Thomas Hagerty, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of Thomas Hagerty
THOMAS HAGERTY, a retired farmer of Porter county, Indiana, now a resident of the town of Wheeler, has been identified with this locality for more than half a century, and during this time has acted well the part of a loyal, industrious and honorable citizen.
Mr. Hagerty is a native of the Emerald Isle. He was born in county Cork, Ireland, in 1830, son of George and Fanny Hagerty, and youngest of their seven children, the others in order of birth being as follows: Mary, Nancy, Jane, Kate, John and Joseph. In his native land Thomas passed his boyhood and attained his majority, and there, at the age of twenty-one, he married Miss Mary Burchell, daughter of Michael Burchell. The same year of his marriage he brought his bride to America, sailing from Queenstown, Ireland, in the good ship "Try Again," and landing at Quebec after a voyage of six weeks. From Quebec they went to Rochester, New York, and after remaining at the latter place a short time came west to Chicago, where he found employment. His next move was to Porter county, Indiana. Here in time he acquired one hundred and twenty acres of land in Union township. He worked hard, assisted and encouraged by his wife, who was a helpmate in the true sense of the word, and after a few years their primitive cabin home gave place to a comfortable and attractive residence, surrounded by trees and shrubbery of his own planting. With the passing years sons and daughters came to enliven the home, and of the six children born to them four are still living -- Anna, George, Eliza and John. Two died in infancy. The wife and mother was called to her last home on May 3, 1905. After her death Mr. Hagerty, wishing to retire from the farm, sold it and since then has made his home in Wheeler.
During the Civil war Mr. Hagerty proved his loyalty to the country of his adoption by enlisting his service with the Union and going out in protection of the Stars and Stripes. He enlisted January 1, 1866, as a member of Battery A, First Illinois, with which he was identified until the following June, when the war being over, he was honorably discharged.
Politically Mr. Hagerty has always been a Republican. He is a man of broad views, believing that one church is as good as another, and while he has never connected himself with any church, square dealing and upright living have been his aim. He has never regretted that he came to America to rear his family. Here, with his children and his grand-children around him, and with a large circle of friends, he is enjoying the quiet evening of a successful life.
Mr. Hagerty's daughter Anna is the wife of George Scholley, of Chicago, and the mother of three children; Alta, Colia and Georgia. George Hagerty married Miss Margaret Morrison, who died February 5, 1911, leaving nine children: Mary, Anna, Albert, Flossie, Thomas, John, Joseph, Mabel and George. John Hagerty and his wife, who before her marriage was Miss Kate Morrison, have two children: Eva and George. The old Hagerty homestead is occupied by the family of George Hagerty, his son Albert having purchased the farm, and since the death of his mother, Mrs. Margaret Hagerty, he has kept his younger brothers and sisters there.
Source: Lewis Publishing Company. 1912. History of Porter County, Indiana: A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, its People and its Principal Interests. Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Company. 881 p.
Page(s) in Source: 731-732
This biography has been transcribed exactly as it was originally published in the source. Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of biographies appearing on this website.
Biography transcribed by Steven R. Shook