KAIN, PATRICK

KAIN, WALL

Posted By: Jean Kramer (email)
Date: 2/27/2004 at 13:03:00

Biography reproduced from page 520 of the History of Kossuth and Humboldt Counties, Iowa published in 1884:

Patrick Kain was born, in 1843, in Ireland. At the age of twenty years he came to America, landing in New York. From there he went to Massachusetts, and remained a short time, then went to Philadelphia, and worked for two years on a farm six miles from the city. He then removed to De Kalb Co., Ill., and after working six years for James Byers, he purchased a farm of his own, on which he lived one year. From 1862 to 1864 he was hired by the government as a laborer at $40 a month. In 1864 he came to Iowa, settling in Portland township, on section 14, township 96, range 28, where he owns 675 acres of good land, well cultivated. He makes a specialty of raising, buying and selling stock, from eight to 100 head yearly. His residence is on section 14. Mr. Kain had the first pine shingles on his house ever used in the township. He built a house of native lumber, 14x22 feet, cut the logs, had them sawed into lumber, then went to Cedar Falls for shingles and sash with a yoke of cattle. In 1880 he added a fine two story frame to his home, 16x24 feet, so that he now has eight good rooms and is prepared to enjoy the fruits of his labor. In 1861 he married Ann Wall, a native of Ireland. They have ten children—Thomas, Robert, John, Mary, Patrick, James, Ann, William, Christopher and Martin. The family all belong to the Catholic Church in Algona.
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Biography reproduced from page 179 of Volume II of the History of Kossuth County written by Benjamin F. Reed and published in 1913:

Patrick Kain, who passed away at Algona on the 17th of December 1897, was a resident of Kossuth county for about a third of a century and here owned about sixteen hundred acres of land. He was born in Ireland, and when a young man of twenty years crossed the Atlantic to the United States, landing in New York. Subsequently he spent a short time in Massachusetts and later removed to Philadelphia, working for two years on a farm within six miles of that city. He then made his way to De Kalb county, Illinois, where he worked for James Byers for six years and on the expiration of that period purchased a farm of his own, residing thereon for one year. From 1862 until 1864 he was hired by the government as a laborer, receiving a compensation of forty dollars per month. In early spring of 1864 he came to Kossuth county, Iowa, settling in Plum Creek township, on section 14, township 96, range 28. He made a specialty of raising, buying and selling stock, handling from eighty to one hundred head yearly. The pine shingles on his house were the first ever used in Plum Creek township. He built a residence of native lumber, fourteen by twenty-two feet, cut the logs, had them sawed and then went to Cedar Falls for shingles and sash with a yoke of cattle. In 1880 he added to his house a two-story frame structure, sixteen by twenty-four feet, so that his home comprised eight nice rooms. General agricultural pursuits claimed his attention until 1893, when he put aside the work of the fields and took up his abode in Algona, there spending the remainder of his life in well earned ease. In his passing the community lost one of its respected and honored pioneer settlers and one whose efforts had been of value in the work of early development and upbuilding.

In 1861 Mr. Kain was united in marriage to Miss Ann Wall, a native of Ireland, by whom he had ten children, namely: Thomas, Robert, John, Mary, Patrick, James, Ann, William E., Christopher and Martin. The faith of the family is that of the Catholic church.