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John Delehanty, 1886-1929:
Documents Relating to His Life & Times
Inventory of Documents
2. 1900 census page on his family in Castleton VT
3. 1902 guardianship by uncle james delehanty
4. 1917 Draft Registration Card
5. 1920 census page on his family in St. Paul MN
6. 1920s listings in the st. paul, mn city directory
8. Biography of James Delehanty, from the Book of Biographies of Leading Citizens of Rutland County, Vermont (Chicago: Biographical Publishers, 1899), pp. 67-71.
9. Bomoseen State Park Slate History Trail (published by the State of Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Dept of Forests, Parks and Recreation, 1989)
10. Citizens' Ticket Handbills, John Delehanty (Uncle), n.d., late 1890s (kindly provided by Peter Patten)
( For additional documents see Delehanty Probate Records )
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2. 1900 census page on his family in Castleton VT
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3. 1902 Guardianship by Uncle James Delehanty
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4. 1917 Draft Registration Card
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5. 1920 census page on his family in St. Paul MN
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6. 1920s Listings in the St. Paul, MN City Directory
Nothing on John and Lester Delehanty (and John J. and Bridget McDonough, John's parents-in-law) before 1920. Listings in the following Polk & Sons City Directories:
- 1920 (laborer, Wells Bros Construction Co)
- 1922 (painter)
- 1923 (soft drinks) (Lester: NW Rug Mfg Co)
- 1924 (driver)
- 1925 (driver)
- 1927 (salesman)
- 1928 (farmer) (Lester: American Hoist & Derrick Co)
- 1929 (deceased)
1918. McDonough, John J. 628 Conway laborer (no Bridget)
1919. McDonough, John & Bridget laborer 628 Conway
1920. Delehanty, John D. laborer Wells Bros. Construction Co.
1920. McDonough, John J. and Bridget 628 Conway
1921. (Nothing for John Delehanty or Bridget McDonough)
1921. McDonough, John J. laborer 628 Conway
1921. McDonough, John J. laborer Union Depot 628 Conway
1922. Delehanty, John painter 658 E. 6th
1922. McDonough, John laborer Union Depot h 628 Conway
1923. Delehante, John soft drinks h 364 E. 7th h 254 Bates
1923. Delehante, Lester helper NW Rug Mnfg. Co. r 285 Bates
1923. (No Bridget, no McDonough's)
1924. Delehanty, John driver h 285 Bates Ave (no Lester)
1925. Delehanty, John driver h 285 Bates
1926. (No John or Lester Delehanty)
1927. Delehanty, John salesman h 1512 Burns Ave (no Lester)
1928. Delehanty, John (Genevieve) farmer h 1512 Burns Ave
1928. Delehanty, Lester E. helper American Hoist & Derrick Co r 345 13th
1929. Delehanty, John. Died Jan 21, '29 age 42.
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8. Biography of James Delehanty, from the Book of Biographies of Leading Citizens of Rutland County, Vermont (Chicago: Biographical Publications, 1899), pp. 67-71.
The following is a complete transcription of the above-referenced biography of James Delehanty. Many thanks to Peter Patten for providing a copy of this biography:
JAMES DELAHANTY, one of the oldest and most prominent slate quarrymen in Rutland county, Vermont, resides in Hydeville, town of Castleton. He is a member of the Bomoseen Slate Company in Hydeville.
Mr. Delahanty is a native of County Tipperary, Ireland, where he was born November 24, 1844. He is a son of Patrick and Mary (Harney) Delahanty. His parents were married in 1836, and came to America, in 1853, with their six children. After a rough voyage of four weeks, they landed at old Castle Garden on November 5, 1853. They following day they started to Hydeville, Vermont, where they located forty-six years ago. Mr. Delahanty's father was a slate worker in the old county, and sought a home in America, hoping to better his condition. Their six children are: Mary C.; Mathias; James, subject of this sketch; Anastasia; John; and Patrick Henry.
Mary C. is the wife of a Mr. Hayes, and resides in Hydeville. Mathias is a respected citizen of West Castleton. Anastasia is the wife of Patrick Wallace, of Hydeville. John resides in Fair Haven. He is also a member of the Bomoseen Slate Company. Patrick Henry, or "Father Delahanty," as he was called, was a Catholic priest. He was educated in Montreal, Canada. Later he was appointed parish priest of Cambridge, New York, where his death took place May 6, 1888. He was only thirty-six years old. The mother of James Delahanty died January 24, 1864, aged fifty-four years. His father survived her until July 30, 1888, when he too passed away, at the advanced age of seventy-nine. His whole life was spent in the slate quarry business.
