A native of County Clare, Ireland, [John Dinan] was born in 1833 or 1834, being one of ten children, whose parents were Patrick and Margaret (Dullahanty) Dinan. They were both natives of Ireland, and there the father, who during life followed agricultural pursuits, departed this life. His wife came to America with her children, and her death occurred in South Bethlehem. All but one of her seven sons and three daughters are still living, three of her sons being residents of Bethlehem, and four sons living near Wilkes Barre. John Dinan, who is next to the eldest of his parents children, passed his boyhood on his father s farm, and when sixteen years of age, in 1850, set sail from Liverpool on the Isaac Wright, and after six weeks and two days on the Atlantic landed in New York City. He found himself in the New World with only two shillings and sixpence in his pocket, and without friends or acquaintances. Going to Jersey City, he obtained employment on the Central Railroad, working in the construction department until the road was finished. Two weeks later he went with a corps of engineers to help located and aid in the construction of the Belvidere Railroad, and he continued in that line until the completion of the road. Samuel Logan, a friend, who was employed with the Lehigh Valley Road, then asked him to take charge of the gang of men on the section between Bethlehem and Redington. This was April 11, 1856, and taking the place, he continued as foreman until 1875... [much more] Portrait and Biographical Record of Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon Counties, Pennsylvania. Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the Counties, Together with Biographies and Portraits of all the Presidents of the United States. Chicago, Chapman Publishing Co., 1894; Page 694. transcribed at http://www.pa-roots.com/~northampton/Portraits/dinan_j.htm