JOHN J. KANE

KANE

Posted By: Jake Tornholm (email)
Date: 4/21/2020 at 16:28:00

JOHN J. KANE, a farmer and stock-raiser of section 31, Mercer township, has been identified with the interests of Adams county since 1871. He is a native of New York, born January 27, 1833, the eldest of seven sons and two daughters of Allen and Mary (Stockman) Kane, natives of Belfast, county Antrim, Ireland. The parents were married on Wednesday, and the following Saturday sailed for America, in 1832, locating in Albany, New York, where the father followed the trade of nail-making. He resided there until 1839, when he removed to Philadelphia; in 1846 to Cincinnati, Ohio; and in 1849 to California leaving Cincinnati on the 1st of April, and arriving where Sacramento now stands the 20th of September. He located in what was known as Hangtown, on the American river, where he followed mining successfully until the fall of 1851, when he returned to Ohio, via the Isthmus of Panama and New York. In the spring of 1852 he removed with his family to Iowa and settled on a farm near Dubuque, where he resided until his death, which occurred September 21, 1887, at the age of seventy-nine years. His widow still resides on the old homestead, in the eighty-second year of her age.

Our subject's youth was spent in attending school and working on a farm until twenty-three years of age. In the spring of 1856 he went to California, landing in San Francisco in the midst of the vigilance excitement, and engaged in mining on the Feather river near Oroville for a few months; then went to the northern part of the State, near the Oregon line, where he followed mining successfully until 1859, when he returned to Iowa and engaged in farming in Dubuque county.

He was married, November 26, 1861, to Miss Mary Sullivan, who was born near the city of Cork, Ireland, the daughter of Richard and Honoria (Driscoll) Sullivan, who died when Mrs. Kane was an infant. She was brought to America by an uncle, who settled in Philadelphia, where she was reared until eleven years of age. She then came with her uncle's family to Dubuque county, Iowa, where she grew to womanhood. In the fall of 1870, Mr. Kane came to Adams county and purchased 320 acres of land, on which he built a house and the following spring brought his family. By hard work and close attention to his pursuits, he has now one of the finest farms in Mercer township.

Mr. and Mrs. Kane are the parents of eight children, five of whom are are still living: Allen, Richard, John, Edward, Joseph and Ellen. Three died in childhood. Mr. Kane was bereaved by the loss of his wife by death, July 3, 1888. He has served on the county Board of Supervisors, in all the township offices, and now holds the position of township treasurer. He and his wife are members of the Catholic Church. In politics Mr. Kane is a Democrat. He is a self-made man, and by his own industry has accumulated a large property, which he uses to the best advantage in surrounding himself and family with all the necessary comforts of life, giving his children the advantages of obtaining a good and practical education. By his many years of honest and upright dealings he has won the confidence and esteem of all who know him.