James Delahanty received his primary mental training in Ireland, which was supplemented by a further course of instruction in America. When fourteen years of age, he began work in the slate mills. In April, 1873, he went into business for himself, in company with P. H. Downs, as slate quarryman. The partnership then formed lasted many years, and the firm name, Downs & Delahanty, was unchanged until September, 1885. At that time the members of the firm, together with John Delahanty, the brother of James, formed the Bomoseen Slate Company, which is still the principal slate company in Hydeville. The members of the firm have worked in perfect unison, with the subject hereof in charge of the shipping department. However, when one member is absent, another partner assumes his duty, and the business progresses as usual. This company owns forth acres of slate-quarry land, together with six hundred and eighty acres of woodland in close proximity to their mills. They carry on an extensive business, and furnish employment to many men.
In 1868, the subject of this sketch erected his present large and comfortable residence on his twenty-one-acre lot in Hydeville, where he also has tenement houses. October 5, 1865, Mr. Delahanty was joined in matrimony with Mary E. Hatch, an accomplished daughter of Nicholas P. Hatch, of Boston, Massachusetts. Eleven children blessed this happy union, five of whom are sons, and six, daughters. They youngest is now twelve years of age. They beloved mother passed to her final rest August 29, 1888, when only forty-one years old, and left a void in the household which will be forever unfilled. Her children's names are: Mary; Alice B.; Patrick Henry; Catherine H.; Nicholas J.; Anna A.; James A.; Helen Francis; Francis; Isabel M.; and Ambrose M.
Mary, the eldest, has always remained at home and endeavored to fill the place of her deceased mother as nearly as possible. In this respect she has succeeded admirably, and is her father's competent housekeeper. Alice B. chose the life of a nun, and is known as "Sister Magdeline." She is spending a useful life in Burlington, Vermont. Patrick Henry is an able lawyer in New York City. He is a graduate of St. Joseph College, and the New York Law School. He has a wife and two sons. Catherine H. and Anna A. are both successful teachers in the public schools, in Hydeville. Nicholas J. graduated from St. John's College, and later from the Albany Medical College. He is now a practicing physician in the city of Rutland, Vermont. James A., a graduate of the New York Law School, completed his course in the class of 1899, and is practicing in New York City. Helen Francis is a competent saleslady, in New York City. Francis is a student in the Fair Haven High School. Isabel M. is attending the public school at home, as is also Ambrose M.
The subject of this sketch has been exceedingly liberal in caring for and educating his family. He has given each of his children exceptional educational advantages, and has allowed each one to choose his, or her, own occupation. Mr. Delahanty began life bare-handed and in a small way, saving money from day labor, until he acquired sufficient capital to purchase an interest. His present financial competency, which enabled him to expend a large amount in rearing and educating his family, is but the result of his industry and good management. Mr. Delahanty is a Democrat. Like many of his countrymen, he is thoroughly Americanized and a loyal citizen of the United States.
He has served six years as selectman, and was a member of the legislature, in 1898. He is a leading and highly esteemed citizen of his town. He has not only made a good record for himself, but has reared a most worthy family, who are, without doubt, destined to become men and women of prominence. He and his family are members of the Catholic church.
END.
9. Bomoseen State Park Slate History Trail (produced by Conservation Education, 1/88, ILF/LH, revised 1/89, published by the State of Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation).
BOMOSEEN STATE PARK SLATE HISTORY TRAIL
Within Bomoseen State Park lies the abandoned village of the West Castleton Slate Company. It is difficult to imagine these quiet hills as the scene of industry - busy quarries, churning mills, a company town crowded with immigrant workers. West Castleton is now silent, the slate industry of 19th century Vermont, largely forgotten.
Those who explore the ruins and quarries here and the excellent slate work in the surrounding towns will rediscover this fascinating history.
This guide will introduce the history of Bomoseen and its slate, then lead you to the remains of the village.
Map of West Castleton, VT (no date, late 1800s) [click on thumbnail]
True Slate Production
The slate industry owed its success to geologic processes that occurred 500 million years ago. Long before land animals existed, Vermont was covered with tropical seas. The soft sediments - clays and organic debris - of the ocean floor were thrust above sea level during mountain building times. Tremendous heat and pressure were generated, eventually turning sediments to metamorphic rock - slate.
The First Inhabitants
Some believe the name Bomoseen is derived from an Indian word meaning "keeper of the ceremonial fire." Others argue that the lake was originally named "Bombazine" after a fine twilled cloth often dyed blue or black. Whatever the origin of this unusual name, we do know that Abenaki Indians had seasonal camps along the lake.
