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 41
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 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111
Dr. Monahan is a member of the Luzerne County and Pennsylvania State medical so- cieties, and a member of the American Med- ical Association. Politically he supports the principles and candidates of the Republican party, and he is affiliated fraternally with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, in which organization he is a member of Lodge No. 109. He is a member and now secretary, of the board of health of Plains Township. He worships in the faith of the Roman Catholic Church, and has been for some years a member of the Church of the Sacred Heart, in Hudson, Dr. Monahan is unmarried. His residence is at No. 66 Oak Street, Hudson.
REV. M. F. STANKIEWICZ-As the elev- enth pastor of the St. Casimir's Polish Catholic Church, of Freeland, Pennsylvania, Rev. M. F. Stankiewicz has for the past four years been steadily advancing the interests of the parish. He has greatly built up the spiritual life of the church, has re-modelled . the rectory, and has given careful attention to the various societies of the parish. Father Stankiewicz is a graduate of St. Stanislaus College, Chicago; and of St. Joseph's Sem- inary, in Dunwoodie, New York, and had been in active ministry for a period of four years before coming to Freeland. He is deeply revered by his parishioners and is performing a worthy service here.
Rev. M. F. Stankiewicz was born in Forest City, Pennsylvania, November 11, 1892, son of Cajetan and Margaret Stankiewicz, both natives of Poland, the father now deceased (1928). After completing the courses of the public schools of Forest City, including the high school, he entered St. Stanislaus Col- lege, in Chicago, Illinois, from which he was graduated with the class of 1915. Before this time he had chosen the service of the church as his life work, and in order to prepare for Holy Orders he entered St. Joseph's Seminary, at Dunwoodie, New York, where he completed his preparation and took orders. He was ordained July 18, 1920 by the late Bishop M. J. Hoban, and received his first appointment as assistant at St. Hedwig's Church, at Kingston, Pennsylvania. From there he was assigned to St. Mary's Church, at Dickson City, still serving as assistant. He then was transferred to St. Mary's Church, at Blossburg as pastor, and after render- ing able service there he came to Free- land, taking charge of St. Casimir's Polish Catholic Church here November 11, 1924.
St. Casimir's Parish was organized early in 1886 and the present church building was erected that same year, with a seating ca- pacity of four hundred and fifty. At the time
of the founding of the parish there were only about fifty Polish Catholic families In Freeland and vicinity, but since that time the number of families included In this parish has increased to three hundred, and the activities and the general prosperity of the church have increased accordingly. The first pastor, Rev. A. Warnagiris, spared no effort in the task of laying firm foundations for future growth, and when he was transferred to another field he was succeeded by Rev. M. Yodyshop. Since the close of the term of service of the last-mentioned pastor the following men have aided in the work of bringing St. Casimir's Parish to its pres- ent flourishing condition : Rev. P. Abro- maitys, Rev. J. Morsotis, Rev. J. Delinikajtys, Rev. L. Suckowski, Rev. B. Walter, Rev. J. Karsakaitis, Rev. George Inczura, and Rev. C. Strimaitis. The last-named was followed by the present pastor, Rev. M. F. Stankie- wicz, who has now been in charge here for nearly four years. Since taking charge he has devoted himself to the advancement of the spiritual and material interests of the Parish, has remodelled the rectory, and has greatly stimulated the activities of the various organizations and societies of the parish. He is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, of Elmira, New York, also of the Polish Union, and of numerous other organizations, and takes a very active interest in civic affairs here in Freeland. He is a member of the A. A. A., and his many points of contact with the various organizations with which he is iden- tified are helpful to him in his ministry as a pastor, hringing him better understanding of the general problems of his parishioners, and giving him viewpoints which are valu- able in helping and advising his parishioners.
Father Stankiewicz has the respect of the community in general, as well as of the mem- bers of his parish, and is doing a valuable work here in Freeland.
REV. JOSEPH MURGAS-A leader in the religious life of Northeastern Pennsylvania, an artist and scientist of distinguished attain- ments, the Rev. Joseph Murgas is one of Wiikes-Barre's outstanding citizens and be- loved and esteemed as pastor of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Siovak Church.
