Moved from 2nd St. to 545 Fourth St. in September, 1901.

Further bio. Article on selection as delagate.

While serving in the management of the Carbon Iron Works in Parryville in 1863, he formed a military company to serve in the 34th Pennsylvania Militia. He was the captain of Company F serving under Colonel Charles Albright.

Went south in 1872 (p. 29/1.2) James returned to Catasauqua at the urging of James Fuller of the McKee, Fuller Co., who had secured a large contract from the Erie railroad to make cars which required castings.,

Said to have been a friend of Thomas Edison - who built Catasauqua’s first electric plant in 1890

Was a prominent member of the Grace Methodist Episcopal Curch located at Fifth & Walnut Sts. in Catasauqua. Served as superintendent of the Sunday School for 38 years - 1860 - 1898.

Said to have lived in the Biery House at 7 Canal Rd., p. 69. Census notes of 1880 put the residence at Race & Front. I was aware that he lived on Second St., between Howertown and Race, as well as at Fourth & Pine (SE Corner - actually 545 Fourth St. p. 70). The house was built in 1902.

Bio in Lambert
James Thomas came with his parents to Catasauqua from Philadelphia. He went to Parryville in 1859 to take the superintendency of the Carbon Iron Works. In 1871 Mr. Thomas left Parryville and went to Jefferson County, Alabama, and while there became the general manager of the Irondale and Eureka Iron Company. He enjoys the distinction of having made the first coke iron in Alabama. In 1879 he returned to Catasauqua and formed a partnership with -George Davies under the name of Davies and Thomas which continued until the death of George Davies in 1894. The following year the heirs of George Davies and the surviving member of the firm, James Thomas, took out articles of incorporation under the laws of the State of Pennsylvania with the corporate name of Davies and Thomas Company. With every enterprise calculated to promote the prosperity of Catasauqua, Mr. Thomas was prominently identified and received the heartiest support. Through his efforts the Borough secured the Electric Light and Power Company of which he was one of the principal owners. He was president of the Wahnetah Silk Company and a director of the Catasauqua National Bank. Though he took no active part in politics, he was frequently chosen to occupy positions of trust and responsibility, and represented the Republican Party as delegate to the National Convention in Minneapolis in 1892. For six years he was a member of the School Board, taking an active interest in the welfare of our schools.

In religious belief, Mr. Thomas was a member of Grace Methodist Episcopal Church and was instrumental in securing the erection of the edifice adorning the corner of Fifth and Walnut Streets. Mr. Thomas was one of the best informed men, reading broadly upon all matters of general interest and carrying his investigations into the best of literature. He was public-spirited, which, together with his high social standing and courteous manners, made him a very popular and honored citizen.

THE DAVIES & THOMAS
The Davies & Thomas Company has been a furnisher of material for all the large contracts for underground railway and tunnel work requiring cast iron material for their construction in the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, etc.

For the various tunnels under the harbors of New York City, this company furnished eighty per cent. (80%) of the cast iron material used in their construction, and as these tunnels were of eight (8) different designs, it constantly necessitated changes in the patterns for the cast iron castings used in the various designs to meet the requirements.

The Davies & Thomas Company is considered the pioneer in the above line of work and their ideas and plans have almost universally been adopted and accepted by engineers constructing the same.
When you ride through the various tunnels connecting New York with Jersey City, Brooklyn and Long Island City, you will pass through tunnels whose construction material is almost entirely the product of this company.

At the present time the company is engaged on a contract for the manufacture of the lining of a large sewer tunnel for the Borough of Queens, Long Island, which work will keep the foundry very busy for an entire year.

The future of the company has .a very bright outlook, as other large projects for tunnel work are expected to materialize in the near future, of which a goodly share no doubt will be awarded this company.

Another large activity of this company is the manufacturing of cast iron material used in the construction of Water Gas Plants; and since 1880, and up to the present time, they have manufactured all the castings used, first, by A. O. Granger in this work, and later by the United Gas Improvement Company of Philadelphia, Pa., in the equipment of their water and coal gas plants; and ninety per cent. (90%) of the water gas plants operated in the United States show the product of the last named company. This work is continued, year in and year out, and keeps employed at the foundry from sixty to seventy-five men continually.

The plant, in 1876, was but a small stone foundry, employing very, few men, but its growth has been steady and continued from year to year, until at the present time the Davies & Thomas Company have a foundry occupying over 16,000 square feet of floor space; equipped with electric and boom cranes and four cupolas; three machine shops fully equipped; a large power plant with boiler and engine room for the manufacture of electricity for the running of the entire works. The plant has a capacity of two hundred tons per day of finished castings. They had employed over six hundred men at one time when the foundry was running full.



THE WAHNETAH SILK COMPANY.
This company was chartered "to manufacture silk fabrics" in 1890, when it began to run on a production of silk plush. The plush business, however, proved unprofitable, so that during 1902 this machinery was substituted for broad silk looms.

Now the Wahnetah plant began to grow. Building was added to building until their present equipment comprises seven hundred looms and such other departments as are necessary to prepare the silk received in skein for use on the loom.

The Wahnetah Company buys its raw silk directly from the raw silk importers in New York City. From the importers the raw silk (Japan silk) is shipped to the throwsters (Spinning Mill). From the throwsters it is shipped to the dye-house from which it comes in skeins to the weaving mill.

The latest improved machinery is installed throughout the plant, and, being operated by competent help, produces a stock of the finest grade silks, which finds ready sale in any market.

Whilst the Wahnetah prospers our whole town feels the pulse-beat of its life. An average4 of five hundred persons earn their daily bread here.

The first president of the Company was James Thomas, who was succeeded at his death by William R. Thomas, Jr., the present incumbent, who is also general manager of the plant. Mr. Frank M. Horn has served as Secretary and Treasurer since the organization of the Company. Mr. William M. Alford and Sons, New York, are the managers of the sale's department.