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Note: From more than one source it was said that "TJ" walked over the Blue Ridge Mountains as a youth. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. What we do know is that he was an Engineer and during the 1919 era to around 1921he worked in Prospect, Ohio for Sanderson & Porter, Engineers. From 1911 to 1913 he was Chief of Police in Parkersburg, W. Virginia and hispicture still hangs on the wall of the Police Chief's Office in Parkersburg, W. Va. From the few wonderful letters still existing we know he was a loving husband and father and that his family was so important to him that he was willing to be se pared from them in order to provide for them. Thomas wrote very practical letters that greatly reflect the times they were written in. I cannot possible do them justice so I shall just repeat them for all of you. Riversville 11-29-19 Dear Sallie, Thanksgiving has come and gone and I did not get to comehome so I did not have as much to give thanks for as I would have wished. I received your letter and Tomboys card and was glad to get them& thought tommy's card was dandy and I read your letter a dozen timesalready and will keep on reading it until I get another. Say Sally, you say you make your letters short because you don't like to write. Maby you think I do. Well I don't but I like to get them from you. So ifyou can't write long ones you can write a short one every day so thatwill kind of make up for my long ones or maybe you don't like to readlong ones either. Sallie you must not let the children get their feetwet or they will get sick & know shoes are high but not as high as medicine and Dr bills. Sallie I wish we could join hands and run and runand run and don't you worry about that grey hair because I love it and it goes just grand with my bald head so now be good. I wish you hadhave gone in that Bank and got that money before you woke up and hid it some place. Say Sallie I don't blame Tombo for wanting Mush and milk and when I come home I want all the mush and milk I can eat for supper and fried mush for breakfast. How are your chickens doing are theylaying. What did you do with all of your pumpkins did Hellen make sausage with it Tell her to save a link for me. Sally I will be home for Christmas and will go to Marian Ohio if things turn out as they look now as they are figuring on comencing that job the first of the year and I just have to have a week with you and the children before I take another job. I will keep you posted about everything as I find it out.Sanderson and Porter are very close mouthed about their business and it is no use to try to find out any think a person just ads to wait until they get ready to tell you. Well as this letter is just about twice as Big as the one you sent me I guess I will close. How is Lavinia you never told me anything about her in your letter. Love to you and children and kiss the baby for me & you. Hubby Jack 12-2-19 Dear Old Sweet Heart this is 3 am Tuesday morning and I was expectinga letter from you yesterday so I could finish this one send it two you. Sallie, M.V.T. is going to do a lot of work on the Power house at Parkersburg they are going two put in another 5000 K.W. Turbine and another Boiler thare but I don't know for certain yet whether Sanderson &Porter is going to do the work or not if they do maybe I can get on that job. It will take 6 or 7 months to do it won't it be just grand and nice if I can get on that work. be right at home there for quite a while. We are figuring on geting through here by the first of the yearof maby before that. Well the Coal Strike is on again and the outlookis bad they are talking of arresting the miners and forcing them two dig coal and bring in soldiers and if they do that it is going to cause lots of trouble and probably destruction of property and lives as the miners are beginning to feel desperate. We have 11 Guards on the Power Plant all armed with automatic pistols. We are not expecting any trouble but are not taking any chances we can help. Of corse all of themines between here and Weston Clarksburg and Morgantown gets power from us to run their Miners Well (?) going to close now and see if I don't get a letter from you tomorrow by by Sweet Heart Jack 12-3-1919 Well sweet Heart I have waited another day and no letter yet so I am going to finish this one and send it to you anyhow. Say I don't