Timothy  Middleton.
Paul  C.  Budd.
Charles  Cox.
Samuel  M.  Gaul.
John  H.  Jones.
John  Morgan.
James  W.  Ayers.
Claudius  W.  Bradshaw.
Jesse  Pratt.
Samuel  Laning,  the  first  mayor  of  Camden,
was  elected  by  the  Council  in  1828  and  1829,  re-
signing in  February,  1880,  a  few  weeks  before  the
expiration  of  his  term.  He  was  long  a  prominent
man  in  public  affairs,  a  builder  by  occupation,  su-

1  Richard  W.  Howell  was  elected  for  the  term  beginning  1845  hut
declined  to  serve.
pervising  the  erection  of  the  old  City  Hall,  on  Fed-
eral Street,  in  1828.  In  1840  he  built  the  row  of
three-story  brick  houses  on  the  south  side  of  Fed-
eral Street  below  Second,  then  regarded  as  an  im-
portant improvement.  For  several  years  he  and
his  son  Paul  conducted  a  livery  stable  at  Front
Street  and  Federal.  He  was  an  alderman  for  a
number  of  years.
Gideon  V.  Stivers,  elected  by  the  Council  in
1830,  and  each  succeeding  year  until  1837,  inclu-
sive, was  born  in  Bellville,  Essex  County,  in  1786,
and  learned  his  trade  of  carpenter  in  New  York
City.  When  free  he  followed  his  trade  in  Newark
for  a  short  time  and  then  came  to  Camden.  The  first
house  he  built  in  this  city,  was  for  Edward  Sharp,
in  1810,  Silas  Willitts  doing  the  mason  work.  The
house  still  stands  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Second
and  Cooper.  He  also  built  St.  Paul's  Church  and
many  other  buildings.  His  shop  was  on  Fourth
Street  below  Market.  After  he  came  to  Camden
he  turned  his  attention  to  bridge-building,  his
first  effort  in  that  line  being  the  bridge  over  the
Delaware  between  Lambertville  and  New  Hope.
