Last, But Not Least

By Thomas Memmi (Historian, PSP Museum)

A lot of people had come to me recently and asked if I knew who Paul I. Gourley was. They had just noticed his name in the recent Communicator and found a great interest in his age. It indicated that he had just turned 99 years of age, but at least the retirees who were local to my area (Harrisburg) never heard of him. The main questions were: is he the oldest living retired Trooper and was there anyone older? After conversing with Dan Fiscus, the treasurer of the Pennsylvania State Police Retirees Association, it was decided that I should attempt to call him. There was always a chance he wasn’t around anymore. Well, that turned out to be untrue and he was definitely alive. We had several phone conversations and he was able to recall and describe so many things from his long life. Listening to him was like a surreal journey back in time, like things you’ve read about in books, but instead the pages of this old book were talking back to you. I have supplemented his information with other facts available from records and documents. There is a possibility of error within the following as a result of my misunderstanding or misinterpretation of Sergeant Gourley, but they should be minimal and not affect the overall story.

He first wanted to make a correction on his age. He was born on August 9, 1912, and so is only 98 years of age and won’t turn 99 for another three months. Even with this correction, this makes him the oldest known Pennsylvania State Trooper, second to Charles Correll (born October 6, 1913). There is a possibility that someone older does exist, but at this time it’s an unknown. Also, with the information available, he may have the distinction as being the last of the Highway Patrolmen. Paul Gourley was born in a log cabin located on his grandfather’s farm in Westmoreland Township. There was a newer home on the property, but his immediate family lived in the original family home, a log cabin. His father worked at the steel mills at Vandergrift and then Apollo. Paul would graduate from Apollo High School in 1930; Apollo is located across the Kiski River from Vandergrift. Inopportunely he picked the wrong time to graduate. The stock market had crashed the previous year and there weren’t any jobs. It wasn’t that there were very few jobs, but there were almost none to be found. He tried to enlist in most, if not all, branches of the military and they weren’t even accepting new recruits, only reenlistments were occurring. He did find some work on a road crew making 25 cents an hour, but he would try another option.

At the time there was something called the Citizen’s Military Training Camp (CMTC). This program was authorized by the federal government to train volunteers for the military by attempting to produce second lieutenants as a reserve commission. These training camps lasted from 1921 until 1940, with mixed results. The entire process was to take four years with a month long camp held in the summer. Each year the person would advance through the curriculum. Paul selected Fort Hoyal, in Maryland, in order to focus on a position in the artillery. He couldn’t afford an automobile, train, or bus ride and so he hitchhiked back and forth. But the one year his friend did get a car and they charged other people to come along with them. Paul never finished the program, because he applied for a position with the Pennsylvania State Highway Patrol. There was an uncle who was a Justice of the Peace and through his assistance he was able to go through the entrance process, where he provided the required three letters of recommendation. A friend and he both tried together, but only Paul was successful. He was appointed to the Pennsylvania State High Patrol and Safety on December 4, 1933; the term “Safety” having recently been added to the title.

Student Patrolman Gourley had joined the same year the Highway Patrol was celebrating its Tenth Anniversary. The Highway Patrol was formed in 1923 and Captain Wilson C. Price was given command of Motor Code enforcement organization, with his initial recruits being appointed in September of 1923. Gourley trained at the new Training School at 21^st and Herr Streets, Harrisburg. The place was so new the mortar between the bricks was probably still wet. He remembered some of his instructors like Harry E. Meyers, William J. Bynane, J. C. Bricker, and Edward “Shorty” Frey, and Herman J. Roush; Meyers and Frey would later join the Motor Police Training School in Hershey. Frey was his motorcycle instructor in Harrisburg and he would first train the novices with the sidecars on the Indian Scouts. After their riding ability and confidence improved, Frey, who was first appointed to the Highway Patrol on October 6, 1924, had them disconnect the sidecars and ride without them. It was probably a little bit harder for Student Patrolman Gourley, because he never rode two wheeled transportation in his life and that included a bicycle. In fact, he had never ridden a bicycle even after he learned to ride a motorized bike. Failure was not an option for him at the school, because there still weren’t any jobs to be had and they were always reminded that they could be replaced with a three cent stamp. Also, when he arrived at the school there were already six recruits waiting for the rest of the class to arrive, including Gourley, to begin instruction.