Farms and Quarries
These tree-covered hills were logged and farmed by early settlers. Logs were floated on the lake to a mill at its outlet in Hydeville. By the early 1800s, there were farms, three sawmills and a school here. As late as the 1950s, the park campground was a field, the attendant's quarters a farmhouse.
The first slate quarry in western Vermont was just a few miles from Bomoseen. In 1839, Caleb B. Ranney and Alonson Allen worked a ledge near Ranney's home in Fair Haven. They hoped to produce school slates, but the outcrop was too hard. The rock was used for hearths and tombstones instead.
In 1849, Allen tried a new idea. He convinced a Fair Haven resident to cover his barn with slate. The man agreed on the condition that Allen wait a year for payment. If the roof held, he would pay. If the roof collapsed, Allen would pay for the barn. The roof was still good in 1886.
Slate Industry Boom
Rail construction in the 1840s created new markets for Vermont's high quality slate. Experienced and ambitious Welshmen were lured from the slate district in northern Wales. They quickly purchased ledgy farms with slate deposits and applied their knowledge of efficient large-scale quarrying. The Welsh immigrants, followed by Irish, French and Slavic, brought their traditions and culture to Vermont.
By 1850, the West Castleton Railroad and Slate Company was in operation. This was said to be the only slate company in Vermont at the time. Business was good. Slate was in demand for roofing tiles, fireplace mantles, billiard tables and blackboards. Where slate was readily available in surface deposits, it was used for foundations and steps.
A path still traces the old railroad bed used to haul slate from the mills and quarries to a wharf on Lake Bomoseen. The slate wharf extended out into the water. A "horseboat," or horse-powered ferry, took railroad cars loaded with slate to the railroad in Hydeville.
Marbleized Slate
A process that made inexpensive slate resemble marble led to the development of a marbleized slate industry. By 1855, the West Castleton Company had built a $2000 kiln to marbleize slate on the west shore of Lake Bomoseen.
One of the first slate marbleizers in the country, Ryland Hanger, worked at the West Castleton Mill. He stayed with the company for three years, keeping the details of the process secret, marbleizing at night after the other employees had left.
Marbleized slate meant the middle class could possess some of the same symbols of wealth and success as the gentry, but at a much lower cost. It was especially popular for mantels, bringing color and interest to the hearth, the symbolic center of home and family life.
A Town Abandoned
Throughout the early 1900's the slate company profited. But in 1929, the Lake Shore - West Castleton Mill closed. Demand for roofing slate had declined, the quarries were nearly exhausted, and water and rubble removal had become difficult. Labor shortages during World War I, subsequent strikes and the Depression may also have contributed to the decision to close the mill.
West Castleton was literally abandoned. The village remains as cellar holes, quarry gabbles and mills scattered among twisted grape vines, goldenrods and maple saplings.
Topographical Sketch of West Castleton Rail Road and Slate Company, West Castleton, VT (no date, late 1800s) [click on thumbnail]
SLATE HISTORY TRAIL
This walk will guide you through the remains of West Castleton. Please use caution around the quarry pits and rubble piles.
- See Map on Back of Guide -
Bomoseen Slate History Trail (on back of guide, ca. 1989 [thumbnail]
1. Park Contact Station
In 1853, the directors of the West Castleton Railroad and Slate Company wrote in their bylaws: "Nature has not formed a more convenient or a more desirable spot in the country for supplying our cities with the best of slate than this location.
At that time, the slate company owned 600 acres of land between Glen Lake and Lake Bomoseen. The town had forty-three houses, a store, a school, three barns, two sawmills and several quarries.
Leave the park entrance and turn left on the public road. Soon you will see the path of an old road on the right. Walk up a short distance to the next stop.
2. Slate Rubble Pile
There are three important slate belts in Vermont. This area, the western Vermont-New York belt, was the most profitable and contained the most diverse colors. Vermont's slate production was surpassed only by Pennsylvania.
Slate colors included "Vermont Sea Green" which weathers unevenly, "Unfading Green" which retains its original color, "Purple," "Purple Variegated" and "Unfading Red." West Castleton produced Purple and Unfading Green slate. These can be seen in the waste piles, slate outcrops and roofs of the Castleton area. As this rubble illustrates, up to 85 percent of quarried slate was waste.
Head up the path of the old road toward the field. Turn left and walk along the edge of the field. Follow the arrow to the quarry.
3. The Quarry
The double stacks of slate piled here are called "deadmen." These anchored the derricks and pulleys used to hoist slate blocks from the quarry, now filled with water.
