Plymouth, Pennsylvania - Burgesses of Plymouth

Burgesses of Plymouth

Elijah Catlin Wadhams was born at Plymouth on July 17, 1825, and was educated at Dickinson College and New York University, from which he graduated in 1847. His house, later known as the Parrish House, once stood on Main Street immediately west of the Ward P. Davenport High School building. His home farm ran from Academy Street to Wadhams Street, and from Main Street to Shawnee Avenue. He was Plymouth's first Burgess, elected in 1866, and held the office until 1869. When he and his family moved to Wilkes-Barre in 1873, his farm became a colliery operated by the Parish Coal Co., which eventually became a part of the Glen Alden Coal Co. In addition to the colliery, the Wadhams farm was also the site of many Plymouth landmarks, including the West Knitting Mill, the Ambrose West residence, all four Plymouth high school buildings, Huber Park and the Soldiers and Sailors monument, Huber Playground, Huber Athletic Field, Plymouth tennis courts, the Plymouth Little League, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church and the St. Stephen's R.C. church and school buildings.

Josiah William Eno was born in Simsbury, Connecticut, in 1820 and migrated to Pennsylvania, settling at Plymouth in 1855. He was one of the signers of the 1866 petition asking the courts to create Plymouth Borough, and was elected auditor in the first borough election the same year. Eno was elected Justice of the Peace in 1867, 1872, 1877 and 1882, and in this capacity served as coroner during the inquest into the Avondale Mine Disaster of 1869. He was elected Plymouth's second Burgess in 1870 and re-elected in 1871. He became the fourth Burgess in 1873 and was re-elected in 1874, holding office until the election of February 16, 1875. Josiah Eno was one of the principal organizers, along with John J. Shonk, of the Plymouth Land Co., which created the sub-division of streets between Centre Avenue and Cherry Street, formerly the Nesbit and Noah Wadhams farms. He was a charter member of Plymouth's Masonic Lodge No. 332, and was a trustee of the Presbyterian congregation. Eno and his family lived in a house on East Main Street, east of Vine Street. Plymouth's Jeanette Street was created as a sub-division of his house lot, and the street was named after Eno's daughter, Jeanette Eno Campbell. Josiah Eno died at Plymouth on June 11, 1895 and was buried in the Forty Fort Cemetery.

Charles H. Cool was born on January 4, 1839 at Beaver Meadow, Pennsylvania, the son of William H. Cool and his wife, Jane (Lockhart) Cool. The son was educated in the public schools of Beaver Meadow, at Wyoming Seminary (1857) and at Crittenden College. The father owned a 25% interest in Plymouth's Gaylord Slope.

Charles H. Cool appeared in the 1870 census at Plymouth, age 31, and gave his occupation as "retired merchant." He became Plymouth's third Burgess when he was elected in 1872, but by 1880, he had moved to West Pittston. Cool entered the political ring at least one more time, long after he left Plymouth: in 1892, he ran as the Prohibitionist candidate for the United States Congress, Twelfth Congressional District, and lost the election to William Hines by a wide margin.

Edward D. Barthe (aka Edmund D. Barthe) was born in Philadelphia on September 7, 1829, the son of General Peter D. Barthe, and as a young man he learned the printing trade. During the Civil War, he joined the Pennsylvania Volunteers, Twenty-Sixth Regiment, Company C, entering the service as a sergeant and leaving in 1862 by medical discharge. In 1867, he came to Wilkes-Barre and joined the staff of the Wilkes-Barre Record. For many years Barthe was the editor of the Plymouth Weekly Star newspaper. He was Plymouth's fifth Burgess, elected on Feb 16, 1875. Brice S. Blair was Assistant Burgess. Barthe died on June 4, 1892 and is buried at Hillside Cemetery in Roslyn, Pennsylvania.

Samuel Livingston French was born in Plymouth on September 28, 1839. He was Plymouth's sixth Burgess, holding the office from 1876–1877, and was Burgess during the 1877 labor riots. He was succeeded by John Y. Wren in 1878. However, in the election held Tuesday, February 18, 1879, Samuel L. French and the Citizens Party won every contested office, and French returned to office as Plymouth's eighth Burgess. Brice S. Blair was elected Assistant Burgess.

