![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.formstonecastle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/1900-Cenus-216-220-Castle-Street-Left.png\" "\\"1900")
<\/a>1900 Census of the 200 Block of South Castle Street<\/p><\/div>\n
James H. Hoey was born in April 1845 in Dundalk, County Lough, Ireland at the beginning of\u00a0The Irish Potato Famine<\/a>. \u00a0 150 years ago in 1862 at age 17 he immigrated to the US, right at the beginning of the American Civil War. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While in the Americas he met his<\/span>\u00a0wife Bridget who immigrated\u00a0<\/span>in 1866\u00a0<\/span>at age 7, from County Mayo, Ireland. \u00a0It is possible that she is the 7 year old named “Bridget McInally” that arrived to Baltimore on the ship Worchester on February 7th, 1866 with her mother Ann M McInally.<\/p>\n 1866 – Worchester Passenger List<\/p><\/div>\n Based on the census data, they married when she was 11 and had their first child when she was 15 (wow!). \u00a0By 1900 Bridget had mothered 9 babies… 4 of which survived: Mary A. (1874), Delia C. (1879),\u00a0Anna M. (1882) and\u00a0<\/span>James W. (1886). \u00a0 In 1880 they were joined by James’ 43 year old mother, also named Bridget. \u00a0During the 1890s the family moved to South Castle Street. \u00a0(There was another family, the Fahertys, living in the house as late as 1889.)<\/p>\n Around 1890, James joined the Baltimore Fire Department, likely being one of a dozen founding members of the newly formed Engine Company 16. \u00a0 \u00a0He served as a stoker on Baltimore’s first fireboat: The Cataract and later the Deluge. \u00a0The marine division are described in an August 2007 Baltimore Sun<\/a> story:<\/p>\n …an ordinance passed in 1890 allocating $35,000 for the establishment of a fireboat company and an appropriate vessel. The company, designated as Engine Company 16, was established with a dozen firefighters.<\/p>\n The company’s first fireboat, the Cataract, entered service in 1891 and was based at Commercial Wharf in Fells Point. So successful was the Cataract that by the end of its first year of service, the department’s chief engineer wrote in his annual report that “it has saved several times the cost of the boat and equipment already.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Fireboat Cataract docked at\u00a0Commercial\u00a0Wharf in Fells Point<\/p><\/div>\n The true value of the marine division would not be realized completely until 1904 when it quite literally saved the city. \u00a0On the morning of Sunday, February 7th, 1904, a fire started on the west side of downtown around 11 am and spread eastward consuming all of downtown, barely missing City Hall, before spreading south across Pratt Street to the piers and west toward the Jones Falls.<\/p>\n The Cataract gained lasting fame during the 1904 Baltimore Fire, when the fireboat, aided by a Coast Guard revenue cutter and three tugs, extinguished the flames that had jumped eastward over the Jones Falls.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n February 8th, 1904 – Fireboat Cataract spraying water on East Pratt Street Wharves.<\/p><\/div>\n The fire burned for nearly 30 hours. \u00a0In the end\u00a01500 buildings in eighty-six city blocks were destroyed. \u00a0Had it not been for the heroic efforts of the fireboats, tugs, cutter and 37 steam fire engines creating a wall of water along the Jones Falls, the fire would have certainly spread through Jones Town, Little Italy and\u00a0ultimately\u00a0Fells Point.\u00a0A more detailed explanation and photos can be found on the\u00a0Maryland Digital\u00a0Cultural\u00a0Heritage website<\/a>.<\/p>\n A Map of the Area Destroyed by the Great Fire. \u00a0Virtually all of downtown.<\/p><\/div>\n While I have not yet found information placing Firefighter Hoey on the Cataract during the fire, as a member of the Baltimore Fire Department, I have no doubt that he was helping to put out these fires. \u00a0He had a lot at stake. \u00a0His house was located less than a mile down wind of the Jones Falls.<\/p>\n Four years after the fire, Bridget passed away on Castle Street at the age of 49.<\/p>\n Death of Bridget C Hoey – 1908<\/p><\/div>\n Sadly, in 1915, at age \u00a069, James H Hoey passed away as well. \u00a0He died in his home… our home… on Castle Street. \u00a0Most people of the time had simple death\u00a0announcements. \u00a0Having an obituary shows us just how important of a man James H Hoey was.<\/p>\n Obituary of James H. Hoey<\/p><\/div>\n Following the death of their parents, the Hoey family continued to live in the house on Castle Street. \u00a0Life must not have been easy. \u00a0In a Baltimore Sun article from April 1923, we learn that the health of two of his sisters is not good. \u00a0One had heart disease and the other was blind. \u00a0To make matters worse, James, now 36, was beating on his sisters to the point that they have him sent to jail.<\/p>\n The abuse must have taken its toll on Mary. \u00a0Perhaps she was the one with heart disease? \u00a0She passed away not even 3 years later.<\/p>\n The Death of Mary A. Craig (nee Hoey) – December 1st, 1925<\/p><\/div>\n Yet the family still lived in the house. \u00a0In the 1930 census Anna, James and Mary’s sons Edmond and John appeared in the census data. \u00a0There are some irregularities here though. \u00a0James middle\u00a0initial\u00a0changes, his age changes by 2 years and it seems as though sister Delia changed her name to that of her mother and grandmother, Bridget. \u00a0The trades are listed here as well. \u00a0Anna was a “Sales Lady” at a “Specialty Shop”, \u00a0James was a “Helper” at the Ice Company, \u00a0John was a Clerk for the Railway, and Edmund was a Chauffeur for the “City Dept.”.<\/p>\n 1930 Census<\/p><\/div>\n Information about the Hoey family dries up after this time. \u00a0The next info I can find about the house on Castle Street is that it was for sale in 1938.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>