Individual Details
James DONAHUE
(Abt 1794 - Aft 1860)
Surname variants: DONAHUE, DONOHUE, DONAHOE, DONOGHUE
Age 61 on 1855 New York State Census. Living with two sons, Thomas and James, and with the family of his daughter Margaret Donahue Bush in Salina, Onondaga County. States that he had been a resident of Salina for 21 years.
Wife died before 1855 Census.
Researcher from Syracuse could find no burial record for James at the Salina area churches or cemeteries from that time. He and his sons were gone from Salina by 1860. James may have died in De Witt, where he was living with his daughter, Mary Lynch, and her family in 1860.
Theresa Bannan's book, Pioneer Irish of Onondaga (New York: Putnam, 1911) has wonderful genealogical information about many of the early Irish settlers of that county. Sadly, she provides no actual family history for James Donahue. The good news is that she provides this wonderful story of James Donahue and the Courthouse Fight, which I will transcribe here (from pages 68-71):
The Court-House Fight
Election day in pioneer times was dreadful for the lovers of peace and order. Intemperance, brawls, recklessness, and cheating were common. Might prevailed and a stolen ballot box was often the booty of the stronger. Political excitement, added to the ordinary conditions, proved just enough to make a tumult. Much has already been written of those days, but one of the battles is held in the memories of many in Salina, who call it the fight at the court-house, then situated on the corner of Salina and Ash Streets. The chief actors were Donohue and Mooney, who, however, became separated in the crowd and carried on their fisticuffs independently. The story centres on Donahue and his prowess. So incredible were his strength and endurance that men today hesitate to relate the story, though all agree regarding the main facts. It is a matter of common consent that William McCann, now eighty-three years old (1907), a witness of the fight, gives the most authentic account of how the affair began and ended, and the trivial cause.
It was sometime between the years 1840 and 1845, it may have been 1841, the year of which so much lawlessness is recorded, that a political meeting took place at the court-house. The building was so crowded that one could scarcely move. Donahue and his friend Mooney stood together behind the last row of seats. They were pushed and jostled continually and often crowded over onto the occupants of the rear seats. One of these, named Ase Daggett, did not enjoy being thus crowded, so he pulled Donohue's cap down over its wearer's eyes. Donohue, a peacable man, said nothing, but replaced his cap. A few minutes later Daggett repeated his little trick, and Donohue, replacing his cap for the second time, said in a terribly quiet voice, "Don't you do that again." The warning in his voice was unheeded, and when for the third time the cap was disturbed, Donohue reached over, caught Daggett by the breast, and with one arm lifted him out of his chair and started with him for the door and the fight was on. The crowd was so great that Daggett became a wedge to open the way and so they reached the steps. Many tried to rescue Daggett, but Donohue, who was powerful and fearless, knocked down one after the other just as fast as they came up. He was ready for all comers and no one came up for a second experience. One, in falling, often carried down others with him because of the crowd. Men saw their friends go down and looked upon Donohue as the aggressor and attacked him, but he stood his ground, hitting right and left while a hundred were trying to get at him. He knocked down many but during the whole fight never went down himself farther than one knee. Neither he nor the others knew what they were fighting for, but after it had begun Donohue had to defend himself, and this he did according to the rules without a single move that was not fair fight, even after his opponents assailed him with chunks of frozen mud.
So the fight went on, Donohue finally getting braced against the wall and ready to keep it up as long as necessary. But James Harroun and Alexander McLean, busy bringing in men to the caucus, came upon the scene. "Hold on there, boys. By the devil, stop that boys," said Harroun and going up to Donohue said, "My good man, come with me," and Donohue as meekly as a child bore his six feet and four inches of height after the peace-maker.
The fight of Donohue became a fireside tale and received many exaggerations. Nelson Phillips, who witnessed the fight, was fond of recounting it. He said that Donohue knocked down five or six men with the forward thrust of his fist and as many more with his elbow, as his arm came back to position.
James Donahue was a comparative stranger, and had never been known to fight. He was cool and deliberate in all things and of excellent character He was an industrious laborer and on this day when he had to fight won the respect and admiration of all. No one looked upon his conduct as anything but gallant and courageous. He is said to have been the largest man in the County, essentially a man of peace but powerful and absolutely fearless.
