According to the Delran Historical Society’s website, Delran Township was established Feb. 12, 1880. In 2009, a group of residents was interested in creating a group to preserve the history of Delran. The neighbors got together and created the Delran Historical Society, a nonprofit organization.
One of the projects the group started is the Mayoral Project. Historical Society member Dee Wells is working to find a picture of all 43 mayors who have served 52 terms throughout the history of Delran.
“Being active in the community myself, I knew 22 of the mayors,” said Wells. “It was an honor to know them and to see the work they did for the township. While creating this project, I’ve enjoyed researching and collecting the pictures and seeing the project come together. Although, with any project, the last part seems to take the longest.”
“I have currently found pictures of 32 mayors and am in need of only a few more,” Wells continued.”Nine mayors served between 1881 and 1910. I have exhausted my resources on ancestry and many branches of the Burlington County Library: Riverside, Riverton, Cinnaminson, Moorestown, Westampton as well as Trenton. They were extremely helpful and cooperative, but I am hoping that I can get help in finding the final nine.”
The last nine mayors that Wells and the historical society need to find are as follows: Charles W. Beaty, who served from March 12, 1904 to Jan. 7, 1910; Robert Babbington from March 8, 1898 to March 17 1899; Silas G. Hatcher from March 8, 1897 to March 12, 1897; Emerson Haines from March 13, 1894 to March 10, 1896; Abram E. Conrow from April 5, 1890 to March 13, 1893; Elwood P. Austin from March 12, 1887 to April 4, 1890; Theodore H. Haines from March 14, 1885 to March 11, 1887; Xavier Walter from March 17, 1883 to March 13, 1885; and James Bramall form March 8, 1881 to March 17 1882.
“So many families have helped us,” said Wells. “As you would guess, if I asked you to find a picture of someone that held office back in the late 1800s to early 1900s and you had one, it would be difficult to dig it out of your attic or storage boxes. It is my hope that this article would spark interest in the Mayoral Project and Delran, and anyone that could help lead us to a clue to find just one more picture would be wonderful.”
Those looking to get involved with the Delran Historical Society or who may have a picture of one of the missing mayors can contact Wells at [email protected]. The historical society also asks if there is any information that anyone knows about the township during the aforementioned time period, please feel free to send in the information to further collect the history of Delran.
