My Genealogy Hound

MICHAEL EGAN, one of the representative and enterprising citizens of the town of Hector, Schuyler County, was born in County Westmeath, Ireland, and is a son of Thomas Egan. When a boy of fifteen he left home and embarked in a sailing-vessel for the United States, and after a voyage of four weeks landed in New York, a stranger in a strange land. During the voyage the “black plague” appeared on board and about fifty persons died. Not finding employment on arriving at New York, our subject proceeded to New Haven, Conn., and near that place secured work with a physician. After remaining in his employ a short time, he returned to New York State and worked in a brickyard near Albany, where he remained one season. He then came to Schuyler County, where he formed the acquaintance of Lydia A. Chapman, and their marriage was celebrated October 1, 1857. She is a daughter of Leander Chapman, who came to this county from Otsego County with two brothers, one of whom, Elihu Chapman, located here. The latter’s family now resides in Elmira. To Mr. and Mrs. Egan four children have been born: Charles and Alonzo, who are now engaged in farming in the town of Hector; William, who is likewise engaged in agricultural pursuits; and Katie, the wife of Moses Bowen, who lives upon and works the home farm.

Before his marriage Mr. Egan had purchased a farm in Bradford County, Pa., to which he removed with his young bride, and remained there nine years, during which time three of their children were born. He then sold out and returned to Schuyler County, purchasing the old Chapman Farm, where Mrs. Egan was born, and on which she has resided all her life, with the exception of nine years spent in Pennsylvania. The farm at that time consisted of seventy-five acres, to which Mr. Egan has added by subsequent purchases one hundred and twenty-five acres, giving him an excellent farm of two hundred acres, on which he is engaged in general farming and stock-raising. He has also a fine orchard and vineyard upon the place. In the past twenty years he has bought and sold a great many head of horses, and has handled a great deal of other stock. In addition to his farming he has engaged to some extent in the lumber business, cutting and sawing timber from his own land and placing the lumber upon the market. He still has some fine limber on his farm.

In politics Mr. Egan is a Democrat in national affairs, but on local questions he is quite liberal, voting for the man he thinks best qualified to fill the office. Mr. and Mrs. Egan are members of the Baptist Church, in the work of which they are active, and are greatly interested in the spread of the Gospel. For some years he was an active member of the Good Templars, and though not at present connected with the order he is deeply interested in the temperance cause.