like to write twice to your once so you hustle up and write & I will send you another letter one week from today for next Wednesday is Pay day and that is the day I look for Sallie & don't like to (it is hard to read here I may not be reading this correctly) keep batch in inthe winter time as it is two cold & I have no fire in my room but a small oil stove and it is not worth 5 cts you get more soot than heat &I wash my dishes and myself and shave I morning before I go to bed I always cary a bucket of hot water from the plant up to my room with me. On a morning when I get to work so as to not monkey with that stoveI can't cook anything on it but a piece of meat or an egg and I cannot get an egg to high 85 ct. per doz and they are storage & I hope your rhumatism is better. I have been taking lotts (?) day now for two weeks. hugs and kisses both of my babies for me and when I come home I will hug my Big Baby my self is she will let me. Where are you sleeping at in my room give Farran and wife my love Well Sweetheart I will bid you goodnight for the present. With lots of love and kisses from your hubby Jack Marian, Ohio 2-9-21 To my Son Farran I received your letter today also one from Sallie and she tells me that Grandma is very sick and she don't think it is possible forher to live through the winter so I have made arrangements to get home for a couple of days and will be at home Sunday and Monday 20st 21st & believe Grandma birthday is on the 21 and I would like for you tomake arrangements and come home and see your GranMa on Feb 20 while Iam thare as I want to see you also. it is Grandmas heart and it mightbe the last time to see her alive & I do hope we will be in time for that. She will be 83 years old then. well Farran I won't take up any more of your time now as I am going to write to Lavinia and Sallie yet.Best Wishes to you all and a kiss for Hope. I remain your Father. TJ Helmick Not many letters have survived through all these eras and what have are faded and difficult to read. I wrote them as he did, no punctuation, mis spelled words and all and sometimes I have put a question mark when I could not figure out a word or sentence. These letters tell ofa strong bond of family. A man who had to live far from his family tosupport them, tough times and much love. Edward L. Adams sez name was Thomas Jeffreson Helmick tp Daughter Willa said TJ named after Stonewall Jackson tp Subj: Re: Police Department Date: 10/8/2002 5:31:01 PM Pacific Daylight Time From: rdnewell@@@@netassoc.net (Robert D. Newell) To: Poguesj@@@@cs.com Dear Ms. Pogue, In 1985 a book was published entitled 100 Years of the Parkersburg Police Debatement. Chief Helmick's picture and a brief history of his tenure is outlined in the book. He was apparently a constable and deputysheriff in Wood County during his career as well. The book states that in 1984 the researcher only found a Willa Helmick of Cleveland to be the last living relative, although it mentions 2 sons and another daughter of Chief Helmick. Chief Helmick's picture is displayed outside of my office along with all the past chiefs. T. Jackson Helmick found in: Census Microfilm Records: West Virginia, 1910 1870 United States Federal Census Name: Thomas J Helmick Age in 1870: 5 Estimated Birth Year: 1864 Birthplace: West Virginia Home in 1870: Simpson, Harrison, West Virginia Race: White Gender: Male Value of real estate: View Image Post Office: Clarksburg Roll: M593_1688 Page: 234 Image: 472 Year: 1870 Living with parents John R 43 engineer rev 300 rv 100 b VA Lavinia 33 keeping house b VA Martha A 13 Florence E 11 Thomas J 5 b WVA Daniel C 2 WVA Individual Record 1880 United States Census Thos. J. J. HELMICK Household Male Other Information: Birth Year <1866> Birthplace VA Age 14 Occupation Works In Factory Marital Status Race W <White> Head of Household Jno. R. HELMICK Relation Son Father's Birthplace VA Mother's Birthplace VA 1900 United States Federal Census about John B Helmick Name: John B Helmick Home in 1900: South Fork, Hardy, West Virginia Age: 53 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1847 Birthplace: West Virginia Relationship to head-of-house: Head Spouse's Name: Sarah E Race: White Occupation: View Image Neighbors: View others on page Household Members: Name Age John B Helmick 53 Jan 1847 mar 21 years farm laborer b WV Sarah E Helmick 40 July 1859 21 mar yrs 9 cildren 8 living b WV Rose M