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Shelby County |
Home 1915 History Index |
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Shelby County |
Home 1915 History Index |
CHAPTER VII -- EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS IN SHELBY COUNTY (CONT'D)THE IRISH ELEMENT IN SHELBY COUNTY.Probably the first native of Ireland to settle in Shelby county was Michael Doyle, of Grove township. He settled there in the fifties and was for many years township clerk of the township. One of the big men of the seventies in Shelby county was Thomas McDonald, an Irishman, who established the village of Corley and was one of the prime movers for the building of a branch of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway into Shelby county and Harlan. He served two terms as county treasurer of the county, being elected as a Democrat when the county was heavily Republican. He was a veteran of the Civil War. Alexander Pritchard, of Monroe township, was throughout his life one of the prominent citizens of the county, an early pioneer of Monroe township. He was one of the leaders in the development of fine live stock. He served two terms as county treasurer of the county, being elected as a Republican. James Alwill was another well-known Irish pioneer of Monroe township. Patrick Kent was another. His son, Richard L., became county recorder. Coming to Clay township, we find the McMahon family with several branches settled in several parts of the township. Of this family came J. J. McMahon, sheriff of Shelby county. Other early settlers in this township were Patrick Murphy, David Pritchard and Thomas Gallagher. Natives of Ireland, or of Irish descent, in Jackson township were the Kerwin family, James Stewart, William Pringle, Thomas Doonan, and J. W. White. George E. Stewart from this township became county recorder. Entering Polk township, we find a small Irish pioneer settlement known as “Irish Ridge,” in the northeast corner of the township, composed of the Morrissey, Kilcoin, Glenn and Griffin families. Out of this settlement came S. B. Morriseey, for two terms clerk of the district court of the county, and a well-known Democratic politician of Iowa. In Jefferson township, T. J. Gawley was one of the early settlers, prominent as a farmer and breeder of thoroughbred live stock. The Fogarty family is prominent in both business and in farming and live stock. Ed. Quinn of Irwin, of Irish ancestry, has for years been a prominent business man of his town, and for several years served as a member of the board of supervisors. T. J. Ryan, mayor of Irwin, as early settler of Greeley township is of Irish ancestry. The Woods brothers are prominent farmers and live stock men of Greeley. A prominent early pioneer of Greeley township was Thomas Mitchell, who owned several hundred acres of land in that township. John S. Mayne, a prominent pioneer of Center township, distinguished as a breeder of fine Hereford cattle, is a native of Ireland. John McDonald was a very early settler of Union township. Perhaps in Washington township there were more Irish pioneers than in any other township in the county. Looking at a map of this township of 1883, I find these Irish family names: Buckley, Carroll, Coughlin, Carey, Coyne, Cosgrove, McAndrews, Manning, McMath, O’Brien, Peters and Sullivan. From this group came Frank S. Carroll, a county attorney of the county. In Cass township, John Monihan, C. A. Monihan and Thomas Guinan should be enumerated, as either Irish or of Irish descent; also the Stewart family, which furnished a sheriff for the county in the person of D. W. Stewart.
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