Father Murgas came to Wilkes-Barre in 1896 and since that time has labored without ceasing in the interests of his fellow-country- men who have sought their fortunes in this land of opportunity, bringing with them the contribution of thelr art, culture, love of industry and substantial citizenship, all of which are splendid assets to American civil- ization. Father Murgas' entire career has been a visible proof that science can advance hand in hand with religion; many years ago he was one of the pioneers in wireless teleg- raphy and won the acclamation of the scien- tific world through his invention of a sys- tem of musical tone signal transmission in spark telegraphy that proved a revolutioniz- ing influence in the field of wireless. In his artistic work he is an accomplished painter of sacred subjects and landscapes, and the products of his brush have received the praise of foremost critics, examples of his work being found in his church where practically all the pictures have been done by him.
Father Murgas was born in Tajov, Czecho- Slovakia (formerly Austria-Hungary ), Feb- ruary 17, 1864, son of John and Susan Murgas. He received his elementary education in the schools of Tajov and studied at institutions of higher learning in Banska-Bystrica, Brati- slava, Ostrihom, and Budapest, in Austria-
518
Hungary, attending the Academy of Art in Munich, Germany. On November 10, 1888, he was ordained to the priesthood in Banska- Bystrica, and for some time thereafter served as assistant pastor in various churches, devot- ing his spare time to painting. He presented to his Bishop in ordinary a picture "Christ before Pilate" which so impressed His Grace that he wished to develop the young priest's artistic talents and, accordingly, in 1889, sent him to the school of art in Budapest, and in the following year to the Academy of Art at Munich, where he was the first scholar to acquire the distinction of receiving in his first year two certificates, one in drawing and one in painting. Shortly after this he painted for his benefactor, the Bishop, a beautiful original composition of St. Elizabeth of Hun- gary. His coming to the United States came about as the result of his artistic ability, for he was sought by powerful political fac- tors of Hungary to give his opinion on their national canvas, "Honfoglalas," which trans- lated means "Occupation of Country," and exhibited in the Parliament in Budapest, the work of the famous painter, Munkacsi, de- picting the historic occupancy of Slovakia in the tenth century. An ardent patriot at all times, Father Murgas was loyal to the cause of his people's freedom and independence and fearlessly criticized the picture as untrue to history and art, for which statement he was persecuted so that in 1896 he emigrated from his native land to the more friendly shores of the United States.
Locating in Wilkes-Barre, he first built a frame church for the Catholic Slovaks of this vicinity, and there started the nucleus of the parish which has expanded into such a large, progressive organization, erecting the beauti- ful church edifice in 1906-08, and a modern scheel building which was completed in 1925, under the care of the teaching nuns. He is a member of the first Catholic Slovak Union of America, the Pennsylvania Roman and Greek Catholic Union of the United States, the Slovak League of America, and the Czeche-Slovak National Council. His activ- ities in art and science have earned for him membership in the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society, the American Society for Psychical Research, Incorporated, and the National Geographic Society, and the United States Sportsmen of Pennsylvania, while he is also active in all leading civic organiza- tions and is connected with different sports- men clubs.
While Father Murgas has kept up with his artistic talents, customs and conditions in the United States did not permit or warrant his deveting as much of his time to his art as he would have preferred, so he therefore turned his attention to science. When he was a student at Ostrihom, he was an ardent experimenter in electricity and was allowed to spend his free time in experimentation in the Seminary Laboratory, in addition to which he studied every treatise er publication con- cerning this mystifying science. Here in Wilkes-Barre he arranged a small laboratory in his parish house where he discovered an essential improvement applicable to wireless telegraphy and on October 2, 1903, applied to the United States Patent Office for a patent for his first invention, which was granted under date of May 10, 1904. He devised a system of sound transmission by means of two musical tones differing in pitch, one tone forming the det, the other the dash, in cem- men to the Morse Code. The Universal Aether Company of Philadelphia at first supported Father Murgas after witnessing a successful that lessen mest thoroughly, and though
test, but on becoming the sole owners of his patent letters, neglected to promote the sys- tem for public use, so that in the meantime, the Marconi and Fessenden organizations developed more elaborate machinery, but limited to only one tene for signaling. Dur- ing the recent World War, he greatly alded the cause of the United States and the Allies by his deep influence and enthusiastic efforts among the people under his care, and after- wards, in aiding the cause for the indepen- dence of Czecho-Slovakia, he personally headed the campaign which brought in more than half a million dollars.