Helmick 17 daughter June 1882 17 b WVA Benj F Helmick 15 son Sept 1884 15 s b WV John A Helmick 13 son Mar 1887 13 s b WV Alice V Helmick 10 daughter April 1890 10 single b WV Charles B Helmick 7 son b Aug 1892 single WV Paran l Helmick 2 son b Oct 1897 single WV Bernie E Helmick 2.12 daughter Mar 1900 2/12 single b WV 1910 United States Federal Census Name: T Jackson Helmick Age in 1910: 44 Estimated Birth Year: 1865 Birthplace: West Virginia Home in 1910: 4-WD PARKERSBURG, WOOD, West Virginia Race: White Gender: Male Series: T624 Roll: 1697 Part: 2 Page: 130B Year: 1910 Policeman chief of police Sadie M age 36 3 children 3 living b Ohio Farran v son age 15 b WVA helper Lavinia G 11 Willie May 5 In 1900 4th Ward Of Parkersburg, WVA Thomas J Helmick was the enumerator tp 1920 United States Federal Census Record about Thomas Helmick Name: Thomas Helmick Age: 54 years Estimated birth year: abt 1866 Birthplace: West Virginia Race: White Home in 1920: Parkersburg Ward 4, Wood, West Virginia Home owned: Own Sex: Male Marital status: Married Relation to Head of House: Head Able to read: Yes Able to Write: Yes Mother's Birth Place: Virginia Father's Birth Place: West Virginia Image: 906 Helmick, Thomas head 54 m b WVA agent labor construction home owned mortgaged Sada M wife 45 b WVA Lavinia M daughter age 25 Thomas son 7 Farran son 26 b WVA machinest rr Wilma 18 wife b WVA Hope son 2/12 b WVA From book 100 YEARS OF THE PARKERSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT 1885-1985 By: Police Sgt. A. M. (Al) Barnette Thomas Jackson (Jack) Helmick Born: July 25, 1871 Died: March 5, 1922 Chief of Police: 1909-1911 Thomas Jackson (Jack) Helmick was born in Bridgeport, West Virginia,a son of John Rally and Lavinia Pinckard Helmick. He attended schoolin the Bridgeport area until he was 16 years old and his family movedto the Parkersburg area, where he finished his schooling. In 1893 Helmick joined the Parkersburg Police Department as a patrolman and, after several years, was, was promoted to lieutenant. When a new administration came into office in 1898, Helmick was not re-appointed. After leaving the police department, he was elected to the office of constable for several terms. The Parkersburg Sentinel published several articles in reference to Helmick's investigative abilities and his apprehension of criminals. On March 31, 1902, "Constable Jack Helmick arrested Nulan Wells for stealing forty-five dollars." On April 2, 1902, "Constable Helmick recovered a lot of stolen property from a robbery." In 1909. Helmick ran for the position of City Collector but was defeated by a narrow margin. He then applied for the position of Chief of Police and the Parkersburg Sentential reported April 19, 1909, "Jack Helmick has made application but he will be disappointed because the (City Council) are going to sidetrack him and put him in the office of Water Rent Collector." The next issue reported "Running for Chief if Jack Nightingale, William Fleming, V. L. Bartlett, Charles Hasting and James R. Mehen" On June 1, 1909, all the paper stated was: "The new administration will pick T. J. Helmick as Chief of Police position." At this time in the City's history, Council established the City's Employee City Service. An employee could work for a period of sixty days then had to go under the Civil service. Appointments were required to come from an eligibility list. This was set up under the 1911 Charter. Mr. Helmick died in 1922, he was in the position of Wood County Deputy Sheriff. His death was due to sugar diabetes and other complications. He was married to Sadie M. Helmick. She died in 1925. Both he and his wife were buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Parkersburg, West Virginia. The Helmicks were the parents of four children, two sons and two daughters. One son, Farran Vernon married Wilma. One daughter, Lavenia, was born in 1899. Another daughter Willie May was born in 1905, and another son was names Tommy. There was no other information in reference to this son. In 1984, Wille May, now known as Willa Helmick lived in Cleveland, Ohio. She is the only living descendant of Jack Helmick. Willa never married, which leaves her to be the last known living relative. Death Certificate Died Mar 22 1922 Pneumonia died Bridgeport, WVA age 50 7mo 8 days deputy sheriff married Person giving Info Chas E. Jenkins
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