Slate mining was hard and dangerous. Early quarries used blasting, manual labor and animals to remove slate, rubble and water. Workers were sometimes killed by collapsing rock or blasting accidents.
By 1854 there were 25 slate quarries in the area employing up to eight hundred men. The men worked a ten hour day for which they earned less than two dollars.
Return to field and walk directly across to the paved road. Turn left and walk up to the dirt road on the right.
4. Workers' Homes
On either side of the road you may find foundations, the remains of workers' quarters. Each residence was divided into two tiny homes, probably wood-framed. The company planned to build 100 of these by 1854, but an 1869 map shows only two rows of dwellings. The quarry workers here were mostly Irish Catholic immigrants.
In West Castleton, the company owned housing, sold food and clothing, provided transportation and generally controlled the workers' lives through its hold on their credit. Even social institutions, like the school and church, relied on company support.
Continue down the dirt road to the Barlow house.
[thumbnail of photocopy of scrip issued by the Hydeville Company, 25 cents, no date, /s/ A. M. Hyde and Pitt W. Hyde, and printed by Seibert & Bros 93 Fulton St. N.Y.]
Scrip was issued by companies and stores and given to employees and customers in lieu of cash during times of currency shortage - such as the Civil War.
5. Barlow House and Museum
The Barlow house stands on the foundation of one of the old row houses. Built around 1900, the house is notable for its style and the use of slate in the foundation, chimney and landscaping. The museum contains a small slate exhibit.
Continue up the road to the left. The next stop is at Hazard Brook.
6. Old Mill and Dam
Little Hazard brook once powered sawmills and slate mills as it wound its way from Glen Lake, or Screwdriver Pond, to Lake Bomoseen. Across the road from the lake and slate dam, the brook tumbles onto the foundation of an old sawmill. This mill sawed both coal and lumber and had an attached coal shed.
From the sawmill, Hazard Brook ran underground to the waterwheel in the slate mill. An old outlet near the Barlow house may have furnished water power for earlier mills.
Return to the Barlow House and turn left on the dirt road. Take path immediately on left to the next stop.
7. The Slate Mill
In 1868, the slate company built a new mill for the preparation of purple and green flooring, billiard tables, sinks and washtubs. At the time the mill was constructed, it was one of the largest slate finishing mills in the country.
The mill was powered by a waterwheel 24 feet in diameter. It had seven circular saws, a band saw, a jig saw, five planers, two rubbing beds and a jointer. The mill burned in 1870 and was rebuilt on a smaller scale.
In the 1880's, Samuel Hazard Jr, the former treasurer and supervisor of the slate company, ran the new mill and the quarries as the Lake Shore Slate Company. Hazard's great-great granddaughter, Martha Warren, left the slate company land to the State of Vermont.
Although the beautifully carved datestone is still standing, the mill walls are crumbling. Please do not climb on the old foundation.
Continue down the road toward the park. Bear left on the Cedar Mountain Road.
8. Stacked Slate Houses
Preserved as residences, these are excellent examples of stacked slate houses. All three buildings were built in the mid 1880's. The house to the left was the company store, built of slate and laid in cement. The store was also the company office and post office. The front of the building remains its bell, used to ring starting and quitting times at the quarries and mills. The other houses were for mill supervisors.
The slate company also deeded a lot down the road to the West Castleton School District #9. The school, built in 1852, stood until 1954. Today a private residence occupies the site.
This is the end of the Slate History Trail. For more information, contact the park ranger or naturalist.
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Nearby Fair Haven and Poultney, Vermont, as well as Granville, New York, are excellent places to see colored slate roofs, sidewalks and tombstones. A driving tour is available at the Bomoseen Nature Center or from the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, Montpelier, Vermont (802-828-3226).
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Special thanks to:
Archaeologist Shelly Hight for her research and reports.
The Vermont Historical Society for information and illustrations from the exhibit "Marbelized Slate: Decorating Hearth and Home."
Produced by Conservation Education, 1/88, ILF/LH, revised 1/89
10. Citizens' Ticket Handbills, John Delehanty (Uncle), n.d., late 1890s (originals kindly provided by Peter Patten)
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(Further research is required to put these handbills into their proper historical context, but the basic point seems to be that John Delehanty (Uncle) became politically active in the late 1890s, around the same time as his brother James. The extent to which their politics were in concordance or conflict is not known; nor is the outcome, or even the year, of this particular election. The extent of our ignorance about the Delehanty's and their social world continues to astound . . .)
In progress . . .