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 VI > Part 29
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R. Jay Flick was born June 24, 1871, in Wilkes-Barre, a son of Reuben Jay Flick, who died December 18, 1890, and Margaret J. (Arnold) Flick, who died November 16, 1904. Reuben Jay Flick was president of the Peo- ples' Bank for twelve years, president of the Wilkes-Barre Lace Manufacturing Company for many years, and member of the board of directors of the leading industries in the Wyoming Valley.
The first-comer of the paternal name was Gerlach Paul Flick, who emigrated from Amsterdam, Holland, in ship "Neptune," landed at Philadelphia, September 23, 1751, and, settling in Northampton County, fol- lowed the occupation of miller. His young- est son, Casper, served through the Revolu- tionary War, afterwards followed his father's occupation, and died at the age of ninety-four years. Of his twelve children, eleven lived more than eighty years.
John Flick, who was born in 1783 and died in 1869, eldest son of Casper Flick, was a leading citizen of Northampton County, the village of Flicksville being named for him. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Leg- islature in 1840-41, and he held other respon- sible offices, and served in the War of 1812 until peace was declared. In 1813, he married Eva B. Caster, daughter of Philip Caster, a soldier of the Revolutionary Army, and who at one time lived in the Wyoming Valley, but afterwards settled at Lower Mount Bethel, Northampton County. Mrs. Flick died in 1873, at the age of seventy-seven years.
Reuben Jay Flick, who was born in 1816, and died in 1890, eldest son of John Flick, was a native of Flicksville, Northampton County, and settled in Wilkes-Barre at the age of twenty-two years. He was closely identified with the growth of that city, hav- ing been officially connected with its leading financial, industrial and benevolent institu- tions. He organized and was for twelve years president of the People's Bank, was an elder of the Presbyterian Church, trustee of Harry Hillman Academy, the Female Insti- tute, the City Hospital, the Home for Friend- less Children; also Lincoln University, at Oxford. He was nominated for Congress in 1882, on the Prohibition ticket. He married, January 9, 1858, Margaret Jane Arnold, daughter of Adam and Margaret (Hoof- smith) Arnold, of Hamilton, Monroe County; and they were the parents of five children:
Liddon; Warren Jay; Helen Jessie; Harry Lin- coln; Reuben J. (R. Jay), Jr., of whom further.
R. Jay Flick attended the Wilkes-Barre public schools, and when he was thirteen years old, entered Harry Hillman Academy, a private school in that city, where he was graduated in 1888. He was graduated at Phillips Exeter Academy in 1890; and taking the arts course at Princeton University, was graduated there in 1894 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Taking the full business course at Wyoming Business College, he was graduated there in 1896.
In the year of his graduation from the business college, 1896, Mr. Flick was ap- pointed business manager of the Wilkes- Barre "Times," an evening daily paper pub- lished by the Wilkes-Barre Times Company. About two years later, he was made treas- urer of that company, and in 1905 he became president and editor of the paper. Since 1896, Mr. Flick has been agent for the R. J. Flick estate
Having become interested in the promotion and reorganization of gas and electric com- panies, Mr. Flick has served as president of the Bethlehem Consolidated Gas Company, of Bethlehem; president of the Vineland Light and Power Company, of Vineland, New Jer- sey; president of the Mahanoy City Gas Com- pany; a director of the Ann Harbor Railroad Company; the Auburn Light, Heat, and Power Company; the George W. Jackson Company; and a vice-president of Wilkes-Barre Cham- ber of Commerce.
During a long period inclusive of the World War, Mr. Flick was director of the Bureau of Construction of the American Red Cross, at their headquarters in Washington, District of Columbia.
Mr. Flick, but recently president of the People's Light Company of Pittston, is now president of the Oaklawn Cemetery Associa- tion; and vice-president of the Wilkes-Barre Lace Manufacturing Company.
Mr. Flick is a member of the American Geographical Society; the Bibliophile So- ciety; life member of the Wyoming Valley Historical Society; life member of the Audo- bon Society; member of the Westmoreland Club, of Wilkes-Barre; Racquet Club, of Philadelphia; and the Union, New York Yacht, Riding, Turf and Field, and Bankers' clubs, of New York City. He was chairman of the souvenir and programme committee at the Wilkes-Barre Centennial, in 1906.
R. Jay Flick married, February 10, 1909, Mrs. Henrietta (Ridgely) Flick, widow of his brother, Liddon Flick, and daughter of Dr. Nicholas Greenbury Ridgely, of Hampton, Maryland, and Ida (Deshon) Ridgely. They have one daughter, Eleanor Ridgely Flick, born December 8, 1910.