The Czecho-Slovak Republic in commeme- rating its tenth anniversary in 1928, found it fit according to the decree of the National Assembly to honor the founders who had been instrumental in laying the foundation of that Republic. Father Murgas, in recognition of services rendered the Czech and Slovak people during the World War in their struggle for independence, was awarded a Revolutionary Medal of Honor, which was issued by the Assembly at Prague. The presentation was made by Dr. Jan Papanek, of the Czecho- Slovak Legatien at Washington, District of Columbia, on the occasion of a testimonial dinner tendered Rev. Murgas, February 13, 1928, in the school auditorium in Wilkes- Barre, celebrating his fortieth year in the priesthood, and thirty-third year as pastor of the Sacred Heart Slovak Church.
Rev. Murgas is not only a leader of the Slovak peoples, but also a tried and true adopted son of the United States, for whose 'development and prosperity he is a valuable worker, with his splendid foresight and great ability as an adviser and leader in the solu- tion of construction problems.
ALOIS KNOLL, D. D. S .- During less than four years in active practice in Nanticoke, Dr. Alois Knoll, among the younger prac- .titioners of dental surgery in this district, is rising rapidly in his profession and gives ample promise of reaching a position of fame.
He was born in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, November 15, 1900, a son of C. J. and Appe- lonia (Kitlowski) Knoll, both living at Ne. 658 East Main Street, Nanticoke, where the son also resides. C. J. Knoll is engaged in the coal industry.
Alois Knoll acquired his early education in the public elementary and high schools of Nanticoke, graduating from the last-named in 1919. He then entered the University of Pittsburgh, at Pittsburgh, taking the dental course, from which he was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery in the class of 1924. He then established himself in general practice in Nanticoke, where he has since remained. He attends the Roman Catholic Church of St. Stanislaus and holds membership in the County, State and National Dental associations.
ALFRED M. FRIEDMAN-A very large number of people in Nanticoke have learned through experience that they can always find a full stock, quality goods, and superior service at Al's Square Deal Clothes Shop, located at No. 48 East Main Street. The square deal is always in evidence, and no merchant knows better than Alfred M. Fried- man that honest service is a paying proposi- tion. Long association with his father, who is engaged in the same business in Tayler, Pennsylvania, as well as his own experience gained through several years spent as man- ager of his father's store, have taught him
ST. NICHOLAS ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH WILKES-BARRE, PA.
519
Al's Square Deal Clothes Shop has been in operation only since August 1925, it is sup- plying the needs of a very large group of customers. While specializing in men's cloth- ing, Mr. Friedman carries a full line of boys' clothing, and the accessories of male attire.
Born in Taylor, Alleghany County, Penn- sylvania, August 21, 1901, Alfred M. Fried- man is a son of S. M. and Ethel Friedman, resident of Taylor, where the father has been successfully engaged in mercantile busi- ness for the past thirty years. Mr. Fried- man attended the public schools of Taylor, and early became associated with his father in the conduct of the latter's prosperous busi- ness in Taylor. Under his father's able tutelage he learned the clothing business, as well as the principles of successful mer- cantile practice, and for several years he served as manager of his father's store. In August, 1925, he opened his own establish- ment in Nanticoke, under the name of Al's Square Deal Clothing Shop, specializing in men's clothing. He carries a full line of men's and boys' clothing, and of all the various accessories of the wardrobe of the well-dressed man, and has built up, during the few years which have passed since the establishment of his business, a most satis- factory patronage. His store, twenty by one hundred feet, gives him a floor space of two thousand square feet, and his location is a good one. His long association with and his thorough training in this particular line of business, as well as his natural ability, have enabled him to attain financial success at an early age, and though he is one of the younger merchants of the place, he is numbered among the thoroughly well estab- lished business men of Nanticoke. In fra- ternal affairs, as in his business, Mr. Fried- man is one who is constructive and faith- ful. He is a member of Acacia Lodge, No. 579, Free and Accepted Masons; of Scranton Forest, Tall Cedars of Lebanon; Knights of Pythias; and of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics. His religious mem- bership is with the Jewish Temple of Wilkes- Barre.
Alfred M. Friedman was married, January 19, 1926, to Jean Cross, of Glenlyon, Penn- sylvania, and they are the parents of one daughter, Shirley. The family home is located at No. 129 East Broad Street, in Nanticoke.
