NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey

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

Albert James THOMAS, proprietor of the Milton Hotel, at Oak Ridge, Morris county, New Jersey, is a man of well-rounded character, whose mental, social, moral and business natures have been fully developed. He is a citizen of public spirit, a man of sterling purpose and indefatigable energy in business, an advocate of the best intellectual progress, and a Christian gentleman whose life conforms to the precepts which had their origin many centuries ago.

Joseph Henry THOMAS, his father, was born in Cornwall, England, in 1839, and emigrated to America while still young. For some time he was a boss, under Perdee & Clark, in the Dickerson Mine, and was then for a number of years with the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Company, in Hoboken, New Jersey. He married (first) in England, where his two eldest children were born, Emma Lee, who died in 1885, and (second) Mrs. Bessie (KELLEY) FARRELL, and is now living in Hoboken. Children, all by his first marriage: 1. William George, a resident of Jersey City Heights, New Jersey; was for more than twenty-five years in the employ of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Company; he married Eliza VEAL. 2. Joseph, now deceased; for a time was employed in the Dickerson mine, and at the time of his death was a warper in the silk mills in Paterson, New Jersey; he married Grace NICHOLS, also deceased. 3. Richard, born at Mine Hill, Morris county, New Jersey; resides in Albany, New York, and is a salesman for new and secondhand safes; he married Emily GRENFELL. 4. And 5. Nellie and Emma, died young. 6. Albert James, of whom further. 7. Anna Louisa, married Augustus STAKSING, of Paterson, New Jersey, a cigar maker.

Albert James THOMAS was born at Mine Hill, Randolph township, Morris county, New Jersey, December 24, 1873. He attended school at the old King schoolhouse, at Mine Hill, but left at the age of eleven in order to learn the blacksmith’s trade. This knowledge he acquired with Daniel W. MATTHEWS, at Mount Pleasant Mine, Berkshire Valley. He was then for seven years employed as a blacksmith at the Pickatinny Arsenal, and in a similar capacity at Dover for six months. Seven years were then spent as a motorman in Paterson, New Jersey, and in 1910 he purchased the Milton Hotel, which he has conducted personally since that time. He has made many improvements in this since it came into his possession, and it is now one of the best equipped hotels of its size and class in the country. The cuisine is excellent, the service prompt and satisfactory, and the comfort of the numerous guests is looked after with the greatest attention to even the smallest detail. With the exception of the seven years spent in Paterson, Mr. THOMAS has always lived in Morris county, where he has given his staunch support to the Republican party. Mr. THOMAS married, August 17, 1893, Anna Jane, a daughter of Thomas J. and Mary Jane POPE, both natives of Cornwall, England, who settled first at Mount Hope, later in Berkshire Valley, where he was employed at the Mount Hope Mine.

Transcribed by John Cresseveur (1949-2003)

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