USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > Wilkes-Barre > A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania : from its first beginnings to the present time, including chapters of newly-discovered early Wyoming Valley history, together with many biographical sketches and much genealogical material. Volume IV > Part 51
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68
Feeling equal to almost any task set before them, the County commissioners, on April 2, 1867, let a contract to Lewis Havens for the larger part of the present structure on North River street at a price of $189,000 for the building proper. In the end it cost $302,000.
Those who defended this unusual expenditure pointed to the fact that the institution, built of stone from Campbell's ledge and set within surroundings of a five acre plot of woodland, was well worth the money.
Others, while admitting that it was a model institution of its kind in the Commonwealth, said uncomplimentary things about the structure and those who
2104
built it. The citizens of Scranton, in particular, bemoaned the expenditure of such a huge sum and thereby were sown the first seeds of a discord between the rival communities of Northeastern Pennsylvania which was to end, a decade later, in the organization of Lackawanna county.
A little over three years were occupied in completing the new county prison. Its corner stone was laid in April, 1868 and on August 18, 1870, the court ordered all prisoners transferred from the old to the new building.
Viewed in perspective, the county and its county seat may be justified for the optimism they so staunchly maintained in the year 1870. The census return of that year indicated that more than 70,000 new residents had settled within the borders of the county since the census of 1860.
The return of that census showed 90,244. The figures for 1870 credited 160,915 as the county's official population-a greater gain than was recorded for any other municipality of the Commonwealth, excepting Philadelphia county, and one which had never been approached in per centage of growth in a similar period before nor has been equaled since in local history.
Following the passage of the 15th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, by the terms of which the franchise of citizenship was conferred
BANK
BAKERY
WALL PAPER
Celebration by the colored residents of Wilkes-Barre of the ratification of the XVth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. North Side of Public Square, April 26, 1870.
upon the negro, residents of that race residing in the Wyoming valley planned a celebration for April 26, 1870. Religious services marked the morning's observ- ance of the occasion and in the afternoon a parade moved over the principal
2105
streets of Wilkes-Barré with many representatives of negro societies from Scranton and elsewhere supplementing the ranks of local marchers. A number of floats depicting various episodes in the history of the race in America featured the pageant. In the evening Hon. H. B. Wright was the principal orator at a meeting held in the court house which concluded the ceremonies.
The need of a centrally located place of amusement became apparent as the community grew. In 1868 Samuel Frauenthal erected a building on South Main street on the upper floor of which he opened Liberty hall. It was used for dances and other forms of entertainment until 1873 when it was remodeled and called Frauenthal's Opera House, where occasional attractions were produced. The building was burned a year later. Music Hall located where now stands the Sterling hotel was an outcome of this need. It was built by W. G. Sterling and S. L. Thurlow and opened February 2, 1871 with the concert company of Clara Louise Kellogg as the initial attraction. This hall, or theatre, on the upper floors of a block by the same name was a model of its time, seating some 1200 people and containing an ample stage. It continued to be managed by Mr. Sterling, W. S. Parsons, W. D. White and M. H. Burgunder in turn, until the Grand Opera House was built in 1892 and the hotel was projected in its place.
Other halls of this period were Fred Meyer's Opera house, a variety theater on Fell street, opened in 1871, Cahoon hall on West Market street and the City Garden hall on Northampton street, also used as a variety theater in 1875.
Having arrived at the dignity of a paved street, an embryonic traction system and an amusement hall, Wilkes-Barré itself was not to be outdone in vindicating its claims to progress. From 1807, a period of sixty-four years, it had remained a Borouglı, a sort of nondescript classification of Pennsylvania municipalities with limited powers and indefinite purpose. In 1870 the popular demand for a change of its form of government to that of a City became over- whelming. There were those, particularly older residents, who were content to let be. But the spirit of the age demanded progress and the new comer, as was to be the case a generation later, outnumbered and outgeneraled his less ambitious neighbor. The census of 1870 allotted the Borough proper a population of 10,174. With the exception of the addition of two small tracts of land, the Borough of Wilkes-Barré, in 1871, remained the same in area and extent as was the Town Plot, originally surveyed in 1770 and two years later divided by lot among its proprietors of the Susquehanna Company.
By an act of Assembly, dated March 13, 1847, the boundary of the borough had been extended northward to some extent by taking in a portion of the Bowman farm above North street. Again by an act of March 26, 1868, a further extension of Borough limits was secured by squaring up this irregular tract to the river along Mill creek. Even with these additions, the area of the Borough in 1870 was less than three and one-half square miles.
