Hezzie Van Camp: Clinton’s Famous Fighter

Here is a bit of Kirkland black history: the story of Jackie “Tiger” Flowers.

A famous prize fighter grew up in Clinton and became a leading middleweight and welterweight contender in the 1930s. Who was this young man?

Hezzie Van Camp fought under the name of Jackie “Tiger” Flowers during his stint in boxing.

Howard, Patience, and Howard Van Camp moved to Clinton around 1914, one of the few first black families to live here permanently through the years.

They soon joined the Clinton Baptist Church and stayed active there for years.

Howard Van Camp delivered coal for the Keith Coal Yard, which had its headquarters on College Street in the Keith Block, now the site of the U.S. Post Office.

He later worked for Britcher Fuel Company on Taylor Avenue. The Van Camps lived on Laurel Place off Norton Avenue.

Van Camp played high school hockey for the Clinton team and was considered, at the time, as the first black hockey player in New York State.

He was referred to as the “Galloping Ghost” of the hockey team. He also was a figure skater on the old outdoor rink at Meadow Street and Franklin Avenue, at today’s Clinton Tractor location.

Some contemporaries of Van Camp were Phil Munson, Bob Williams, Paul “Tiny” Hoff, and Red Goering.

About 1930, the Clinton Sporting Club was organized to hold various amateur events, among them boxing, and the Taylor Block was the place for the fights.

The Taylor Block was named after owner Dr. George Taylor, a Clinton physician and politician serving as Village president from 1924–25 and mayor from 1929–32. He was the late Howard Chaney’s grandfather.

The Taylor Block today houses Ali-Linz Interiors and Whiskers Whispers at 3–5 West Park Row.

Back in the 1930s, a Grand Union was on the street level, a pool hall run by Jack Rubin on the second floor, and a boxing ring and seats on the third floor.

Broadside announcements survive of the boxing events in the Taylor Block. One advertised the main event of six rounds between Freddie Miller of Toledo, Ohio, and Jackie Flowers at 147 pounds. Five other four-round bouts were also on the card.

Rubin was the fight promoter; Marty Harrington was the matchmaker; and Ran Phillips was the referee.

Admissions were 75 cents for general admission and 35 cents for ladies and children under 16. Bouts began at 8:30 ^P.M. on Wednesdays in the “Taylor Block Arena” that seated 1,000 fans.

Van Camp fought as an amateur in 1931 and compiled a record in only thirteen months of fourteen knockouts, seven decisions, three draws, and two losses.

He was in the welterweight class at 147 pounds and was described by the newspapers as the “sensation of Utica and vicinity.”

In July 1932, Van Camp beat Pete Pelliero of Little Falls in a four-round bout at the Utica Outdoor Arena.

He also beat Red Finnegan of Utica and Mike De Barry of Amsterdam. Van Camp was called the “local colored champ.”

He had fights in Auburn, Syracuse, and Rome while still an amateur and had a record of 163 amateur fights and only five losses.

However, the call of turning professional became so strong that Van Camp trained in Elmira in June 1933 for pro matches.

His first pro fight was in December 1933 in Claremont, New Hampshire, where he fought six three-minute rounds. He also had fights lined up in Boston and other New Hampshire cities as well as Albany, Auburn, and Syracuse.