PEOPLE 19th Century

People of the 20th Century

Admiral Joel T. Boone       

Son of a  St. Clair businessman William A. Boone and his wife Anna Thompson Boone,

Born: August 1889

In World War I as a medical officer, he was wounded and awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery.

White House physician to Presidents Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover. 

On October 17, 1949, he spoke at Saint Clair High School. 

Joel T. Boone retired as Vice Admiral in 1950.  He died April 2, 1974 at Bethesda Naval Hospital, Maryland.

Joel Boone website

More about Admiral Joel T. Boone

Dr. Claude Beck born and raised in Saint Clair, was the first
surgeon to perform open-heart surgery in America.

Claude Beck (1894-1971) pioneered heart surgery, especially operations to improve circulation in damaged heart muscles. He also devised ways to revive heart attack victims, including the defibrillator and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Beck had trained as a neurosurgeon at Harvard and Johns Hopkins before coming to University Hospitals of Cleveland in 1924 as resident and Crile Research Fellow in Surgery. He soon turned to cardiovascular research and surgery, and devoted the remainder of his career to that field. Beck was associate surgeon from 1928 until he retired in 1965. Western Reserve University School of Medicine appointed him demonstrator of surgery in 1924-25; professor of neurosurgery in 1940; and the first professor of cardiovascular surgery in the U.S. from 1952 until 1965.

In 1947, Beck successfully defibrillated a 14-year-old boy whose heart went into fibrillation after an operation. This defibrillator was made by James Rand, a friend of Beck. The silver paddles (the size of a large tablespoon) were for open-chest use. The circuit connected the heart to the 110-VAC powerline through an ammeter, a switch, and a resistance adjustable between 10 and 35 ohms.  Rand made two defibrillators that first year of 1947: one is in the Smithsonian, and one in The Bakken's collections.

More about Dr. Beck's defibrillator

Joseph "Socks" Holden

Born in Saint Clair in June of 1913,

Played with the Philadelphia Phillies (See more about S.C. Sports)

Joe “Socks” was married to Catherine Siney, granddaughter of John Siney and had four children.   Son Tim Holden is a Representative in the U. S. House of  Representatives

Passed away on May 10, 1996

More on "Socks" Holden

Dr. Delp

From Saint Clair

Brought Boy Scouting to Saint Clair and was first Scout Master

Studied Medicine in Pittsburgh, PA

Purchased Dr. Boone house on North Second Street in Saint Clair.   The garage of the residence, located on 3^rd Street, was formerly a barn.  Several years ago after the "snowfall of the century"  the roof collapsed on the barn.   Many items were destroyed or damaged.  The Conestoga Wagon that was once stored there is now in Doylestown with Dr. Delp's son, Charles.

Dr. Delp passed away in April of 1992.   His daughter, Diane, still a Saint Clair resident, resides in the homestead.

Oldest Resident in Saint Clair - 1950    Centennial

Emma Matilda Long Hepner was born on September 15, 1858 in Pottsville, daughter of Jacob and Sarah Otto Long of Germany.  I'm not sure when the family immigrated to the United States, but were here by 1858. (Please see story of Joe Long following this article)

Emma married Franklin P. Hepner in or around 1879.  They moved to New Castle along with her parents Jacob and Sarah Long. In the 1890 census Franklin's occupation was a Teamster.  In several articles from the St. Clair publication "Splinters" it was noted  that  Frank Hepner was part owner of the Honeysuckle Colliery and Juggler Colliery.  In the early 1900's ,the people of New Castle were being forced to move as the coal mining advanced in the area.  Their seven children were born while they lived in New Castle. Emma and Franklin decided to move into the town of Saint Clair.  They had a hard time finding a place to suit their need since they were now in the business of  hauling and selling "black dirt" to a place in Norristown where they used it for shoe polish.  They finally found a place up for Sheriff's sale.   This home had lots of room for the stables.  They bought the home on South Mill Street with a lot that extended back to Nichols Street.  The two-story stable was built on Nichols Street. 

Tragic loss came to the family when their 22 year old son, Albert, a Lehigh University, graduated died.  Tragedy again happen in 1916 when their youngest daughter, Mabel passed away from the same disease at age 19.

By the 1920's there were not longer horses in the stable, but cars and a truck.  The 2nd story of the stable was removed and made into it's present function as a multi-vehicle garage.  Over time Franklin was able to purchase the block of land opposite his garages on Nichols Street.  Three of the properties were given to tree of their children.  Alice and her husband and Lucy and here husband built a double-block home on the north end of the block, their brother built a single home and large garage on the south end of the block, near St. Cashmer's Church.  The lots in-between were not sold until the mid 1950's. 

