THE COMING OF THE IRISH, BY DANIEL J. MOYNIHAN, JR.*
We find amongst the pioneer settlers the O’Briens, Spellacys, Smiths and O’Connells, of whom we have no specific or detailed information at hand. The following are a few of the earlier settlers regarding whom we have been able to collect more definite information.
James Doyle, accompanied by his wife, came from County Kerry, Ireland, and settled in Jamestown in 1851. For a number of years he was employed as a laborer on the Erie Railroad. Mr. Doyle lived in Dexterville and there built a soap factory, which he conducted until his death, and which is still in operation, having been moved to Stillwater. Only one living descendant, Miss Bridget Doyle, of this city.
Judge John Maharon was born in Buffalo, May 12, 1852, of Irish parents, and came to Jamestown in 1853. As a young man he was employed as foreman by the Jeffords Lounge Company, later the Jamestown Lounge Company. Jamestown was still a village when he was elected to his first public office as constable. In 1886, when the village was incorporated, he was appointed one of three on the police force of the city, and served continuously as policeman until 1906, when he was elected police justice, which office he held for twelve years until his retirement. He was detailed to act as escort to President Grant when the latter visited Jamestown; also to General George B. McClellan and Robert Ingersoll, the agnostic. Judge Maharon died June 4, 1927, and is survived by Mrs. Mary Brady, Mrs. Samuel Olson, John, Francis, Catherine, and Julia Maharon.
Thomas Mahoney, born in 1846 in the town of Tarbert on the River Shannon in County Kerry, Ireland. He came to Jamestown in 1853, and with his parents settled in Dexterville, where he received his education from his mother, Mary Neville Mahoney. His first job was chore boy on the Jehial Tiffany estate, the site of which is now occupied by the Salisbury Axle Works and neighboring plants in East Jamestown. In early manhood he married Margaret Moynihan. Mr. Mahoney learned the stonemason and bricklaying trades and worked on the Prendergast Library, Baker Street culvert, and built many bridges. One of the first houses he built was for his mother at what is now No. 730 Buffalo Street and, as a silent testimonial to his good workmanship, the house still stands and is in good repair. Mr. Mahoney was the father of the late Dr. John J. Mahoney, for many years district State health officer and health superintendent of Jamestown. The living descendants are Mrs. Evelyn Barrett, the Misses Mary and Margaret Mahoney, Thomas, Edward, Daniel and Matthew Mahoney.
James Murray, better known as Captain Murray, was born in Westmeath, Ireland, in 1825. He settled in Jamestown in 1855. In 1861 he commenced working on the Chautauqua Lake steamboats and advanced himself until he became captain of a steamer. During the year of 1871 the boat of which he was captain, the “Chautauqua,” was destroyed by the explosion of its boiler. Thirteen persons lost their lives, and the captain received injuries which maimed him for life. Mr. Murray then held positions of constable, policeman and collector of the town of Ellicottville. He was Jamestown’s first chief of police, and is still remembered in that capacity by some of our oldest citizens. There are five living descendants: Mrs. Martin Pierce, Julia, Minnie, John, and Edward Murray.
John Callahan, born in County Kerry, Ireland, in 1817, came to America in 1833, and settled in Jamestown in 1855. During the construction of the Erie Railroad through this section, Mr. Callahan was employed as time-keeper, and later engaged in the trucking business. He first lived in Dexterville, then bought property on what is now the corner of Crane and Center streets, where the family now resides. The living descendants are, James P., Daniel, Nora, Elizabeth, Margaret, and Susanna Callahan.
Patrick Moynihan was born in County Kerry, Ireland, and married Honora Cronin, February 17, 1840. He was what was termed a freeholder or owner of property, and campaigned in Ireland for the immortal Daniel O’Connell, champion of freedom. Mr. Moynihan and his wife came to Jamestown in 1858, and resided on Center Street, opposite the Callahan home. They later moved to a brick block on Second Street, between Pine and Spring streets, and from there to No. 711 Lafayette Street, where they spent the remainder of their lives, Mr. Moynihan attaining the age of ninety-nine years. Their living descendants are Mrs. James J. Corkery, Mrs. William Tyler, Miss Bridget Moynihan, and Patrick Moynihan.
Mrs. Julia Curran, born in County Cork, Ireland, in 1841. She first lived in Dunkirk after arriving in America in 1858. Mrs. Curran came to Jamestown in 1861, and is now living with her daughter, Julia, at No. 110 Fairview Avenue. Another daughter, Mrs. Thomas Chambers, also resides in this city.
Thomas Chambers and Susan Hartigan came from County Clare, Ireland, to Jamestown, in 1861, and were married here in 1863. One son, Thomas Chambers, survives.
Michael W. Sweeney, born in County Cork, Ireland, in 1835, came to Jamestown in 1861. He was an iron moulder by trade and worked in Clark’s Foundry many years. Mr. Sweeney built and owned the Sweeney Block near the boat landing. He married Kate Maloney, to whom was born three daughters, one of whom, Kate, became the wife of Hershey, the nationally known chocolate manufacturer. The only surviving daughter is Mrs. Louis Smith, of No. 1 Murray Avenue.
John Mahoney, born in County Kerry, Ireland, in 1833, was one of four Mahoney brothers who came to Jamestown in the early ’50s, arriving here in 1853. For a time he worked on the Erie Railroad, and later, with his sons, built the Gifford Block in Brooklyn Square, also the brick house on Lake View Avenue, known as the Gokey residence, now occupied by Ralph Sheldon and family.
