"P.J. CLEARY, proprietor of the West Denver Boiler Works, was born in County Clare, Ireland, in 1845, the son of John and Margaret (Rohan) Cleary, also natives of the Emerald Isle. John Cleary was employed as pound master in Ireland, and died there in 1849, at the age of twenty-seven. Afterward Mrs. Cleary was married to M. Ryan, who was for years foreman of the New York Central Railroad at Rochester. In 1849 the family, comprising two children, our subject and a sister, were brought by the mother to America, and for a time lived in New York City, but later moved to Rochester, where she died at sixty-seven years. The daughter, Annie, now resides in Brooklyn. In 1850 an uncle of our subject, James Cleary, came with his mother to America and located in Grand Rapids, Mich., but later removed to La Salle, Ill., where the grandmother died at a very advanced age, and the uncle still makes his home, being retired from active business. .... At the age of eleven, our subject began to work on a farm in Mendon, Monroe County, N. Y., and at the age of sixteen he was apprenticed as a boiler maker in the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad shops at Rochester, where he served his time. Later he was employed by Chapin & Terry, boiler manufacturers of Rochester, and afterward was with Woodbury, Booth & Co., of the same city. December 8, 1868, he went to Omaha, Neb., where he was employed by the Union Pacific Railroad Company and by them sent to Laramie, Wyo., as boiler maker in the car shops. He arrived in Wyoming just before New Year's, 1869, and continued there until April 5, when he was transferred back to the Omaha shops, remaining in them until 1872. He then returned east and worked at his trade in Corning, N. Y., for a few months, then was at Painted Post, Addison and Elmira, in the latter place being foreman in charge of the boiler shops for three years and seven months for the La France Fire Engine Manufacturing Company. Early in 1879 he started west, and reaching Stewart, Iowa, worked there for five months, then in the fall of the same year came to Golden, Colo., where he was made foreman in the boiler department of the Union Pacific shops. This position he held until 1883, after which he was foreman in the Denver & New Orleans Railroad shops about four months, and for seventeen months foreman in what is now the Engineering Works of Denver. In the fall of 1884 he went to Evanston, Wyo., where he worked at his trade about six months. On his return to Denver he accepted a place as foreman with the F. M. Davis Iron Works Company, with whom he remained for five years and five months, then resigned in order to start in business for himself. In July, 1890, he started in business as a member of the firm of Cleary & Campbell, but after eight months bought his partner's interest and has since run the works alone. He manufactures boilers and heavy sheet iron of all descriptions... In Rochester Mr. Cleary married Miss Mary A. Huck, daughter of Edward Huck, a cooper there. They have had ten sons and one daughter, but seven of these are deceased, viz.: John, Katie, William, George (1st), George (2d), Emil and Henry, who died between the ages of six months and eight years. Those living are Edward James, who is employed in the Hungarian Mills; William Tecumseh, Fred Joseph and Albert John Rohan, all of whom are employed in their father's shop..." http://www.memoriallibrary.com/CO/1898DenverPB/pages/pbrd0630.htm