The Borough of Haddonfield, the Borough of
Collingswood,
ant Borough of Woodlynne, and the Township of Haddon once comprised the
Township of Haddon in the 1880's. In 1875 the village of
Haddonfield
in the Township of Haddon became a Borough. Five Commissioners of
Streets and three Commissioners of Appeals were elected. They
governed
the new Borough and could pass laws that were not covered by Township
ordinances.
The township of Haddon continued to control assessments, taxes and
vital
statistics. John H. Lippincoutt was President of the new
borough.
In 1897 the State Legislature passed a new law called the Borough Law
and
it became necessary to hold an election to obtain a Mayor and six
councilmen.
559 citizens voted J. Morris Roberts became the first elected Mayor of
Haddonfield. The six council Morrismen were Samuell Brown, R.
Wilkins
Budd, Richard Gardner, Isaac E. Shivers, Benjamin F. Shreves, and John
R. Stevenson. All legal connections with the Township of Haddon
then
ceased and records were set up for all phases of municipal
government.
Prior to this time all records of births and deaths were reported to
the
Township. The assessed valuation in 1898 was $1,521,925.00 and
the
budget was $7000.00 The school tax was $6,125.00. The first
freeholder
elected in 1898 from Haddonfield was Samuel Wood. He also
represented
the Township of Haddon. In 1911 the State Legislature passed a
"commission
form of government" law and a special election was held on September
23,1913
with 692 votes cast in the four election districts of the Borough and
Haddonfield
thus had a new form of government, as 413 were in favor with 273 votes
opposed. Two months later at the Municipal Election the first
board
of commissioners for the Borough was elected. The three citizens
elected wer Joseph K. Lippincott, Montreville Shinn and Bayard C.
Stavely.
Mr. Lippincott was named Mayor and President of the Board. The
Borough
of Haddonfield has continued to operate under the Commission form of
government
from that time up to the present.