Wilkes-Barré was incorporated as a City by a special act of Assembly dated May 4, 1871. This gave it a special charter but did not, at that time, bring it into the regular classification of a city of the third class. In addition to erecting the new municipality, a different section of the act annexed a strip of Wilkes-Barré township which immediately adjoined the City on three sides and contained about 1,000 additional population. The bounds of the new cor- poration were thus established to include this contiguous area as well as to ex- tend to the center of the Susquehanna river. Exclusive of the river, Wilkes-Barré
2106
entered upon its new era as a City with 4.14 square miles, divided into fifteen wards.
The legislative powers of the corporation were vested in a council composed of fifteen members, one from each ward, to be elected by voters from the indi- vidual ward.
Seeing that the advancing wave of progress could not be stayed, the opponents of the city charter decided that the best thing to be done was to fall in with the movement and try to elect their own candidates to office under the new charter. The Democrats were in the majority at that time but a Republican editor sent out a Macedonian cry to the adherents of that party, as follows: "Our friends are moving in the selection of candidates for city officers. This is well. Make good selections of good Republicans and elect them if possible. Do your duty and save this poor little town from the fate of all others which have fallen into the same ambitious and extravagant ways."
On Tuesday, June 6, 1871, the election of the first city officers took place and a hot contest was waged, with the result that Ira M. Kirkendall, the burgess of the Borough, was elected first mayor of the city. His opponent was E. B. Harvey. F. D. Vose was elected to the position of high constable, with Isaac S. Osterhout, Adolph Voight and J. A. Rippard, auditors.
Concerning the election of Mayor Kirkendall, Mr. Miner in an editorial utterance remarks: "The old burgess, a quiet, pleasant and industrious mountain boy, was flattered by a vote sufficiently large to ratify the treaty of Washington and elected first mayor of the new city."
The organization of the council took place on Saturday, June 10, with the following members present: First ward, J. E. Clark; Second ward, M. Regan; Third ward, J. C. Williamson; Fourth ward, H. Baker Hillman; Fifth ward, Hiram Wentz; Sixth ward, William A. Swan; Seventh ward, Walter G. Sterling; Eighth ward, Herman C. Frey; Ninth ward, George H. Parrish; Tenth ward, Charles A. Miner; Eleventh ward, C. P. Kidder; Twelfth ward, Joseph Schilling; Thirteenth ward, Anthony Helfrich; Fourteenth ward, Charles B. Dana; Fifteenth ward, John Gilligan.
Councilmen-at-large-A. C. Laning, P. Pursel, Charles Parrish, who subsequently became president, N. Rutter, John Lynch and William L. Conyng- ham .*
Thus was the new city government started on its way with a full comple- ment of officers, and the Record of the Times, after speaking of the handsome
*Burgesses of the Borough of Wilkes-Barre were :- May, 1806-11, Jesse Fell; May, 1811-4, Lord Butler; May, 1814-9. Jesse Fell; May, 1819-20, Matthias Hollenback; May, 1820-3, Thomas Dyer; May, 1823-4, Ebenezer Bowman ; May, 1824-7, David Scott; May, 1827-8, John N. Conyngham; May, 1828-9, Garrick Mallery; May, 1829-30, George Denison; May, 1830-3, Josiah Lewis; May, 1833-4, Orlando Porter; May, 1834-8, John N. Conyngham; May, 1838-9, Hendrick B. Wright; May, 1839-41, Joseph B. LeClerc; May, 1841-3, Isaac Grey; May, 1843-4, Eleazer Carey; May, 1844-5, Augustus C. Laning; May, 1846-8, Joseph B. Williams; May, 1848-9, Gilbert Burrows; May, 1849-50, Benjamin Drake; May, 1850-1, Sidney Tracey; May, 1851-2, Oliver Helme, Jr .; May, 1852-3, Charles A. Lane; May, 1853-5, Hf. Baker Hillman; May, 1855-62, W. W. Loomis; May, 1862-5, C. Bennett; May, 1865-6, E. B. Harvey; May, 1866-8, J. B. Stark; May, 1868, to September, 1870, David L. Patrick; September, 1870 to October, 1870, William S. Doran; October, 1870, to June, 1871, Ira M. Kirkendall.
