William John Pollock

Bill made a living in sales but he felt his life was made worthwhile by being in politics. He was one of those rare individuals who served at every level: local, state, and federal government.

His parents were recent arrivals in Philadelphia from Ireland when Bill became their firstborn. Three sisters came after him, but his father died when he was 13. He provided for the family by working at a dry goods store and he was soon selling textiles and clothing. The gift of persuasion that he developed served him well on the job and in the public arena.

If Bill had a favorite flower it would have been a rose, especially after meeting a girl at church named Rose Wilson. Their wedding was at Ninth Presbyterian Church in October of 1860. Three children were born over the next 7 years but only one, a daughter, survived to adulthood. 

During the Civil War, Bill worked at the Quartermaster’s Office and then took charge of the Schuylkill Arsenal. His background in dry goods was a good fit since the Arsenal supplied the Army with uniforms, tents, blankets, and flags. 

After the war Bill joined with George Campbell to form Continental Woolen Mill. In the latter half of the century, more than 40 percent of Philadelphia’s workforce was employed in the clothing and textile industry, which included woolen goods. Continental became Campbell’s Mill after about eight years because Bill sold his interest in the firm  due to health issues. 

More significant was his political career which started when he ran for his first office in 1865. He was elected to the city’s Select Council, one of two halves of the municipal legislature. He discussed, debated, and voted on the issues of the day until his term was over in 1868. 

That was a federal election year, and Bill was chosen by the Republican party to be a presidential elector. That meant he would cast his vote in the Electoral College based on the popular vote in his state. Ulysses S. Grant won both the popular vote and an Electoral College  landslide of 214 votes to just 80 for his opponent.

Loyalty to the party brought additional opportunities. Bill was a delegate at the Republican National Convention in 1872 when Grant was nominated and then re-elected. He reprised that role in 1876 when Rutherford B. Hayes was nominated and then elected. His third and last trip to the convention was in 1880 in Chicago. He joined a faction of delegates that wanted Grant nominated for another term instead of the 13 other contenders. 

Those 306 delegates tried to add to their number to reach the 379 votes required. They tried but failed, time after time. Finally, after 35 ballots, “the 306” suffered defeat when two of their main opponents decided to combine their supporters behind a “dark horse,” James A. Garfield. (He went on to win the November election but was assassinated less than a year later, thrusting Chester A. Arthur into the presidency.)

Bill held a paid position in the federal government from 1870-1875 as one of 24 Collectors of Internal Revenue covering Pennsylvania. He was appointed to that position again during Arthur’s term. An 1862 law had created the Bureau of Internal Revenue to collect taxes on income to fund the war effort. The income tax was later rescinded but Bill’s job was in connection with customs duties (tariffs) and excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco.

One paid appointment would often lead to another, so in 1876, before Grant stepped aside, Bill was made one of the four General Appraisers of the United States. This role was part of the customs service, which included various federal officers overseeing import duties. Bill also took on a temporary assignment while the nation celebrated its 100th birthday. He was chief examiner of foreign goods at the Centennial Exposition held in Philadelphia.

In 1879 he successfully ran for a one-year term in the state House of Representatives. He left the next year but came back for another term in 1881. Shown here is his official Legislature portrait. His obituary said he had a seat on Philadelphia’s Common Council at some point but it didn’t say when. The 1880 census lists his occupation as a tax collector. At home with him was his wife and daughter, a brother-in-law, and two servants.

The elected offices and political appointments were over by the mid-1880s so Bill transitioned to selling insurance for the rest of his life. Meanwhile, he served from 1876 until his death on the board of education for his ward (each ward having its own board). And, for at least the last decade of his life, he was on the board of the Mount Moriah Cemetery Association. Perhaps he gave them a good price on liability insurance.

This newspaper story appeared two months before his death, reflecting his dedication to Christian youth work and his ability as a song leader. Other social activities included his membership in the Union League, the Scotch-Irish Society, and 45 years with a Masonic fraternity.

Bill’s health began to decline after he suffered a few “mini-strokes” in the late 1890s. And it was a cerebral thrombosis in the early hours of June 27, 1900 that was the cause of his death. He joined his two little boys here in Section 37, as would his wife and daughter and her husband.