Biography of Matthew Gage

Matthew Gage. – Perhaps no part of the United States, or the world, abounds in men of larger mental grasp, more daring enterprise and greater executive ability than does Southern California; men who possess the genius to conceive and the courage to undertake and carry forward to completion gigantic schemes which advance the welfare of whole communities and are so far-reaching in their effects that their benefits cannot be computed. Among the first of this class of public benefactors ranks Matthew Gage, the founder and constructor of the great irrigating canal and water system which bears his name. Born in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Michael J. Kelley

Kelley, Michael J.; contractor; born, Ireland, Sept. 5, 1850; son of William and Margaret Clarke Kelly; educated, Cloughans National School; married, Cleveland, July 8, 1895; Margaret Corley; one daughter; was chairman of the County Democratic Central Committee, in 1908; member The Knights of St. John and Catholic Mutual Benevolent Ass’n.

Biography of Alfred O’Donnell, M. D.

Alfred O’Donnell, M. D. The name of O’Donnell had been associated for many years in Ellsworth County with the profession of medicine. Dr. Alfred O’Donnell began practice at Ellsworth about ten years ago as successor to an older brother, and his worth had brought him a fair degree of fame and some of the best honors and achievements of the successful physician and surgeon. Doctor O’Donnell had lived most of his life in Kansas but was born in County Clare, Ireland, June 6, 1876. His father, John O’Donnell, was born in the same county of Ireland in 1837, grew up … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Patrick McInerney, Rev.

Rev. Patrick McInerney is pastor of the Assumption Catholic Church of Topeka. Reared and trained for the duties of the priesthood abroad, he has been in the ministry of the church in America for the past eighteen years, and all that time has been spent in Kansas. He is an able priest, devoted to the cause, and has an important record of constructive work in the various parishes where he has served. One of the eleven children of Patrick and Bridget (Purcell) McInerney, he was born in Ireland March 6, 1876. He attended the local schools of Ireland and the … Read more

Biography of William Hunt

Practically all of the Hunts in America are of English descent, and a family of this name coming from Ireland is rarely to be met with. Those about to be mentioned, however, are the exception. and are numbered among the great mass of their countrymen who, while preserving their identity to a greater or less extent, have become one of the important component parts of the American people. Among the sturdy Irishmen who were compelled by famine and oppression to emigrate to the United States prior to 1850, was William Hunt, a native of Queens county. Instead of remaining for … Read more

Biography of Michael Stanton

Michael Stanton. Honored among the oldest settlers of Northeastern Kansas are Michael Stanton and his wife Maria (Melody) Stanton, of Leavenworth. Theirs had been an ideal life. For nearly three score years they have been married, years of happiness, of hard work and of useful, frugal living, and as the evening shadows of their earthly pilgrimage lengthen their retrospective view brings to them but little to regret and much for which they are thankful. Each had lived beyond the Psalmist’s allotted three-score-and-ten, and their married life of fifty-eight years of happiness not unmixed with sorrow, as is usual in the … Read more

Biography of John Murphy

John Murphy. A fine farm, a good home, an excellent family belong to John Murphy, one of the prominent residents of Kerr Township, his well cultivated acres being located in section 32. Mr. Murphy is a native of Ireland, a son of Martin and Mary Murphy. He grew up in his native isle and was twenty-four years of age when, seeking the better opportunities of the New World, he immigrated to America and came direct to Champaign County. This section of the New World seemed to offer especial promise to young men of limited capital and unlimited energy and he … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Julia Hickey

John & Julia Hickey emigrated to the United States from Ireland. John came in 1802. Julia was born in Ireland in 1814 and then the time of famine was in her country. Her parents sent her and her brother away from home “to try to make their way to America” because there was no food at home for them. Her mother’s last words as she shut the door were “never look back.” She and her brother started walking to the sea. Julia boarded a ship as a “stowaway” and reached the United States. She never saw or heard from her … Read more

Biography of Harold McGugin

Harold McGugin. The McGugin family came from Ireland to the United States many years ago, the first of the name in America appearing in Pennsylvania. Removal was subsequently made to Ohio and the family records do not definitely prove whether David McGugin, the grandfather of Harold McGugin, one of the able young attorneys of the Coffeyville bar, was born before or after the family exodus. He was a farmer and a merchant and died in Montgomery County, Kansas, prior to the birth of his grandson. He may thus be numbered with the pioneers of this section. William McGugin, son of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Jerry Gorman

Jerry Gorman. One of the most widely known men of Champaign County is Jerry Gorman. Mr. Gorman has had an unusual career of achievement. He is a hard working and thrifty Irishman,’ never had any special advantages when a boy, and has relied on honest toil and judgment born of experience to place him in the front rank of farmers and land owners. He was born in Ireland, came to America when a young boy grew up on farms in Grundy County, Illinois, where he worked out as a hired laborer, and in 1875 he came to Champaign County. At … Read more

Biography of Thomas Sharp

Thomas Sharp was a native of Ireland, but emigrated to America, and settled first in Pennsylvania, from whence he removed to Washington Co., Va. He was married twice, and by his first wife he had John, Thomas, Jr., and Benjamin. By his second wife he had but one child, David, who became a Methodist minister, and lived and died in Virginia. Thomas, Jr., settled in Kentucky. Benjamin was a soldier in the revolutionary war, and was in Colonel Campbell’s command at the battle of King’s Mountain. He married Hannah Fulkerson, of Virginia, and their children were James F.. John D., … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John Gilkey

John Gilkey, of Ireland, married Jemima Pattenger, of Virginia, by whom he had Allen, John, David, Elizabeth, Samuel, Barbara, William, and Thomas. David married Sally A. Murdock, by whom he had Erasmus D., John G., William L., Sarah E., James P., and Ellen W. Mr. Gilkey settled in Warren County in 1824, and his wife died in 1830 He afterward married Polly Wyatt, when he was seventy-five years old. William L. Gilkey married Elizabeth Liles. Sarah E. married James Bowen. Jemima P. married William C. Gilkey, her cousin. Ellen W. married Samuel Kennedy.