Marius George Martyn, born in Galway, Ireland, February 2, 1837, was the son of a very able lawyer. Marius George worked his way on a ship to Savannah, Georgia, when he was twenty-one years of age, but shortly returned to Liverpool out of which port he worked as a sailor for three years when he again embarked for America to make his future home, being then twenty-four years of age. He landed in New York in 1861 and shortly after left on foot for Indianapolis. After a short stay there he returned to Olean, where he married Eleanor Wyatt. In 1862 he came to Jamestown and lived on Forest Avenue, near what is now Prather Avenue. In 1865 he moved a house from Olean to Jamestown and it is still a part of the Martyn home at No. 518 West 4th Street, where he now resides with his niece, Mrs. Kathleen Finch. He has been engaged in mercantile, manufacturing and newspaper work ever since being a resident of Jamestown. From 1889 to 1891 he was a frequent contributor to the local papers under the pen name of “Plodder.” In 1891 he established a newspaper called the “Jamestown All.” In this periodical he editorially stressed the importance of a municipal water and electric light system and, through his efforts more than any other individual, we have the water and electric light plants owned by the city. After his efforts were crowned with success and Jamestown procured its water plant, the citizens erected, at the northwest corner of Third and Main streets the first public drinking fountain in Jamestown as a memorial to the father of our municipal water and electric light plants, a suitably inscribed plate being placed thereon. Mr. Martyn also had the honor of serving on the common council.
Patrick Maher, born in the county of Tipperary, Ireland, in 1836. After coming to America he lived in Buffalo, where he was employed as water boy with the construction crew building the Erie Railroad. While still living in Buffalo he purchased the property now numbered 722 West Fifth Street. He came to Jamestown in 1865, and later built a house on this site where he resided until his death in 1926. He was a machinist by trade and a very clever craftsman. He superintended the construction of some of the largest power plants in Jamestown in his time, and also had charge of the mechanism on the lake steamers. Mr. Maher is survived by Thomas, Paul, John, William, Margaret, and Gertrude Maher.
As early as 1846 the Rev. John Doran said Mass here in a private house occupied by the O’Brien family on what is now Buffalo Street, and administered to the few scattered Catholics in this section. Upon the completion of the Erie Railroad through this section, more Catholics settled in Jamestown. Rev. Patrick McIvers came from Ellicottville to Jamestown at stated intervals, and said Mass in private houses. In 1853 Rev. P. Colgan came over from Dunkirk and said Mass in the hotel called Allen’s Exchange. In 1854 he built a small frame church and paid regular visits. In 1855 the Franciscan Fathers from Allegany took charge until July 20, 1860, when the Rev. P. Byrnes came as the first resident pastor. In 1861 the little church built by Father Colgan was burned, but the new pastor, Father Byrnes, immediately bought the plot at the corner of Sixth and Cherry streets, and erected another frame church and also a rectory. Included in the parish at that time were Randolph, Westfield, French Creek and all the territory to the State line. Father Byrnes was succeeded in August, 1865, by Rev. C. D. McMullen, and one month after his arrival he opened the first parochial school in Jamestown with an attendance of forty pupils. He was succeeded by Rev. John Cahill and Rev. John Baxter, respectively, and they labored here until June 11, 1874, when the late Rev. Richard Coyle was appointed to take charge of the parish. Father Coyle enlarged the little frame church twice which served the people until 1894, when Father Coyle erected the beautiful and substantial building that is now SS. Peter and Paul’s Catholic Church. He also built the present rectory and the schoolhouse on West Fifth Street. The school is in charge of the Sisters of Mercy, who were brought here from Buffalo in 1877, and this Order of nuns has served here ever since. Father Coyle was affectionately known by all the people of Jamestown and labored here for forty years until death removed him from our midst. His successor was Rev. Luke F. Sharkey, who remained here until November 20, 1917, when he was called to Buffalo to act as editor of the “Catholic Union and Times,” and who was succeeded by Rev. David J. Ryan, who is our present pastor.
Marius George Martyn in 1865 purchased from Mr. Brown a part of the property which was later built up into the Martyn factory, where he manufactured lounges and couches and other kinds of furniture until recent years. The firm was known as Martyn Brothers, but was owned solely by M. G. Martyn, he allowing the brothers’ names to be used as a source of encouragement to them. This factory building was the birthplace of many of our present large furniture concerns. They rented floor space and bought the necessary power and started in a small way, remaining until able to build or buy a small plant of their own. This was one of our earliest manufacturing plants.
After working for a short time for Josephus H. Clark, who had a machine shop in the rear of the site of the Hotel Jamestown, Mr. Maher opened a machine shop and foundry on Taylor Street in where it is still located, being owned and managed by Thomas Maher, his son, since the death of Patrick Maher in 1926.
In 1862 Marius George Martyn opened a store in the rear of what is now the Bank of Jamestown building, for the sale of linen and crockery—the first of its kind in this section—and, for those times did quite a flourishing business. Often on a Saturday night he would sell a hundred dollars worth of his wares—a large sum in those days. Some of his crockery, or “delft,” as it was called by many in those days, is still found in the city. Mrs. James J. Corkery, of No. 711 Lafayette Street, has in her possession a fine platter purchased in Martyn’s crockery store. Mr. Martyn also sold ocean tickets to the Swedish and Irish for passage of their friends and relatives to this country.
From: THE HISTORIC ANNALS OF SOUTHWESTERN NEW YORK
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND EDITOR OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY SECTION – WILLIAM J. DOTY
EDITOR OF CATTARAUGUS COUNTY SECTION – CHARLES E. CONGDON
EDITOR OF ALLEGANY COUNTY SECTION – LEWIS H. THORNTON
VOLUME I
LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY, Inc.
NEW YORK, N. Y.
