First Dillon Family of Marianna
Phillip John Dillon
Birth: November 25, 1887 • Mehaffey Borough, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, USA
Death: October 26, 1954 • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (aged 66)
Phillip was born to Frank (possibly Frank Alexander) Dillon and Sarah Richards Dillon. His mother’s side of the family traced their roots to England, while the origins of the Dillon family line remain, to my knowledge, uncertain.
His given name appears in records as both “Phillip” and “Philip.” In at least one article, he was referred to by the nickname (?) “Steve.”
Early Life Note: According to online documents, Phillip Dillon was living in Ellsworth, Pennsylvania before moving to Marianna around 1922–1923 to take a position as an underground foreman at the Marianna Mine. The home occupied by the Dillon family in Marianna was reportedly the same house that had served as the residence of Engineer and General Superintendent Alexander Conn Beeson for the Marianna Mine in 1910, highlighting the connection between his later role as mine foreman and the property’s earlier significance within the mining community.
Phillip and his wife, Eleanor Dillon (spelled Elinor in the 1930 Census), settled on Beeson Avenue (listed as “Besson Ave” in the census), where they raised a family. In the 1930 Census, their children were recorded as: Eugene (Karl Eugene), Jack (Phillip John “Jack”), William James, Irene (Winifred Irene), and Phyllis Evelyn. Their youngest, Robert Thomas, had not yet been born. The census also notes that their home included a radio set.
The 1950 Census shows Phillip at age 62, still living in Marianna, employed as a mine foreman, and working 60 hours a week.
Phillip served as a councilman and later completed two terms as Burgess, the equivalent of today’s mayor. He was a member of the Marianna Episcopal Methodist Church.
