Why John K. Tener is Important to Washington County!

As for the further exploits of the big pusher for this bridge getting built - Irish (County Tyrone, coming to America as a small boy, orphaned at the age of 9 and being raised by an Aunt in Pgh.) born John K. Tener - being the only Governor not born in the US, rose not only in Charleroi and the surrounding Mon Valley region, but even to the top of the state.

Tener attended public schools in Pgh., attended "Business College", and was employed by Lewis, Oliver & Phillips (Iron & Steel Mfg.) at the age of 17 and continued his employ with them for the next 5 years all the while being immersed in athletics, most especially America’s growing past time, baseball. He became a player for the Haverhill (Mass.) Team where he became enamored by his first wife, and by 1886 was the Sec./Tres. Of the Chartiers Valley Gas Go., while still playing ball and building his reputation as a good pitcher.

By 1888, he joined the Chicago Nat’l League, 2 seasons and a star pitcher, he also was a member of the A. G. Spalding historic team who made a trip around the world under the leadership of Capt. Adrian Anson, in introducing baseball to many countries, including Egypt and Australia.

Having been a "star pitcher in the glove-less era of baseball", even at the age of 50, Tener played an entire 9 innings of baseball, and told others that his choice of the "all-time, all-star" team was: Lou Gehrig (1st B); Larry Lajoie (2nd B); Honus Wagner (ss), Jimmy Collins (3rd B), Babe Ruth/Ty Cobb/ and Tris Speaker (outfielders), and Buck Ewing ©) with Walter Johnson, Cy Young, and Grover Alexander as the pitchers.

In 1890, Tener resigned from the Chicago Club and began his earnest career in business and finance affairs. This is when Tener came to Charleroi on April 20, 1891, a few short months after founder, Dr. Chandler, had died suddenly in 1890. As the cashier at the First National Bank of Charleroi, by 1898, with his enterprising attitude and winning personality, he rose to become the bank president and for many years there after. He also organized the Charleroi Savings & Trust Co. being its Sec./Treas. as well as being the President of the Mercantile Bridge Co., and was the Director of the Webster-Monessen, Belle Vernon, Fayette City Street Railway Co. (Trolleys) and of the Westside Street Railway Co. (This gives multi-tasking a whole other level of understanding, doesn’t it?)

Charleroi’s "hometown boy" was known as their "first citizen" of renown at the time of his death in 1946 in a Charleroi Mail headline. He was considered a highway czar and signed into legislation ("Sproul Road Bill") that brought many improved state roads to be built in the state - the Sproul Road being "Old Route 71" or the road between Bentleyville and Charleroi - that instituted a complete survey of all state highways with maps and tables of statistics covering 9000 miles being conducted. This organized and set up roads to be "firm, smooth, and convenient to travelers", and provided for Toll Roads to exist as a way to pay off the debts incurred. So, in 1918, 1923, and 1933, road building took off in earnest in PA, driver license fees and a gas tax were instituted to help pay for further building of roads.

Tener was persuaded to enter the political field in 1907-8 and experienced meteoric rise as he did in everything he set his hand to with much due to his entrepreneurial and focused pursuit of getting things done in a short and honest, forthright manner for those he stood for. At 6' 4" and 230 lbs. he was an imposing figure among other men. He was elected to the lower house of Congress, re-nominated in 1910 and that same year was nominated to run for Governor of the state because of his being "Popular John" and being able to solicit much support from many quarters as the people needed someone known for his honesty during a time of deep political corruption. After a vigorous campaign, he was duly elected and sworn in on Jan. 17, 1911 after resigning from his Congressional post and served with honor till the end of his administration in 1915.

Tener signed into law many constructive measures that helped PA prosper and progress for its citizens:

1) Creation of highways and state roads.

2) The School Code.

3) PA Public Utilities Act.

4) Purchase of Capitol Park Extension.

5) Re-organized of all State Govt. Departments.

6) Humanitarian measures such as ensuring that pensions for widows.

7) Signed the Charter for Pittsburg held in 1931 and appointing its first Council.

8) Workmen’s Compensation laws.

9) Department of Labor & Industry Laws.

10) Initiated the State Historical Commission (now PHMC)

11) He presented and signed the adoption of having a "Direct Primary" in PA.

After he completed his political career he was President of the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs for the same reasons that escalated his political career. Brisk honest business dealings with everyone during a time where baseball was suffering from scandalous doings. He served in this capacity for 4 years and then he returned to Charleroi to further conduct business after his time in office, but then moved to Pgh. for business reasons and sold his property to the Flickinger Real Estate Agency who dismantled the house and out buildings and parceled it off to build and sell small houses to glass workers looking for homes. Even to the end of his life, he always claimed Charleroi to be his "home town" and where he made his mark in his life time and in the world.

All that he achieved, Tener did while also being super involved in many clubs, most specifically the Elks and Masons. He was the Grand Treasurer (1904) and 3 years later elected to be the Grand Exalted Ruler (1907) and Head of the Elks National Memorial & H/Q Commission, Chair of the Elks War Relief Commission during and after WWI and during that World War - was associated with Herbert Hoover in the department of food conservation for the family. He was also a member of the Duquesne Club (Pgh.), the National Republican Club (NY), the Nemacolin Club (Wash. PA), and of the Episcopalian denomination of the Christian faith. He was directly involved in the founding of the Business Association that became the Charleroi Chamber of Commerce, being its VP.

On May 19, 1976, at the age of 82, Tener’s life ended due to a heart ailment and after still leading an active life as a successful semi-retired insurance man in NY and Pgh.

(Note: In 1951 - Charleroi Mail - "Scissors" McIlvain tried in vain to get signage designating the location of where the Gov. Tener’s homestead property once was as Charleroi’s "first citizen".

Notes taken from the 1951 Chas. Lundy "History of North Charleroi" booklet. Mr. Lundy passed away in 1988 (b. 1901), he also produced a history on Charleroi that was once used in the Charleroi schools, he having retired from the Pittsburg Railway Co. in 1964 after 44 years of svc. as a "trolley man". Please credit: Mr. Lundy, nacs of CAHS, Dennis Holmes of the Tener Family Assoc.; Steve Russell and the MMVASHF (Mid MV All Sports Hall of Fame); Pittsburgh Today (Harper) 1931; PHMC State Archives.

(Note: As early as 1927, efforts were made to join the 2 Charleroi’s but residents were always resistant to the idea, even to date.)