Cresson TB Sanatorium Remembered

58. Cliff Gailey Page 1

  Special thanks to Cliff Gailey, a long time resident of Cresson, whose grandparents, William and Rachel (Clossin) Gailey were the operators of the pig farm at the Cresson San.  He also had a relative, Helen Gailey, who worked at the san as a nurse.  Cliff was kind enough to supply many details along with the following photos.
 
The material is presented in 3 pages.  This page presents Gailey Family photos.  The following 2 pages present Cliff's memories of the pig farm and a connection to the Lemon House.

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Cliff Gailey Photos
 
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1.  Cliff Gailey
 
                                                                                                   2.  Police Chief Cliff Gailey 

 

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3.   An interesting article written by Justin Eger about Cliff's background published in 2004 in the Cresson Mainliner.

 
 

Cliff is fondly remembered in the Cresson community for his twenty-eight years’ service on the Cresson police force, twenty-five of those years as Chief of Police for the township.  During those years, local residents remember him for always being available to lend a helping hand to anyone in need.  A local newspaper reporter described him as having “unrelenting humor and optimism.”  These admirable qualities are as evident today as ever.

 

 

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                                                            Gailey Family Photos

                                                               Including the Pig Farm 

 

 

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                   4.  Racheal and William Gailey who ran the san pig farm.  They were living on the

                  san property in a shack and paying $5 a month in rent while they operated the pig

                  farm.  The San gave the Gaileys two pigs a year for their own use.

 

 

 

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                      5.  James and Zella Gailey

 

 

 

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                                           Bob                        Cliff                        Jim                       Mary

                6.  Four younger children of James and Zella (pictured in #5) who enjoyed many

                happy visits to their grandparent’s farm were Betty, Francis (Bud) and

               Catherine.  Bob and his father, James, would one day work as operators in the san

                boiler plant when the state opened the facility as the Cresson State School and

                Hospital.

 

 

 

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                        7.      Francis (Jiggs) Gailey

                            Jiggs on guitar and brother James on accordion provided many happy hours of 

                             entertainment for William and Rachel and all the kids at the pig farm. 

 

 

                                          

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                  8.  Franny and Helen Gailey, Nurses at Cresson San 1927.  The card says: 

                 Just going off duty and on to the Nurse's Home tired and want to go to bed.  Franny

                 and Helen, June 2, 1927.  Some snap shot.  Helen Gailey

 

 

 

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                    9.  The William and Racheal homestead, built in 1899.  William Gailey is listed on

                    Line 37  of the 1930 San Census as an employee of the san and is described as

                   a laborer at the hog farm.  His age is listed as 52 and he was married at 22. 

 

 

 

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                 10.  The pig farm at Cresson San. About forty thousand pounds  of fresh pork were 

                produced annually at the Sanatorium piggery, located on the north side of Route 22 

                at some distance from the hospital buildings.  This constituted the major portion

               of fresh pork used in a year, and was the only part of the food supply prodced on the

              grounds.  The piggery was started in 1914, near the barn, and was moved to its

              present location on the north side of Rt 22 in 1916.  In July 1953 operation of the pig

              farm was discontinued, because it was found to be unprofitable.

 

 

 

 

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                      11   Feeding time.

 

 

 

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                       12.   Pick your bacon.

 

 

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                                               13.   The pigs feasted on the san table scraps.

 

 

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                   14 & 15.  A 1951 article in the  Philadelphia Inquirer about money allocated for a new
                  home for the Gaileys.   It's doubtful whether this home was ever built as the pig
                  farm ceased operation in 1953.
 
 
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                         15.  Above article continued.

 

 

 

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                 16.  A San plate owned by Cliff Gailey.  The plate is about 6" in diameter and has a

                white body with green Pennsylvania Coat of Arms and green stripes.  Cliff says that

               the san disposed of their food waste by sending it to be fed to the pigs and often

                there were plates and silverware mixed in. 

 

 

 

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                 17.  The plate was made by the McNicol China Co.   Click here
                to see a description of the Pa. Coat of Arms.