EASTON, Pa. — Political leaders, community members and family of the late state Rep. James Prendergast came together Thursday to dedicate the 13th Street Bridge in his honor.
State Rep. Robert Freeman, joined by state Rep. Tim Brennan and Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr., came out on a rainy day to dedicate the small bridge just off the former Simon Silk Mill and unveil a sign declaring it the Honorable James F. Prendergast Memorial Bridge.
Prendergast served as state representative for the 136th District from 1958-78.
He rose through the ranks to work in numerous leadership positions in the House Democratic Caucus as secretary, chairman and administrator.
“It is fitting that this bridge is named in his honor, recognizing his public service as a legislator, his outstanding war record as a veteran of the Second World War, and as a respected community leader."State Rep. Robert Freeman
Before that, he was a fixture in Easton. A graduate of Easton Area High School and Lafayette College, he got a law degree at Georgetown University and opened a practice in Easton in 1953.
Prendergast joined the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, serving in the Pacific theater, where he was awarded a Navy Cross and two Purple Hearts.
During the war, he fought in the battle of Saipan Island, a critical strategic location in the war against Japan, and was wounded, losing his right arm.
“It is fitting that this bridge is named in his honor, recognizing his public service as a legislator, his outstanding war record as a veteran of the Second World War, and as a respected community leader,” Freeman said.
“His family is rightly proud of him, his legacy and all that he accomplished in his lifetime.”
'Defines what it means to be American'
Brennan spoke on his history with the Prendergast family, whom he has known for about 20 years.
He reflected on stories shared with him by Tim Prendergast, James Pendergast’s son, and how his father occasionally would use his wooden arm as a gavel or swing it at other legislators.
It was “a right he earned from the sacrifices that he gave,” Brennan said.
Brennan spoke cheekily of the state dog, the Great Dane, and how much the Prendergast family loved the breed, positing it as a question of correlation or causation.
He said Prendergast was a good friend of K. Leroy Irvis, the first Black person to serve as Speaker of the House in any legislature since the Reconstruction, and their joint fight against race-based discrimination in Harrisburg and across the country.
“So I think it's very fitting that we're here at this bridge," Brennan said. "This is a bridge that the Prendergast family used to fish under with Representative Prendergast.
“And, you know, from all those stories that I heard, I learned that Representative James F. Prendergast was a character, but he was obviously, most characteristically, an American hero, a Pennsylvania statesman, a family man that passed his good heart on to seven kids and, I've been updated that there are 12 grandkids.
"A man who spent his entire life in service of his government and his fellow man, risking all and sacrificing much. As we noted, he lost his right arm fighting for his country and the democratic principles that define what it means to be an American.”
'He connected people'
According to Brennan, Prendergast embodied the spirit of patriotism noted in an Adelaide Stevenson quote: “Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady devotion of a lifetime.”
“Today, we may simply be naming a bridge, but this dedication helps us remember and reaffirm that with our nation's freedom comes great responsibility, and with our prosperity comes the mantle of leadership,” Brennan said.
"We couldn’t be more thankful.”Tim Pendergast
“It is the exact type of leadership and responsibility that was exemplified by the man that we honor here today. Thank you, Representative Prendergast, for your service and for your sacrifices, and this is a well-earned honor.”
Panto reminisced about his own time with the family, playing together as children, working alongside the Prendergast family, and even a time when Prendergast got a young Panto out of a speeding ticket.
“Jim Prendergast was a bridge," Panto said. "He was a person, but he was a bridge. He connected people.”
After a quick trip over to unveil the sign and take a few photos with the family, Tim Prendergast said, “It's an incredible honor."
"We have nine generations of Prendergasts who were baptized at St. Bernard's in Easton," he said. "We have a strong ties to the community.
“We are very grateful to Mayor Panto, to Representative Freeman and to Representative Brennan for this honor and for taking our family into consideration of my father's service to this community.
"We couldn’t be more thankful.”