Presidents of the Council were :- May, 1806-8, Lord Butler; May, 1808-9, Ebenezer Bowman; May, 1809-10, Jesse Fell; May, 1810-11. Joseph Sinton; May, 1811-14, Jesse Fell; May, 1814-6, Col. F. Buckley; May, 1816-8, Joseph Sinton; May, 1818-9, Joseph Slocum; May, 1819-20, Ebenezer Bowman; May, 1820-3, Jesse Fell; May, 1823-4. George Dennison; May, 1824-5, Benjamin Drake; May, 1825-6, Joseph Sinton; May, 1826-7, Arnold Colt; May, 1827-8, John W. Robinson; May, 1828-9, Arnold Colt; May, 1829-30, Joseph Slocum; May, 1830-1, William S. Ross; May, 1831-3, Thomas H. Morgan; May, 1833-4, Thomas Davidge; May, 1834-5, L. D. Shoemaker; May, 1835-9, E. W. Sturdevant; May, 1839-40. Thomas Davidge; May, 1840-1, E. W. Sturdevant; May, 1841-6, W. S. Ross; May, 1846-7, Joseph P. LeClerc; May, 1847-8, John Reichard; May, 1848-9, E. W. Reynolds; May, 1849-50, John N. Conyngham; May, 1850-1, D. John Smith; May, 1851-5, Lord Butler; May, 1855-6, John Reichard; May, 1856-7, Jacob Bertels; May, 1857-8, L. D. Shoemaker; May, 1858-9, William S. Ross; May, 1859-60, N. Rutter; May, 1860-6, William S. Ross; May, 1866-71, Charles Parrish.
2107
vote given to the old burgess, Ira M. Kirkendall, t says that "The new council is composed of good material. In appearance it is most respectable, and with a fair mixture of prudence and enterprise we may hope to see the eity continue to improve without reckless expenditure and its credit sustained without ex- cessive taxation."
In 1900 a new ward, known as the Sixteenth, was carved out of a portion of the original Second ward and this arrangement of sub-divisions remains at the present writing.
By an ordinance passed by the City council, and approved by the Mayor March 3, 1892, certain boundaries of Wilkes-Barré were changed and extended so as to embrace within the limits of the city the whole bed and the north- westerly bank of the Susquehanna, running the entire length of the eity. There- fore, the total area of the city is now 4.858 square miles (3,109.12 acres), exclusive of .896 of a square mile (573.44 aeres) within its limits covered by the waters of the Susquehanna. In August, 1898, by an ordinanee of the City council, duly approved, the terms of the general law of the Commonwealth relating to cities of the "third class" were accepted by the city, in lieu of the provisions and privileges in and under its original charter, and with the issuing of a new charter by Governor Hastings September 22, 1898, Wilkes-Barré became in
TIRA MANDEVILLE KIRKENDALL, fourth son of William Wheeler and Maria (Dereamer) Kirkendall, was born in Dallas Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, November 3, 1835. As soon as he was old enough, he was put to work, and upon the death of his father in 1845 he began to make his own way in life. When he was nine years old he carried mail on horseback three days each week, and was so employed until he was twelve, having between his trips a little time to attend country school and acquire the rudiments of an education. At the age of fourteen years, he went to Pittston and found employment as clerk in a store. He was there until 1856, when he went west to Nebraska, where he worked at farming and stage driving. In 1858, he returned to the east, worked one more year in Pittston, and then located at Bear Creek, where he engaged in lumbering until 1865. when he removed to Wilkes-Barre and con- tinued in the same line of business until 1871. He was deputy sheriff of Luzerne county under his brother, William Penn Kirkendall, 1875-78. He was a member and head of the wholesale grocery firm of Kirkendall & Whitman, 1880-83. and senior member of the firm of Kirkendall Brothers, wholesale flour and feed dealers, 1883-94. In the latter year the partnership was dissolved, and it at once reorganized under the style of Kirkendall & Son (Ira M. and Frederick C. Kirkendall) by which name it was known in mercantile circles for many years. In business, Mr. Kirkendall met with success, the reward of his own personal efforts No man was more closely identified than he with the political history of Wilkes-Barre, its improvement and its progress. He was elected burgess of the borough of Wilkes-Barre under the old system of government, 1870, and was elected first mayor of the city, 1871, under the new and advanced scheme of municipal government, and served in that capacity three years. He was elected councilman of the fourth ward-the strongest Repub- lican ward in the city, 1883, and although himself a firm Demo- crat, he was re-elected to represent that ward for sixteen con- secutive years, the longest term any councilman ever served in the history of the city. As councilman he gave his best services to the public welfare, often at the expense of private interests, but he accepted the obligations of the office with his election, and gave to municipal interests the same careful attention as was given his mercantile business, and neither ever suffered neglect at his hands. He is justly proud of a long and honorable record as an official of the city, a service which from its beginning in 1883 was never financially com- pensated, but which was doubly repaid in the confidence and respect reposed in him by the people of the city without respect to party, and the consciousness on his own part of having done his duty.
