AN ORDINARY SOLDIER

 

by Rory Morgan

When the U.S. declared war on Germany in April, 1917, the furthest thing from anyone's mind was the flu. Patriotic excitement swept through  the country. Young men rushed to military recruiting offices to enlist. Newspapers proudly announced the number of locals who had signed up to become soldiers and sailors. These early recruits received a modest amount of training in the U.S. and then were loaded onto transports for the journey to France, on their way to becoming the "doughboys" of the American Expeditionary Force (or AEF), fighting alongside the British and the French.

One of the early recruits in Easton was Robert E. Bitzer. He was 26 years old, one of nine children. He lived in the family home at 802 Spring Garden Street, and appears to have worked as a plumber in a silk mill. He was well-known in Easton for his participation in local football and baseball leagues. He was sworn into the Army on May 15, 1917, and was assigned to Battery A of the 7th Field Artillery, 1st Division. 

The unit shipped out to France in July, and was one of the first U.S. units to arrive. (The earliest-arriving American units, lacking cannons of their own, had to borrow them from the French.) Battery A claimed credit for firing the first American shot at the Germans, in October 1917. It was engaged in frequent combat from then until the Armistice brought an end to the fighting in November, 1918. Bitzer was promoted to Corporal in late 1917. By October of 1918, he had experienced a year of fighting and had received just one minor wound. 

Suddenly, the doughboys faced a new enemy, one that wore no uniforms and carried no guns. It was the worldwide epidemic of influenza. It somehow came to be called the Spanish Flu, even though Spain had no more to do with it than any other country. The first sign of the illness was often cyanosis - a blue coloring of the face. Some of those affected died within a day of becoming ill. Pneumonia frequently developed. Autopsies revealed unusual lung damage. Compared to earlier editions of influenza, it was particularly harmful to young, otherwise-healthy people - such as soldiers. Overcrowded training camps and troopships provided a ideal environment for the spreading the disease. New arrivals to France brought the virus from the U.S., passing it to exhausted veterans.

Eventually, about 25,000 soldiers of the A.E.F. died from the effects of the disease. Corporal Bitzer was one of the them; he died of pneumonia on October 15, 1918. He was initially buried in  France. In 1921, his body was exhumed, returned to the U.S., and reinterred in Easton Cemetery. In addition to his stone in the cemetery, Bitzer has a plaque in the grove at Hackett's Park which honors the Easton World War I service men who gave their lives.

CATTELL STREET

by Rory Morgan

In the autumn of 1871, Easton changed the names of a number of College Hill streets. As part of this initiative, Fifth Street became Cattell Street, honoring William Cassady (or Cassiday) Cattell, D.D., LL.D.  He was the seventh President of Lafayette College. His 20-year tenure - from 1863 to 1883 - is still considered one of the most important in the College’s history.

The Cattell family had a rich Jersey heritage, dating back to the pre-Revolutionary era. William, born in 1827, was one of the seven children of Thomas and Keziah Cattell; five sons and two daughters. In addition to William becoming a college president, the sons grew to become a college professor, a doctor, a lawyer, and a businessman - who also served a term as a U.S. Senator from New Jersey. 

When William was born, the Cattells were located in the West Jersey town of Salem, although at least one source places their more-distant orgins in the Shrewsbury area of East Jersey.  (For about thirty years, what eventually became New Jersey was divided into East Jersey, with its capital at Perth Amboy, and West Jersey, with its capital of Burlington. They combined in 1702.)

The family was originally Quaker (members of the Religious Society of Friends).  As the movement toward American independence grew, Elijah Cattell (Williams's grandfather) became a strong supporter, even if that meant armed revolution. His views clearly clashed with the Quaker Peace Testimony: "We utterly deny all outward wars and strife and fighting with outward weapons for any end whatever; this is our testimony to the whole world." To resolve this conflict of faith, Elijah chose to leave the Quakers, becoming a Presbyterian. His decision reverberated down through the generations; Cattell became a significant name in Presbyterian history.

William attended local schools in the Salem area, then studied for two years under the private tutelage of his older brother, Thomas (who later became a professor at one of the earliest HBCUs, Lincoln University. It was chartered in 1854, under the name of the Ashmun Institute, and is still operating, in 2026, near Chester, PA.) 

 

Following the studies with his brother, William entered the Presbyterian-affiliated College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), graduating in 1848 with high honors. His ambition was to become a minister of the Gospel; toward this goal, he  moved on to the Princeton Theological Seminary, also Presbyterian-affiliated. He graduated in 1852, then spent a year pursuing "special Oriental studies" under J. Addison Alexander, a prominent theologian. He then joined the faculty at the Edgehill School in Princeton, a private preparatory school with a reputation as a “feeder school”for the University.