Link to Pioneer Irish of Onondaga by Theresa Bannan -- free on Google Books:
http://books.google.com/books/about/Pioneer_Irish_of_Onondaga.html?id=jioVAAAAYAAJ
Age 61 on 1855 New York State Census. Living with two sons, Thomas and James, and with the family of his daughter Margaret Donahue Bush in Salina, Onondaga County. States that he had been a resident of Salina for 21 years.
Wife died before 1855 Census.
Researcher from Syracuse could find no burial record for James at the Salina area churches or cemeteries from that time. He and his sons were gone from Salina by 1860. James may have died in De Witt, where he was living with his daughter, Mary Lynch, and her family in 1860.
Theresa Bannan's book, Pioneer Irish of Onondaga (New York: Putnam, 1911) has wonderful genealogical information about many of the early Irish settlers of that county. Sadly, she provides no actual family history for James Donahue. The good news is that she provides this wonderful story of James Donahue and the Courthouse Fight, which I will transcribe here (from pages 68-71):
The Court-House Fight
Election day in pioneer times was dreadful for the lovers of peace and order. Intemperance, brawls, recklessness, and cheating were common. Might prevailed and a stolen ballot box was often the booty of the stronger. Political excitement, added to the ordinary conditions, proved just enough to make a tumult. Much has already been written of those days, but one of the battles is held in the memories of many in Salina, who call it the fight at the court-house, then situated on the corner of Salina and Ash Streets. The chief actors were Donohue and Mooney, who, however, became separated in the crowd and carried on their fisticuffs independently. The story centres on Donahue and his prowess. So incredible were his strength and endurance that men today hesitate to relate the story, though all agree regarding the main facts. It is a matter of common consent that William McCann, now eighty-three years old (1907), a witness of the fight, gives the most authentic account of how the affair began and ended, and the trivial cause.
It was sometime between the years 1840 and 1845, it may have been 1841, the year of which so much lawlessness is recorded, that a political meeting took place at the court-house. The building was so crowded that one could scarcely move. Donahue and his friend Mooney stood together behind the last row of seats. They were pushed and jostled continually and often crowded over onto the occupants of the rear seats. One of these, named Ase Daggett, did not enjoy being thus crowded, so he pulled Donohue's cap down over its wearer's eyes. Donohue, a peacable man, said nothing, but replaced his cap. A few minutes later Daggett repeated his little trick, and Donohue, replacing his cap for the second time, said in a terribly quiet voice, "Don't you do that again." The warning in his voice was unheeded, and when for the third time the cap was disturbed, Donohue reached over, caught Daggett by the breast, and with one arm lifted him out of his chair and started with him for the door and the fight was on. The crowd was so great that Daggett became a wedge to open the way and so they reached the steps. Many tried to rescue Daggett, but Donohue, who was powerful and fearless, knocked down one after the other just as fast as they came up. He was ready for all comers and no one came up for a second experience. One, in falling, often carried down others with him because of the crowd. Men saw their friends go down and looked upon Donohue as the aggressor and attacked him, but he stood his ground, hitting right and left while a hundred were trying to get at him. He knocked down many but during the whole fight never went down himself farther than one knee. Neither he nor the others knew what they were fighting for, but after it had begun Donohue had to defend himself, and this he did according to the rules without a single move that was not fair fight, even after his opponents assailed him with chunks of frozen mud.
So the fight went on, Donohue finally getting braced against the wall and ready to keep it up as long as necessary. But James Harroun and Alexander McLean, busy bringing in men to the caucus, came upon the scene. "Hold on there, boys. By the devil, stop that boys," said Harroun and going up to Donohue said, "My good man, come with me," and Donohue as meekly as a child bore his six feet and four inches of height after the peace-maker.
The fight of Donohue became a fireside tale and received many exaggerations. Nelson Phillips, who witnessed the fight, was fond of recounting it. He said that Donohue knocked down five or six men with the forward thrust of his fist and as many more with his elbow, as his arm came back to position.
James Donahue was a comparative stranger, and had never been known to fight. He was cool and deliberate in all things and of excellent character He was an industrious laborer and on this day when he had to fight won the respect and admiration of all. No one looked upon his conduct as anything but gallant and courageous. He is said to have been the largest man in the County, essentially a man of peace but powerful and absolutely fearless.
