PA PA - Philadelphia, Unksex&race 20-70, UP17000, in old property, 1955 ID, Aug'73

[madamx]

https://www.historicaerials.com/viewer (You can actually see the real buildings and lots with cars in this one)

In historical aerial maps(link above) I found New Market street..and the area where Vine and Front are.. the street right in the middle of them is New Market street..

It appears Front St runs under the Elevated railroad tracks. New Market ended at Vine and ran up to Germantown..Vine is right on the top of the park called Franklin Square which is next to the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.

You can see the streets written down in the colored map.. in the colored map below, the street to the right of where there is a letter N is New Market.. in the last map you can see the highway built already and you see the letter N but that Block that would be New Market is now covered by the Highway I hope I have explained it correctly


this map is the link to colored map from 1967/1970
https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/img4/ht_icons/Browse/PA/PA_Philadelphia_221353_1967_24000.jpg

The reason we cannot find 300New Market street now is because that is where the High Way runs through now.. This map from 1987 now shows in Purple the highway.
https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/img4/ht_icons/Browse/PA/PA_Philadelphia_223752_1967_24000.jpg

I believe they were demolishing those buildings to build the highway. So either our Old guy was a homeless person and died alone or someone dumped there is what I am guessing.. either way its sad.

 

[madamx]

New Market Street, circa 1942
https://www.philageohistory.org/tiles/viewer/

omg CCJD...I have been trying to find the maps and wrote up the best way I could to explain everything and after I posted it I look up realized you amazingly and simply found it!!! this is super!!.. CCJD.. did I even get New Market correct on the map? hehe

 

[madamx]

300 New Market Street, Nicholas Miller and his garden
http://digital.library.temple.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll13/id/213

omg wait.. this is some guy Nicolas Miller in his Garden at 300 New Market!.. omg your amazing.. so what are the chances the UID is Mr Miller..... I just had a crazy thought.. I just noticed he has cats in his house and photo with him.. He prob had no family and lived with his cats and this is who was found and that is why no one ever reported him missing.. oh he was a little old cat man.. oh this is sad...oh and Fyi CCJD you rock super great find!!!!!!!!!

 

[CCJD]

I've done quite a bit of reading about the neighborhood and what happened. In a nutshell, Route 95 goes right through where 300 New Market Street once existed. This link probably gives a better summation of the area's demise than I could. An interesting read: https://hiddencityphila.org/2016/02/the-life-and-death-of-callowhill/

 

[4SAM]

Such a sad story

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

omg wait.. this is some guy Nicolas Miller in his Garden at 300 New Market!.. omg your amazing.. so what are the chances the UID is Mr Miller..... I just had a crazy thought.. I just noticed he has cats in his house and photo with him.. He prob had no family and lived with his cats and this is who was found and that is why no one ever reported him missing.. oh he was a little old cat man.. oh this is sad...oh and Fyi CCJD you rock super great find!!!!!!!!!

I had the same thought when I first saw the picture Madamx! What if he was last of the family line with no known relatives. One thing I did notice was there seems to be a child's face behind him. It's pretty eerie!

300 New Market Street, Nicholas Miller and his garden
http://digital.library.temple.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll13/id/213

Is a circa/time frame known for the photo CCJD? I found two Nicholas Miller's buried in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. One died in 1910 and the other died in 1912. Both were in their 50's.

 

[CCJD]

I had the same thought when I first saw the picture Madamx! What if he was last of the family line with no known relatives. One thing I did notice was there seems to be a child's face behind him. It's pretty eerie!



Is a circa/time frame known for the photo CCJD? I found two Nicholas Miller's buried in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. One died in 1910 and the other died in 1912. Both were in their 50's.

The little face behind Mr Miller's shoulder is actually another cat (noted on the website the pic came from).

The photos of the Mr Miller and/or 300 New Market St are dated 7/21/1941.

Another view.
http://digital.library.temple.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll13/id/214

 

[aThousandYearsWide]

The little face behind Mr Miller's shoulder is actually another cat (noted on the website the pic came from).

