Fayette County PA Archives Biographies.....Doonan, Francis P. January 13, 1854 - ???? ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Marta Burns marta43@juno.com September 20, 2024, 5:55 pm Source: Gresham and Wiley, 1889: Biographical & Portrait Cyclopedia, Fayette Co, PA, page 429 Author: John H. Gresham & Samuel T. Wiley Francis P Doonan is of Irish descent and was born January 13, 1854, near Kingwood, Preston county, West Virginia, then Virginia. He is a son of John Doonan and Bridget Kenney Doonan, both natives of County Longford, Ireland. John Doonan, father, emigrated to America in 1837 and resided at Mt Savage, Allegany county, Maryland, for some time when he removed to Preston county, Virginia, and died at Wheeling in 1860. He had six children: James Doonan; Francis P Doonan; John Doonan, dead; Mary E Doonan, now Mrs Laffey of Mineral county, West Virginia; Anna D Doonan; Elizabeth Doonan, now Mrs Locke of Uniontown. Francis P Doonan was educated in the free schools, and Catholic schools of Clarksburg, West Virginia, and the Normal schools of Somerset, Pennsylvania. He taught six terms of school, two in Mineral county, West Virginia, two in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, and two in this county. Intelligent, quick and energetic, as a boy he naturally attracted observation, and was in governmental employ at Clarksburg, West Virginia, when only fourteen years of age. Being of good business tact and talent, his services have often been in demand in that line, he has successfully clerked at Clarksburg, kept time on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and been an efficient bookkeeper at Lemont Furnace. Specifically qualified by this varied commercial experience, he embarked in the general mercantile and drug business at Dunbar in 1882; has built up and is energetically conducting a very successful business. Mr Doonan was married in September, 1887, to Miss Ellen Cray, daughter of James Cray, a successful businessman of Dunbar. In 1886 and in 1888 he was the regular nominee of the democratic party of Fayette county as one of their candidates for the legislature, but at both elections republicans were elected. Having determined upon the law as a profession, he pursued the study for one year (1885-86) in the law department of Georgetown University. Having successfully passed the preliminary examination in Fayette county, is now a registered student of law at Uniontown. He is intelligent, active and reliable and gives promise of making his mark in the future. Additional Comments: Originally submitted 2000. This file has been created by a form at http://www.usgwarchives.net/pafiles/ File size: 2.9 Kb