Link to Pioneer Irish of Onondaga by Theresa Bannan -- free on Google Books:
http://books.google.com/books/about/Pioneer_Irish_of_Onondaga.html?id=jioVAAAAYAAJ
Events
| Birth | Abt 1794 | Ireland |  |  | |
| Residence | 1840 | Salina, Onondaga, New York, United States | | | |
| Naturalization | 23 Nov 1846 | Onondaga County, New York, United States | | ||
| Residence | 31 Jul 1850 | Salina, Onondaga, New York, United States | | | |
| Residence | 1 Jun 1855 | Salina, Onondaga, New York, United States | | | |
| Residence | 24 Jul 1860 | at the home of his daughter, Mary Donahue Lynch, and her family - De Witt, Onondaga, New York, United States | | | |
| Death | Aft 1860 | ||||
| Marriage | Peggy? | ||||
| Reference No | BC1-6 |
Families
| Spouse | Peggy? (1798 - ) |
| Child | Mary DONAHUE (1820 - 1871) |
| Child | Thomas DONAHUE (1821 - ) |
| Child | Margaret DONAHUE (1828 - ) |
| Child | James DONAHUE (1833 - ) |
| Mother | Catherine (1780 - ) |
Notes
Birth
Age 61 in 1855. 1860 Census gives a date of 1790, however (age 70).Residence
Census shows the following for the household of James Donahu:male aged 5-9 -----------1
male aged 40-49---------1
female aged 10-14 -------1
females aged 15-19 ------1
female aged 20-29 --------1
female aged 40-49 ------- 1
Six persons in all. All are free white persons. Two persons over the age of 20 who cannot read or write.
http://interactive.ancestry.com/8057/4409545_00013?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.aspx%3fdbid%3d8057%26path%3d&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnBrowsing#?imageId=4409545_00113
Naturalization
From FHL film 1010533.Witnesses were Joseph Jaquette and Patrick H. Agan.
From Pioneer Irish of Onondaga, page 119-120: "Patrick H. Agan was one of the wisest of the city fathers. Born at Watertown in 1817, he came to Liverpool in 1837 to work for his brother-in-law Sampson Jaqueth, a salt manufacturer. He was political editor of the Standard for over twenty years, a clear and concise writer. He was postmaster, and was largely instrumental in the creation of the Adirondack State Park and other measures for the public good."
Residence
Enumerated with this family are James Donohue, a salt packer, age 50; Catherine Donohue, age 70; Thomas Donohue, a salt packer, age 30; and James Donohue, a tailor, age 17. All born in Ireland. None of the adults could read or write.http://interactive.ancestry.com/8054/4202538_00007?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.aspx%3fdbid%3d8054%26path%3d&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnBrowsing#?imageId=4202538_00015
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-11881-93857-97?cc=1401638&wc=95RN-W3F:1031313801,1034806701,1034859601
Residence
Enumerated with this family were James Donahue, age 61, a widower; and his sons: Thomas Donahue, age 33; and James Donahue, age 22. Also in this home, but listed as a separate family were Joseph Bush, age 34; his wife, Margaret, age 27; and children: Margaret, age 10; Henry, age 8; James, age 6; George, age 3; and Mary, age 1.The house was a frame one, valued at $150 -- which is by far the lowest valued dwelling for 4-5 pages on either side. There are some houses in the $300-500 range; others go over $1,000. Joseph and his two sons were all born in Ireland, and all of them had been residents of Salina for 21 years.
No occupation or trade is listed for any of the men in this family, but this seems very common in these pages. I suspect that it simply means they were common laborers, with no skilled trade or profession.
Residence
http://interactive.ancestry.com/7667/4236765_00218?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.com%2fsearch%2fdb.aspx%3fdbid%3d7667%26path%3d&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnBrowsing#?imageId=4236765_00236Endnotes
1. 1855 New York State Census, Onondaga County, New York, population, Salina, First Election District, , dwelling 116, family 138, lines 20-22, James Donahue and household; FHL microfilm 0870757.
2. 1840 Census, , population, New York, Onondaga, Salina, sheet 54, image 101, James Donahu; digital images, Ancestry.com ( : accessed 27 July 2013).
3. 1850 U.S. Federal Census, , population, New York, Onondaga, Salina, image 9, dwelling 51, family 51, lines 1-4, James Donohue and family; digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 8 September 2015).
4. 1855 New York State Census, Onondaga County, New York, population, Salina, First Election District, , dwelling 116, family 138, lines 20-22, James Donahue and household; FHL microfilm 0870757.
5. 1860 U.S. Federal Census, , population, New York, Onondaga, DeWitt, page 171, image 19, dwelling 1283, family 1285, line 9, James Donahu, in household of James Lynch; digital images, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 August 2015); National Archives and Records Administration.