FRANCIS NAPOLEON LOUGHNANE-Hold- ing the important position of division engi- neer on the Lehigh Valley Railroad, Francis N. Loughnane, of Wilkes-Barre, is a man who has made the grade from the humble place of water-boy, mastering in turn every step of the way. He is esteemed as one of the most valued of the officials on the Lehigh system, and in his expertness as a railroad man the management reposes implicit con- fidence. He is a striking example of the foreign-born boy who has come to America, and achieved a career of success and useful- ness. Possessing the commission of a cap- tain in the Engineers' Reserve Corps, United States Army, he stands ready at any time to serve his government in emergency.
Francis Napoleon Loughnane was born in
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the British Isles, September 19, 1869. His father, James Loughnane, was born in Scot- land, and was a member of the British Army for many years. He died in 1883. The mother, Mary Agnes (Burke) Loughnane, who was a native of Ireland, died in 1896. Francis Napoleon had public school and aca- demy training in his native land, and pursued his studies further at schools in Pittston, Pennsylvania, and New York City.
Mr. Loughnane began his career as a rail- road worker by taking a real job, that of water-boy, on the Lehigh Railroad. He was sent out with section and construction gangs to help the men slake their thirst while in the performance of their arduous labor. Cheerful, willing and ambitions, he was one of the best water-boys that section of the railroad had known. It was reasonable to expect that such a promising lad would re- ceive merited promotion, which came to him in the form of the position of watchman. Here he discharged his duties with faithful- ness and precision. Then he advanced to track-walker, and in his integrity rested the safety of many lives and much valuable prop- erty which passed in trains over the section patrolled by him. Next he was made sec- tion foreman and "extra-gang" foreman. All the while he was developing his expert- ness in track construction and supervision. When the time came to fill the vacancy in a position of general foreman, he was named for that promotion. In that responsible duty he showed marked ability, and his work was extremely pleasing to the division head and his own immediate superior. From the gen- eral foremanship he passed to assistant road- master, and then to supervisor of tracks. The peak of his railroading career to date (1929) was attained in 1911, when he was appointed division engineer on the Lehigh. This advancement was hailed with delight by Mr. Loughnane's comrades in the service, and he has ever since been an increasingly indis- pensable official in the company's personnel. His headquarters are in Wilkes-Barre, in which city he and his family have their residence.
Mr. Loughnane is an ardent Republican. During his entire residence in Wilkes-Barre, since 1898, he has conscientiously endeavored to cooperate with the people of the city who have the advance of their community very much at heart. He has, therefore, become one of the valued citizens, whose civic ideals are in harmony with the general upward movement. Mr. Loughnane finds his great- est recreation in good reading, and is par- ticularly fond of historical, biographical, philosophical and scientific works. His prin- cipal fraternal affiliation is with Wilkes- Barre Lodge, No. 109, Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks, and he belongs to the Wilkes-Barre-Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Society of American Military Engineers, and the Fox Hill Country Club.
Francis N. Loughnane married, in 1898, Margaret Fahey, daughter of Michael and Margaret (Regan-Durkin) Fahey, of Ash- land, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. They are the parents of two children: 1. Albert Mckenzie, who fought in the World War, with the commission of captain in the Cana- dian Army Medical Corps, with service over- seas. He was given a special citation and awarded the Croix-de-Guerre by the French for brave and meritorious service in the field under particularly hazardous conditions. 2. Francis.
