On May 1 1898 then Commodore George Dewey was victorious in the first major engagement of the Spanish American War: The Battle of Manila Bay ,and became an instant hero back home. On that same day in Bristol Ct, Bridget(Doyle) and John H. Thomas gave birth to their first and only child and aptly named him James "Dewey" Thomas , forever linking him to the historic events of the day. James would live his entire life in Bristol and attended Federal Hill School(Thomas Patterson School) and then Bristol High School. The Thomas family lived in several homes in the cities center (Pleasant Street , and North Main) but permanently settled in a home on 445/447 West St. When it came time to enter the workforce, James wanted to follow his fathers footsteps and work on the Trolley Cars but his father objected and convinced him to enroll in the Morse School of Business. His heart was never in it and eventually he went to work for the Bristol & Plainville Tramway Co. in 1919. He worked as a motorman and conductor for the company and it would be difficult to find a person who loved his job more. James was particularly fond of the Federal Hill (Woodland St line) and Trolley 37. Nicknamed "Sunny Jim", he was known for his friendly personality and service to his passengers. In 1924 James married Maria( Mary) (Balgenorth) at a lovely ceremony at St. Joseph's Church. They would be married for over 60 years until James death in 1985. Tho couple resided on West St where they raised their two daughters Genevieve and Marie. In 1935 the buses replaced the trolleys and James stayed with the Company becoming a bus driver. He loved being a bus driver but not quiet as much as the Trolleys. Retirement in 1965 did not slow James down. He organized and ran trips with sponsorship from the Bristol Senior Center. He continued to be an avid collector of any trolley,railroad or bus memorabilia. Mostly, he loved to share stories of the days on the Trolley and would often agree to do newspaper interviews or just flag down an interested family member,neighbor or friend. In the 1960's and 70's when public transportation became practically nonexistent in the City of Bristol, James took up the fight for it's improvement. Failing health in the 1980's left him mostly home bound but he still had his front porch and his six grandchildren to retell the glory days of the Bristol & Plainville Traction Co and the era of the Trolley. James died in 1985 at the age of 87. He was a kind , helpful and friendly person who loved and took care of his family. James was one of those people that could not be separated from what he did in life. If there are Trolley's in heaven , I am sure he is a conductor.