Louise Gaffney Flannigan Papers

Louise B. Gaffney Flannigan was born on June 14, 1867, in New Haven, Connecticut, in a house on Portsea Street (possibly 272 Portsea Street). As the sister and then wife of railroad men, Louise was the "poetess" of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Lodge #201, in New Haven, Connecticut (also referred to as the Elm City Lodge), whose members were employed by the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. Louise wrote poems and memorials to those who died in the line of duty, or in celebration of their heroism and fortitude. Some of her writings were published in such magazines as The American Federationist and The Railroad Brakemen’s Journal, and in the local newspaper, the New Haven Register.

A Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Lodge, #388 (possibly number 336), in Needles, California, was named in honor of Louise Gaffney Flannigan.

Louise married Francis J. Flannigan (Frank), a railroad brakeman, in 1889. Louise and Frank had seven children – Frederick, Isabel, Elvira, Frank, Viola, Rhetta Louise, and Virginia.

Frank Flannigan was born on March 21, 1864, in Ireland. Family legend describes his early life in this way: Frank came to the United States through Canada and was put into an orphanage in New York City. He ran away from the orphanage and "went out west" to join the army. On a train going west he met a man named Dave Medill who befriended him. Medill told him that when he got out of the army to come to New Haven, Connecticut, and he would help him get a job on the railroad, the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. Frank did just that -- when he got to New Haven, Medill helped him find a room and board and sent him to the Portsea Street address where he met Louise.

Frank died in a railroad accident on February 11, 1915. His death is described, again through family legend, in this way: The railroad switched its warning system for incoming trains from bells to electric flashing lights. Frank did not know the switch had taken place that day and was crushed to death by a train. This took place at Union Station in New Haven, Connecticut. Louise would not sue the railroad after Frank's death and the railroad apparently promised to hire her children for jobs with the railroad if they so wished.

Family legend also has it that Louise's brother Fred, known as "Gaff" (and referred to frequently in her poems and writings), went off to fight in the Spanish American War (1898-1899) but came down ill with diptheria and "Louise brought him home to die."

Little is known about Louise's life after Frank's death except that she lived in her sister Isabella's house on Portsea Street and herself worked for the railroad "in the office" until she retired in 1936. Louise died on May 2, 1949. Both Frank and Louise are buried at St. Bernard Cemetery in West Haven, Connecticut.