LEITRIM BIOS
From History of Scott County, Iowa 1882
Chicago: Interstate Publishing Co."
Biographical and Historical
Record of Greene and Carroll Counties,
History of Dubuque County, Iowa; Weston A. Goodspeed, ed. by F. T. Oldt and P. J. Quigley; Chicago: Goodspeed Hist. Assoc. 1911 James L Conlin,
mayor of the village of Cascade, a director in the Cascade bank, retired
farmer,stock raiser and real estate dealer, was born at Lexington, Kentucky.
John Conlin, his father, was a native of County Leitrim, Ireland,and came to the
United States when a young man, making the passage across the ocean in a sailing
vessel. At the time of his arrival the South was holding out inducements for the
better class of settlers and Mr. Conlin was attracted to the Blue Grass region
of Kentucky. He located at Lexington and was there engaged in contracting many
years. in 1843 he married Ellen Sherman, and died in 1847 when a comparatively
young man. Three children were born to this marriage: Thomas, who died from the
effects of gun shot wounds received in the Confederate service; James L., the
subject of this sketch, and John, a resident of Dubuque county. Mrs. Conlin
subsequently married James Lavin, who died in 1863, and they were the parents of
Sarah, Ella, Margaret and Luke. in 1857 the family moved to this county and
eventually established a permanent home on section 18, in White Water township.
Here the mother passed away in 1905, at eighty-two years of age. James E Conlin
received his early schooling at Lexington, Kentucky, and when a young man
learned the saddlery and harness business in Iowa, following this occupation in
various localities of this state and in Kentucky and Tennessee. He then returned
to Cascade, Iowa, and embarked in the drug trade, and later in general
merchandising. Eventually he retired from mercantile pursuits and engaged
extensively in buying and selling land, at which he had been unusually
successful. For half a century Mr. Conlin has been identified with the growth,
development and prosperity of Cascade and has witnessed the progress of the
place from a small hamlet to its present proportions. There have been few public
enterprises tending toward the general good that have not had him a warm
supporter. He was one of the original six first directors of the Cascade bank,
and since its organization has always been on the directory. In politics he is a
Democrat, and in addition to holding various other positions of honor and trust,
has served three terms as mayor of the village. Mr. Conlin married Miss Ann
Finn, whose family is prominently mentioned elsewhere in this work, and to them
have been born these children: Jenemine; John Thomas, cashier of the Farmes and
Merchants' Bank, Cascade; Sabina, the wife of William J. O'Brien; Gertrude, now
Mrs. John Miller; and Bertha, who married Edward Foley, and resides in Jones
County, Iowa. The family are of the Roman Catholic faith in religion.
History of Kossuth and Humboldt Counties, Iowa. Springfield, Ill.: Union Pub. Co., 1884. Rev. Dennis McCaffrey was born in Leitrim, Ireland, toward the close of the fall of 1846; and there, amid all the pleasures of childhood, were passed some five summers, the fond remembrances of which are still alive in memory. The loss of a father, kind but stern, together with the painful effects of those years of want, necessitated a final change of home. The change came, and came, too, for the better. And here it might be remarked that the family was the second of the race to settle in Providence, R.I. The seventh summer finds him attending the village school, while the next spring shows the lad of not yet eight years taking lessons in gardening from Capt. Smith, who was, perhaps, more widely known for the oddity of humanity than for the length of years. The seven or eight years that followed only speak of summers of labor and a few months in school in the winter. During the few years that follow, the filled a position of some importance in one of the mills of Valley Falls. While thus engaged he saw the necessity of a night school for the youths who labored all day in the factory. About this time an opening to attend the Lonsdale high school offered itself, and was readily embraced. Some nine months at this institute prepared the way for entering Holy Cross College, situated at Worcester, Mass., in September, 1864, in company with Rev. W. Hines, pastor at East Greenwich, R.I. Six years of college life-years of hope and anxiety, were not slow to pass, leaving footprints of the happiest nature. The fall after graduating he entered the Grand Seminary at Montreal, Canada, and in the third year after, December, 1872, he seeks rest from study, as his health was much impaired by the severe routine of the Grand Seminary. He spent a year and a half with his sister in Pennsylvania. In September, 1873, he was requested to teach a class in his Alma Mater. This position he held for two years, during which time he gave his spare hours to books of no light nature. When strong again, and with the necessary means to complete his studies, he entered the Seminary of Our Lady of Angels, Suspension Bridge, N.Y. and there received ordination from the hand of Bishop Ryan, December 23, 1873. Iowa then became his field of labor, and for about a year and a half he acted in the capacity of assistant in the Ottumwa, Des Moines and Fort Dodge. Fairfax, Linn Co, was his first mission where he spent two years, when he was changed to Algona, Kossuth Co, Ia where he now resides.
The History of Linn County, Iowa...Chicago: Western Hist. Co., 1878 Dunlap, John, farmer, Sec. 34; P.O. Springville; born May 12, 1817, in Eutrim Co., Ireland [probably Leitrim]; his father and mother, John and Mary Ann Bell Dunlap were natives of the north of Ireland; his grandfather, John Dunlap, emigrated from Scotland; his father died in Ireland; his mother died in Allegheny Co., Penn., Feb. 9, 1876, at the age of 93; he came to America in 1832, settling first in New Jersey; in 1835 he went to Pittsburgh, Penn.; in 1841 he went to Athens Co., Ohio; cleared up a farm there in the Spring of 1851; came here and entered the land he now lives on with a Mexican war land warrant; he now owns 315 acres of land well improved. He married in Philadelphia in 1837, to Ann Eliza Johnson; born in the town of Eutrim, Eutrim Co., Ireland, Sept. 29, 1817, a daughter of John and Esther Maggie Lees Johnson, whose parents were natives of Scotland; her parents came to Philadelphia in 1833 and died there; they have nine children now living- John, born March 16, 1839; Elizabeth, born March 19, 1841; Eleanor, born April 26, 1843; Mary Ann, born Feb. 5, 1845; Rebecca, born June 8, 1847; Alexander Thomas, born March 1, 1849; Margaret, born March 28, 1851; William, born March 3, 1853; Hugh, born March 4, 1856; James Fullerton, born March 2, 1859; died June 28, 1862; those living are all married; four living near here, and four in Nebraska; one, Eleanor, in Montour Co., Penn., John and Alexander Thomas served in Co. I, 16th I.V.I., and were with Sherman in his march to the sea. Parents are members of Linn Grove Presbyterian church. Mr. Dunlap is a Democrat.
The History of Delaware County, Iowa. Chicago: Western Historical Co., 1878 NICHOLSON, ROBERT, Far.; Sec. 8; P.O. Earlville; born in county Leitrim, Ireland, March 1821; emigrated to U.S.A. in 1841, living in Pennsylvania and New Jersey until the Spring of 1855, when he came to this county and erected his residence where he now lives; married the 17th of Aug., 1846, to Mary Cook; she died in May, 1856; they had three children - Thomas, Eliza J., and Robert; married Jan. 17, 1861, Jane Morris, in Ohio. She died in 1861, leaving one child- Rolland B., who died when 4 years old; married the third time, Delia Finn, Dec. 24, 1866. She died in 1868, leaving one child - Lacy Ann. Mr. Nicholson has 220 acres of land, valued at $4,500; has held the office of Justice of the Peace for several years past and is also Town Commissioner.
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