John Placko – A Basking Ridge Icon

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For those who study history, one of the most rewarding aspects is how one story often reveals itself, which then leads to another fascinating story. This is one of those situations. Residing in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, we were researching Widow White’s Tavern and the capture of General Charles Lee in 1776. Just behind where Widow White’s Tavern once stood, John’s home was located. The caretaker for the Conklin estate might have some knowledge about the local history of the tavern and its connections to the surrounding Conklin property.

John “Honey Bee” Placko – Basking Ridge

Let’s start with the basics: John was born in Bernardsville, New Jersey, on September 24, 1915, to John and Susanna (Sussie) Placko. John’s father, John Sr., and his mother, Susanna, were from Czechoslovakia and arrived in America around 1913, first settling in Newark before relocating to Bernardsville.

Records show that in 1940, John Jr. was living on North Maple Avenue in Basking Ridge, working at Hoffman Construction Company in Bernardville. He was 6’2″, 195 pounds, brown eyes, brown hair at the time. John had just married Mildred Holick the previous year, in 1939, at St. Bernard’s Church in Bernardsville, after graduating from Bernards High School in 1936. They would have a son, Gary, two daughters, Diane and Judy, eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

“When I arrived here to work for Franlkin Conklin Jr. in May 1950, there was a lot of wood in the barn, with nails in it that might have been from a torn down house.”

John was referring to what possibly could have been beams from the original Widow White’s Tavern. Betz interview on 8/28/2006

Ten years after John began working for the Conklins, he was given the opportunity to purchase one of the houses around the Conklin estate at 28 Colonial Drive, on the grounds where he had lived from 1960. We found a record that it was sold through Minetta Realtors. Funny, that name was Frances Minetta Fulgraff Conklin, Franklin Conklin Sr.’s wife’s name. He would live there until around 2007, then enter elder care at Bryan Manor in nearby Chester, NJ, where he passed on Sept. 27, 2009.

Harry Demarest (pictured on right) is the son of Eleanor (Demarest) Conklin, wife to Franklin Conklin Jr., and grandson of Franklin Conklin—memories of visiting Lee Lodge. “As a young man, I remember visiting Franklin Conklin Jr’s house for dinner, going for walks in the woods, eating cheese snacks on the porch. Harry confirmed a family secret, confirming the story that “the Widow White’s tavern was destroyed shortly after Franklin Conklin Sr.’s death (to avoid property taxes).”

Postal Worker Career

John served as a rural mail carrier at the Basking Ridge Post Office, starting around 1967. From what I remember, he told a few stories about his Liberty Corner route. However, I do remember one story when he said he would cover for a vacationing postal worker in Basking Ridge.

It took him half the time to finish the route, which amazed the postal managers. The vacationing postal worker got a mouthful when he returned. “Why can’t you do your route as fast as John did it?” or something like that was communicated. He would retire in 1985 after serving for 18 years.

Honey Bee John – Beekeeping

John was an avid beekeeper with many hives throughout the area. I recall visiting several times, examining the dozen or so bee boxes located next to his house. He would show me how not to be afraid of getting stung and how the boxes were laid out to produce the honey. He was known as “Honey Bee John,” and his honey won many awards and was sold at local shops. He pursued his hobby into his nineties and was a member of the Morris County Beekeepers Association.

While beekeeping was his main passion, we met several times, sitting in his living room, discussing his time in the area. He would tell me about his postal route and some of the characters he met along the way. One of those characters was Irwin Richardt, who, over the years, had several run-ins with the local government over property rights. John was his mailman and would stop in frequently to chat. They were friends.

John also mentioned a possible soldier grave across the street from the Conklins at the St. James site, possibly General Lee’s guards who were stabbed after surrendering General Lee to General Harcourt back on the day of General Lee’s 1776 capture.

