THOMAS D. IRISH. As an enterprising and wide-awake
business man of Delana, and one who, through his own
efforts, has achieved success, we take pleasure in giving a
brief biography of the gentleman whose name stands at the
head of this sketch. Under the firm name of Thomas
D. Irish & Co., he is engaged in general merchandising
at Delana, carrying a large and complete stock of dry goods,
groceries, boots, shoes, caps, notions, family medicines,
agricultural implements, and, in deed almost everything
people wish to a buy. He also handles all kinds of
country produce which they wish to sell.
Mr. Irish was born in Somersetshire, England,
Aug. 11, 1854, a son of John and Mary (Driver) Irish,
the former also a native of Somersetshire, the latter of
Scotland. They were married in England, Aug. 11, 1854,
a son of John and Mary (Driver) Irish, the
former also a native of Somersetshire, the latter of
Scotland. They were married in England, and the
father, who was a land owner, followed the occupation of
farming there throughout life. The grandfather,
Josiah Irish, was also a native of Somersetshire, where
the family have made their home for many generations.
Our subject is one of six children, of whom only two came to
America, the other being James, who for twenty years
has served in the United States regular army, enlisting at
Detroit, Michigan. Thomas D. Irish was educated
in the schools of his native land, and remained in that
country until 1874, when he emigrated to Canada. Two
years later he went to Chicago, and from there engaged in
boating on the lakes for three years and a half.
During the following year he was engaged in agriculture
pursuits in McLean county, and then returned to England.
For a year and a half he engaged in sailing on a line of
vessel's running from Glasgow, Scotland, his first voyage
being to Australia, around Cape Horn, and back to Limerick,
Ireland. Returning to America in 1881, he located in
McLean county, where for twelve years he engaged in farming,
but in June, 1892, in company with Messrs. Clark
and Daniels, he embarked in his present business at
Delana under the firm name of Daniels, Irish &
Clark, and, in addition to general merchandise, they
handled grain for a time. At the end of nine months,
Mr. Daniels withdrew, and the firm became Irish &
Clark. It was again changed in 1895, when the
grain business was dropped, becoming Thomas D. Irish
& Co., and our subject now conducts the business alone, with
good success.
On the 10th of August, 1880, at Brisbane, Australia,
Mr. Irish wedded Miss Mary Lowther, a native of
County Tyrone, Ireland, and a daughter of Walter and
Eliza (Jack) Lowther, and by this union were born four
children: Janie, Harry, Percy and Vera.
Janie was born on the South Pacific ocean. The
other three were born in West township, McLean county,
Illinois. Socially, Mr. Irish is a member of
the Knights of Pythias lodge at Bellflower and the Modern
Woodmen camp at Delana, while politically he is identified
with the Republican party. He is serving as postmaster
at Delana, and in 1899 was elected supervisor of West
township, a position he is now most creditably and
acceptably filling. He is an upright and reliable
business man and commands the confidence and respect of all
with whom he comes in contact.
‡ Source: The
Biographical Record of McLean Co., Illinois - Illustrated -
Publ. Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company - 1899 -
Page 801 |