 

In 1855, he was called to join the Lafayette College faculty as a professor of Greek and Latin. (Like Princeton, Lafayette was also affiliated with the Presbyterian Church.) He built relationships with his fellow professors and among the people of Easton, including the relationship that led to marriage with Elizabeth “Lizzie” McKeen, daughter of the wealthy and prominent Easton citizen James McKeen, a Lafayette trustee.

Several years later, he received a call to trade his academic life for that of an active pastor at the new Pine Street Presbyterian Church in Harrisburg, PA.  During the Civil War era, Harrisburg was a center of operations and organization for the many Pennsylvania units in the Union Army. It was described as “... one vast camp of soldiers.” The city’s clergy were extremely busy; “. . . preaching by their campfires and ministering in the great hospitals . . .”, in addition to the normal duties of any pastor tending to their local congregation.

He accepted the call and the Cattell family - William, his wife, son James and son Henry (aka Harry) - moved from Easton to Harrisburg. Although this was his first pastoral position, his personality and intelligence enabled him to quickly build a circle of accomplished and influential friends. 

 

While he was serving the Pine Street Church, back in Easton the college’s Trustees were wrestling with existential threats to its survival. One of the side effects of the Civil War was to drastically deplete the supply of the younger men who typically became college students. The student body’s size - generally about 80 in the years before the war- shrank significantly as existing students and potential students left for military service. Of course, that triggered a major decline in the institution’s income. The College had few students and little money. There wasn’t even a Commencement ceremony in 1863. In July of that year, there were only 19 students in total. The Trustees were seriously discussing whether to cease operations. The President of the College, Dr. McPhail, resigned; there was no immediate replacement visible.

 In desperation, the Trustees asked their old friend, Dr. Cattell, to return from Harrisburg to Easton, to try and save the institution by accepting the job of President. He was reluctant to leave his church in Harrisburg (he later described his time in Harrisburg as “the happiest years of my life”), but he accepted the offer. His salary would be $1,400 annually; he was - at least initially - not expected to teach, but to concentrate on fundraising.

He began his work in 1863, months before his actual inauguration. He proved to be a gifted leader and formidable fundraiser. By the summer of 1864, the College’s affairs had improved enough to hold a Commencement. 

One of his most significant successes came when he convinced Ariovistus (Ario) Pardee of Hazleton, a wealthy coal baron, to pledge $20,000 to Lafayette. It was the first major donation received by Lafayette and was just the first of Mr. Pardee’s many generous contributions to the College. (Mr. Pardee’s business continues even today, operating in the natural resources industry under the name of Pardee Resources Company.)

 

Just as importantly, his relationship with Pardee provided him with access to the circles of wealthy businessmen who interacted with the Hazelton entrepreneur. The initial Pardee gift allowed the College to introduce a new course of study, focused on science, and to eventually construct a building devoted to the subject. (Not surprisingly, it was named Pardee Hall. Completed and dedicated in 1873, it burned to the ground in 1879 as the result of a laboratory accident. It was completely rebuilt, but then burned a second time in 1897, the result of arson by a professor who had been dismissed. Once again, it was rebuilt.)

 

As time passed - and as William’s fund raising became increasingly productive - the difficult times of the Civil War era became increasingly-distant memories. The student body and the faculty grew, in both quantity and quality. The campus grew. The finances improved. By 1869, the College’s situation had stabilized to the point that the Trustees granted Dr. Cattell a one-year sabbatical to travel in Europe, studying the methods of the universities there.

Of course, the job of President called for more than simply soliciting donations. It required leadership and administrative skills, which Dr. Cattell possessed in abundance. He oversaw matters large and small - from standardizing the spelling of “Lafayette” in the College’s name (sometimes it had been spelled La Fayette) to developing a new curriculum that provided for Bible study by all students during the first class hour each Monday. The  Science curriculum expanded over time to include Engineering; the first degrees in this field were awarded in 1871. At some point he took on the work of teaching the College’s course on Mental and Moral Philosophy.

 

As the years went by, the many hats worn by a college president inevitably drained his health and energy. Dr. Cattell notified the College that he intended to retire in 1883, after exactly 20 years of service, and move with his wife to Philadelphia. The Trustees desperately tried to change his mind,  but Dr. Cattell refused, saying that he "no longer can do the work", and went through with his plans.