WILLIS LEONARD DEAN. A. M .- The fam- ily of the surname Dean of which Professor Willis L. Dean of Wyoming Seminary, busi-
ness department, member of the faculty for more than fifty years, is a member, is de- scended from Walter Deane of South Chard, Somersetshire, England, who died in 1591. His son, William Deane, was the father of nine children, of whom two younger sons, John and Walter, came to Boston, Massachu- setts, in 1637. Walter Deane was born in Chard, England, between 1615 and 1620, took the freeman's oath in Massachusetts in 1638, was selectman in Taunton, Massachusetts, for seven years until 1686, married Eleanor Strong, daughter of Richard Strong, of Taun- ton, England, and had four children. Of these the youngest son, James, learned the trade of blacksmith and iron worker, and became prominent in the town of Stonington, Massa- chusetts; he later resided in Plainfield, owned many lands there and in Voluntown, and died, May 29, 1725. His son Jonathan was baptized April 2, 1693, became a considerable man of property in Plainfield, served in the State Legislature, married, in 1716, Sarah Douglas, and had children. Of them was Captain Ezra Dean (the final "e" had been dropped from the surname by his father), born in Plainfield, Connecticut, in 1718, who was the first of the family to come to the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania, which he did in 1769, when fifty-one years of age. This Captain Ezra took unto himself four wives. One of them was from North Kingston, Rhode Island, and, so it is said, it was in honor of her that Kingston, Pennsylvania, was named. His fourth wife, Phoebe Waterman, wed in 1774, survived him, when he died, in 1806, leaving five of his fourteen children. Jona- than, one to survive, was born in 1741, and was town clerk of West Greenwich from 1776 until 1780; he came to Pennsylvania, locat- ing in Abington in 1800, was the first clerk in the first church in that town, and died in 1822. His wife, Mary Davis, bore him five children. James Dean was born in 1780, in West Greenwich, Rhode Island. He married Catherine Tripp, of Providence, Pennsylvania, in 1803, thereby joining two pioneer families of the State: and they had eight children. Among them was Nelson N. Dean, born July 11, 1814, who attended the public schools of his native town, Abington, and the Franklin Academy, at Hartford, Pennsylvania.
Nelson N. Dean, of the eighth generation from Walter Deane of South Chard, Somer- setshire, England, and of the sixth from Walter, the progenitor, of Massachusetts, was a farmer by occupation. An intelligent citizen, interested in the welfare of his county, he was elected one of the three commissioners of Luzerne County, in 1876, and was the last to serve in that capacity from the portion of Luzerne County which was cut off and became Lackawanna County. Mr. Dean married, April 25, 1850, Clarissa Dayton Searle. born November 14. 1824. in Pittston Township, Luzerne County. Her great-grandfather, Constant Searle, native of Stonington, Connecticut, was killed in the Wyoming Massacre, July 3, 1778. Her grand- father, Roger Searle, then a youth of eighteen, was in the battle, but escaped; and many other members of the family were in- volved. Her mother was Mary (Stark) Searle, daughter of Henry Stark of Plains, Luzerne County, and a descendant of General Stark of the Continental Army. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Dean began housekeeping in their own home near Abington Centre, now Waverly, Pennsylvania, where they spent the balance of their lives. Their children were: 1. James Elmer, born September 13, 1851. 2. Willis Leonard, born February 5, 1857, of whom directly. Nelson N. Dean died June 1, 1879, soon after completing his term of office
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as county commissioner; and not long after- ward his son Willis erected a pleasant home for his mother, in the center of Waverly village, where she resided until her death.
Willis L. Dean, of the ninth generation from Walter Deane of South Chard, Somer- setshire, England, and of the seventh from Walter the progenitor in Massachusetts, youngest son of Nelson N. and Clarissa Day- ton (Searle) Dean, attended the Madison Academy, in Waverly, the Wyoming Semi- nary, Kingston, and graduated from the com- mercial department of the latter, in 1873, at the age of seventeen years. He taught in Lowell's Commercial College, in Binghamton, New York, for the next two years, then, in 1875, became instructor in penmanship and bookkeeping in Wyoming Seminary, and was made principal of the college of business of that institution in 1882, which position he has filled through the succeeding years, to the sincere appreciation of trustees and pa- trons alike. Mr. Dean has not limited his studies to those of his department, but has acquired a broad and liberal culture from reading widely, and from contact with men of learning elsewhere. In 1890, after he had served fifteen years in the seminary, Dickin- son College conferred upon him the degree of Master of Arts, in recognition of his at- tainments. Mr. Dean is a man of excellent business capacity, and from small beginnings, by prudent management, has acquired a sub- stantial competency. He is widely known and respected in all circles of education of Lu- zerne County and enjoys an extensive ac- quaintanceship in those of the State. Kindly, firm in his opinions yet ever ready to alter them in the face of evidence, industrious, keenly intelligent, and possessed in generous measure of those qualities of character which tend to endear a man to his fellows, Mr. Dean's friends are many and devoted, and extend down to the youngest of his pupils in the seminary.
On June 20, 1878, Mr. Dean was united in marriage with Mary Goodwin, born in King- ston, March 24, 1857, daughter of Philip M. and Eliza (Grosvenor) Goodwin, and to this union were born two children: 1. Searle G., born November 13, 1880, died October 10, 1881. 2. Marjorie, born September 19, 1884, graduate of Wyoming Seminary, class of 1903. She married, October 12, 1905, George Willard Carey, of Forty Fort, and is the mother of two sons, Dean and George W., Jr.
