Tony Gorman

Following is an interesting story from Raymond's 125 Years of Memories book about Tony Gorman and his family. Tony first served as postmaster in Raymond and then later as the village police officer for many years. The story hints at some of the surprising darker sides of Raymond from back in the day. 

Anthony Richard (Tony) Gorman was born in Loughrea, Ireland in 1879, the youngest son of Michael J. Gorman and Eleanora Carrick. One-by-one the Gormans crossed the ocean to make their home in the United States, and Tony played a big part in the history of Raymond.

When Tony and his mother left Ireland, they came to Farmersville where Tony’s sister, Mary, had married John Convery. Anthony worked on the farm for his brother-in-law. In 1902, he married Katherine Abbott, and she died in 1912.

Tony moved to Raymond soon after her death. He was always an ardent Democrat and, under the party “spoils” system, he was appointed postmaster of Raymond by President Woodrow Wilson. He served in this position from 1916-1920. During that time his niece, Mayme Convery, was also employed in the post office. She served several terms as postmistress, and she was succeeded by her nephew, John “Jack” Convery, a great-nephew of Tony Gorman.

When he moved to Raymond, Tony bought a farm at the north edge of town, near the land which is now the Shoal Creek golf course. A picture taken about 1918 shows the Gorman family in front of the Victorian porch of the home which was torn down in the 1980’s.

Anthony Gorman and Lucy file were married at St. Raymond’s Church in 1920. Their first daughter, Marie, was born in 1921. She attended the Raymond schools and received a M.S. in Library Science from the University of Illinois. Their second daughter, Anna, was born in 1923. She also graduated from the Raymond schools and received her Doctorate of Education at the University of Illinois. She taught at the University of Kentucky, Ohio State University, and Oklahoma State University. She is the only one of the family to address the graduates of Lincolnwood High School at commencement. Marie married Edward Verbout and they moved to Tuscon, AZ in 1962, where they raised their five children. Anna moved to Tucson in 1992 after she retired from OSU.

From 1923, until his death in 1947, Tony Gorman was the only peace officer in Raymond. On the night Anna was born, October 21, 1923, Tony wasn’t at home with his wife. He was at a Ku Klux Klan gathering which was being held in the southeast part of Raymond known as “Pin Hook.” Members of the Klan wore white sheets and gathered around a large fire. Tony was there in his capacity of night watchman.

His hours were from sundown to dawn - at least twelve hours in winter and ten hours in the summer. He worked every night - 365 nights each year. He never had a vacation, except when he was ill and missed several months of work - and pay - in 1929. During the Depression years, his salary was cut in half, which amounted to a pay of $50 every month.

The two-cell jail was in the town hall, and it was seldom occupied. Vagrants were called “bums” or “hobos” and Tony escorted them to the edge of town. Another of his duties was to see that the sun did not set on a black person in Raymond.

His nightly duties were to check each business to see that it was locked and to check the stoves and furnaces in winter to watch for fire. He was asked to attend the high school basketball games when Waggoner was the opponent -- there might be some fighting when those two teams met. Crime, though, was not prevalent. Once, when the bank was robbed, Tony jumped on the running board of the getaway car. He was thrown off the car and cut his head.

In the 1940’s the town of Raymond installed a city water system. The well was two miles east of town and Tony walked there and back three times a week to check on the pump. He also kept the water filled, and he read all the meters in town once a month -- “on foot.”

His police “station” was the office of the elevator. He would walk home at midnight for his lunch. That’s where he was when he suffered a heart attack. He died two weeks later, on October 19, 1947 and is buried in St. Raymond’s Cemetery with his wife, Lucy File.

Although there were three Gorman sons who came to America, only one had male children who survived. The Gorman students attending Lincolnwood High School in Raymond are Tony Gorman’s brother, Michael’s great-grandchildren. Tony’s five grandchildren are Phil Verbout, Mike Verbout, Mary Verbout, Theresa Yslas, and Rose Phelps.