Individual Details

Orrin was born in 1843 in Rochester NY to Catherine Connolly (or Conley) and Orrin Nathaniel Allen. His parents apparently divorced soon after he was born, because by 1845, Orrin N is married to Susan Freeman and living in Virginia.

His mother's sister Deborah Connolly Fitzmorris lived in Boone County, Illinois, so it's likely that Catherine went to see her or live there, as in 1850 she married Michael Finley in Boone County, Illinois. Orrin grew up with his half-siblings in Illinois. He used Finley as a middle name.

Served in Civil War. Born 8 Oct 1843. Enlisted 7 Aug 1862, Rockford, IL. Company K, 89th Infantry. Mustered out at Nashville, TN, 10 Jun 1865
Filed for Invalid Pension, 15 Sep 1892; Mary O. Allen filed for Pension, 16 Jan 1911

Married Mary Ophelia Hendrix, 14 May 1871, Belle Plaine, Benton Co, Iowa

1870 Census. Belle Plaine, Benton Co, Iowas, Hh 155
In residence of Daniel Hart, Hotel Keeper
Oren Allen, 24, Engineer, b. NY

1880 Census. Belle Plaine, Benton Co, Iowa, Hh 515
Orrin Allen, 35, Engineer, b. NY
Mary, 36, wife, b. MI
Alonzo, 8, son, b. Iowa
Willie, 6, son

1885 Iowa State Censes, Belle Plaine, Benton Co, Iowa, Hh 291
Orin F. Allen, 40, Engineer, b. NY
Mary A., 40, b. IN
Alonzo F., 12, b. Benton Co
William H., 10
Orin T., 3
Thomas J., 0
Emma Briggerman, 20, Domestic, b. IL

1895 Iowa State Census. Benton Co, Iowa, Hh 110
Orrin F. Allen, 51, b. NY, Engineer, Served in Co K, 89th Ill. Private
Mary, 50, b. IN
Alonzo F., 21, b. Benton Co, Iowa
William H. Allen, 10
Orrin T. Allen, 13
Thomas J. Allen, 10

Iowa's Vital Records...Death - Orrin died Sept. 26, 1899 Mahaska Co., Iowa (Note that he didn't die in Belle Plains....he died in Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa...see the news of the accident below)
News Waterloo Daily Courier Sept. 27, 1899 Particulars of Wreck Oskaloosa, Sept. 27...A head on collision on the Belle Plain and Muchaklnock extension of the Chicago and Northwestern railroad between a passenger train and a double-header freight train resulted in the death of four trainmen, the serious injury of two others and the destruction of three engines and fourteen cars. The dead: Engineer: Oren Allen Engineer: Alex Douglass Fireman: Prentice Conductor: David Butterfield all of Belle Plaine. Seriously Injured: Fireman Baxter and Fireman Kulp The collision is said to be the result of an error in the train orders. The passenger train which was south bound, met the freight train moving at a high rate of speed on a time order seven miles southeast of the city and the two trains came together with a great shock. None of the passengers were seriously hurt. The passenger engineer saw the approaching freight in time to bring his train to almost a stop before the crash came, probably lessening the loss of life.

From FamilySearch:
Grandfather Allen was born of very poor Irish Catholic peasant stock. His mother and father (her first husband - Allen) immigrated to America and settled in or near Rochester, New York where he was born in 1843. His father died around 1848. NOTE: The first husband, Orrin Nathaniel Allen was a New Yorker - he did not die. They must of divorced - Allen married again in Virginia in 1845 and when Catherine married Finley, she gave her name as Catherine Allen.
His mother later re-married to a Mr. Finley and they moved to Belvedere, Illinois. NOTE: Catherine moved near her sister in Illinois where she was married to Finley.
This second marriage produced several children, but only one, grandfather's half-brother, Daniel Finley, survived. The Finleys later lived in Norfolk, Nebraska. ...fathers only know relatives on the Allen side.
It was from Belvedere, Illinois that Grandfather Allen volunteered for service in the Union Army during the Civil War. He served throughout the was the 89th Illinois. I remember that he was involved in the troop movements during the great Tennessee campaigns. The [newspaper] report of the 1899 wreck, mentions that Grandfather had just started a railroad job at 17 years of age when the War began and that led him to volunteer with a railroad battalion, at 18.
After the War, he was a railroad man with the Chicago & NorthWestern Railway Co, until his death in a terrible accident near Tama, Iowa, in 1899. I once saw a clipping from the time of his death paying tribute to him for heroism in ordering the fireman to jump for his life while grandfather kept control as long as possible to save the lives of the passengers. He must have been a very fine person. I know that my father and the uncles all idolized him. Their relationship to grandmother was much less warm, sadly enough, and yet, they were both fine people from whom we all inherited a good, strong strain on which to build.
Grandfather's half-brother, Daniel Finley, and his descendants always remained Catholics, as did Grandfather's mother, but Grandfather left the church as a young man - presumably during the Civil War years - and our family has always been Protestant since then. However, the Finley's were our father's only relatives and were fine people. Great-uncle Dan died in the 1920's but I met Great-aunt Margaret and her daughter, Mrs. A. M. Howley of Norfolk, Nebraska, many years ago. Dad, William Hendry Allen, was always absolutely devoted to his Uncle Dan. Like Grandfather, Great-uncle Dan was a railroad man. (Letter written to Richard Allen from Kathryn I. Allen Looney, Oct 21, 1970.)