The photos of the Mr Miller and/or 300 New Market St are dated 7/21/1941.

Another view.
http://digital.library.temple.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll13/id/214

I searched for Nicholas Miller's in Pennsylvania after 1941 and I couldn't find anyone that could be consistent with this Nicholas. They either were buried on the other side of the state (5 + hours away) or had a spouse (which this one could have, but we don't know). Only NM's in Philadelphia county died in 1910's. Of course this Nick could have been buried in an undocumented cemetery.

The house was vacant in mid-50's and Mr. Miller lived there in 1941, 10-15ish years earlier. I am still curious to the idea that this doe could be Mr. Miller. How old do you guys think he appears to be in the picture? Our doe is under 70.

 

[madamx]

I searched for Nicholas Miller's in Pennsylvania after 1941 and I couldn't find anyone that could be consistent with this Nicholas. They either were buried on the other side of the state (5 + hours away) or had a spouse (which this one could have, but we don't know). Only NM's in Philadelphia county died in 1910's. Of course this Nick could have been buried in an undocumented cemetery.

The house was vacant in mid-50's and Mr. Miller lived there in 1941, 10-15ish years earlier. I am still curious to the idea that this doe could be Mr. Miller. How old do you guys think he appears to be in the picture? Our doe is under 70.

aThousandYearsWide I seriously have been thinking that same thing!! The elderly man they found is Mr Miller. If you look closely at the photo it does look like he is wearing glasses. The UID was found with glasses and an ID from 1955 and a stamp from 1958.. I am thinking he probably died not long after 1958..Maybe the Nicholas Miller you found from 1912 could be his father?
In the photo Mr Miller looks to me to be in his mid to late 40s or maybe 50. People always look older in vintage photos for some reason. I think its him and he had no family.. just my thoughts..

 

[Snackcakes66]

Found a Nicholas Miller age 69 in 1940 census living at 329 New Market Street Rear 6, head of household was Fred Parks age 60, Nicholas is listed as his partner. Fred's occupation is listed as a laborer in a produce store, none is listed for Nicholas. If the decedent died in 1955 they both would be older than the ME's estimate.

 

[Owutatangledweb]

So close to where the Boy in the Box was found.

My first thoughts EXACTLY!!!

 

[Owutatangledweb]

300 New Market Street, Nicholas Miller and his garden
http://digital.library.temple.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll13/id/213

You are AWESOME!

 

[Owutatangledweb]

new market street, circa 1942
https://www.philageohistory.org/tiles/viewer/

sooooo awesome!!!!

 

[MadMcGoo]

Interesting case!

 

[annemc2]

Interesting case!

Very! It had so much momentum and wow - what a find!!

 

[Romulus]

Unidentified Person/NamUs #UP17000
Unsure, Uncertain
Date Body Found: August 13, 1973
Location Found: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Estimated Age Range: 20-70 Years
Accessories:Full pack of Pall Mall cigarettes in shirt pocket.
Illegible ID card from 1955 (sent to FBI for analysis in 1970s)
3C liberty stamp found in pocket and issued in 1954. Available for purchase until 1958 at any post office.Near the Body

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

Circumstances of Recovery: Found in abandoned property being demolished by wrecking crew. Location was reported as vacant since the mid-1950s.

Clothing: Shirt, tie, brown trousers, leather belt, brown socks
On the Body
Clothing: None
Near the Body
Eyewear: Reading glasses made by American Optical Co. ~45 years of age at initial report date. They have a slight plus Rx. Assumed to be used by an older person for reading per investigation findings.
On the Body
Footwear: None
Jewelry: None

 

[sluethermac]

300 New Market St. is located in NoLibs which used to be a sketchy neighborhood when the UID was found. It has since transformed into a trendy neighborhood within the past 30 years. I'm curious to know who found the remains.

 

[CCJD]

Updated NamUs link: The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)