CHARLES M. EPSTEIN - The Liberty Throwing Company, Inc., of Nanticoke, filed articles of incorporation in the capitol of Pennsylvania in 1918, with a charter enti- tling it to spin silks on commission. Initial capitalization was for $150,000, but since 1918 this has been increased to $375,000. On an average, the year through, one year after another, the company gives employment to some two hundred and fifty workers, and represents one of the important industrial institutions of Nanticoke and the Wyoming Valley. He who is at the head of this power- ful organization is Charles M. Epstein, its founder. Under him is the co-founder, Mal- colm B. Levi, who holds office as vice-presi- dent. In addition to his duties as president of the Liberty Throwing Company, Mr. Epstein is its general manager, and is as- sisted by Mr. Levi, as assistant manager. Conduct of all operations, however, Is under the direct control of the former. As a dominant industrialist and man of finance, Mr. Epstein fills an important rôle in the commercial spheres not only in Nanticoke but in this part of Pennsylvania; and in Nanti- coke is outstanding also as a citizen, of good and loyal public spirit, constantly identified
in name and effort with worthy enterprises directed toward the general welfare.
Mr. Epstein was born in Paducah, Ken- tucky, May 20, 1882, son of Morris and Bertha (Levy) Epstein. He received his school train- ing In Louisville, Kentucky, there graduated from high school with advanced distinction in studies, and afterward matriculated In Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, from which he was graduated in 1905, at the age of twenty-three years, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Soon thereafter he became interested in distilling, in which his family had for many years been prominently identified; but in 1916 he began to cast about him for another connection. It followed that in 1917 Mr. Epstein decided after careful deliberation to enter the silk industry; and always a man of method and plan, first took a training course in textiles, better to under- stand them in theory and in practical mak- ing, and supplemented this with experience in the mills. In the fall of 1918 he joined in association with Mr. Levi, as recounted. They caused to be built a capacious plant in Nanticoke, with a floor space totaling 30,000 square feet. The Liberty Throwing Company now bears an enviable reputation and credit unimpaired; it is important to the silk trade of the United States, and as its head Mr. Epstein is a figure of importance and dignity. He is chairman of the execu- tive committee of the Eastern District of the Silk Association of America, and elsewhere in the industry has been accorded distinc- tion. He is active in all civic affairs of Nan- ticoke, as well as in philanthropic endeavor, giving liberally to all appeals of merit, with- out thought of race or creed benefiting. Fra- ternally Mr. Epstein is affiliated with St. George Lodge, No. 14, Free and Accepted Masons, of Louisville; Keystone Consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite; and Irem Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is a member of the Fox Hill and Irem Country clubs, and active in both.
On December 15, 1913, Mr. Epstein was united in marriage with Helen Levi, of Wilkes-Barre, daughter of Benjamin and Dora Levi; and they are the parents of two children: Charles M., Jr., and Dorothy Betty. The family residence is at No. 327 South River Street, Wilkes-Barre.
ST. NICHOLAS ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH - St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Parish of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was organized about 1856, the congregation con- sisting at that time of only a few German families, being cared for by priests from Honesdale. Two years later, in November, 1858, Peter Conrad Nagel who had come from Germany a year before, was ordained in Philadelphia by the Rt. Rev. John Nepomu- cene Neumann, Bishop of that diocese. At that time the Philadelphia Diocese comprised the whole State of Pennsylvania. Father Nagel was given charge of all the German Catholle congregations in Northeastern Penn- 'sylvania, with the privilege of locating where he pleased. He chose Wilkes-Barre, at that time a town with a population of only four thousand. He was the first resident pastor of the St. Nicholas Church, and from here attended also, churches at Pittston, Scranton, Honesdale, and Hazleton, for a number of years.
The first church of St. Nicholas was bullt at the northeast corner of Washington and South streets, the parochlal school being con- ducted for some years in the basement of the church. The school soon outgrew its small
520
quarters and a frame schoolhouse was erected on South Street near Pennsylvania Avenue. Later, in 1868, the old building was moved to the rear and a three-story brick building erected in its place. In 1881, the frame build- ing was removed entirely and a three-story brick addition built, which more than doubled the capacity of the school. From 1858 to 1873, the school was in charge of lay teachers. In the latter year the Sisters of Christian Charity took charge and up to present time (1929) have conducted the school, which has an enrollment of about six hundred and forty pupils.
