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IRISH ANCESTRY CLAIMS ITS THOUSANDS AMONG MANSFIELD'S POPULATION

Governor, Officials, Soldiers, Lawyers, profession Mean and Artisans Have

Sprung From Those Who Blazed the Trail of Civilization in This Community

Where are Those Who Built the Railroads and Knew How to Run Them?

WHO were your ancestors? Could you have been numbered among those who gathered around the festal board when the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick celebrated the anniversary of the patron saint of Ireland? You may have forgotten your ancestry, but the speaker at the banquet, John C. Burns, ventured what no one else within his memory had essayed - to call the names of some Irishmen, who early came to Mansfield and its vicinity 75 to a hundred years ago. This in itself speaks for the memory and close relation which Mr. Burns has kept to his native city, and a knowledge of some of the older families of the city that is a most pleasant recollection.

"In the clans of Erin, who were in the scattered hegira to his one-time unpretentious village and its environments," he said, "belonged:

"The Averys, Arnets, Alens, Allens, Archers, Ayres and the Armstrongs.

"The Burkes, Butlers, Bradleys, Burnses, Billings, Blacks, Berrys, Beattys, Barretts, Bowlands, Boyces, Boyles, Barkers, Brinleys, Barbours, Booths, and the Bartleys - - father and son, both lawyers, both governors of our state, one a judge on Ohio's supreme bench.

"The Carsons, Cases, Curins, Costins, Crums, Cannans, Cummins, Cummings, Carmichaels, Charles, Clarks, Carrothers, Cairns, Courtneys, Carrolls (the ancestors of "Sherry," your own Irish lark), Cobeans, Calverts, Crabbs, Canarys, Careys, Condons, Coxes and the Caseys. The Culbertsons - John C. was sergeant-at-arms in the Ohio senate in 1845-1852 when my father was a senator. The fine farm lying south of town on your way to Lexington was once Culbertson's spacious and hospitable home, now a part of the Jacob Scholl estate, I am told.

"The Cralls - James Stewart, lieutenant colonel of the 82nd Ohio in the Civil war, and John, his elder brother, a famous politician of local note in log cabin and hard cider times - and the Cantweils - James, colonel of the 82nd Ohio, killed at the second battle of Bull Run.

"The Dawsons (I went to school to 'Andy'), Dempseys, Davises, Dugans, Doyles, Dolane, Dillons, Days, Dicksons, Doughertys, Dennisons, Downs, Daltons, Dudleys, Dutins (I learned my A B C's from Andrew) and Deharts - William built my first top coat.

"And the Dickeys - Moses R., a soldier of the Mexican war, a California argonaut, colonel of the gallant 15th Ohio, judge of the common pleas court, a strong lawyer, one time my law partner, a school teacher, who was unsparing of the ____ gad and under whose birch I learned some of the rudiments of elementary education as well as good behavior; and Jahez, his brother, who was also a common pleas judge.

"The Dwyers and the Dyes - William, a West Point graduate, regular army officer during the Civil was and as adjutant general led the Abyssinian campaign for the Khedive of Egypt - the Douglasses and the Dunns.

"The Finneys, Fahys, Flynns, Fergusons, Fays, Flahertys, Forneys and the Fairs - Isaac, once high sheriff of this county. The fighting Fords - Thomas II, captain of a company of Richland county soldiers whom he led in battles in the Mexican war, lieutenant governor of his state, a peerless stump orator in Tom Corwin days, a good layer and colonel of the famous 22nd Ohio.

"The Gaileys, Grays, Gaults, Gordons, Grogans and the Galbraiths. The Harmons, Harrisons and Hedges.

"The Jordans, Johns - Benjamin built Grace Episcopal church in 1847 when the Rev. William Blackwaller was its first rector - the Jacksons, Johnsons, and the Johnstens - William, of the Whigs, editor of the 'Bugle,' a polished scholar, incisive lawyer and powerful, brilliant advocate, a congressman from this district in the sixties - his grave lies unmarked in your burying ground.

"The Kennedys and the Kelleys - Levi, old time printer, editor of the Richland County Democrat, proprietor with Judge A. J. Mack and Joel Myers, of the Ohio Statesman at Columbus, at one time deputy postmaster under Jacob Reisinger and also deputy probate judge of the county.

"The Lords, Laheys, Leeches, Lawlors, Laffertys, Lambertons, Langans, Larimers, Lowreys, Lakes - Dr. Elijah, clerk of Richland courts more than 80 years ago (my father was his deputy) - the Lewises, Lamsons and Logans.

