Thomas J. Ham was born in Honesdale, PA in 1837, five years after his parents immigrated from Cornwall. Following an education in local schools and the Wyoming Seminary and a one-year stint as a teacher in Beach Lake, he became the editor of the Wayne County Herald newspaper, becoming sole owner in 1865. During his years at the Herald and the Honesdale (later Wayne County) Citizen, he became an expert on local history. For example, he wrote a series of articles titled “The Nomenclature of Wayne,” a history of post offices and place names in Wayne County, which in 1995 was assembled into a book by Pike County Historian George J. Fluhr. Ham was also the author of a series of columns on the checkered history of “The Old Cannon,” known as the Baby Waker, which once sat in front of the court house in Honesdale. A highly respected journalist, world traveler, Democratic party leader and associate judge, Thomas Ham’s long, illustrious career ended with his death in 1911.

From the collection of the Wayne County Historical Society, 810 Main St., Honesdale. The museum and research library are open Friday and Saturday, 10 a. m. to 4 p. m.