Wilkes-Barre in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Ellen Webster Palmer

(1839-1918)

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., November 20, 2017

1. Ellen Webster Palmer Marker

Inscription.

Ellen Webster Palmer.

"Every boy represents a human soul; a character forming for eternity. The life for the next few years will decide his future... Many a man who beats his life out behind prison bars is a victim of misdirected energy. Truly, the wealth of a nation is its children." , Ellen Webster Palmer, History of the B.I.A. of Wilkes-Barre, 1898

Anthracite coal fueled America's Industrial Revolution and developed the Wyoming Valley. It also helped create a working class living in ignorance and poverty, struggling to make ends meet with the assistance of their children's hard labor. Late-19th-century social reformers throughout the nation's industrial cities strived to improve the quality of life and provide education for the less fortunate, many of whom were foreign-speaking immigrants.

Ellen Webster Palmer championed the Wyoming Valley's less fortunate, the youth in particular. Born in Plattsburgh, New York, Palmer trained as a teacher. She later married prominent Wilkes-Barre attorney and one-time Pennsylvania Attorney General Henry Palmer. Despite her privileged life, she devoted her energy to the children of the coal mines. In 1891 she founded the Boys' Industrial Association (BIA), raising funds and developing programs to educate, entertain and prepare the child laborers for a better future.

Peers of Palmer contributed to her noble cause. Mary L. Trescott, Luzerne County's first female lawyer, served as BIA treasurer and secretary. Bradley W. Palmer, the founder's son, endowed a scholarship to enable boys , who would otherwise be cast into the workforce , to continue their studies. Though the BIA faded soon after Ellen Webster Palmer's death, her 27 years of work lifted the spirits of thousands.

[Photo captions, from top to bottom, read] , . Statue of Ellen Webster Palmer, "The Friend of the Working Boy," located on the Wilkes-Barre River Common near the Luzerne County Courthouse.

. Ellen Webster Palmer reading to several members of the Boys' Industrial Association, circa 1900.

. Ellen Webster Palmer, founder of the Boys' Industrial Association.

"Every boy represents a human soul; a character forming for eternity. The life for the next few years will decide his future... Many a man who beats his life out behind prison bars is a victim of misdirected energy. Truly, the wealth of a nation is its children."
Ellen Webster Palmer, History of the B.I.A. of Wilkes-Barre, 1898

Peers

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

of Palmer contributed to her noble cause. Mary L. Trescott, Luzerne County's first female lawyer, served as BIA treasurer and secretary. Bradley W. Palmer, the founder's son, endowed a scholarship to enable boys — who would otherwise be cast into the workforce — to continue their studies. Though the BIA faded soon after Ellen Webster Palmer's death, her 27 years of work lifted the spirits of thousands.

[Photo captions, from top to bottom, read]
• Statue of Ellen Webster Palmer, "The Friend of the Working Boy," located on the Wilkes-Barre River Common near the Luzerne County Courthouse.

• Ellen Webster Palmer reading to several members of the Boys' Industrial Association, circa 1900.

• Ellen Webster Palmer, founder of the Boys' Industrial Association.

Erected by Luzerne County, Luzerne County Historical Society, Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, PA Dept of Environ Protect, American Heritage Rivers, US Army Corps of Engineers.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Education • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1898.

Location. 41° 15.072′ N, 75° 52.731′ W. Marker is in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in Luzerne County. Marker is on River Street north of Jackson Street

Ellen Webster Palmer image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Larry Gertner, unknown

2. Ellen Webster Palmer

, on the left when traveling north. Marker is on the Luzerne County Courthouse grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 200 North River Street, Wilkes Barre PA 18711, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Center of Law, Politics and Power (here, next to this marker); All for the View (here, next to this marker); Luzerne County (within shouting distance of this marker); U.S.S. Wilkes-Barre (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Korean War Memorial (about 300 feet away); 109th Field Artillery Battalion (about 300 feet away); a different marker also named Ellen Webster Palmer (about 300 feet away); Vietnam Veterans Memorial (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wilkes-Barre.

More about this marker. The fiberglass marker is deteriorating.

Also see . . .
1. An advocate for the working boy. Times-Leader Newspaper website entry (2014) (Submitted on November 3, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

2. Ellen Webster Palmer and the Breaker Boys. Luzerne County Historical Society website entry (Submitted on November 23, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)

Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., November 20, 2017

3. Ellen Webster Palmer Marker

On another side of the three-marker triangular stand

Photo of Ellen Webster Palmer on Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Unknown, circa 1900s

4. Photo of Ellen Webster Palmer on Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on November 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 23, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 510 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 23, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 2. submitted on November 3, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 3, 4. submitted on November 23, 2017, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.