JOSEPH VINCENT CONNOLE, M. D .- One of the leading eye. ear, nose, and throat specialists in Luzerne County is Dr. Joseph Vincent Connole, whose offices are located in the Miners Bank Building, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Dr. Connole is a native of Lu- zerne County, and a graduate of Jefferson Medical College, in Philadelphia, and has been located in Wilkes-Barre since the fall of 1919.
Dr. Joseph Vincent Connole was born in Plymouth, Luzerne County, July 8, 1889, son of John F. and Mary Elizabeth (Keating) Connole, of Plymouth, both deceased. John F. Connole was a well-known business man in Plymouth for many years, and he and his wife were the parents of six children: Mary, married John F. McGroarty, of Wilkes-Barre; Thomas, whose death occurred when he was twenty-three years of age; Dr. John F., who is a well-known physician of Wilkes-Barre; Alethea B .; Dr. Joseph Vincent, of further mention; and Anna M.
Dr. Joseph Vincent Connole received his early school training in the parochial school at Plymouth, and then became a student in the Harry Hillman Academy, from which he was graduated with the class of 1908. As he
had early determined upon the medical pro- fession as his future field of service, he then entered Jefferson Medical College, at Phila- delphia, where he finished his course with graduation in 1912, receiving at that time the degree of Doctor of Medicine. After graduation he served an interneship of two years in the Newark City Hospital, and then, still desiring to further prepare himself for the best possible service in his chosen field, spent another year in special study of the ear, nose, and throat in the Pennsylvania Hospital, at Philadelphia. In the fall of 1915, he went to the Wills Eye Hospital, of Phila- delphia, where he studied for a period of two years. In October, 1917, he enlisted for service in the World War, and served in the United States Navy as senior lieutenant, in charge of the eye work at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, where he remained for a period of two years. At the end of that time, in the fall of 1919, he came to Wilkes-Barre and opened an office in the Miners Bank Building, where he has since been continuously and successfully engaged in special practice. He has become known as one of the leading specialists in his field in Luzerne County, and has built up a very large and important practice.
He is a member of the Luzerne County Medical Society, the Pennsylvania State Medi- cal Society, and the American Medical Asso- ciation; and is a member of the Nu Sigma Nu Fraternity. He is a member of the staff of Mercy Hospital, of Wilkes-Barre. Politi- cally, he is a Democrat. He is a member of the Westmoreland Club, and of the Wyoming Valley Country Club, and his religious affilia- tion is with St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church of Wilkes-Barre.
THOMAS JEFFERSON HALSEY-Engaged in civil engineering in Wilkes-Barre and Lu- zerne County, Thomas Jefferson Halsey holds an important position in the life of this com- munity, where he is a civil and consulting engineer and a member of the firm of Winter- mute and Halsey. There is scarcely any phase of the life of his city and county in which Mr. Halsey is not keenly interested, and so it is that he stands high in the esteem and affection of his fellowmen.
He was born in Laurel Run Borough, Lu- zerne County, on February 27, 1890, son of Frank S. and Mary (Gress) Halsey. His father, who was born in Wyoming, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, and died in May, 1927, was a carpenter and contractor by trade; he was born in 1852. The mother, Mary (Gress) Halsey, was born in Wilkes-Barre in 1858.
Thomas Jefferson Halsey received his early education in the public and high schools of Kingston, Pennsylvania. Later he studied civil engineering, which he took up for his professional career; and on January 1, 1927, he become a partner with Ferdinand Clark Wintermute, both forming the firm of Win- termute and Halsey, civil and consulting engineers. Mr. Halsey's amiable personality, as well as his skill and training for the work in which he is engaged, render him a valu- able member of the community in which he lives and works and a leader among con- sulting engineers.
In addition to his professional activities, Mr. Halsey is active in the affairs of his city. In his political alignment, he is a staunch Republican and a loyal supporter of the candidates and policies of his party. He is a member of the Patriotic Order Sons of America, and is a member of the Presby- terian Church. Mr. Halsey's offices are in
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the Liberty State Bank Building, in Wilkes- Barre; while he resides at No. 63 Walnut Street, Forty Fort.