From a Belle Plaine Newspaper, 26 Sept 1899
TERRIBLE WRECK
South Branch Passenger and (some words cut off) Freight No. 106 Come Together
FOUR BELLE PLAINE MEN KILLED
Wreck Occurred on the Hill near Skunk Creek, Passenger Going Fifty Miles an Hour - Many Belle Plaine Homes Saddened.
A wreck which has saddened the hearts of Belle Plaine people occurred today on the Panapkinvine. As a result four men are dead and eight injured.
The killed are:
O. F. Allen, engineer on 106.
Dave Butterfield, conductor on passenger
W. A. Douglas, engineer on No. 384
Milo Furnas, fireman on same
The injured:
E. M. Kolb, fireman on passenger, seriously injured about head and back. May die.
George Baxter, fireman on 381, badly injured about the head
Guy Smith, passenger brakeman, bruised
Will H. Hill, brakeman on freight,slightly injured
Will Knights, engineer on 381, slightly injured
P. N. Cronk, express messenger, leg broken
E. J. Trumble, mail clerk. Not seriouly injured
Woman, name not known, not seriously injured
Child, daughter of above woman, not seriously injured
The wreck has caused sorrow in many homes in Belle Plaine and tears are in everyone's eyes. The shock was so sudden that people cannot yet realize the extent of the calamity. To think that three of the men who had been running for so many years without accident should all at once be taken off, is more than the people can comprehend.
How It Occurred.
The passenger with Orrin Allen on the engine, E. M. Kolb firemand and Dave Butterfield conductor left here at the usual time this morning. One Skunk River hill near Tioga the passenger usually runs about fifty miles an hour and it was on this hill that the wreck occurred.
The freight was a double header with engines 384 and 381. W. A. Douglas was engineer on 384 and and Milo Furnas fireman. On 381 were Wm. Knights and Geo. Baxter.
At Skunk River there is a hill each way and it was at the dip that the trains met on the curve. Both were going full speed.
The passenger had only the two coaches and the collision must have been terrible for the light train. The other train was heavily loaded with coal and it would seem, at the speed they were going, and down hill at that, that it would be almost impossible for anyone to get out alive.
The wreck occurred at 11:10 and at noon, engine 664 with John Henrderson as engineer picked up two coaches and the doctors and started to the scene. Later engine 350 with Geo. Steinke at the throttle took the wrecking train as fast as possible to the scene.
The Clinton wrecking train went through here at 6 o'clock.
It is said that the train order was sent to Wright and Atwood for the trains to meet at Tioga. The operator Wright repeated the message correctly and the operator at Atwood repeated it Gainsford instead of Tioga. The dispatcher put his O.K. on both orders and the trans met between Tioga and Gainford.
supt. Aishton came from Boone on No. 4 and taken on a waycar at 4 o'clock to the scene of the wreck.
The news of the wreck was almost too much for the wives of those who were reported killed. Mrs. Butterfield was completely prostrated.
At 7 o'clock the train pulled in with the inured, stopping at the south yards, where they were transferred to carriages. The dead had not been brought up at the time of going to press.

Birth	7 Oct 1843	Rochester, Monroe County, New York
Marriage	14 May 1871	Benton County, Iowa - Mary Ophelia Hendry
Death	26 Sep 1899	Mahaska County, Iowa

Spouse	Mary Ophelia Hendry (1844 - 1933)
Child	Alonzo Franklin Allen (1872 - 1954)
Child	William Hendry Allen (1874 - 1952)
Child	Orrin Thomas Allen (1881 - 1946)
Child	Thomas James "Jay" Allen (1884 - 1939)
Child	[Daughter] Allen (1889 - 1889)

Father	Orin Nathaniel Allen (1812 - 1875)
Mother	Catherine Connolly (1823 - 1880)