

The daughter of a first cousin, Mabel Weidenhammer Brady, lived with her saloon-keeper husband Patrick at the corner of North 3rd and Erie Streets, a short walk from the Weidenhammer establishment from the late 1910s through the early 1930s.