Sunday, February 22, 2009

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FIRST CITY ELECTION.
On Tuesday, June 6, 1871, the election of the first city officers took place and a hot contest was waged all day long, 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, who was badly defeated, receiving only 618 votes to 1,582 cast for Mr. Kirkendall.

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, N. Rutter, John Lynch and William L. Conyngham.

Thus was the new city government started on its way with a full complement of officers and the Record of the Times, after speaking of the handsome vote given to the old burgess, Ira M. Kirkendall. 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 city continue to improve without reckless expenditure and its credit sustained without excessive taxation."

POPULATION AND INDUSTRIES.
Wilkes-Barre, as shown by the census of 1870, had a population of 10,174. Then it was only a borough. With the incorporation of the city in the following year the limits were extended so as to embrace parts of the outlying townships and at the time the first mayor took office it was believed that the population would number between 15,000 and 20,000. The borough borders did not half cover the population of the city.

A writer of that day, speaking of the extension of the city limits, says: "The limits are ample for more inhabitants, and new buildings multiplying rapidly indicate a growth which will close up the vacant spaces and give to the rising generation a city unsurpassed in the beauty of its situation, in the industry of the people, and the substantial and elegant character of its public buildings, private residences and places of business."

At that time the principal hotels were the Wyoming Valley, conducted by J. B. Stark; the Luzerne House, conducted by Sylvester Bristol; Exchange Hotel, M. J. Philbin; Bristol House, Laycock Bros.; White Horse Hotel, trustee of the late L. B. Perrin; Washington Hotel,John Raeder; First National Hotel, Capt. J. Quinn; North Wilkes-Barre Hotel, W. P. Gardner; Mansion House, T. L. Kemmerer; Forest House, Alvh Perrin; VanLeer House, N. Farr.

The principal halls were; Music Hall, Liberty Hall, National Hall. Chahoon Hall and Fred Meyer's Opera House.

The principal manufacturing establishments of that day were:
Vulcan Iron Works, South Main street.
Dickson Manufacturing Co., Canal street.
Wyoming Valley Manufacturing Co., South Main street.
Adam Behee, foundry, Butler alley.
J. W. Brock, wire screen works., Union street.
N. G. Seitzinger, wire screen works, Union street.
Hazard Wire Works, Ross street, near Canal.
Stephen Lee, Wyoming Planing Mill, Canal street.
C. B. Price, planing mill, Canal street.
John Laning, planing mill, Canal street.
Keystone Flour and Feed Mill, South Main street.
John Hamilton, rope walk, South street.
Perry Organ Co., North Main street


BANKS, SCHOOLS, ETC.
The banks of that day were twelve in number, but a large percentage of them were private institutions. They were as follows: Wyoming National, First National, Second National, Peoples Savings Bank. Wilkes-Barre Deposit Bank, Miners Savings Bank, Rockafellow & Co., Brown & Gray, Wood, Flannigan & Co., Bennett, Phelps & Co., Wilkes-Barre Savings Bank, Myer's Bank.

The schools were three in number— Franklin street grammar school, Washington street grammar school, Twelfth ward public school. Near the close of the last term of the borough schools the superintendent, Rev. C. J. Collins, reported a total enrollment for the month of January. 1870, of 882. The total attendance for the month was 697 the percentage of attendance being 79.

In 1871 the borough fire department was reorganized and made a paid fire department. Stanley Woodward, now Judge Woodward, was made the chief' of the fire department, which consisted of one steamer, the Mechanic; four hose carriages and one set of hook and ladder implements. The first annual parade of the fire department was held on Wednesday, May 19, 1871, under the direction of chief Stanley Woodward.

In conversation with ex-Mayor Kirkendall a few days ago, and after examination of the old city records, some extremely interesting things were learned about the infant city and its government.

The police department of that day consisted of the chief, Michael Kearney, who afterward became mayor, and fifteen patrolman, one from each ward and a resident of that ward. The chief received $90 a month and each of the . patrolmen received $70. The police force consisted of Charles F. Feuerstein, William Kelly, Ervin T. Brown, I. P. Long, Samuel Emery, N. B. Hedden, M. H. Corrigan, C. F. Terry, C. N. Maxfield, Simon Arnold, John Linn, Thomas Maston, B. Toole and Matthew Watt.

There was not at that time a single foot of paving on any of the streets, nor was there even the beginning of a sewerage system. A few sidewalks, mostly of plank, were laid on the main streets, and one of the first actions of the new city council was to pass an ordinance regulating the laying of sidewalks on a number of streets.

There were only two railroads, the Central Railroad of New Jersey and the Lehigh Valley, which entered the city, but the D., L. & W. R. R. entered Kingston, as now. There were three street railway lines, all operated by horse power. One of these extended to Ashley, then known as Coalville; another extended down South Main street to Hanover, and another extended across the flats to the Kingston depot and did a thriving business. The last car run was at 9:15 p. m. and if any one desired street car accommodations after that hour they were compelled to make arrangements to that effect and pay double fare.

The streets were lighted by gas and oil lamps.


Wilkes-Barre in 1905
Wilkes-Barre's present fire department is one of the best in the country. The department consists of eight companies with well equipped engine houses and consists of five steamers, one chemical engine, four combination chemical engines and hose wagons, one hose wagon, two hose carriages and one aerial hook and ladder truck, also one chief's buggy. There are twenty-nine men regularly employed, most of whom live in the engine houses.

The streets of the city are now lighted by about 375 arc lights. 230 naphtha lights and 160 gas lights.

There is now a total of 25.97 miles of street paving with a great quantity to be laid this summer. The city is also well sewered and a large amount is to be expended during the coming summer on extensions to the sewer system.
Wilkes-Barre now has nine banks and trust companies with a combined capital of $2,075,000 and which have a combined surplus of $3,841,415.47. The deposits aggregate nearly $19,000,000. Nearly $50,000.000 annually pass through the Wilkes-Barre Clearing House.

The public schools of Wilkes-Barre are noted for their efficiency and thoroughness. The high school embraces college preparatory and normal courses, a business course and a manual training department. Kindergarten schools have also recently been established and are proving successful. There are twenty modern school buildings and the average attendance is nearly 8,000. There are 187 teachers in the schools, whose salaries range from $360 to $850 among the female teachers and from $600 to $1,900 among the male teachers. The population has increased to nearly 60,000 and is so congested that there is a widespread movement for a greater Wilkes-Barre which will take in the surrounding towns, increase the population to 100,000 or more and make of Wilkes-Barre a second class city. Such in brief, is the city over which Frederick C. Kirkendall has been chosen for the chief executive by a vote which is as flattering as that received by his father thirty-three years ago. (Daily Record, March 30, 1905)