Thomas J. Allen

NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey

Thomas J. Allen

Source: History Morris County New Jersey, Volume II, Lewis Publishing Co., 1914

The prosperity of a country is dependent in the largest measure upon the condition of its roads of all kinds, and its transportation facilities, and the men who are engaged in the construction of these roads are the men to whom the country is most indebted. Among those who have rendered distinguished service in this direction is Thomas J. ALLEN, of Netcong, Morris county, New Jersey, whose well planned and constructed roads are to be met with in many sections. He is of Irish descent and has inherited in full measure those traits of the Irish nation which have made them such desirable citizens. His grandparents, Thomas and Margaret ALLEN, came to this country rate late in life, and the latter died at Washington, New Jersey, at the advanced age of ninety-two years.

James ALLEN, son of Thomas and Margaret ALLEN, was born at Mullen Gar, Westmeath county, Ireland, 1810, died in Washington, New Jersey, 1880. He was a civil engineer and contractor and was largely occupied in the west. In 1860 he removed to Washington, Warren county, New Jersey. He was one of the constructors of the old Lackawanna Railroad, later the Morris & Essex Division. A large part of his work consisted in the construction of bridges. He was married at St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, on Barclay street, New York, to Mary FLOOD, born at Red Hill, county Cavan, Ireland, 1819, died in Washington, New Jersey, 1891, daughter of Hugh and Mary FLOOD, who came from Ireland and made their home in New York. Mr. and Mrs. ALLEN had children:
1. Eliza, now deceased; married Henry HAGAN.
2. Mary, deceased; was the wife of Charles McLAUGHLIN.
3. Richard, died young.
4. Joseph, died young.
5. Thomas J., of whom further.
6. Hugh, died in 1890; was in business with his brother, Thomas J.; he married Stella BRENNEN, now living in Netcong, New Jersey; of their six children three are deceased, the others being:
6.1 a daughter, who was not married.
6.2 Estella, married Thomas EDWARDS, a druggist, of Dover, New Jersey;
6.3 Alice, married Jerry MEAD, agent for the Lackawanna Railroad at Netcong and Stanhope.
7. Rose, resides with her brother in Netcong.

Thomas J. ALLEN, son of James and Mary (FLOOD) ALLEN, was born at Mount Vernon, Westchester county, New York, November 1, 1852. He obtained his preparatory education in the public schools of Washington, New Jersey, and then matriculated at Seton Hall College, in South Orange, New Jersey. Immediately after completing his studies he entered the contracting business which had been established by his father, the name of the firm becoming James Allen & Sons, and this was later changed, after the death of the elder Mr. ALLEN, to read Allen Brothers. For some time after his marriage Mr. ALLEN lived in Morristown, New Jersey, then spent some years in the city of New York, where he was engaged in important work, and removed to Netcong, New Jersey, in 1890, at which time he had a beautiful residence erected there. This is attractively and artistically furnished, and overlooks Lake Musconetcong. Mr. ALLEN has been active in the public affairs of Morris county for many years, and has given his political support to the Democratic party. Since his residence in Morris county he has served as president of the borough council of Netcong with the exception of the years he resided in New York. He is a communicant of St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church of Netcong, and is a member of the K.C. and of the the B.P.O.E. For many years he and his brother handled all the coal used by the Lackawanna Railroad at their depository at Port Morris. He was associated with his father in the building of the coal depository for the Lackawanna Railroad; spent three years in the west, constructing an irrigation system in the Grand Valley of Colorado, this being completed in 1910; built the railroad from Norwich, Connecticut, to Westerly, Rhode Island, and the one from Westerly to Ashaway, Rhode Island; built a railway from Dolgeville to Salisbury, New York, in the Adirondacks, for the New York Central Railroad; the eastern branch of the Delaware & Eastern Railroad; the Laurel line through Pittston, Pennsylvania, a distance of five miles; the Fort Washington Ridge road, New York City; Kingbridge road, New York City, now St. Nicholas avenue, New York City; West End avenue, from Seventy-second street to One Hundred and Eighth street, New York City; put in the entire sewerage system of Newton, New Jersey, eighteen miles all told. For some time also, he was engaged in contract work in South America, and in New Mexico constructed the railroad which leads to the copper mines. During the past three years he has been in the employ of the State in the construction of roads and railroads in Delaware and Maryland. He has executed a number of contracts of equal importance to those mentioned above, but a complete list would be too extensive to be given in a work of this character.

Mr. ALLEN married, in 1878, Ellen J., born in Philadelphia, daughter of Michael and Ellen FOLEY, of Dover, New Jersey, where he was a contractor and constructed several mining roads. All of his daughters were graduates of St. Elizabeth's College. Of the six sons and four daughters of Mr. and Mrs. ALLEN, the following named are now living:
1. James J., unmarried;
2. John, a graduate of Van Rennsselaer Institute, of Troy, New York; lives in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where he is in charge of the construction of a line of railroad for the Lehigh Valley railroad Company, married Maud, daughter of John O. BISSELL, of Stanhope, New Jersey.
3. Thomas J. Jr., at present engaged in State road work at Elkton, Maryland.
4. Hugh A., a student in St. John's College, Fordham, New York City, engaged in legal studies.
5. Mary, living at home; a graduate of St. Elizabeth's Convent, at Convent, Morris county, New Jersey.
6. and 7. James and Thomas, students at Stevens Institute, Hoboken, New Jersey, from which James graduated.

Mr. ALLEN is a man of practical ideas, and these have been utilized to the best advantage in the numerous contracts he has so successfully executed. His plans are well considered and generally fully decided to the smallest detail before the work is commenced, and this enables him to proceed with unusual expedition in whatever he undertakes.