Patrolman Gourley graduated in the spring of 1934 (the one inserted photo, that came through Jack Haase, shows Patrolman Gourley the day of his graduation), and he was first sent to the Bellefonte Troop. There were five troops when he began and Bellefonte was designated Troop “C.” Each one of the five troops was divided into two districts. At first, the Highway Patrol didn’t have troops, but only stations. These were all overseen by two inspectors, one was assigned to Hershey and the other was assigned to Greensburg. The first two Troops were created in 1927, Troop “A,” Harrisburg, and Troop “B,” Greensburg. Bellefonte, Troop “C,” became a troop in June of 1928, Troop “D,” Williamsport, was established in September of 1929, and Philadelphia, Troop “E,” was added in May of 1932.

Gourley didn’t stay at Bellefonte very long, but was transferred at the end of May of 1934 to the Smethport Station, which was in the jurisdiction of Troop “C” and situated in its District One. Corporal Roger Pflughfelder was the station commander (Sergeant Gourley would refer to these units as “stations” even though at the time the documentation labeled them as “sub-stations,” but for the sake of argument and respect for Sergeant Gourley, they will be continued to be referred to as “stations” during his Highway Patrol period). The districts were divided into stations typically commanded by a corporal, like Pflughfelder, and then two to four stations were under the command of a sergeant whose command post was placed at one of his stations. In addition, each district was commanded by one lieutenant called an “Inspection Officer.”

Around the time of Gourley’s arrival at the Smethport Station, the Patrolmen were moving from one home to another in the same town. They had gone to a residence owned by Mr. and Mrs. Martin Carlson. Sergeant Gourley recalled that they had occupied two bedrooms in the house, along with another room used as an office. The men on duty at the Carlson house were Corporal Pflughfelder and Patrolmen Robert J. Crozier, John H. Eagen, Paul I. Gourley, and Paul H. Winger (Pflughfelder and Winger would later serve together as corporals in the 1940’s at Troop “C,” Punxsutawney). There were other stations within Troop “C,” District One, including Bellefonte, Coudersport, Dubois, Philipsburg, Ridgway, and Warren.

To be sure, the men at these stations had their share of excitement, but Patrolmen Gourley and Winger had their own exhilarating car chase on Thanksgiving morning in 1934. They received a call from the Mt. Jewett telephone operator that somebody had been seen stealing items from a local store and he might be headed their way. Because of the holiday, there were only two men at the station that day. Winger would use his own Ford and Gourley would join him. They encountered the paroled Scranton man driving a Stutz Bearcat on the main street of Smethport. These sport cars were known for topping 100 miles per hour with their high-performance V-8 engines. The driver of the stolen automobile attempted to get away from the Patrolmen. The cars flew through Smethport heading in the direction of Mt. Jewett. There was no way a machine purchased on a policeman’s salary would outrace the Bearcat. Gourley, for the first and only time in his career, pulled out his .38 Colt revolver and fired once at the vehicle with no apparent effect (whenever your weapon was pulled from your holster, whether it was fired or not, as a Patrolman you had to complete a report). Next, Winger grabbed his spotlight handle and aimed the bright light into the rear window of the Bearcat. The fleeing driver then lost control of the car at a curve about four miles outside of town and drove into a ditch. Sergeant Gourley had a clear memory of the man running from the car with a cigarette in his hand. He saw the glowing embers fall from the cigarette after the escapee swept through the brush. He didn’t get very far. He surrendered later in the day while attempting to hide near the Quaker State Refinery. At his trial the next month he pleaded guilty to the robbery. While in his holding cell he was plotting his escape, but one of his cellmates squealed on him and his plans were foiled.

