William Connell | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Connell in a 1903 publication | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania | |
| In office February 10, 1904 – March 3, 1905 | |
| Preceded by | George Howell |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Henry Dale |
| Constituency | 10th district |
| In office March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1903 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph A. Scranton |
| Succeeded by | Henry Wilbur Palmer |
| Constituency | 11th district |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1827-09-10)September 10, 1827 |
| Died | March 21, 1909(1909-03-21) (aged 81) Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Hill Cemetery |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Annie Lawrence (died 1902) |
| Children | 11, includingCharles |
| Signature | .png) |
William Connell (September 10, 1827 – March 21, 1909) was aRepublican member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania.
William Connell was born on September 10, 1827, inSydney in theNova Scotia colony ofBritish Canada. His parents were ofScotch-Irish descent. He moved with his parents toHazleton, Pennsylvania, in 1844. He worked in thecoal mines, and in 1856 he was appointed superintendent of the mines of theSusquehanna & Wyoming Valley Railroad & Coal Company, with offices inScranton.[1][2]
Upon the expiration of that company's charter in 1870, he purchased its property and became one of the largest independent coal operators in theWyoming Valley region under the firm name William Connell & Co.[1][2] He later sold the company to the Lehigh Valley Coal Company.[3] He was a founder of the Third National Bank of Scranton in 1872. In 1879 he became its president.[1] He worked at theScranton Button Company, one of the largest manufacturers ofbuttons in the United States, which branched out into the manufacture oftelephone parts andphonographrecords.[3][citation needed] He was president of the Lackawanna Mills and director of the Lackawanna Trust and Safe Deposit Company.[3] He owned the Connell Building, the largest office in Scranton. He founded theScranton Tribune.[4] He was appointed sole arbitrator for theMud Run disaster in October 1888.[3]
Connell was a delegate to the1896 and1908 Republican National Conventions, and a member of the Pennsylvania Republican committee.[1][3] He was a large property owner in Scranton.[2] He was elected as a Republican to theFifty-fifth,Fifty-sixth, andFifty-seventh Congresses. He served from March 4, 1897, to March 3, 1903. He successfully contested the election ofGeorge Howell to theFifty-eighth Congress and served from February 10, 1904, to March 3, 1905.[1]
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Connell married Annie Lawrence around 1851.[5] They had 11 children, including Mrs. James S. McAnulty, Mrs. Charles W. Fulton,Charles Robert, Ezra H., Alfred E., Theodore E. and James L.[1][3][4][5] His wife died in 1902.[5] He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.[2]
Connell died on March 21, 1909, in Scranton. He was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery.[1]
His summer estate,Lacawac, was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1979.[6]
Media related toWilliam Connell (Pennsylvania politician) at Wikimedia Commons| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 11th congressional district 1897–1903 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 10th congressional district 1904–1905 | Succeeded by |
