| Notes |
- Niagara Gazette - 3/2/1962
ALLEN - I n Mt St. Mary's Hospital,
March 1, 1962, Alexander J. Allen,
age 86, of 722 Maple Ave. Husband
of the late Ellen (Tlmmons) Allen;
father of Mrs. John (Alma) Gallagher;
grandfather of Mary Ellen Gallagher
and father-in-law of John (Taps) Gallagher,
all of this city. Funeral serv-
ices will be held from Otto Redanz
Funeral Home, Michigan and 10th.
Monday, March 5th at 9:30 am. and
10 a.m. at St. Mary's of the Cataract
Church. Interment, Gate of Heaven
Cemetery. Friends may call at the
funeral home from 2-5 p.m. and 7-10
P.m.
ALSO
Same date and paper
A pioneer Niagara Falls building contractor, fire-
man and former city official died Thursday night (March
1, 1962). in Mt. St. Mary's Hospital, one of the many
buildings in this city he helped to construct.
Alexander J. Allen, 91 of 722 Maple Ave. was
born in the village of Lewiston on Oct. 3, 1870. He was
the father-in-law of John J. (Taps) Gallagher, Niagara
University basketball coach.
Mr. Allen moved to this city
in August 1894, and joined
Local 575, United Brotherhood
of Carpenters and Joiners.
On Jan. 1, 1896, he became
treasurer and chairman of the
board of trustees of the union.
In 1899, when Local 322 was
formed here, Mr. Allen became
this local's first president.
Was Early Volunteer
Mr. Allen was one of the
last surviving members of the
Cataract E n g i n e Hose Co.,
formed before the City of Niagara
Falls was incorporated.
Mr. Allen was one of the
first class of pupils at St.
Mary's School, which opened
in 1883.
In 1912, Mr. Allen, together
with John and Charles Smith,
formed the Allen-Smith Construction
Co., which built Mt.
St. Mary's Hospital. St. Mary's
lyceum, 10th Street School
and many factory buildings.
Their firm remodeled the
International Hotel, Cataract
House, the Imperial and Temperance
Hotels, and Our Lady
of Lebanon Church.
Served on Council
Mr. Allen became interested
in politics in the early
1890s. In 1899, he was named
fire commissioner by the late
Mayor John M. Hancock. He
later served two consecutive
terms as alderman-at-large.
In 1918, Mr. Allen was candidate
for president of City
Council on the People's Party
ticket. The party won, but a
few days before Mr. Allen
and the other candidates were
to take office, the Court of
Appeals reversed A decision
of a lower court and the city
Switched to the city manager
form of government. Mr. Allen
did not take office, but
was ° appointed superintend,
ont of public service under
Mayor Fra,nk Thompson.
In 1893, Mr. Allen was also
active in the formation of
the Exempt Firemen's Association,
an organization he
later headed as president for
five years.
Held State Firemen's Post
For more than half a century,
Mr. Allen also was a
member of the New York
State and Western New York
Volunteer Firemen's Associations.
He served as president
of the Western New York
association and was its secretary
for 28 years.
He was also a past president
of the Niagara County Volunteer
Firemen's Association
In 1912, Mr. Allen married
Ellen Timmons of this city.
Mrs. Allen died in 1937.
Mr. Allen ran for city council
in 1939 and was defeated;
He served for more than
20 years as a Republican city
committeeman.
In 1956, as the oldest surviving
past-president of the
Western New York State Volunteer
Firemen's Association,
he was named a trustee of
the Firemen's Home at Hud
son, N.Y.
Survived by Daughter
Surviving are his daughter,
Mrs. Gallagher and a granddaughter,
Mary Ellen Gallagher,
both of this city.
Funeral Services will be
held at 9:30 a.m. Monday at
Rcdanz Funeral Home and at
St. Mary's of the Cataract
Church at 10 a.m.
Burial will be in the Gate
of Heaven Cemetery.
He was a past grand knight
at Council 247, Knights of
Columbus and a member of
the 4th degree.
Friends may call at the
funeral home from 2 to 5 p.m.
and 7 to 10 p.m.
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1870 - 1962 (91 years)