When Mr. Kirkendall entered the council only a few streets in the city had any kind of pavement, but when he left that body there were twenty-five miles of paved streets. a work accomplished very largely through his personal efforts. He was regarded as "the father" of the system of paving improvements in the city, and the citizens of the fourth ward kept him in the council full sixteen years and regretted his determination to retire at the end of that time. In the council he served longest on the street committee, but saw service on every committee of that body. He was prominent in the work which led to the erection of the new city hall, and was always an advocate of public improvement in every direction. His opinion in the councils of the board were of weight with his associates, for they understood the worth of his judgment, and knew that his greatest ambition in official life was the interests of Wilkes- Barre as a city. He married (first), November 3, 1868, Hannah C. Driesbach, born May 18, 1849, died January 26, 1880. He married (second), January 4, 1882, Sarah A. Bartlett, a native
HON. IRA M. KIRKENDALL
of New Jersey and descendant of Quaker ancestors. Mr.
Kirkendall had, by first marriage, Grace Wisner, born August 19, 1869; married Charles A. Bartlett, Realtor, Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Frederick Charles Kirkendall, born August 10, 1871.
Mr. Kirkendall died at his home in Wilkes-Barre, October 30, 1915.
2108
all respects a full-fledged city of the third class. The legislative authority was then confided to a Select council and a Common council, each body being com- posed of sixteen members-one representative from each of the sixteen wards of the city.
By still another enabling act, which became operative December 1, 1913 and applied to all cities of the third class, Wilkes-Barré changed its government once again on that date to a commission form.
The old council elected by wards gave place to a commission of five, one of them being Mayor, others, by virtue of their election, becoming heads of various city departments.
On October 30, 1871, the Young Mens Christian Association of Wilkes- Barré was reorganized and placed on a substantial basis. As a matter of fact, a branch of the then almost unknown organization had been formed in 1863 but, during the remaining period of the Civil war and for some years thereafter, it had ceased to exist. Those who were to form the original branch met in Cahoon's hall on May 8, 1863 and after preliminaries had been arranged, the following became charter members: Rev. A. A. Hodge, S. R. Reading, Calvin Wadhams, S. H. Lynch, G. R. Bedford, J. R. Coolbaugh, W. R. Loop, Lathan W. Jones, G. S. Rippard, S. P. Sleppy, James P. Williamson, D. L. Rhone, John Richards, P. Jordan, Rev. Geo. D. Miles, Agib Ricketts, George Loveland, Charles H. Kidder, Phillip Abbott, L. C. Paine, L. C. Harrington.
Officers of the first Association were: President, Agib Ricketts, Vice- Presidents, G. R. Bedford, Joseph C. Chahoon, J. Pryor Williamson, Recording Secretary, Samuel H. Lynch, Registering Secretary, D. L. Rhone, Corresponding Secretary, Lewis C. Paine, Librarian, F. V. Rockafellow, Treasurer, Calvin Wadhams.
While funds to an amount of sixty dollars seem to have been secured at this meeting for rental of rooms, minutes of the two following years disclose that but one annual gathering of those interested was mentioned. After which and until the reorganization of 1871, no further efforts appear to have secured public interest in the undertaking. The first officers of the reorganized branch were: President, Geo. S. Bennett, Vice-President, S. H. Lynch, Vice-President, C. M. Conyngham, Recording Secretary, W. W. Lathrope, Corresponding Secretary, Geo. W. Leach, Jr., Treasurer, John Espy, Librarian, Z. M. Fraser.
The first quarters of the association were rented on the second floor of the building, occupied by Puckey's book store in December, 1871, where the Association remained until April, 1872, when it moved to rooms on the second floor of "Rutter's block," South Franklin street, over the office until recently occupied by W. S. Parsons. It was while in these rooms that arrangements were made for the association to take into its custody the Wyoming Atheneum Library. During this period the Association's work was limited to the reading room, jail and hospital meetings, and meetings for boys. The association was incorporated November 29, 1880, and the first general secretary, E. H. Witman, was employed January 1, 1880, and served until March 10, 1882. During the summer of 1882, F. C. Johnson, then a student at the University of Pennsylvania, spent his vacation serving as the general secretary. He was succeeded October 1, 1882, by Deemer Beidleman. The work was prosecuted in this location until 1883, and then a more aggressive policy was adopted and attractive rooms on the second and third floors of the building used by the Boston Store on South
2109
Main street were rented and a larger work was undertaken. A special meeting for men was started and entertainments of various kinds were given in the hall. Here the feature of harmless games was brought into prominence, resulting in increased attendance at the rooms.
