Burns, Thomas Joseph, 1937-

Thomas J. Burns was born in England in 1876, and after living in San Francisco he settled in Portland, Oregon in 1904. He was a watch repairman by trade and a well-known local personality, and his shop on West Burnside Street in downtown Portland included political books and pamphlets, as well as curiosities and other memorabilia. He was an executive secretary for the Socialist Party of Oregon and published various political pamphlets, tracts and newsletters, including The red flag, The harpoon, and The fax . Among his many dislikes were Communists, Republicans, fascists, big businesses, and organized religions. He died in 1957.

From the guide to the Thomas Joseph Burns papers, 1891-1979, (Oregon Historical Society)