John Placko

My John Encounter

One morning, I dropped by the Copper Kettle and got two breakfast platters with pancakes. I brought them to John’s house and suggested we take them over to his friend Irwin’s, where we could get some of Irwin’s homemade maple syrup, as that was Irwin’s thing on his Liberty Corner farm. So we packed up and headed over to Irwin’s. As we entered Irwin’s, I immediately felt like I was in the movie “Angry Old Men,” as the vulgarities and name-calling began as soon as John announced who was at the door after a pretty aggressive knock.

I had interviewed Irwin before, but he had since had a stroke and was in pretty bad shape. He was sleeping on a cot in the kitchen. Anyway, John presented him with the pancakes I had bought, but to twist the knife, he gave him the two Smucker’s maple syrup packets that I had gotten at the Copper Kettle, knowing that Irwin would get a rise out of it. And that he did. After a bunch of curses back and forth, the two laughed, and we got down to talking about beekeeping, honey production, and Irwin’s maple syrup endeavors. Least I say, it was the last time I saw the two together.

In, 2009, I went by to see if John was still around and was shocked to see his home had been torn down. I knew he must have died. He had passed away that year. I never got to say goodbye.

Fast Forward 17 Years

People were wondering why write this story 17 years later? Well, I did run into John. I was preparing a story on another topic, and right next to the person I was looking for, there was John. I smiled, had a nice little chat, and went on my way, knowing it was nice to run into an old friend. I also had the opportunity to meet John’s wife for the first time. So I then decided to share his story……..

Townspeople Remember

Townspeople reminisced on social media about their memories of John Placko. If you have a memory of John and would like to share, there is a comment section at the end of the story, and we would love to hear if you have a memory to add.

Side Story:
The Evolution of Widow White’s Tavern & the Area that Became John Placko’s Caretaker Responsibilities

The original story that led to John was about the Widow White’s Tavern, a historical site located on the corner of Colonial and S. Finley Avenue. Rumor had it that a man knew where the lost mantle of Widow White’s Tavern might be, which, as I said in the beginning, one history story leads to another. But this one I got a friend out of the deal.

John Placko Obituary

John Placko Jr., 94, formerly of Basking Ridge, passed away peacefully on Sept. 27, 2009, at Bryan Manor Assisted Living Facility in Chester Township. He celebrated his 94th birthday last Thursday with his family and friends. A funeral service was held on Friday, October 2, 2009, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 140 S. Finley Ave., Basking Ridge, at 10:30 a.m. Interment followed at St. Bernard’s Cemetery, Bernardsville. Relatives and friends may visit at the Gallaway & Crane Funeral Home, 101 S. Finley Ave., Basking Ridge, on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m.

John moved to Basking Ridge in 1950 to become the caretaker of the Conklin Estate. Later, he served as a mail carrier at the Basking Ridge Post Office, retiring in 1985 after 18 years of service. John was an avid beekeeper with many hives throughout the area. He was known as Honey Bee John, with his honey winning many awards and being sold at local shops. He pursued his hobby into his nineties and was a member of the Morris County Beekeepers Association.

He was the oldest living member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Basking Ridge, a former member of the Somerville Elks Lodge No. 1068, BPOE, and had been a member of the former Odd Fellows Lodge No. 263. John is survived by his son, Gary and his wife, Nancy, of Andover, N.J.; two daughters, Diane P. and her husband, E. Haas Gallaway Jr., of Bernardsville, and Judith and her husband, Anthony Davies, of Chichester, England; a brother, Paul of Hudson, Fla.; two sisters, Anne Williams of Mendham and Suzanne Nickel of Middlesex; eight grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his wife, Mildred Holick Placko, who passed away in 2004. Flowers are acceptable, or if you desire, contributions in his memory may be sent to the Basking Ridge Fire Co./First Aid Squad, P.O. Box 326, Basking Ridge, N.J. 07920. The Family of John Placko would like to extend their deep-felt thanks to the staff of Bryan Manor for their care and kindness.

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