| J.R. Conway |
| J. R. Conway, P. O. Rossville, farmer,
sec. 29; born July 17, 1820 in County Roscommon, Ireland.
In 1843 he was married to Miss Rose Gordon, and the same
year immigrated to the United States locating in
Baltimore, Md., where he remained till 1847; then removed
to Cincinnati, O., and engaged on board a Lower
Mississippi steamer as deck-hand; afterwards filling
different stations up to second mate; which position he
occupied during the terrible cholera scourge in 1849. He
was then running up Red River, often going on shore
between stations to bury the dead, who were mostly
Negroes, sometimes eight or ten in one grave. In 1850 he
moved his family to Dubuque, and came to Allamakee Co.;
and located the S. E. 1/4 of Sec. 29, of his present
farm. In December of the same year he moved his family on
to it, and commenced improving. For the first four years
thereafter he was engaged on the Upper Mississippi river,
running up as far as Fort Snelling, during the summers,
and spending the winters at home. Served as first mate
part of the time. Mr. Conway has, by energy, industry and
economy, added to his first tract of land, till he now
has 500 acres well improved, and one of the best farms in
the township. His children are: Dornnick, John, James,
William, Owen, Mary A., Ellen and Rose. They have lost
one son, Matthew M. pg 480-481 |