They didn’t use their motorcycles for that incident and maybe because they weren’t always the safest mode of transportation. The motorcycles were equipped with a tank shifter and a pedal that operated the clutch. He complained to one mechanic that his Scout seemed to be giving him trouble. The mechanic said there was nothing wrong and he was told to continue to use it. Soon after his complaint, he was riding the same motorcycle. He released the clutch while riding and the engine immediately seized. It created a very dangerous situation. The motorcycle was never repaired or used again. Eventually he would no longer ride a Scout, but used the larger and the preferred Indian Chief. One time he was in the town of Franklin, near the old Atlantic Refinery, when he came to stop at the railroad tracks. He momentarily stopped on his red motorcycle and looked both ways for a possible oncoming train. Then a truck was coming from the opposite direction, who had forgotten or wasn’t aware of the tracks. The truck driver slammed on the brakes to make the needed stop. Regrettably, there was another vehicle driving directly behind the truck, but the driver apparently figured he couldn’t stop in time and might slam into the back of the truck; the automobile swerved around the stopped truck and drove into Gourley’s lane. The veering vehicle then made a failed attempt to avoid the motorcycle and its rider. The car hit the left side of the motorcycle knocking its rider and the motorcycle over a guardrail or fence. The Patrolman was very lucky. His Chief received a lot of damage including the right footrest. Sergeant Gourley said the sole of his shoe looked like a collapsed accordion. Fortunately, besides some bumps and bruises, he only broke the toe on his right foot. He remembered other accidents that happened to other Patrolmen. One man was assigned to Troop “A,” Harrisburg. He was somewhere, most likely on patrol. One or both of his tires got stuck for a moment in a trolley track causing him to lose control of his motorcycle and he crashed into the telegraph office. Another rider was struck by a herd of deer that crossed his path as he was driving along a road.

In the spring, Patrolman Paul Gourley was transferred from the Smethport Station to the Greenville Station. The Greenville Station was first formed in May of 1932, and it was under the auspices of Troop “C,” Bellefonte, but in District Two. The other stations for District Two at the time included Clarion, Erie, Franklin, Gerard, Jamestown, Linesville, Meadville, and New Castle.  Lieutenant Arthur Oldham was the Inspection Officer for District Two and he had three sergeants under him responsible for two to four stations each. Sergeant Earl F. McGill was responsible for Greenville, Jamestown, New Castle, and Sharon. It was Sergeant McGill who did the investigation before Gourley could get married. Also, while assigned to the Greenville Station, the Gourley’s first son was born in 1936. For a time at the Smethport Station there were only two men. The other man was Patrolman William E. Stoops, who was originally from Vandergrift and who was there since March of 1935. Therefore, they were without a corporal and were left alone. They did very little patrolling, but focused on enforcing the gasoline tax. They were near the Ohio border and were always on the lookout for “bootleg gas.” There was also a nearby gas station where they checked their records. For the Highway Patrol, in general, there was a greater focus on collecting on bad checks given to the Motor Vehicles Bureau, and they also spent a lot of time checking gas stations to see if they had the proper permits for operation. Their activities gradually shifted from enforcing the Motor Vehicle Code to more of a collection agency. Captain Price was not happy with the circumstances, but there was very little he could do. It was a double-edged sword being under the Department of Revenue.

There was always plenty of money for Pennsylvania High Patrol and Safety. The funds they received came from automobile registration fees, driver’s license fees, and the gasoline tax. The total expenditures for a two-year period ending in 1933, was $2,423,471 and most of that (55%) was for salaries that were $1,328,099 with a total personnel of 513 persons. The expenditures were determined by the Governor’s Budget Officer and because of the Administrative Code; the legislatures had no power in limiting expenditures. This was the main reason the modern facility was built at 21^st and Herr. They simply had the money to do it. On the other hand, Major Lynn G. Adams, Superintendent of the Pennsylvania State Police, had to receive budget approval each year with the legislature making the decisions. It was the way representative government is supposed to work, but as Sergeant Gourley stated, “they had patches on their pants.” Could this have brought some animosity between the groups? Probably so, but Sergeant Gourley believed it was the personality of the individuals that caused ill feelings between individuals of both the organizations.

