|| FAMILY HISTORY: HOME, SITE MAP, LINKS || BLILEY NETWORK: SITE MAP , SEARCH ||

THE CAREER OF ATTORNEY FRANK A. BLILEY

 CONTENTS:
  • THE BEGINNING OF A NEW CAREER
  • 1892-1901: THE DOWNING BUILDING
  • 1902-1927: 714 STATE STREET, REAR OF 2ND FLOOR
  • 1928-1943: ROOM 612, MARINE BANK BUILDING, STATE AT 9TH
  • PROFESSIONAL HAUNTS
  • OTHER BIOGRAPHICAL ITEMS

    • F.A. Bliley 1900

    Figure 1. Frank A. Bliley,
    Circa 1900, Age 35

    		 

    THE BEGINNING OF A NEW CAREER

    In 1889, at the age of 24 years, Frank A. Bliley decided to leave the profession of teaching and started down the path to the legal profession. In the late 1800s, there were several educational alternatives available to aspiring a lawyers. The first was through a formal law school. The second was through self-study, then known as "Reading the Law" under the tutelage of a practicing lawyer or member of the Court.

    Frank took the second path and registered with Retired Judge John P. Vincent of Erie, Pa. to train as an attorney. Two years later he passed the Erie County Bar Exam and was admitted to the bar. This is the same educational path as President Abraham Lincoln had taken in Illinois. This is no longer an option in the Year 2001. Figure 1 shows the photo from which a vignette was used in the membership collage of the 1900 Erie County Bar Association.

    During his bachelor years and until his marriage to Lula Dawson in 1905, Frank lived in several boarding houses in downtown Erie. These included The Kimberley, the Brooks House, and a private residence on West 20th Street. The photo below, Figure 1, was used in the 1900 membership collage of the members of the Erie County Bar Association.

     Top of Page

    1892-1901: THE DOWNING BUILDING

    Shortly after passing the Bar exam, he moved into a professional office building, the Downing Building (Figure 2), on the Southwest corner of Peach Street and West 9th Street, Erie, PA. He rented an office there by himself on the third floor where he pursued what would turn out to be a legal career supporting real estate transactions. There were several other attorneys renting offices in the Downing building. The building is located about five blocks from the City Hall and the County Court House both places that he would be often visiting. 

     Top of Page

    		 

    Downing Bldg.

    Figure 2. The Downing Building, Circa 1895

    1902-1927: 714 STATE STREET, REAR OF 2ND FLOOR

    It appears that Frank decided to move a little closer to the center of legal activities when he moved his law office to the second floor walk-up at 714 State Street, Erie, PA. It was an office with a the state-of-the-art communication device, the telephone. The 1909 Erie City Directory states he has two numbers on the "Mutual" telephone exchange. He shared this office with another attorney, L. Emmett Torry.

    Figure 3 shows Frank's photo from the 1920 Erie County Bar Association's membership collage. That year he was elected president of the association. (Photo courtesy of the ECBA.)

     Top of Page

    		 

    F.A. Bliley 1920

    Figure 3.
    Frank A. Bliley,
    Circa 1920, Age 45

    L.E. Tory 1920

    Figure 4.
    L. Emmett Torry,
    1860-1935,
    (From 1920 ECBA collage.)

    		 

    Attorney L. Emmett Torry

    Frank shared the office with L. E. Torry. Mr. Torry (Figure 4) who also studied under Judge John P, Vincent and was admitted to the Erie County Bar in 1887. His practice was limited to the Orphan's Court and unsuccessfully ran for judge in 1911. In 1912, he was elected president of the Erie County Bar Association.

     Top of Page

         

    714 State Street

    Figure 5 shows the building (tree-story on the left) in 1931 shortly after the famous six-story Boston Store (department store) was built on State Street in 1931 near East 8th Street. In 1902, the Boston Store had a large multistory building on the same site as the new white brick building.

    Like so many retail stores of the period, there was a small door to the right of the display windows that leads to the upper floors where business offices or apartments could be found. Such was the case at 714 State Street until about 1998 when the building was demolished and turned into an urban park.

    When Frank and attorney Torry moved into the building in 1902, there were two other attorneys on the second floor, a sporting goods store on the first floor, and in the rear of the third floor, the apartment of a streetcar conductor.

     Top of Page

    		 

    714 State Street Bldg.

    Figure 5. 714 State Street, Law office on the rear of the second floor
    (Building on the left. Second floor entrance to the right of the display windows.)

    The Office Sign at 714 State Street

    Every professional office needed a "shingle", and Frank's was no exception. In December 2000, I received it as a present from my brother Richard "Dick" Bliley. It is made of brass with black enamel lettering and measures measures 13" x 18".

    Figure 6 is a photo of the sign in the year 2001. It reads:

    L.E. TORRY.
    FRANK A. BLILEY,
    LAWYERS

     Top of Page

    		 

    Figure 6.
    Office Sign at 714 State Street
    (Click on sign for enlargement, 120 kb)

    1928-1943: ROOM 612, MARINE BANK BUILDING, STATE AT 9TH

    In 1928, Frank moved to the new professional offices in the new Marine Bank Building at 900 State Street (Figure 7). This building was home to one of Erie's largest banks, and many professional offices. This was his final work place until his formal retirement at the age of 78, in 1943 (Figure 8).

    F.A. Bliley 1935

    Figure 7. Marine Bank Building Office, August 6, 1935
    (Left: Gladys M. Lipinski, stenographer;
    Note Frank is wearing a hearing aide.)

    		 

    Figure 8. Attorney Frank A. Bliley, Circa 1940
    (From 1940 ECBA collage.)

     Top of Page

    PROFESSIONAL HAUNTS

    Below are two places that many lawyers must frequent. Both are just a few blocks from each of Franks offices. The City Hall, seen in Figure 9, was torn down in the 1960s and replaced with three story City Hall building. The Court House (Figure 10) has been added to several times since the photo below was taken.

    Erie City Hall 1920

    Figure 9. City of Erie Hall
    (Circa 1920s, State Street at
    North Park Row)

    Erie County Courthouse

    Figure 10. Erie County Court House
    (Circa 1920s, West 6th Street)

    Dates and office locations from Erie City and County Directories. Building exterior photos from various Erie historical books circa 1900-1920. Interior of office at Marine Bank Building from Bliley family archives. Material researched and written by Charles A. Bliley, March 14, 2001.

    Photo of L.E. Torry courtesy of the Erie County Bar Association, Erie, Pennsylvania.

     Top of Page

    OTHER BIOGRAPHICAL ITEMS

     

    || RETURN TO HOME ||