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John Dougherty
Born 1836 |
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JOHN DOUGHERTY is one of the natives of Ireland who have been prominent in the development and success of Linn County, where he has resided from its early days. He owns a good homestead situated on section 7, Buffalo Township, and to the improvement of this property he has devoted the past quarter of a century.
The birth of our subject occurred in the northern part of the Emerald Isle in 1836. He is a son of Michael and Anna Dougherty, who like him were natives of Ireland, where they passed their entire lives. The boyhood and youth of our subject were passed near the place of his birth and he received such school advantages as the neighborhood afforded until he was fifteen years of age. He was a great reader and an ambitious young man and early made up his mind that he would try his fortunes in America. Accordingly in 1851, when in his sixteenth year, he took passage on a sailing-vessel bound for New York City. On reaching his destination he proceeded to Cambria County, Pa., and secured employment for a time near Johnstown. As he was possessed of industrious and persevering qualities, and was ready to work at whatever came to hand by which he could make an honest dollar, he managed to lay aside regularly a small sum, and five years after landing in the United States a stranger without any means, he came to Iowa and secured a contract on railway construction work. In that line of business he acted as a foreman for some years and made a good success of his undertakings.
During this time his home was mainly in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, but he kept his eyes and ears open to opportunities, and becoming confident that Jones County was an ideal location for enterprising farmers, he came here in 1867 and became the owner of a small tract of land. To this as the years have passed he has continually added adjoining land until his farm now numbers two hundred and eighty acres. This property, which is very fertile, is finely adapted for the raising of certain crops and brings in the owner a steady income, amply sufficient for the needs of his family; he is also enabled to lay aside a certain sum for his declining years. The property is well improved with good barns and a substantial residence and the owner takes great pride in keeping everything about the place in good order.
July 3, 1861, Mr. Dougherty was married in Cascade, Iowa, to Miss Mary Hayes, who was born in Ireland. The worthy couple have had born to them nine children, four sons and five daughters, who in the order of their birth are as follows: Maggie, John, Annie, Mary, Barney, Sadie, Tressa, Grace and James.
Mr. and Mrs. Dougherty were reared in the faith of the Catholic Church, to which they still adhere and are regular attendants of the congregation of Buffalo. Politically our subject is a Democrat and takes great interest in all matters relating to the affairs of his party, He lives in Linn County but owns land in Jones County, where he carries on business.
Source: Dubuque, Jones, and Clayton Counties History, 1894, pg. 186
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© Copyright 1997-2013, The Art Department, © Copyright 2014-2020, Richard Harrison.
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