If you were an easy going person and could get along with most people, he thought it was relatively easy to interact in a positive fashion. He would stop in on occasion at the State Police Substation at Kane just to say hello. Sure the Troopers would make fun of their new midnight blue uniforms with the red trim and tell them they looked like members of the Salvation Army. They were designed by Governor George Earle’s wife. Some Troopers would poke fun at their attire and sometimes an angry response would follow. The truth is they really looked their part in those striking uniforms.

In December of 1935, the Greenville Station received its third member, Patrolman Michael D. Hoyman. They were still short a corporal. A year later Gourley was transferred to the Warren Station, Hoyman was moved to the Butler Station, and Stoops remained. Their replacements were Patrolmen William James and David Berenson, from Warren and Beaver Falls Stations, respectively. Later the Greenville Station was discontinued on April of 1937, when the merger appeared eminent. Its discontinuation transpired despite the efforts of the Greenville Motor Club; Patrolmen Edward E. Kissinger and N. L. Norris were the first two Patrolmen at Greenville in 1932.

At the end of 1936, Patrolman Gourley was at the Warren Station. Warren was formally under Troop “C,” District One, but Troop “F,” Franklin, was formed in February of 1936, making them the sixth and final troop of the Highway Patrol. Warren was placed under the authority of Troop “F.” Captain John M. Bender was the troop’s first captain and his initial District Inspection Officers were Lieutenants Arthur J. Oldham and Herman J. Roush. Sergeant Gourley remembered it as a very hectic time, with Patrolmen being transferred from station to station. Lieutenant Roush was placed in charge of Gourley’s district, and Roush was first appointed to the Highway Patrol on September 22, 1924. Previously when Roush was a sergeant in Troop “A,” District Two, he was responsible for the Lewistown and Huntington Stations. He took that position in August of 1934, and before that he was an instructor at the Training School for about nine years. In January of 1936, Roush was promoted to first sergeant and returned to 21^st and Herr. It was a quick promotion to lieutenant for him and he returned to western part of the state to Erie were his command post was now located (The one inserted photo, probably dated from the late 1920’s, is of Patrolmen at Lawrence Park, Erie; this image came from the collection of Sergeant Martin V. Law and is found on PSP Museum’s Facebook Internet Webpage). In July of 1937, the merger between the Pennsylvania State High Patrol and Safety and the Pennsylvania State Police happened. At that time, at the Warren Station, the men assigned to this patrol unit were Corporal John Bartlett, and Patrolmen Albert W. Boring, Leslie G. Forbes, and Gourley.

At first the new commissioner, Admiral Percy Foote, added the existing five troops of the State Police and to the existing six troops of the Highway Patrol, creating a Pennsylvania Motor Police with 11 troops. This was only temporary and Franklin remained, at least for brief moment, as Troop “F.” Arthur J. Oldham was promoted to captain and was given command of the temporary troop. Then more troops were added, followed with a realignment of all the troops. Franklin was reduced to a substation and Erie became troop headquarters as Troop “E,” Squadron One. Captain Oldham then became the new commander for Troop “C,” Punxsutawney, and Lieutenant Roush became the commander of Troop “E.” The Warren Substation, Gourley’s assignment, was then attached to Troop “E.” The other substations for Troop “E,” besides Warren and Franklin, were Corry, Meadville, and West Springfield. Troop “E,” Erie, on March 1, 1938, had 18 men assigned to troop headquarters, with 36 men distributed to the five substations.

