William J. Hosey

William J. Hosey (May 5, 1854 - September 10, 1937) was an American politician and the 20th mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Between 1905 and 1934 he served four non-consecutive terms of office.

History

He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana a year after his parents, Michael and Jean Frayne Hosey, immigrated to the United States from County Wexford in Ireland. In 1858, the four-year-old Hosey moved with his family to Mount Vernon, Ohio, where his father took a job as a gardener on the estate of Colonel Jesse P. Buckingham.^[1]

At age 13, three years after his father died from malaria, extreme poverty forced William Hosey to drop out of a Catholic grammar school to work at Mount Vernon-based C & C Cooper Company machine shop. Five years later, William, his mother and older brother Lawrence moved to Fort Wayne, where William took a job as a machinist for the Pennsylvania Railroad. Lawrence died of pneumonia two years later. William worked at the railroad for 34 years.^[1]

During this time, William attended night classes to finish his education. He studied literature and philosophy.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Liley, Arthur, et al. The Quest for Fort Wayne (Chapter: William J. Hosey), presented December 19, 1986, BookCrafters, Chelsea, Mich., ISBN 1-199-17329-0