Mr. Beidleman resigned October 1, 1885, and S. M. Bard was elected in his place October 20th of the same year. The work under Mr. Bard made more marked advance than at any previous time. The rooms were uncomfortably crowded with young men and gospel meetings and bible classes were effective. It became more and more evident that new provision must be made to accomino- date the growing work. When the work was at a point of great efficiency, there came in 1889 the discouraging information that owing to the fact that the Boston Store had leased the entire building, the Association must seek other quarters. Forced into a speedy selection, the best available place was over Reuffer's saloon on West Market street, now occupied by the Industrial Loan Corporation. Here in two dingy, uninviting rooms, with the odor of beer floating into the back windows from the ventilators of the saloon below, the work was carried on.
Notwithstanding these hindrances, an effective work was done and per- haps the presence of these obstacles hastened the much longed for Association building. Back in 1874 the nucleus of the building fund had been started with over $300, the proceeds of a stereopticon exhibition given in Music Hall. The building movement had been greatly : helped by the State conven- tion which met in Wilkes- Barre in 1881, when at the farewell meeting it was an- nounced that Mr. Hollenback would head the subscription for a building with $10,000. Through very earnest work 1 on the part of managers and other citizens, the fund was continually enlarged and in 1887 an option was secured from the Bennett Estate on the present North Main street lot. Excavations were begun for the present building in November, 1888 and it was occupied with appropriate ICK dedicatory exercises on Janu- ary 1, 1892. In 1907, the MOC boys department of the Asso- ciation was segregated in the George Stegmaier home on North Washington street ad- joining the rear of the main Association building and the Y. M. C. A. BUILDING
2110
services of Mr. W. A. Rogers were secured as physical director for the entire enterprise. In 1925 it was realized that the Association had outgrown its pres- ent plant and a valuable tract of land on South Franklin street was purchased from Laning Harvey upon which it is planned to erect a modern building, ade- quate to meet present and future needs.
In spite of the fact that the basic industry of Luzerne County was of hazardous nature, that mine accidents were frequent and that the growing community was subject to its full quota of contagious diseases, no organized effort to provide a public hospital appears to have been made until the year 1870. In April of that year, an appeal, signed by nine prominent residents, published the needs of such an institution. Two years later public sentiment in this direction was crystallized at a meeting held September 10, 1872 in the office of Hon. Henry M. Hoyt. From minutes of this meeting the following is taken: "A. T. McClintock was called to the chair, and W. W. Lathrope appointed secretary. The object of the meeting was stated by Dr. E. R. Mayer, who also read the draft of a proposed charter. On motion of Judge Dana it was 'resolved that we proceed to establish a hospital in the city of Wilkes-Barre.' It was moved by E. P. Darling, and carried, that a committee of seven be ap- pointed to take into consideration the proper method to procure a charter. The chair appointed E. P. Darling, Hon. L. D. Shoemaker, Hon. E. L. Dana, Hon. H. M. Hoyt, G. R. Bedford, Dr. W. F. Dennis and Washington Lee. It was moved by Mr. Lee 'that an executive committee of three be appointed with full power to lease a building and to establish and conduct a hospital, such committee to act until a permanent organization be effected.' The motion was carried and Washington Lee, Charles A. Miner and George R. Bedford were appointed. On motion of Dr. Mayer, W. W. Lathrope was elected secretary and treasurer pro tem. Hon. L. D. Shoemaker, W. W. Neuer and H. H. Derr were appointed a committee to solicit subscriptions."
The executive committee at once rented a building on Fell street, and after fitting it up properly opened it for the reception of patients October 10th, 1872. The number of beds was at first 20, which was increased to 26 during the following year. The first medical staff was as follows: Consulting physicians, Drs. E. R. Mayer, W. F. Dennis, J. E. Bulkeley, attending physicians, Drs. J. T. Rothrock, J. V. Crawford, R. Davis, I. E. Ross, J. A. Murphy, O. F. Harvey and G. W. Guthrie. A resident physician was also added. January 3d, 1874, a permanent organization was effected under a charter granted by the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne county, dated November 24, 1873. The following were chosen as the first board of directors: A. C. Laning, A. T. McClintock, Charles Parrish, John Welles Hollenback, Charles A. Miner, Calvin Wadhams, Stanley Woodward, H. H. Derr, Ira M. Kirkendall, M. B. Houpt, George R. Bedford and George S. Bennett.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.