Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 1064 - 1065

HENRY DUGAN. Among the influential members of the farming community of Sedgwick County and one of its most prosperous and wealthy citizens, is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. He is entirely a self-made man in the truest sense of the word, having been the only architect of his own fortunes, and has raised himself from a state of poverty to affluence, aided only by his own strong arms, indomitable energy and laudable ambition. His homestead lies upon section 25, Delano Township, and is one of the most valuable in this portion of the county, as it contains 565 acres and lies within a short distance of that marvelous city of the Kansas plains, Wichita.

             The subject of this personal narration was born in the Parish of Fakel, County Clare, Aug. 17, 1842, and is the son of John and Catherine (Garing) Dugan, who were both natives of the same island. He was reared upon one of those small farms that are so common in that down-trodden and landlord-ridden land, and attended school a little while in his boyhood. His father dying while our subject was but a small boy, the mother being left with three children to support, felt convinced that in the free land of America she would have a better chance of succeeding in life, and therefore, embarking with her little ones, came to the United States and located in Salem County, N. J., where she afterward remarried and eventually died.

             Our subject remained at home with his mother until he was about seventeen years of age, when he commenced life for himself, working on a farm by the month. He was married, Nov. 8, 1863, when a little past his majority, to Miss Ellen Redmond, a native of County Kildare, Ireland, born Oct. 20, 1845, and a daughter of Nicholas and Margaret (Toole) Redmond. Her parents, who were both natives of the Emerald Isle, remained at home, but she came to America when she was about ten years of age, with her aunt.

             At the time of his marriage, the mother of our subject gave him ten acres of land in Salem County, N. J., as a wedding present, which he leased to a tenant while he drove an express wagon in the city of Camden, which is in Burlington County, N. J., just opposite Philadelphia. He remained in this business at that place about three years, but always felt that if he could get into the great West he could do much better in a pecuniary way. In 1872 he finally sold his little property, and following the course of the setting sun, arrived in Wichita the last week in May of that year, only one day after the completion of the track-laying of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad into that place. He at once pre-empted 160 acres of land in Illinois Township, and entering upon its cultivation and improvement, made it his home for about ten years, at the conclusion of which time, having met with extraordinary success in his chosen calling, and accumulated a considerable share of this world's goods, he purchased his present homestead on section 25, Delano Township, where he has a magnificent farm of 565 acres of fine arable land, a large portion of which is under an excellent state of cultivation, and on which the improvements are of a neat and substantial character. His home, which is a beautiful one, is pleasantly located within a quarter of a mile of the limits of Wichita, and is very valuable property. He sold fifty acres of his farm to a party who wished to lay them off and plat them into town lots, and donated an additional twenty acres, besides a liberal gift in cash toward the establishment of the Catholic University. Like all of his countrymen, he is open-hearted, liberal and public-spirited to the highest degree.

             To Mr. and Mrs. Dugan there has been born a family of seven children, as follows: Maria, whose birth took place Oct. 2, 1864, is living at home; Henry, who was born Jan. 13, 1870, is attending All-Hallows Academy; Christopher, whose birth took place Sept. 10, 1872; Nicholas, born Jan. 19, 1875; James, born March 10, 1877; Thomas, whose birth occurred Sept. 10, 1879, and Joseph, who was born July 17, 1882.

             Our subject and his family are members of the Roman Catholic Church and punctual in the discharge of their duties. They are highly respected citizens and are active members of the community, engaged in all good work that is calculated to enhance the happiness of their fellowmen. In his politics Mr. Dugan is a Democrat, but has never been a seeker after official position nor has he been willing to accept a candidacy. Mrs. Dugan's parents having come to this country, are both living in Delano Township, her father having reached the advanced age of eighty-four years, and her mother threescore and ten. A view of Mr. Dugan's place may be found in this ALBUM

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