His retirement was not entirely one of quiet relaxation; he was very active in the affairs of the Presbyterian Historical Society and the Board of Ministerial Relief until his full retirement in 1896. He continued his position as a member of the College’s Board of Trustees.

Heart disease eventually stopped him; Dr. Cattell died on February 11, 1898, in Philadelphia, at 71 years of age. After funeral services there, his body was brought to Easton by train on February 14. (There was speculation that the shock of learning, in 1897, that Pardee Hall had burned down a second time contributed to his death.)

 

A service was held in the Chapel of the College; his body was then removed to Easton Cemetery for interment in Section N. He rests there today, surrounded by markers for his family: for Lizzie, (who died in 1917); for their son James (a prominent psychologist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University who died in 1944) and his wife Josephine; and for their son Henry (a forensic pathologist in Philadelphia).

 

Kathyrn O'Hay Granahan, U.S. Treasurer and Congresswoman, Native of Easton, PA

James Bernard O'Hay was, according to his obituary, "Prominent Easton Business Man" and one of Easton's best known citizens. He was born in South Easton in 1867 and grew up on the long gone Apricot alley. James was the saloon/cafe owner of O'Hay's from 1895 to 1920, located on Centre Square. Later, he was owner of United Furniture Company, engaged in the automobile business, and finally ending his career in real estate. He was also active in Democratic politics, attending State and National conventions. He married Julia Reilly at St. Bernard's Catholic Church, Easton, PA on May 2, 1894. Together, they had two daughters, Kathryn Elizabeth, born December 7, 1894 and Anne Julia born 1899.

 

 

When Kathryn was born, the family was living at 325 Spring Garden St. in Easton. The house is no longer there and is a parking lot for a bank today. James was listed as a saloonkeeper on Centre Square. By the time Kathryn was at Taylor grade school in 1901, the family was living at 108 South Third St. Kathryn graduated from the Easton High School in 1912. In school, Kathryn was manager of the Girl's Basketball team, was on the Athletic Association Advisory Board, the Girls' Double Octette, and enrolled in "Latin Scientific"

 

Some time after graduating from High School in 1912, Kathryn graduated from Mount St. Joseph Collegiate Institute, now Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, PA where she majored in sociology. (The Institute was founded in 1924.) 

On June 2, 1916, Kathryn O'Hay married Joseph B. McNally at St. Bernard's Catholic Church, now Our Lady of Mercy. Unfortunately, Joseph B. died suddenly Jan. 15, 1934 at a hotel in Youngstown, OH, while on a business trip. He is buried at Gethsemane Cemetery, Easton, PA. Kathryn and Joseph had no children.

Kathryn's mother, Julia, died March 19, 1918. Her father, James B. died June 4, 1942. Both are buried at Gethsemane Cemetery.  

In the 1940 Federal Census Kathryn is still living with her father in Easton and is a State Relief Investigator. By the 1950 Federal Census, she is married to Congressman William T. Granahan in Philadelphia, PA. Granahan was a Democratic politician from the U. S. of Pennsylvania, most prominently serving in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1945–47 and 1949-56.When he passed away on May 25, 1956, Kathryn was elected by special election to fill the vacancy caused by his death. William was buried at Gethsemane Cemetery.

 

   William T. Granahan

Kathryn was a Democrat like her father and husband and served five years in Congress, being the first woman ever elected from her state. Kathryn was appointed by President John Kennedy to be the Treasurer of the United States and served from January 1963 until November 1966. 

 

Kathryn's signature on a Five Dollar bill 

 Kathryn was the fourth straight woman to take the oath of office for treasureship. This is not to be confused with the position of secretary of the treasury, then held by Douglas Dillon. *The Treasurer of the United States is an official within the Department of the Treasury who, along with the Secretary of the Treasury, has their signature appear on all U.S. paper currency. Currently, the Treasurer's duties also include: 

• Direct oversight of the U.S. Mint and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
• Serving as a key liaison with the Federal Reserve.
• Acting as a senior advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury in areas of community development and public engagement.
• Leading the Office of Tribal and Native Affairs, which coordinates Tribal relations across the Department.
•  The position of Treasurer is the only office in the Treasury Department that is older than the Department itself, having been established by the Continental Congress in 1775. 

 

 

Kathryn O'Hay Granahan

 

Kathryn passed away July 10, 1979 (age 84) in Norristown, PA after a long illness.  