The present St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church, having a seating capacity of twelve hundred people, had its corner stone laid in the fall of 1883, and was dedicated January 16, 1887, by the Rt. Rev. William O'Hara, D. D., the first Bishop of the Diocese of Scran- ton. It is built of hard red stone, is of Gothic type of architecture and designed by a Mr. Schickel, of New York. The church is sixty-seven feet wide and one hundred and sixty-five feet long, with a tower one hundred and eighty-six feet high, the tallest tower in the Wyoming Valley. It is con- sidered one of the most beautiful and artistic churches in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the tower being considered by the architect him- self, to be his masterpiece. On October 15, 1905, the church was solemnly consecrated by the Rt. Rev. M. J. Hoban, D. D., the second Bishop of Scranton. The Papal Delegate, Archbishop Falconio, was present for the auspicious occasion. Father Nagel had been raised during his pastorate of St. Nicholas Church to the dignity of a Papal Prelate with the title of Monsignor, and he served this church until his death on March 12, 1911. He was succeeded in his charge by Rev. Charles J. Goeckel (q. v.), a son of the parish, whom he had baptized in 1866. On the 30th of December, 1928, Father Goeckel was in- vested as a Papal Chamberlain, with the title of Very Rev. Monsignor, by the Rt. Rev. Thomas Charles O'Reilly, D. D., the present Bishop of Scranton. The congregation now numbers thirty-five hundred people, and Mon- signor Goeckel is being assisted in his parish work by Rev. T. Otto Borr and Rev. John Neuenhaus. In 1912, under Father Goeckel's pastorate, ground was broken for the pres- ent beautiful high school building of St. Nicholas Parish, it being dedicated January 2, 1916.
THE VERY REVEREND MONSIGNOR CHARLES JOSEPH GOECKEL, pastor in charge of the St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and one of the most highly esteemed men in his calling, was born July 13, 1866, at No. 403 South Main Street, Wilkes-Barre. Monsignor Goeckel is a son of John and Rosina (Roth) Goeckel, both of whom are now deceased. They came to this country from Germany, settling in Wilkes-Barre during the year 1853, and married here the following year. John Goeckel, the father, was an iron worker by trade, and followed this type of endeavor for twelve years the major portion of which work was performed at the foundry of Lan- ning & Marshall, of Wilkes-Barre. He later conducted a hotel at No. 403 South Main Street in Wilkes-Barre, and it was here that most of his family was born and reared. He died June 22, 1880, at the age of fifty-two years. He was the father of eight children: 1. Mary Elizabeth, who was born February 14, 1855, and who died January 4, 1921. 2. Sabina, who was born August 20, 1856, and
who married Charles Blaum of Wilkes-Barre. 3. Emma, who was born January 21, 1859, and who died April 28, 1897. She was a mem- ber of the Sisters of Christian Charity, and was known as Sister Feliciana, of the Wilkes- Barre Convent. 4. Rose, who was born Au- gust 11, 1861, and who died December 3, 1920. She was also a member of the Sisters of Christian Charity, and was known as Sister Alexis. 5. John, born October 13, 1863; died in childhood, during the month of August, 1865. 6. The Very Reverend Monsignor Charles Joseph, of whom more follows. 7. Mary Louise, who was born November 18, 1868, and who died March 30, 1914. She was also a member of the Sisters of Christian Charity, and was known as Sister Frances De Chantal. 8. William J., who was born September 3, 1871, and who died November 1, 1922. He was a member of the Luzerne County Bar, and was spoken of as a most brilliant lawyer.
The Very Reverend Monsignor Charles Joseph Goeckel received his early education in the St. Nicholas Parochial School in Wilkes-Barre. In the year 1880 he went to work in the insurance office of Orr & Kunkle, of Wilkes-Barre. In the year 1881 he entered the St. Lawrence College at Mount Calvary, Wisconsin, from which, in the year 1882, he entered Canisius College at Buffalo, New York. He graduated from this latter Institu- tlon with the class of 1887, when he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts. In the fall of that same year, 1887, he journeyed to Balti- more, Maryland, and there entered St. Mary's Seminary, where he studied theology over a period of three years, completing this work in the spring of 1890. On October 17, 1890, he was ordained as a priest at Scranton, Pennsylvania, by the Right Reverend Wil- liam O'Hara. He then was made assistant to the Reverend John Koeper, then pastor of the St. Boniface Church at Williamsport, Pennsyl- vania, and served thus until the month of June, of the year 1897, when he was ap- pointed pastor of the newly created Parish of St. Boniface, on Blackman Street, Wilkes- Barre. After some fourteen years' service at the above church he was appointed pastor of the St. Nicholas Church at No. 226 South Washington Street, April 1, 1911. This church is one of the largest and most beautiful edifices of its kind in the Scranton Diocese. The congregation has a membership of more than thirty-five hundred souls, and under the competent and loving care of Monsignor Goe- ckel, is steadily growing. Indeed, Monsignor Goeckel is spoken of as one of the most able men in his cloth, beloved by those who know him well and respected by all with whom he comes in contact.
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.