Biography

01/27/1842 - 03/23/1919

Sterling Ross Catlin (R21) Luzerne County (part) 1904-1919

Early Life: 

Sterling Ross Catlin born January 27, 1842, Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania; son of Julius S. and Martha Covell Catlin; public and private schools education; Polytechnic Institute of Philadelphia; master machinist; 30th Emergency Militia, Gettysburg, Civil War, 1863; founder, Helena, Montana, 1864; superintendent, Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 1865-1869; returned, Pennsylvania, 1880; Wilkes-Barre City Council, five years; elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1904-1919; never married; died in office, March 23, 1919, (aged 76) Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, interment Hollenback Cemetery Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

Early Career:  

Apprenticed, machinist; achieved master machinist status.

Enlisted, Civil War, 30th Emergency Militia, Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 

One of the founders of Helena, Montana, 1864. 

Moved, California; Superintendent, Mare Island Navy Yard, 1865-1869, first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean.  

Pennsylvania Politics:

Wilkes-Barre City Council, five years.  

Elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 21^st district, Luzerne County (part) 1904-1919; chair, New County and County Seats Committee; member, Appropriations, Banks and Buildings and Loan Associations, City Passenger Railways, Elections, Executive Nominations, Finance, Legislative Apportionment, Public Roads and Highways and Railroads Committees.

Legacy:

Grandson, General William Ross.

Nephew, Pennsylvania Speaker of the Senate, William Sterling Ross.

Cited: 

Miller, H.P., (Compiler) Baker, W. H., (Assistant Compiler) (1916) Smull’s Legislative Hand Book, Biographical Sketches of Senators, page 1093, 1116, 1123-1126.