"The Mitchells (famous physicians and reliable farmers), Maloneys, Mahoneys, Murphys, Mulreadys, Murrays, Merediths, Marshalls, Mickeys, Macks, Moreheads, Moores, Morgans, Maceys and Martins.

"The McConnells, McNultys, McGuires, McCoys, McFarlands, McBrides, McCarron - Barney, a carpenter, erected the old county infirmary and was afterward its steward -- McCaras, McDermots, McSherrys, McIntyres, McKees, and McFalls - Hugh was one of the earliest merchants here, successful and beloved of all people, his old-time and kindly mansion still stands just east of the Elks' home; his son, Gaylord, was a gallant cavalry major in the Civil war.

"McCrorys - Samuel, another ancient tailor, later an honest farmer and father of my boyhood friend, Robert Bruce McCrory, once your prosecuting attorney and representative in the general assembly - McElroys and the McNamaras.

"And the McLaughlins - preeminent among whom and whose compelling presence towered in your midst was William, the general for whom our Grand Army post is named: a soldier in the Mexican war; enlisted the first troops here in 1861 and led them in the first battle of Bull Run; organized and commanded McLaughlin's squadron, which was attached to the immortal band of American soldiers - the Sherman brigade. He was a lawyer of the old school, unique, a true patriot, and best citizen.

"The Neals, Nelsons, Neelys, Nashes, Newtons, Normans and Nortons.

"The O'Connors, O'Connells, O'Rourkes, O'Donnells, O'Briens and Oldfields.

"The Paiges, Pettits, Pattersons, Phillips, Paisleys - Thomas a jolly and ancient tailor, witty and genteel Irishman - the Pattons, Pooles and the Purdys - James, one of the early lawyers at Richland's bar; an early state banker of the days of 'wild cat' and 'red back' money, when the favorite diversion of the old-time bank-breaking money shark was to suddenly and without due warning appear at the cashier's wicket with a 'wad' of the stuff and demand redemption thereof in the coin of the realm, in default of which the bank usually went where the woodbine twineth. However, the Farmers bank never took that route and later became the strong national bank of your city. Lawyer William McE, Weldon is his grandson.

"The Quinns, Quayles, Quigleys and Quarles.

"The Ralstons, Rutans, Ritchies, Reynolds, Runyons, Rileys, Robinsons, Rowlands and Rowleys.

"The Sweeneys, Sloanes, Stevens, Spears, Sharpes, Sullivans, Sextons, Seatons and the Stevensons, from whose loins sprang Andrew, lawyer and brilliant platform lecturer; once your chosen representative in the state legislature; as attorney for the prosecution he tried Ansel Robinson for the supposed murder of Mary Lunsford (the bell rang at midnight in the turret of the old court house when the jury returned a verdict of not guilty). The Strongs, Starrs, Stokes, Sheas, Sibbitts and Sewards - Dennis, father of the Seward boys, 'Jim' and his brother, John Francis, once a county servant in the capacity of auditor.

"The Tracys, Todds, Thrushes, Trimbles, and Townsends, the Uries and the Vails, Wolffs, Wolfes, Welshes and Walshes, Wards, Watsons, Websters, Williams, Whelans, Willetts, Wades, Whartons, Whites and the Weldons - James, an old-time merchant; grandfather of 'Will' Weldon; father of my old seatmate at school, Charlie Weldon, the great artist and portrait painter, whose art you can see and admire in the lifelike paintings of your late prominent citizens, W. S. Cappeller and George F. Carpenter.

"But apart from this aggregation of Irishmen, there formerly came periodically and silently unannounced in the midst and happy quiet content of this little old-fashioned county seat, sojourned for a while and then as silently went away, a unique and select company of itinerant Irishmen, bright of wit, sweet with the blarney, suave and polished of manner, quick of perception, persuasive, agreeable and polite, but withal a reserved and impenetrable deportment marked them with that poise which charmed and held you.

"They were the advance guard of information, the knights errant of civilization, this band of Irish linen peddlers. They have become extinct since the advent of the department store, but I can remember and recall the names of several of those rare characters in the persons of Barney Dugan, Conde McCauley, Hughie Johnston, Frank Reynolds, John Brogan, Con McCahill, James Hayden and Andrew Dorien. They do not come around any more and have perhaps joined the lost Irish tribes who built our railroads and knew how to run them, and kept each section the 'best' on the division. And so you who never knew these delightful characters in the prime of their calling have missed a dash of exhilarating Irish nature that will never brighten this land again."

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