Along with the rest of her family, she is buried at Gethsemane Cemetery.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easton and Forks Township celebrations of our country's Bicentennial

 

75th Anniversary of the 1955 Flood

 75th Anniversary of the 1955 Flood

 

 

Rev. Uzal Wade Condit, Easton’s Historian

 

Rev. Uzal Wade Condit, Easton’s Historian

 

Rev. Uzal Condit was born in Genoa, Cayuga County, NY on August 18, 1815. His family ancestry is documented, with his Condit family originating in Orange, New Jersey. His parents were Uzal Condit (b.1785) and Phebe Wade (b. 1784). Siblings of Uzal, Isaac and Henry, were born later.

 Condit’s father died when he was very young so he had no memory of him. He stated his mother was a teacher and took good care of her children. Condit’s mother told him at an early age he would have to learn a trade, and when old enough, he chose to apprentice with a shoemaker. He did very well with this trade, but longed to have an education. With his wife’s full moral support, he purchased his indenture and started at being a student along with his work. Condit married Martha E. Vanhouten sometime around 1837 and had their first child, William Baldwin in 1838. Mary was born @1840, Emmaline Phoebe came next in 1842 and Antoinette (Nettie) was born in 1845. All this time he attended Williams College in Williamstown, MA and graduated in 1847. He said it was not an easy time between work, children, money for school and being married, but three years later in 1850, he graduated from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. In 1856, he and his wife welcomed Clara Gertrude to their family.

His first charge was in Lynnfield, MA where he remained for 5 years. After that, 8 years at Deerfield, NH. Condit mentioned that while here, it was some of the happiest years of his life. While in this state, he was appointed president of the State Board of Education by the Governor of New Hampshire. A few more churches followed after this and in 1872 he came to Easton. His daughter Emmaline Cramm, had lost her husband in the Civil War and being left with five children and living in Easton, needed him and his wife’s assistance. At age 57, “I decided to look for work in the world of literature, and while looking over the field of historic research, the thought of writing the history of Easton flashed upon my mind.” His first plan though, was to write the history of Artic exploration, but was told by Professor March, at Lafayette College, that a book was already being printed about that subject. His next thought was writing about the Nile Exploration. After realizing this research would take him to the "large libraries of New York" to prepare for the work, he decided he could not do this. He later said he felt very fortunate he did not write of the Nile, as shortly after, a book came out on this very subject.

Eventually he turned his writing and research to the history of Easton, his adopted town. He had “come to love the beautiful hills and valleys and rivers and the heroic history of her infant life and her educational history, and this made me happy in the work.” It took Condit six years to write and finish the book.

“Much of the material was gathered from old people who were soon to pass away, and from family records, old wills, scraping the moss from old tombstones and visiting old houses". The late Elisha Allis, Esq., kindly put his library at my disposal, as if it were my own. He had a full set of the Colonial Records, Pennsylvania Archives, in which I found the early history of Easton embedded. In these silent old volumes, I found the beautiful character of Paxinosa, which I first drew from its silent resting place and placed the name on the mountain top.” For more detailed acknowledgements see the books, Author’s Preface.

“The History of Easton, Penn’a from The Earliest Times to the Present 1738 – 1885” by Rev. Uzal W. Condit, A. M. and published by George W. West, was printed in numbered pamphlets, in the chronological order of its occurrence. First being printed in 1885.  It has many beautiful illustrations, along with the histories.

Condit wrote about many local Easton and historic men, many of his articles would appear in the Easton newspapers. Benjamin Franklin, John Arndt, George Taylor, but one of his favorites was William Parsons.

Condit had a deep admiration for William Parsons, “noble father of our beautiful city.” Parsons died in 1757 and was buried in the First Reformed Cemetery, here in Easton. Condit tried, unsuccessfully, in 1891 to have a monument erected for Parsons on Center Square.  He then wanted Parsons to be re interred to Easton Heights Cemetery along with a monument and was told no by the First Reformed Church Cemetery committee. In 1899, he brought up a plea for the Parsons-Taylor House, built in 1757 by Parsons, to be preserved as it was a historic building.  Thanks to the local DAR, it was. Condit had a few similarities to his idol, Parsons. Both had humble beginnings, both started as shoemakers, both knew that they wanted an education and got one and both gave something to Easton.

On May 21, 1886, his beloved wife died. On May 11, 1887, he married Mrs. Sophia Van Doren Opie. Sophia died February 3, 1897 and is buried in Somerville, NJ.

September 17, 1902 at age 88, Uzal Wade Condit passed away. He is buried with his first wife, Martha at Easton Cemetery. Also buried there are his daughters, Antoinette (Nettie) Thompson, Emmaline (Emma) Cramm, Clara Gertrude Condit and his son, William Baldwin Condit.