EDWARD CONRAD BAHNMILLER, M. D. -Well known it Wilkes-Barre, where his skill as surgeon and general practitioner is making for him a position well up in the medical profession, though he is now (1929) in his early thirties and began the practice of medicine and surgery in 1920, Edward Con- rad Bahnmiller was born in Wilkes-Barre on July 23, 1894, a son of Frederick and Ida (Fetzel) Bahnmiller of that city.
Frederick Bahnmiller is a machinist by trade and came to the United States from Germany when a young man. He is an adept machinist, and industrious, numbered among those who are making for Wilkes-Barre a conspicuous place in the forefront of Ameri- can industry. Frederick and Ida (Fetzel) Bahnmiller are the parents of two children: Helen, the wife of Albert Saunders; and Dr. Edward C. Bahnmiller, of whom further.
Dr. Bahnmiller was reared in his native city, and there attended the public schools, graduating from high school in 1913. He then attended Colgate University, graduating in 1916 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He matriculated in the University of Pennsyl- vania in the Department of Medicine and graduated with the class of 1920 with the degree of Doctor of Medicine; and then re- turned to Wilkes-Barre to serve one year as interne in the Wilkes-Barre General Hos- pital. He is a member of the Beta Theta Pi Chapter; a member of the Luzerne County Medical Society, the Pennsylvania Medical Society, the Lehigh Valley Medical Society, and the American Medical Association. He is a member of the surgical staff of the Wilkes-Barre General Hospital. Dr. Bahn- miller is a member of Landmark Lodge, No. 442, Free and Accepted Masons, the Con- sistory of Scranton, thirty-second degree: Irem Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and Irem Temple Country Club. Politically, Dr. Bahnmiller is a Republican.
Dr. Edward C. Bahnmiller married, Septem- ber 22, 1922, Arline Ruth Beers, of Wilkes- Barre, daughter of Harry Beers of that city, and Minnie (Bachman) Beers, now deceased.
OSTERHOUT FREE LIBRARY-The Oster- hout Free Library of Wilkes-Barre was en- dowed by the will of the late Isaac S. Oster- hout who died in 1882. This endowment was given to the people of Wilkes-Barre for a library, the amount to be allowed to accumu- late for five years before the work of estab- lishing a library should begin.
Seven directors were appointed by Mr. Osterhout to take full charge of this work. The original board consisted of the following members: Mr. Edmund L. Dana, president; Messrs Hubbard B. Payne, Lewis C. Paine, Edward P. Darling, Harrison Wright, Andrew H. MeClintock, Sheldon Reynolds. These seven members, with the minister of the First Presbyterian Church, Rev. Francis B. Hodge, D. D., and Rev. Henry L. Jones, D. D., rector of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, chosen as ex-officio members, comprised the full board.
In 1887 the directors purchased the prop- erty, including the church, of the First Pres- byterian Society on South Franklin Street, intending to use the site for a library build- ing. They were strongly advised to retain the church and adapt it to library uses, which they did. The Gothic architecture proved as appropriate for a library as for a church.
The same year they called Miss Hannah P.
James of the Free Library of Newton, Mas- sachusetts, to be the first librarian, and Miss Myra Poland of Arlington, Massachusetts, as her assistant. Five other assistants, three from Wilkes-Barre and two others, graduates of the first library school, comprised the staff of workers who were employed to catalogue and prepare the first 10,500 vol- umes, The work continued for nearly a year and a half. The library was opened January 29, 1889.
It was pioneer work, as there was no other free library in this part of the State. In 1902 Miss James was obliged to leave the library on account of ill health. She attended to the selection of the books, however, for several months at her home. She passed away in April, 1903. Her work was not completed, for with her deep interest in establishing the library and in its success, one so well equipped was needed indefinitely. She was succeeded by Myra Poland, the assistant librarian.
The privileges of the library have been extended from time to time. Any resident of Luzerne County is permitted to take books if satisfactory references are given. With the growth of the library came the need for more room, and a wing was added to the building, which was completed in 1908. The wing contains a three-story stack, including a cataloguing room, and the main library is an open shelf room. The children's room is in the front of the main building and the reference department is at the back where the chapel was originally.
For many years there were no branch libraries in connection with the library. In April, 1923, the first branch was opened, and the second in February, 1924. In 1926 a library was placed in a Settlement Club House with a librarian in attendance and later a collection of books was sent to an- other Settlement Club House with a librarian in charge of that.
The growth of the library has been con- tinuous and the work ever increasing. The report for 1927 showed a circulation of 343,276 volumes. The number of borrowers registered was 24,757. The number of volumes in the main library and branches as last reported was 72,847.
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