Daniel Daugherty, b. 15 Jun 1835

TOLHEN, COURTNEY

Posted By: Donna Moldt Walker (email)
Date: 3/1/2004 at 08:11:50

One of the best-regulated and most valuable farms in Bellevue Township belongs to the subject of this sketch. He is the owner of 400 acres of choice land, the greater part of which he has brought to a high state of cultivation, and erected a fine set of modern buildings, which are neat and substantial in their character, and admirably adapted to the general purposes of rural life. Mr. Daugherty bears the distinction of being one of the pioneers of this county - a member of that little band which looked upon the face of the country while it was in its primitive state, and who were willing to risk years of labor, and any reasonable amount of toil and privation for the sake of building up for themselves a home, and leaving to their children a goodly heritage, not only of dollars and cents, but an irreproachable name.

A native of Nova Scotia, our subject was born June 15, 1835, and is the son of Patrick and Mary (Tolhen) Daugherty, who first looked upon life in the northern part of Ireland. They emigrated to Nova Scotia, and from there came to Iowa when their son Daniel was a lad of seven or eight years. The father secured a tract of Government land in Perry Township, about 160 acres, and proceeded to the cultivation of the soil, and the building up of a homestead. They sojourned there about ten years, then changed their residence to Bellevue Township, settling upon the land which constitutes the present farm of our subject, and where they repeated the experiment which they had undergone prior to this, beginning at first principles, and opening up a farm from the uncultivated land. Here the father of our subject departed this life, Oct. 11, 1873; the mother is also deceased, her death occurring in June, 1873.

It will thus be seen that the boyhood and youth of Mr. Daugherty were spent in this county, he acquiring his education in the pioneer schools. It is hardly necessary to say that the advantages then offered were far inferior to those enjoyed by the present generation. He assisted in the development of the two farms, and became thoroughly acquainted with agricultural pursuits. He remained a single man until approaching the twenty-ninth year of his age, and was then married, Jan. 12, 1864, to Miss Mary Courtney, then a resident of Perry Township, Jackson County. Mrs. Daugherty was born in Salem, Mass., Feb. 26, 1834, and is the daughter of Thomas and Mary Courtney, with whom she emigrated to Perry Township, this county, when a child two years of age. The Courtney family were among the first settlers of that township, and there at the homestead, which he had built up from the wilderness, the father spent his last years, departing hence March 20, 1865; the mother is also deceased, her death occurring in 1888.

To the parents of Mrs. Daugherty there were born four children, only two of whom are living, viz: James, a resident of Otter Creek Township, this county; and Mrs. Daugherty. The latter by her marriage with our subject has become the mother of eight children, seven of whom are living, namely: Thomas; Mary; John, who is attending school at Quincy, Ill.; Margaret, Joseph, Katie and William. James died when one and one-half years old. Our subject is one of the School Directors of his district, and served as Trustee of Bellevue Township four years, in a manner creditable to himself and satisfactory to all concerned. He is one of the most reliable members of the Democratic party. He is a man quiet and unobtrusive in his life, aiming to do good as he has opportunity, the friend of law and order, and in all respects a thoroughly responsible and praiseworthy citizen.

("Portrait and Biographical Album of Jackson County, Iowa", originally published in 1889, by the Chapman Brothers, of Chicago, Illinois.)