James Phelan

PHELAN, FRENCH

Posted By: County Coordinator (email)
Date: 11/9/2006 at 14:40:55

James Phelan, for nearly twenty-seven years a highly respected citizen of Boone county, was born in Ireland in 1821, until between sixteen and seventeen years of age his time was occupied in acquiring an education, in 1840 he emigrated to America and settled in Midland District, now Kingston, near Montreal, Canada, in 1845 he came to the United States and landed in New York and thence to Chicago and St Louis, he enlisted in the Mexican War and served until its close, after his discharge he came to Madison county, Illinois and soon made a prospecting tour through Iowa for the purpose of locating lands with the warrants which he received for his service in Mexico and others that he had purchased, he finally decided to locate in Boone county, and entered several hundred acres, and since 1853 has made the county his home, he early identified himself with the interests of the community, and became much interested in educational matters, and his services in this direction being appreciated by his fellow citizens, they elected him superintendent of schools of the county, since his residence in Iowa he has devoted himself principally to agricultural pursuits and at the present time owns a finely improved farm of 160 acres, he has never been a political aspirant, nor is he a candidate for popularity or public fame, he is plain and unassuming, as a man social and obliging, as a neighbor kind and warm-hearted as a friend a citizen of whom his adopted country may be proud, he was selected to prepare a centennial history of the county in 1876, he was married to Miss Emma French in 1855, she is a native of Ohio, their family consists of five children: Mary, J Frederick, Edward M. Albert O and N Minonia

1880 Boone Co History Book