John Young Wren was born in Glasgow, Scotland on July 6, 1827, the son of William Wren and his wife, Jean McCreath. He fought on the side of the Union during the Civil War in Battery G, 2nd Artillery, 112th Regiment, and was mustered out with the rank of Captain. In 1870, he lived at Plymouth and worked as a machinist. In 1880, he lived at 149 Eno Street. About 1871, he established an iron foundry located at the corner of Cherry and Willow streets, but the business suffered during the economic downturn of the mid-1870s, and eventually failed. By 1887, the family lived at 54 Gaylord Avenue, supported by Wren's son Christopher, an insurance agent. For many years, Wren's daughter, Annie, was the art teacher at Plymouth's Central High School. Captain Wren was elected as Plymouth's seventh Burgess in 1878 and served for one year. He died at Plymouth on June 14, 1899.

Henry Coffin Magee was born in Carroll Township, Pa. in 1848. His father was a carpenter. Magee graduated from the State Normal School, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1871. He taught school and was the principal of the public schools of Plymouth from 1871-1876. He was admitted to the Luzerne County Bar in October 1875, and began to practice law. In 1880, he was an attorney and lived at 115 Main St. (old address system), next door to former Burgess E. D. Barthe. That year he was elected Burgess, the ninth to hold the office. He was a member of the Pennsylvania state legislature between 1885-1886. In 1887, he boarded at the Parish House (formerly the Wadhams Homestead). Magee died at Plymouth on April 27, 1888.

Capt. John Dennis was born in Beeralston, Devon, England, in 1810, and after emigrating to the United States in 1848 settled at Scranton. He lived at Plymouth between 1854 and 1856 when he was the contractor who sank the Patten shaft in Poke Hollow, the first mine shaft sunk on the west side of Wyoming Valley. He returned to Plymouth about 1865-1866, in time to sign the petition requesting that Plymouth Borough be formed. He was elected the tenth Burgess in 1881 and served two terms. On May 7, 1883, at a meeting of the Borough Council, the "Bonds of Chief Burgess, John Dennis, approved." Capt. Dennis was twice married, once in England, and a second time during his term as Burgess, but none of his children settled at Plymouth. He died at Parsons, Pa. on May 3, 1887 and was buried in Shawnee Cemetery.

Thomas Kerr was Plymouth's eleventh Burgess. He was born in Kilbirnie, Scotland in 1844 but migrated with his parents to the United States in 1849. Kerr grew up in Wilkes-Barre and pursued a number of business enterprises there and in Altoona, Hazleton and Alabama. In January 1879, he established a music store in Plymouth and later added a hardware store and a real estate business. In 1887, his shop was located at 60 East Main Street, and advertised "Hardware, Stoves and Tinware, House-Furnishing Goods, also Sewing Machines, Music and Musical Instruments. Agent for Slate Roofing." In 1885, Kerr was elected Burgess as a Republican with the backing of the town's Prohibitionist faction, and in 1887 was reelected. Kerr and his family attended Plymouth's Presbyterian church. In April 1895, when no longer Burgess, Kerr acquired the Plymouth concession for Singer sewing machines. On May 4, 1895, he made news when he was seriously burned as the result of a gas explosion. Kerr died at Wilkes-Barre on March 15, 1911.

Alfred J. Martin was born in Cornwall, England, in 1839, and migrated to the United States in 1869. Martin was born at the Cornwall county prison where his father was warden. He was Plymouth's twelfth Burgess, was elected in 1889, but probably began his term as Burgess at the beginning of 1890. However, in May 1890 John C. F. Jenkins filed a petition in the Prothonotary's office to have Martin's citizenship papers annulled on the grounds that they were fraudulently obtained. The court decided in favor of Jenkins, and in June 1890, Judge Charles E. Rice declared Martin's naturalization to be null and void, forcing Martin from office. In 1908, Martin traveled back to England to visit siblings he hadn't seen in forty years. Martin died at his house at 70 Academy Street on October 6, 1913, and was buried in Shawnee Cemetery.

Peter C. Roberts was born in Denbighshire, North Wales, in 1832 and came to the United States in 1864. In 1886, he lived at 59 Bank (later Girard) Street and was the sexton of the Welsh Baptist Church. In 1888, he was a Justice of the Peace, with offices at 45 West Main Street. He was Plymouth's thirteenth Burgess, appointed by the courts in 1890 to replace Alfred J. Martin. At the same time, he was a Justice of the Peace and had offices at 30 Center Avenue. After his first term expired, Roberts was elected in February 1891 on the Citizens ticket, and then re-elected in 1892. In 1893, no longer Burgess, he was a Justice of the Peace and a real estate agent. Roberts died on January 1, 1894 and was buried in the Shawnee Cemetery.

