Can you guess what this is?We have the answers right here in the library. History doesn't have to be dull or stagnant. If you want to do a little detective work of your own, come into the Bridgeport Public Library's Historical Collections Department and do a little sleuthing of your own.
Jasper McLevy was a Socialist, who served as the Mayor of the City of Bridgeport for twenty-four years, from the critical years of the Depression, through World War II, and the postwar years. He was Mayor from 1933 to 1957.
But who remembers that Mayor McLevy first started his working life as a roofer? The other day, a local resident, Charles Andrewson donated to the Historical Collections a strange object. Charles told the story of how, when he was growing up, his family lived next door to Jasper and his wife Vida McLevy. Jasper gave little Charles a tool that McLevy used in his roofing trade.
What do we know about Jasper McLevy and his roofing trade? Where did Jasper learn his trade of roofing? We checked the census, and find that Jasper was listed as a "roofer" in 1920. The 1930 Bridgeport City Director lists Jasper's company, which specialized in slag, gravel, asbestos, tile and slate roofing. The 1906 city directory lists George McLevy and Sons in an advertisement for roofers.
But lets look further back. George McLevy and Mary McLevy are listed as his parents in the census of 1900. Searching still further back, a very important clue: a ship passenger list for Mary and George McLevy shows the couple leaving Glasgow, Scotland in 1868. Guess what trade George McLevy lists on the ship's passenger list? George McLevy, Jasper's father describes his trade on the list as "slate roofer."
Click on the 1868 Passengerlist to see George and Mary Ann
McLevy's listing!
1 comment:
Great Find. That's not just a slate roofing tool, but in fact, a slate cutter.
To use it, one would thrust the pointing end into the rafter of a home. Roofs of this period (1800s) didn't have plywood like today's roofs, but "skip-sheathing" fastened perpendicular to the rafters.
With the cutter in place, a roofer would place a slate on top of it. Then, with a special hammer that has a beveled edge, the roofer would strike the slate and it would shear off in small pieces.
You would think that the slate would crack totally, but it actually doesn't. To install the slate, the roofer would then take the sharp, pointy-end of a slate hammer, and punch two holes into the slate. These provided a counter-sink for the copper nails that hold slate in place.
Post a Comment