Lacy, Patrick

LACY

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/22/2019 at 15:35:27

Patrick Lacy

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.412)
PATRICK LACY, a leading businessman of Council Bluffs, was born in Ireland in September 1843. His father died in Ireland and the family removed to this country and settled in Savannah, Georgia, in 1850 where his mother died of yellow fever about three years later.

In 1856, Mr. LACY came to Council Bluffs with his sisters and brother, and here remained until he was about eighteen years of age, when he left home and started out as a teamster in a wagon train to Denver, making several trips to and from the Bluffs. In the spring of 1863, he went to the Colorado mines at Central City and engaged in mining, and the following year he went to Idaho. Here, and in Montana, he spent several years, visiting every mining camp of note in those territories, and spending most of his time in miming. In the fall of 1867, he returned to Council Bluffs and since that time has been a continuous resident of that city, making several trips at intervals through the west. As a citizen, Mr. LACY has been zealously interested in the welfare of this city; was one of the charter members of the first volunteer fire department, being its chief eight years, and a member of it until it was superseded by the paid department when he resigned. Virtually, he is the father of the fireman's movement in Council Bluffs. In 1878, in company with five others, he organized the State Fireman's Association of Iowa, which is now one of the most prosperous organizations of its kind. He has been its president three years, 1885-87. He has also been a member of the National Association of Fire Engineers since 1878 and is now vice president for Iowa.

In the political affairs of the city and county, Mr. LACY has also taken an active part. In 1887 he was elected by the Democratic Party as a member of the Board of Aldermen and re-elected in 1889; has been president of the board two years. He has been an extensive dealer in real estate in this city; his residence is at 231 Park Avenue.

Mr. LACY is a member of the Catholic Church. He has been twice married, the first time in 1868 to Miss Annie WICKHAM, the second time in 1872 to Miss Mary FEE of Wisconsin. To the two marriages, there has been issue eleven children, nine of whom are at present living.