Biographical Record and Portrait Album of Webster and Hamilton Counties, Iowa. Chicago: Lewis Publishing, 1888. James J. Ryan, the present efficient treasurer of Webster County, belongs to one of the early families of Cooper Township. His father, John Ryan, was a native of County Kilkenny, Ireland, where he grew to manhood and married Mary Phelan, a native of the same county. In 1847, they sailed for America from Liverpool, in the old passage ship, DeWitt Clinton, and after a tedious voyage of three months landed in New York. They first located at Rondout, a small town on the Hudson River, where Mr. Ryan was employed about a year as foreman in a cement mill. They then moved to McHenry County, Illinois, where they lived until 1856, when they moved to Webster County and bought 160 acres of land on section 9, Cooper Township, and thenceforth the father's time was spent in farming and stock-raising. His death occurred June 15, 1872, after a lingering illness of several years, the result of a sunstroke. The children were all too young to assume any responsibility and the care of her family and the estate devolved on Mrs. Ryan. Since the death of the father they have added 160 acres to the homestead, which now contains 320 acres, about half being under cultivation. Mr. Ryan was a representative man of his township. He was well educated, excelling in mathematics of which he was very fond. He began life a poor boy and by industry and good management secured for his family a fine farm. He was affable and genial in his disposition, and made friends wherever he was known. He was ever a strong opponent of the liquor traffic and a warm advocate of the temperance cause, and it might here be remarked that all his sons have inherited this virtue of their father, not one of them ever touched liquor. There was a family of eleven children, three of whom are deceased. Those living are Margaret, Anna, Mary, Catherine, James J., Elizabeth, Michael and Edward. Mary is the wife of Morris Welch of Badger Township; Catherine is the wife of Thomas B.___ of Fort Dodge. The rest with the exception of James, are on the homestead with the mother. The family are all members of the Catholic church. James J. Ryan was born in Cooper Township, June 8, 1861. He was educated in the public school at Fort Dodge, and for many years was engaged in buying stock. In politics he is a Democrat, and in 1887 was elected by his party county treasurer, succeeding D.A. Weller who was his opponent and had been an acceptable official. Mr. Ryan's election was due to his energy, ability, and popularity with the young men, and his administration of the affairs of the office fully confirms the confidence imposed in him, and has won for him the respect of the opposing party. Cathy Joynt Labath Irish in Iowa http://www.celticcousins.net/irishiniowa/index.htm

Hi Cathy, Small world! My great-grandfather, Patrick Crehan, left Silvermines, Tipperary in 1866 and traveled to Rondout/Kingston, New York where he worked in the quarries from 1868 to 1875. I noticed that the information that you posted on James J. Ryan included the fact that his father, John Ryan, worked for a year in the Rondout cement mill as a foreman before he traveled west. Unfortunately, my family was destined to live a hard-scrabble life only to be swallowed up by the work in the mines. They always remained destitute whereas James Ryan went on to become an established citizen and owned many acres of farmland. Such is the fickle finger of fate or whatever you may want to call it. Us "Shanty" Irish are known for our hard work, but with little reward in the end. Me own Dear Father often told me, "If I ever catch you with a pick or shovel in your hands, I will break your back so that you will never be able to lift them again." Such was the manual work that my father hated so much and yet, loved me so much that he worked so hard to protect me from. That is a common trait among the Irish in that the parents will oftentimes sacrifice themselves for the welfare of their children. My father was, to me, a Great Irish Hero and I will always be grateful to him for the sacrifices that he made for me in order that I might find a better life. May he rest in peace. Happy St. Patrick's Day, Tom Crane (a.k.a. Crehan/Crean) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cathy Joynt Labath" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, March 13, 2004 9:32 AM Subject: [KILKENNY] Bio of James J Ryan > Biographical Record and Portrait Album of Webster and Hamilton Counties, Iowa. > Chicago: Lewis Publishing, 1888. > > James J. Ryan, the present efficient treasurer of Webster County, belongs > to one of the early families of Cooper Township. His father, John Ryan, was a > native of County Kilkenny, Ireland, where he grew to manhood and married Mary > Phelan, a native of the same county. In 1847, they sailed for America from > Liverpool, in the old passage ship, DeWitt Clinton, and after a tedious voyage > of three months landed in New York. They first located at Rondout, a small town > on the Hudson River, where Mr. Ryan was employed about a year as foreman in a > cement mill. They then moved to McHenry County, Illinois, where they lived until > 1856, when they moved to Webster County and bought 160 acres of land on section > 9, Cooper Township, and thenceforth the father's time was spent in farming and > stock-raising. His death occurred June 15, 1872, after a lingering illness of > several years, the result of a sunstroke. The children were all too young to > assume any responsibility and the care of her family and the estate devolved on > Mrs. Ryan. Since the death of the father they have added 160 acres to the > homestead, which now contains 320 acres, about half being under cultivation. Mr. > Ryan was a representative man of his township. He was well educated, excelling > in mathematics of which he was very fond. He began life a poor boy and by > industry and good management secured for his family a fine farm. He was affable > and genial in his disposition, and made friends wherever he was known. He was > ever a strong opponent of the liquor traffic and a warm advocate of the > temperance cause, and it might here be remarked that all his sons have inherited > this virtue of their father, not one of them ever touched liquor. There was a > family of eleven children, three of whom are deceased. Those living are > Margaret, Anna, Mary, Catherine, James J., Elizabeth, Michael and Edward. Mary > is the wife of Morris Welch of Badger Township; Catherine is the wife of Thomas > B.___ of Fort Dodge. The rest with the exception of James, are on the homestead > with the mother. The family are all members of the Catholic church. James J. > Ryan was born in Cooper Township, June 8, 1861. He was educated in the public > school at Fort Dodge, and for many years was engaged in buying stock. In > politics he is a Democrat, and in 1887 was elected by his party county > treasurer, succeeding D.A. Weller who was his opponent and had been an > acceptable official. Mr. Ryan's election was due to his energy, ability, and > popularity with the young men, and his administration of the affairs of the > office fully confirms the confidence imposed in him, and has won for him the > respect of the opposing party. > > Cathy Joynt Labath > Irish in Iowa > http://www.celticcousins.net/irishiniowa/index.htm > > > > ==== IRL-KILKENNY Mailing List ==== > New!! Irish-American Mailing List, great place for discussion of the > Irish American experience, you can join at: > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Ethnic-Irish/IRISH-AMERICAN.html > > ============================== > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 >