Daniel B. Loderick was born in New Jersey about 1853. He was a harness maker, having learned the trade from James Laird of Wilkes-Barre, who later became his father-in-law. As a young man, "Dan" Loderick was a well-known baseball player in the position of catcher for Wilkes-Barre's "shoemaker nine". By 1880, Loderick was living in Plymouth, working at his trade. He was included in the 1887 City Directory: his shop was at 12 West Main Street and his residence at 40 Center Avenue. He served as Plymouth's High Constable from 1881–1884 and from 1889-1892. He was the borough's fourteenth Burgess, and despite being a Democrat in an overwhelmingly Republican town, he was elected three times, serving from 1893-1897. Loderick died at his home on Gaylord Avenue of Bright's Disease on February 1, 1898, at the age of 45, and was buried in Shawnee Cemetery.

Philip Walters was born in Wales in 1846, and migrated to the United States in 1869. He was nominated for Burgess at the Republican convention held in Plymouth's Town Hall on January 18, 1897, edging out J.D. Williams and William Hoover. Walters was subsequently elected in the general election. He served until early 1900. Afterward, he served as a Justice of the Peace and worked as an insurance agent. Philip Walters died on June 17, 1916, and was buried in the Shawnee Cemetery on June 20, 1916. At the funeral, the pallbearers included former Burgess W.D. Morris and future Burgess Charles W. Honeywell.

Elijah Coxe was elected Plymouth's sixteenth Burgess on February 20, 1900, defeating Joseph Anderson, former Burgess Thomas Kerr and future Burgess Morgan Bevan. Coxe served until 1903. He died at Plymouth on February 26, 1918, and is buried in the Shawnee Cemetery.

John M. Thomas was elected as Plymouth's seventeenth Burgess in the election held on February 17, 1903. Running as an independent, he defeated Alonzo Whitney, the Republican candidate and John T. Dwyer, the Democratic candidate. Thomas ran the River Breeze hotel for many years, but at the time of his election, worked as a miner at the Gaylord Colliery. On April 20, 1903, acting as Burgess, Thomas shot and killed a mad dog on Main Street. He was tried for extortion in connection with a peddler's license that he had issued, a somewhat frivolous charge prosecuted by the peddler, and was acquitted on June 19, 1903. One of his last acts as Burgess was to sign on February 13, 1906, an ordinance creating a regular police force in the borough. On January 25, 1913, when no longer Burgess, Thomas shot and killed his son William, a veteran of the Spanish–American War. The shooting occurred on Main Street. Thomas was defended by H. L. Freeman and future governor Arthur H. James. He testified in his own defense, claimed the shooting was accidental and was acquitted by a jury on April 10.

Morgan Bevan was born in Wales about 1850, the son of John M. and Elizabeth Bevan. In 1887, Bevan lived with his parents at 30 Ridge (now Cambria) Street. The father died in 1890. In 1900, Morgan Bevan was a bachelor, living with his mother on Cameron Street, working as a "medical salesman" selling patent medicines. He was elected Burgess as a Republican on February 20, 1906, defeating Bernard Feenan, the Independent candidate, John Jones, the Citizen's party candidate, and Stephen Cusma, the Workingman's and Roosevelt candidate. There was no candidate from the Democratic party. Bevan held office as the Borough's eighteenth Burgess from 1906-1909. He died in September 1924 and is buried in the Shawnee Cemetery.

David D. Morris (also known as W.D. Morris) was born in Wales about 1847. He was said to have been a veteran of the Civil War. He lost the Republican primary on January 23, 1909 to Thomas Evans. There was so little interest in the Democratic primary that no record was kept, so Morris claimed to have won it in order to stay in the race. In the end, he ran on the Citizens ticket. His campaign was managed by future governor Arthur H. James and was considered to be unusually well run. In the general election held on February 16, Morris drew 1,317 votes to Evans' 989 and became Plymouth's nineteenth Burgess. In February 1911, Burgess Morris ordered all of Plymouth's businesses to close during the funeral services for Rev. T. J. Donahue, the rector of St. Vincent's church. On July 4, 1911, Morris presided over the grand opening of a playground at Cherry Street on the grounds of the Gaylord colliery, donated to the town by the Kingston Coal Co. In July 1912, Morris made national news when he arrested 30 hoboes who were loitering in Plymouth, and arranged for them to compete in a baseball game. The losers were arrested and taken to the town lock-up, whereas the winners were given a free dinner and made to leave town. On January 6, 1914, Morris submitted his final monthly report for December 1913 to the town council. Morris was buried in the Shawnee Cemetery with military honors on Memorial Day, 1919.