Biography of John H. Thornton

Mr. John H. Thornton, veteran of the Civil War and for many years employed in the Government service at Rock Island Arsenal, was born in Ireland June 24, 1847, and died at his home in Moline July 9, 1903. He was the son of Patrick and Mary Thornton and came to America with his parents while an infant, aged nine months. The mother died in Rochester, New York, after which the father removed to Philadelphia, from which city, at the age of sixteen, young Thornton enlisted, July 26, 1862, in Company Fifty-three, Twenty-Ninth Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, Third Infrntry. His Company … Read more

Lee, Mary O’Conner O’Farrell – Obituary

This community was saddened on Christmas day when the news reached here of the passing of Mrs. Mary C. Lee [December 25, 1926], at the home of her son in Tacoma. She had made her home for the past few years with her son Daniel. Mrs. Lee was born in Ireland and spent her early life in Melbourne, Australia, being married in New Zealand. In September she met with an accident and broke a hip and since that time had been confined to her home and with her advanced age, she soon grew weaker, quietly passing in the great beyond, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James McCormick

The business enterprises of the little city of Pescadero are largely represented by the interests of James McCormick, who though not a native Californian, has thrown himself heartily into the upbuilding. .of his adopted land, which owes much to his earnest efforts. He was born in Ireland in 1841, the son of Peter and Catherine (Gibeny) McCormick. His parents emigrated when he was seven years of age, settling in Cathage, Jefferson County, N. Y.. In 1863, James McCormick left home, for San Francisco, and arrived in that city January 15, 1864. After about nine months in Santa Cruz, he came … Read more

Biography of Jeremiah Hays

Jeremiah Hays, of Ireland, married Jane Moore, of Scotland, and came to America and settled in Bourbon County, Kentucky, where they had Mary, Delila, Nancy, Joanna, Absalom, Jane, Thomas, Joseph, and Mahala. Mr. Hays, with his wife and two daughters, Jane and Mahala, started to Montgomery County, Mo., but when they reached St. Louis he died. His widow and children settled near Marthasville. Jane married Oliver McCleur, of Pennsylvania, who was a blacksmith, and settled in Warren County. Mahala married John Ward, of Kentucky, who was a hatter, and also settled in Warren County. Absalom and Joseph Hays came to … Read more

Threads of ancestors, Telford – Ritchie – Mize

Threads of ancestors, Telford - Ritchie - Mize: a link among the days which binds the generations each with each

“Threads of Ancestors: Telford – Ritchie – Mize: A Link Among the Days Which Binds the Generations Each with Each,” authored by Leila Ritchie Mize and Jessie Julia Mize, explores the intricate tapestry of family lineage and migration across continents and centuries. Tracing roots back to Alexander Telford Sr., who settled near Rockbridge, Virginia around 1760, this book delves into the journeys and settlements of his descendants across the United States. Highlighting the Scotch-Irish origins of these families, the authors meticulously draw upon an extensive array of sources, including family Bibles, historical records, and personal diaries, to provide a detailed account of the Telford, Ritchie, and Mize families. Their narrative not only charts the genealogical paths of these families but also illuminates their substantial roles in the historical and cultural development of the regions they inhabited. This work stands as a testament to the enduring bonds and shared heritage that link successive generations, forming a foundational piece for both family members and historians interested in the Scotch-Irish contribution to American history.

Biographical Sketch of Patrick Duffy

Patrick Duffy, from Ireland, came to Cambridge about 1820, and located on road 49, where he resided until his death in 1865, aged sixty-four. He had a family of eight children. Margaret E., the eldest, became the wife of Edward Henley, in 1850. Mr. Henley died in 1875, leaving four children.

O’Farrell, Daniel – Obituary

Daniel O’Farrell, a resident of the State of Washington for the last 43 years, died Monday morning [March 2, 1914] at 4 o’clock in the Puyallup Hospital. He was 79 years old and was well known throughout the state. Mr. O’Farrell was born in Ireland. In 1870 he came to Washington, settling in the Puyallup valley at the junction of the Puyallup and Stuck rivers. The funeral will be held Wednesday morning at 10 o’clock in the Puyallup Catholic Church. The body will be brought to Tacoma for interment in Tacoma Cemetery by the Spurr & Dunlap Company. Mr. O’Farrell … Read more

Genealogy of the Lewis family in America

Genealogy of the Lewis family in America

Free: Genealogy of the Lewis family in America, from the middle of the seventeenth century down to the present time. Download the full manuscript. About the middle of the seventeenth century four brothers of the Lewis family left Wales, viz.: Samuel, went to Portugal; nothing more is known of him; William, married a Miss McClelland, and died in Ireland, leaving only one son, Andrew; General Robert, died in Gloucester county, Va. ; and John, died in Hanover county, Va. It is Andrews descendants who are featured in the manuscript.