When 1950 came, Emma was 92 years old and the oldest resident of Saint Clair.  She rode in the Centennial Parade held in July of 1950.

Oldest Resident in Saint Clair - 2000   Sesquicentennial - Teresa Mozloom

Please read Mrs. Mozloom's story at the Family Contributions Page

Joseph H. Long

Joseph Long was the last four generations of German Longs' in Saint Clair.*   Michael Long, settled in this area when it was nothing more than a prairie in 1840.   He opened the "Old Buck Horn Hotel and also ran a liver stable.   Michael's son, Peter then took over the business as well as his son Joseph (Joseph H. Long's father).  Joe Long was born on August 8, 1908 in the same bed as his dad was born at the Buck Horn Hotel.

When Joseph was around 13 years of age (approximately 1921) his father was electrocuted by a fallen wire while working at the hotel during a rainstorm.  Joe's mother was unable to keep up the hotel business after her husband was killed.  Joseph has one brother, Bernard who left a position as assistant cashier of the St. Clair Bank and went on to become president of Park National Bank in Chicago, IL.

Joseph Long graduated high school in 1928 and then spent 7 years playing quarterback and coaching semipro football teams, including the East Mines Bears and Hamburg.

Before retiring in 1986, after serving 28 years as our Mayor, a total of 50 years of Community Service.  Joe began his community service life in 1933 when he became one of the first two uniformed members of the Saint Clair Police Department.  As a policeman, Joe saw many gruesome accidents with dynamite, especially since many bootleggers had caches of it in their homes.  "Everyone had dynamite in their home.  There was an accident every other week or so...nobody ever thought anything of it,." quoted Joe from a 1983 newspaper story about his life.

In 1944, after 11 years as a policeman Joe decided to run for town council.  At the same time Joe, through political connections   became a  strip mine inspector with the Pennsylvania State Department of Mines for Schuylkill and Northumberland counties.  In 1957, Joe ran for the office of Chief Burgess.  He won and took office the following year and then went on to serve six consecutive terms a Mayor.  He has run for offices eleven times.  In 1958, he accepted a position in the Clerk of Courts Office of Schuylkill County, where he worked until retiring in 1974 with 16 years of service.

Joe battled with PennDOT for much of his years as Mayor of St. Clair over a Rt. 61 bypass.   Before Joe passed away in 1990 his dream of a bypass was realized, and the new bypass bears the name of Joseph H. Long Blvd. in his honor.

Joe was married to the former Lucy R. Pasqua of Minersville.  They married late in life and have never had any children.  I can still remember Lucy Long working at the St. Clair swimming pool during the summers.  If you did something wrong she would kick you out for the day or week but not until she gave you a good scolding!

Remember the giant bear in Lokitus's window?

For more information on these outstanding people of Saint Clair you need to acquire the OFFICIAL 1850-2000 SESQUICENTENNIAL  BOOK.  Inside this  book you will find more information than you can imagine about the history of Saint Clair and its people.  Facts that most residents of Saint Clair do not realize.  Inside this book you will find out about the town resident who survived the sinking of the Leapoldville, who is Jolly Granny Jones, who really invented Costa's Peanut Butter Sandwich candy, who is the oldest resident of St. Clair in the year 2000,  what about the paper carrier, who is Sgt. Cranshaw, and what connection St. Clair has with General U. S. Grant.  

John Bakas

Without any formal art training John Bakas painted still-lifes, to portraits to religious paintings displayed in St. Casimir's Church.  Mr. Bakas passed away several years ago, but his painting live on.  His paintings of the collieries and various mining scenes can be see on North 2nd Street in the shop window of the late Norm Aggon, the local tailor. (Sadly, Mr. Aggon passed away on February 25, 2000.  He will be greatly missed.) Paintings  that can be seen in St. Casimir's Church are; the head of Christ, the Blessed Virgin  along with a 9' painting of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, and Christ's crucifixion.

Other pictures he has done include portraits of; John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, John F. Kennedy, Dean Martin, Paul Newman, Nick Adams, Anthony Quinn, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Muhammad Ali, Farrah Fawcett and more. He was known to paint self-portraits of himself depicted as a sailor, Indian, cowboy and matador.

Some of his pictures are displayed on this site.