PATRICK BRIODY, the genial
Postmaster of South Bethlehem, is an enterprising,
public-spirited and liberal gentleman, who in former years was
Superintendent of Furnaces in the Bethlehem Iron Company. A
native of County Meath, Ireland, his birth occurred September
30, 1836. His father, Thomas Briody, was also a native of the
Emerald Isle, where he followed agricultural pursuits. In 1850
he set sail for America with his family, and, locating in
Brooklyn, was for a couple of years employed on public works. In
1852 he became a resident of Easton, this county, which he
continued to make his home until his death, at the good old age
of eighty-five years. His wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth
Cavanah, also died in Easton.
In his father’s family of nine
children, our subject is the fourth in order of birth. When
setting forth to make his own livelihood he first worked in the
ore mines in Williams Township, and in 1853 became an employe in
the furnaces of South Easton, now known as the Glen Furnaces. In
1863 he came to South Bethlehem and helped to start the first
furnace in this place. After building two more, in 1871 he went
to the Lucy Furnace at Glentown, where he remained for eighteen
months, and then, returning, took charge of all the five
furnaces here, of which he has since been Superintendent. In
addition to these he has also had the superintendence, during
late years, of three other furnaces on the outside.
In March 1894, our subject
received the appointment of Postmaster and was installed in his
office March 19. This office is one of the second-class, with
free delivery service, and is located at the corner of Fourth
and Brodhead Avenue. From 1875 until recently Mr. Briody was a
member of the School Board, with the exception of the year and
a-half when he was a non-resident. At the time of his
resignation, in the spring of 1894, he was the oldest member of
the School Board. He was on the committee for building the
Central High School, and the Webster, Excelsior, Packer, and two
smaller schools. Thus it will be seen that he has been
particularly active along the lines of education. In religion he
is a Catholic, belonging to the congregation of the Holy
Infancy.
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