Admiral Foote did something else. He got those dangerous motorcycles gradually off the road and introduced safer patrol cars. The first purchased vehicles were the 1937 Hudson Terraplanes, but Sergeant Gourley first remembered driving a 1938 Plymouth, white with the black hood. Although he was only a private, he got the first “Ghost Car” at the Warren Substation, even before the corporal got his. The corporal wasn’t very happy. Gourley also drove one of the early Ford patrol cars and was once in a car chase. He pressed the brake pedal, but it didn’t work. The car didn’t slow down until he eventually coasted to a stop. He was shaking when he got out of the vehicle. He also remembered that there were two mechanics who were assigned to the Franklin Station before the merger. John Kinsky and R. B. Shank may have remained after the merger in a similar capacity. While stationed at Warren, he and his wife had their second and last son in 1939. That same year, Gourley was moved to the Franklin Substation. His one corporal at Franklin was Durward A. Gehr, who was later replaced by another corporal, George Sifter. Sergeant Gourley described their unit as an Examination Detail.

Sergeant Gourley recalled the formation of the Emergency Troops following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Each troop selected a group of men and, in turn, would assemble with other groups of men from the other troops of a particular squadron. Two Emergency Platoons formed an Emergency Troop, and two Emergency Troops formed an Emergency Battalion. Gourley was selected in that capacity and, in his case, Squadron One’s Emergency Battalion would drill at Troop “D,” Butler, but would also assemble at Troop “A,” Greensburg, because Greensburg was Squadron One Headquarters (the one inserted photo shows the Emergency Battalion, of Squadron One, at Greensburg; the captain of the unit should be standing front and center). They would prepare for a possible enemy invasion, and usually a captain would command the Emergency Battalion. He remained at the Franklin Station until he was sent to troop headquarters in Erie in 1944.

Gourley also performed strike duty. In March of 1946, talks had broken down between management of Westinghouse and the CIO United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers union. The strikers then began to disrupt those who attempted to enter the Allegheny County plant. They were trying to get inside and wanted to keep production flowing. Some of them were non-striking production employees, and the rest were comprised of white collar workers, office employees. Sheriff Walter C. Monaghan and his deputies, numbering around 50, were unable to maintain unfettered access for all workers. Some female protestors hit these “scabs” with their hats and powder puffs. Most people were yelling, some used a loud speaker to cast their taunts, many held picket signs, and still others enjoyed throwing eggs. The sheriff contacted Governor Edward Martin for help from his State Police. The State Police used the Greensburg Troop as a staging area. When Governor Martin felt it was necessary, and with the support of Captain Andrew Hudock and Major William F. Hoffman, squadron commander, he sent the Troopers to the Westinghouse plant in East Pittsburgh. They used horse trucks and the men went by car on March 26, 1946. There were about 24 mounted men and another 200 or more dismounted, including Private First Class Paul Gourley, to take control and to end any law breaking. There were successful in maintaining a clear path for those who wanted to work.

On January 1, 1950, Gourley was promoted to corporal, and then eight years later, on January 16, 1958, he was awarded the rank of sergeant. He stayed at troop headquarters in Erie until they needed him, as a sergeant, to oversee the Franklin Substation in 1960. At the time Captain Russel Knies had been in charge of Troop “E,” but was replaced by Captain John Chrin on February 11, 1960; Knies had just been promoted major. Sergeant Kenneth Leeper was initially placed at Franklin in March of 1957, but was sent back to headquarters and was relieved by Sergeant Gourley. On April 20, 1960, Sergeant Gourley retired and was replaced by Sergeant Walter J. Heuer, who previously had been a corporal at the Franklin Substation. Sergeant Gourley then got a job working for a construction company, but still kept his home in Erie. He held that job for 22 years and his new occupation required him to travel between Pennsylvania and Florida. He enjoyed the Florida sun so much, that he retired from his second career and moved to Palmetto in 1987, where he lives until this day.

Jack Haase made reference to Sergeant Paul I. Gourley in his Retirees Scoops from the January 2008 edition of The Communicator.