Samuel U. Shaffer began his political career as Borough clerk in 1879, when Samuel L. French was Burgess. In 1887, he lived at 70 Bead Street, and ran a hardware store at 11 West Main Street. He announced his candidacy for Burgess on July 9, 1913 and was elected on November 4, 1913, defeating Edward F. Burns by a vote of 1,101 to 573. Shaffer was sworn into office as the twentieth Burgess on January 5, 1914 by his predecessor, David Morris, and held the office until January 1918.

George E. Gwilliam was born in Pennsylvania in 1883, the son of Welsh-born parents George and Annie Gwilliam. The mother emigrated to the United States in 1854; the father in 1865. Relatively prosperous by 1900, the father owned an insurance agency, while his son, sixteen years old, had the luxury of being "at school" rather than at work in the coal mines. By 1908, George E. Gwilliam had followed his father into the insurance business. In the primary election on September 19, 1917, Gwilliam won both the Republican and Democratic nominations defeating William E. Smith, Thomas Close, William D. Morris and Gomer Reese. Gwilliam won the general election on November 6, 1917 and served as Plymouth's twenty-first Burgess from 1918-1925. He was a fervent Prohibitionist and in August 1920 ordered the saloons of Plymouth to close on Sundays. After he retired as Burgess, Gwilliam remained active in politics and in November 1927 was elected Luzerne County Recorder of Deeds.

William E. "Billy" Smith was born in Wales about 1880, and migrated to the United States with his parents in 1881. As a young man he lost a leg when he leaped from the balcony of the Plymouth Armory. From at least 1908 until 1915, he ran a pool hall and cigar store on Main Street. In 1917, Smith ran unsuccessfully for Burgess. In 1922, he was a Justice of the Peace. In November 1925, Smith ran against John Boney, a Democrat, and Sephaniah Reese, an Independent candidate. Boney, considered a Republican running as a Democrat, did not really campaign and on November 3, 1925, Smith won by a large margin. In October 1933, at the end of his second term, Smith fell ill and Joseph Bialogowicz, a Borough Council member, acted as Burgess. Smith died in late October and for a short time there was a move to appoint his widow Burgess (she would have become Plymouth's first female Burgess) and give her the Democratic and Republican nominations in the November general election, but the appointment and the nominations were given to Charles W. Honeywell instead. To his credit, Honeywell gave his salary for the remainder of Smith's term to Smith's wife.

Charles W. Honeywell was born about 1858, probably in Exeter Township, Pennsylvania, the son of Daniel D. and Julia Ann Honeywell. In 1860, the father was a farmer. By 1880, the family lived at Plymouth where the father worked as a shoemaker, and Charles, now 22, worked in a brickyard. In 1887, Honeywell was employed as a manager for J.E. Coursen, owner of a general store, but also employed by the Plymouth Police Department. By 1891, Honeywell was a constable, tax collector and insurance agent with offices at 34 East Main Street. After a long career as a Justice of the Peace, Honeywell became Burgess in October 1933 upon the death of William E. Smith. Smith had won both the Democratic and Republican nominations, and was replaced by Honeywell on both tickets after his death, by agreement of both parties. Owing to poor health, Honeywell served one term and resigned as Burgess in December 1937. He died shortly thereafter. Upon his resignation, he was replaced by Samuel J. Brokenshire.

Samuel John Brokenshire was the last of Plymouth's Cornish-Welsh-born Burgesses. He was born at Redruth, Cornwall, England in 1872, the son of Samuel Brokenshire and his wife, Wilmot Opie, and migrated to the United States sometime between 1874 and 1885. The family settled on Palmer Street near the corner of Jeanette Street, a popular neighborhood for newly arrived Welsh and English immigrants. Samuel Brokenshire Sr. died at Plymouth on July 1, 1888, age 46. In 1891, Samuel Jr. was employed as a driver, boarding with his mother. In 1900, he lived with his mother and worked as a day laborer. After serving as constable for five years, on June 3, 1907, he was named Plymouth's High Constable. On his 1918 draft registration card, Brokenshire gave his occupation as "high constable" and a note is appended: "right arm amputated below elbow." Brokenshire never married, and from 1910–1930, he boarded with the Andrew Hendershot family on Shawnee Avenue. In the 1910 census, his occupation was given as a constable. In May 1912 he rescued a child from being run over by a street car. In 1921, Brokenshire made local news when he was called for jury duty. He claimed that his only vacation each year was to attend the World Series and was dismissed.

