Edward Francis Blewitt

Edward Francis Blewitt was born on January 2, 1859, in New Orleans, Louisiana. His parents, Patrick and Catherine (née Scanlon) Blewitt, emigrated from Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland. His grandfather, also named Edward Blewitt, was involved in estate management and construction projects in Ballina.

Blewitt attended Lafayette College, where he served as class president. He graduated in 1879 with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. Following his education, he worked as an engineer in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, focusing on mining operations.

He served as the City Engineer of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and from 1883 to 1893, was the chief engineer overseeing sewer and water system projects in Guadalajara, Mexico. In addition to his engineering roles, Blewitt was elected as school controller of Scranton for a one-year term ending in 1884.

Between 1900 and 1901, he served as the state engineer of Jalisco, Mexico. In 1906, Blewitt was elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 22nd district, serving from 1907 to 1910. Notably, he was the first Irish-Catholic to serve in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

In 1903, Blewitt founded the Edward F. Gold Mining Company, a mining operation in Montana that focused on silver and gold extraction. He also co-founded the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick in Scranton in 1908 and was a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

Blewitt married Mary Ellen Stanton in 1879, and they had four children: Gertrude, Patrick, Arthur, and Geraldine. His wife passed away in 1887. In 1891, he remarried, to Mary Ann Blackwell.

He is a maternal great-grandfather of Joe Biden, the 46th president of the United States, through his daughter Geraldine. Additionally, Blewitt is the grandfather of David Blewitt, an editor known for his work on the "Ghostbusters" films, through his son Patrick.

Edward Blewitt died on May 26, 1926.