Thomas David Rafferty was born 4 Oct 1872 in Pennsylvania to John B Rafferty (1837-1877) & Bridget Casey (1844-1889).
He became an inmate on 23 Feb 1889 in the Huntington Reform School in Huntington, PA.
It states his father had died from consumption in 1877 and his mother died 1 Jan 1889 while he was away at boarding school. He had been in trouble since his mother's death and was required to stay here for a 4 year term, he was 16 years old. He was released several times and broke his probation so was returned, his final parole was 21 Oct 1891.
he State Correctional Institution at Huntingdon was created by an act of the General Assembly on June 12, 1878. A group of commissioners appointed for the purpose of selecting a proper site decided on the present location along the Juniata River. The original tract of ground contained 39 acres and several springs. The land for SCI Huntingdon was purchased at a cost of $22,036. In 1888, R. W. McClaughry was named as the first General Superintendent to direct the new reformatory for delinquents too young for a penitentiary and too old for a juvenile institution. The Industrial Reformatory at Huntingdon received its first inmates in 1889. Two additional cellblocks were added in the 1930s. In 1945, the institution was officially declared the Pennsylvania Institution for Defective Delinquents. Inmates were labeled by the courts as mentally defective with criminal tendencies. In 1960, SCI Huntingdon made its final change to a maximum security, adult male state correctional institution.
SCI Huntingdon is Pennsylvania’s oldest State Correctional Institution in continuous operation, opening its gates in 1889. Originally intended to reform and educate young male offenders, inmates were schooled in the trades which included, painting, plumbing, carpentry and cabinet making, electrical, masonry (stone and brick) a foundry, blacksmith shop, lime kiln, brick ovens, saw mill, lumber kiln and planing mill. The farm operation supplied meats, dairy, poultry and vegetables for the kitchen. Electricity generated in the power plant and water supplied by springs on the property made the Institution almost totally independent from the outside world.
Thomas had the following siblings, Thomas was the oldest child:
James Ledwith Rafferty
1874–1926
John Young Rafferty
1876–1944
His brothers were all Veterans, I found their death certificates.
Thomas married Annie McCracken (1870-1921) They had the following children:
John Joseph Rafferty
1894–1938
William Henry Rafferty
1898–1973
Chester Lee Rafferty
1901–1965
Thomas died 9 Mar 1919 in Windber, Somerset, Pennsylvania, USA
Such a sad story for this family.
He had stated when he was in the reform school that he wanted to learn the trade of a machinist and that he did. According to the census records. Although I never found any newspaper articles I am so happy to write his story. He was such a sad young man and grew up to be a husband and a father, I hope a good one.
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