On May 1, 1937, Brokenshire announced his candidacy for Burgess, but Charles W. Honeywell won the election. However, Brokenshire was appointed Burgess in December 1937 when Honeywell resigned. In July 1939, Brokenshire sent the Borough police to stop Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, a union organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World and a well-known member of the American Communist Party, from giving a speech in Plymouth. In the general election held on November 4, 1941, Brokenshire, running as a Republican, defeated his Democratic opponent (Edward "Starky" Stugenski) by a vote of 3,490 to 2,406. It was Brokenshire's second term. He was elected for a third term in November 1945. In January 1954, Brokenshire began is fifth term as Burgess at the age of 82, Pennsylvania's oldest chief magistrate. Brokenshire died in April 1956.

Horace Cooper was born about 1883, the son of Joshua Cooper, a house builder who lived on Girard Avenue. In 1930, Horace Cooper lived on Wadhams Street, engaging in the same occupation as his father. Cooper was appointed to be Plymouth's twenty-fifth Burgess after the death of Samuel Brokenshire, but failed to win election on his own account in 1957.

Joseph J. Braja was born in Plymouth on June 9, 1915, the son of Jacob Braja and his wife, Hedwig Gilica. He served during the Second World War in the Third Armored Division under the command of General George Patton and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He attained the rank of Staff Sergeant, and was awarded the Silver Star (1945) and the Purple Heart medals. In the 1957 race for Burgess, seven men vied in the Republican primary for the office, including incumbent Horace Cooper, who was defeated by Donald E. Hosey. Nevertheless, on November 5, Braja, backed by the Democratic boss Ben Mazur, defeated Hosey by 97 votes to become the first member of the Democratic Party to be elected Burgess. He was sworn in on February 6, 1958 and served until 1962. When not serving as Burgess, he was an employee of the Luzerne County Road and Bridge Department. Braja died on May 23, 2003, and was buried in St. Mary's R.C. Cemetery, Plymouth Township.

Donald E. Hosey was born on May 13, 1922, the son of Plymouth political leader and council member I. J. Hosey and his wife, Mary (Mangan) Hosey. Running as a Republican, Hosey was elected Plymouth's twenty-seventh Burgess in 1962, and served until 1966. He was the borough's first ethnically Irish Burgess. Hosey died on December 28, 1990.

Edward F. Burns was born on August 5, 1922, the son of Edward and Rose Burns, and grew up on Plymouth's Church Street. His father was a coal miner. Burns graduated from St. Vincent's High School (1940) and served during the Second World War in the Army Air Forces. He graduated from King's College, Wilkes-Barre, in 1951, and after briefly teaching school in New Jersey, returned to Plymouth, where he worked as a bank employee for many years. Burns was Plymouth's twenty-eighth Burgess. He was also Plymouth's longest serving Burgess, first elected to the position in January 1966 and holding it through consecutive elections until his death in January 1994. As Burgess, he presided over Plymouth's Centennial celebration in 1966, and oversaw the borough's restoration efforts in the aftermath of the 1972 Agnes Flood. Burns's love of his hometown and his relish for the job were evident to all who knew him, and, in return, he was much beloved by his constituents.

Stanley T. Petrosky was born about 1940, the son of Stanley A. Petrosky and his wife, Margaret Harnen. He attended Plymouth's St. Vincent High School, where he was a member of coach Joe Evan's legendary 1957 basketball team, which won the Pennsylvania state championship. Petrosky graduated from Plymouth High School (1958) and King's College, Wilkes-Barre. He was elected to the Borough Council in 1989, and was appointed Burgess in 1994 after the death of Edward F. Burns. Petrosky died in February 2001 and was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Plymouth Twp., Pa.

Dorothy Novak Petrosky is Plymouth's thirtieth and current Burgess (2012). She is a lifetime resident of Plymouth and a graduate of Plymouth High School. She was married for 36 years to Burgess Stanley T. Petrosky, and was appointed to replace him after his death in February 2001. Petrosky was elected in her own right in the general election that same year and is the first woman to hold the office of Burgess in Plymouth.