Harrigan

HARRIGAN DEVOTT

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 9/7/2010 at 14:58:08

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Harrigan
By Mrs Marshall L Sohn

William and Mary Devott Harrigan were both born in Derry County, Ireland. They married in Ireland and their first two children were born there, James and Mary. They came to the U S in 1846, and a son, John was born after they settled at Schuyler Kill, Pennsylvania. The family went west by wagon train to St Louis. The father died there 1847, of cholera, and the mother died four years later. A McCullough family raised the Harrigan children. The two Harrigan boys went down the Mississippi River 1863 looking for adventure. They crossed the Isthmus of Panama on donkeys to the west coastline, then north to Grass Valley, North Carolina. James remained in California, and his sister, Mary, also went to California.

John Harrigan, son of William Harrigan, returned to Iowa from California on the first train to travel from west to east, and he witnessed the driving of the golden spike at Promontory, Utah. John married Margaret Collins at Cork Hll, Iowa, February 7, 1871, and he were married in the home of his wife’s a brother, Patrick Collins. Rev McNulty, a Sioux City priest, officiated. John and Mary farmed near Cork Hill after they married. They came to Liston Township where they brought a farm in 1876. A country school was built near their home. They had eight children: Mary, Mrs James McDonald; James; Eloise; John; Alice, who died young; William, who married Anna Eberly; Margaret, who died young; Gertrude, Mrs Reuben Reals. John remarried after the death of his first wife, marrying Susan Slater. They had four children: Clarence, Stella, Raymond and Paul.

James Harrigan lived all his life in the Danbury area. He was born August 9, 1873, in Woodbury County ten miles northwest of Danbury at a settlement known as Cork Hill. His parents were John W Harrigan and Margaret Alice Collins. Jim’s mother died when he was about twelve years; his father remarried. The step mother was Susan Slater of Holy Cross Iowa near Dubuque.

A few years after their father’s remarriage, brothers Jim and John Harrigan began farming on their own. Later Jim became a drayman in the Danbury area, hauling merchandise to and from the railroad station for businesses and individuals. He used a team of horses and a wagon. About 1918, Jim Harrigan became a Rural Mail Carrier and used a team of horses and buggy to travel the routes the easterly direction of Danbury. During the later years he drove a car on the routes for good weather, but still kept the horses for the bad weather and winter use. Jim retired as Mail Carrier in 1938.

Jim Harrigan was married July 29, 1912, to (Clara) Ruth Peet. Ruth was born September 23, 1878, at Nevinville, Iowa, to George Rich Peet and Mary Olive Gillette. Ruth had come to Danbury to wrok for Lewis Jeness, the printer of the ‘Danbury Review’. Jim and Ruth Harrigan had two daughters: Mary Margaret, born March 25, 1913; and Anna Louise, born July 22, 1916.

Margaret attended St Patrick’s Academy at Danbury, graduating in 1931. She received a Teachers Certificate from Iowa Teachers College, now University of Northern Iowa, at Cedar Falls, and returned to the Danbury area where she taught Country School at the Dose’s School northwest of town and also east of Danbury at another school.

Louis attended St Patrick’s Academy for several years and graduated from Danbury High School in 1934. She was a member of the Womens Army Corps during World War II.

Mrs Jim ‘Ruth’ Harrigan died February 26, 1957, after a brief illiness. Jim lived at his home in Danbury for a while, and then lived with his daughter and son-in-law, Margaret and Carl Sohm. He died February 26, 1961.

Margaret Harrigan married Carl J Sohm, June 1, 1937, at St Patriack’s Church at Danbury. They began farming six miles northeast of Danbury in Liston Township. They bought the farm from the estate of Carl’s father, Jacob Sohm, after his death in 1944. They lived thre until 1906 when they built a new house in Danbury and retired to town. Margaret and Carl had four sons; Richard, Marshall, David and John.

Richard was born July 7, 1938. He married Bonnie Mohrhauser at St Mary’s Church, 1960; they have seven children, Dawn, 1961, married Terry Newton in 1981, son marcus born 1982; Paula, 1963, married Bobby Roberts in 1982, son Mark, born 1982; Karla, 1965; Kimberly, 1967; Michael, 1969; Charlene, 1973; and Jody, 1976. Richard and Bonnie, and family live at Sturgis, South Dakota, where Rick works in the Homestake Mine.

Marshall, born August 25, 1939, married Mary Ann Cockayne, 1962, at St Mary’s Church at Danbury. Their six children are: Monica, 1965; Bernard, 1966; Joan, 1967; Edward, 1969; Joseph, 1972; and Teresa, 1975. Marshall and Mary Ann and family live at Danbury and farm 160 acres they bought in 1964 and the 160 acre farm owned by Carl Sohm, both in Liston Township.

David, born January 14, 1942, married Joyce in 1968, in Eugene, Oregon. David adopted Joyce’s son, Lonnie, born in 1964 and David and Joyce have a daughter, Tonya, born in 1968. David divorced Joyce in 1971 and he married in 1972 to Kerry. They live at Bend, Oregon.

John, born May 28, 1946, married Margaret Klus, 1969, at St Martins at Odebolt. Their three chidlren are: Nicole, 1971; Tony, 1974; Bridget, 1978. John and Margaret and family live on a farm at Iowa City where John sells insurance.

M Margaret Harrigan Sohm entered the Willow Dale Care Center in Battle Creek in 1976 following several years of poor health. She died at the Horn Memorial Hospital, Ida Grove, Iowa, September 24, 1982, after suffering a heart attack. Carl lives at Danbury and continues to keep active and especially enjoys coming to the farm and helping Marshall when he came.

A Louise Harrigan married Robert McElwain on September 23, 1946. Robert was a native of Charter Oak, Iowa. They have three chidlren: Terry, born August 16, 1947, married Steve Hill, son Mark 1980, daughter Melissa, 1981; Margaret, born October 5, 1951, married Steven Golightly, son Jonathan 1983; Bruce, born April 22, 1959.
Louise and Bob operated the McElwain and weary Drug Store in partnership with Clark and Ona Weary in Danbury until 1953 when McElwains sold their shares and moved west. They lived in Colorado, Utah and are now living at Tempe, Arizona, where Bob works in the Accounting Department of University of Arizona.