THE BOST HOUSE, FRANCIS CHRISTIAN BOST

The Bost Building in Homestead, Pennsylvania
The Bost Building, also known as Columbia Hotel, is located on East Eighth Avenue in Homestead, Pennsylvania. During the 1892 Homestead Strike, it was used as headquarters by the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1999.

THE FAMILY OF FRANCIS CHRISTIAN BOST
Francis Christian Bost was the fifth child of Catherine (Renn) (BH-S) and Henry Bost (BH). He was born on the 13th of February, 1861 in Pennsylvania. He was baptised that year with Franciscus (Francis) Bost and Catharina (Catherine) Kunstler as god-parents.
Francis is listed on the Pennsylvania Census for the year 1870 in the village of Baldwin, Mifflin Township. (roll 1294) as being age 10. Called “Frank” by family and friends, he was a blacksmith by trade. In 1880 the census calls him a blacksmith and age 19. (PA Census, Vol 4, sheet 27, line 1 - ID# PA 4525098 Ancestry).
Frank maintained a blacksmith shop behind the Bost Building, which he and his brother William built. That site is now a National Historic Landmark.
According to the biography of Francis Bost, published in the “Memoirs of Allegheny County” (Pennsylvania), he had just finishing shoeing a horse and had mounted it, when hired gunmen of the Pinkerton Detective Agency stormed the area in search of people involved in the Homestead Strike of 1892. In the fracas Frank’s horse was killed under him. Enraged, Bost jumped from the dying animal and proceeded to overcome the Pinkerton man. In the process Frank grabbed the man’s billy club and beat him with his own weapon. That club is displayed in 2000 in the John Heinz History Center.
Frank Bost married a woman by the name of Leona.


LEONA ____________, ____________ (BH-1-5-S)
born: ________ June, 1861 in ____________, Pennsylvania
married: ___________, 1883 to Francis BOST (BH-1-5)
in _______., _________________
died: _______________, in ______________, _______________, _____________
buried: ____________ in ________________ Cemetery, in ________________, ______
source: Bonnie Boyle Harvey Irishdancr@aol.com


CHILDREN OF LEONA (___________) AND FRANCES BOST

1) CHARLES H_____________ BOST (BH-1-5-1)
born: 27 February, 1885 in
mother: Leona (____________) (BH-1-5-S)
father: Francis BOST (BH-1-5)
died: _________ February, 1975 in Carnegie, Pennsylvania
social security #: 209-10-8446

2) EDNA C________________ BOST (BH-1-5-2)
born: _____ July, 1888 in _______________, Pennsylvania
mother: Leona (____________) (BH-1-5-S)
father: Francis BOST (BH-1-5)

3) ALMA ______________ BOST (BH-1-5-3)
born: ____October, 1891 in ______________, Pennsylvania
mother: Leona (____________) (BH-1-5-S)
father: Francis BOST (BH-1-5)

(This family continues on the next page)


4) ELDA _________________ BOST (BH-1-5-4)
born: _____ October, 1893 in _______________, Pennsylvania
mother: Leona (____________) (BH-1-5-S)
father: Francis BOST (BH-1-5)

5) FRANK C_______________ BOST (BH-1-5-5) may be Francis
born: 30 September, 1898 in Homestead, Pennsylvania
mother: Leona (____________) (BH-1-5-S)
father: Francis BOST (BH-1-5)
died: 21 March 1990 in
social security #: 174-03-6673