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There is a considerable clan of Healy's based in Chicago, Illinois from 1870 to 1960 (though the present generation is scattered all over the U.S.).  They lived on the south side, near the famed Union Stockyards.  Thomas Healy was described as a saloonkeeper, as was his son John Henry Healy (1875-1928).  My grandfather, William Healy (1868-1955) also had a saloon, at 39th and Union Avenue, Chicago.

 

Family lore has it that two brothers left Macroom, Ireland in the 1850s under contract to work on the Panama Railroad.  Supposedly they worked two years, then came back to New Orleans, faced a cholera quarantine, jumped ship and went up the Mississippi to Chicago.

My research finds that P [eter] and P [atrick] Healy, age 22 and 16, took the ship Lawrence from Cork to New Orleans, arriving March 17, 1853.  Peter (my great-grandfather) appears in Kansas City, Mo. in the 1870 census and in Chicago in the 1880 census.  A third brother, Thomas, appears in Chicago in the 1880 census, date and place of arrival uncertain. There is no further record of P [atrick]. I suspect that on first arrival they worked building railroads in various parts of Illinois and Iowa.  They have multiple interactions with the O'Brien's, from Cashel and Charleville, some of which possibly started in Ireland.

I have quite a bit of detail  on the family in Chicago from 1880 onward.  Can anyone trace them back to Ireland?

 

Robert Grogan Healy  (retired professor at Duke University)

Durham, North Carolina, USA

healy@duke.edu

rhealy

Sunday 23rd Jun 2013, 04:38PM

Message Board Replies

  • Hi Robert,

    Thank you for your message. I have forwarded it onto one of our volunteers who hopefully may be able to advise or assist you.

    Kind regards,

    Genealogy Support

     

    Monday 8th Jul 2013, 03:40PM

  • Many thanks for your reply.  Since writing the above, I've learned a bit more, thanks to the web material made available by the government of Ireland.

    There is a record of:

    Christening of Peter Healy (my great grandfather, one of the two brothers who arrived in New Orleans in March 1853) at Ballyvourney parish, 1833.  Son of Thomas Healy and Mary Hallisy.

    Thomas Healy listed in 1851-53 Griffiths Valuation.  Listed as living at Coolavokig, Ballyvourney

     

    So perhaps the Healys said they were from Macroom (the larger of the towns) but actually lived on the road between Macroom and Ballyvourney.

     

    Thanks in advance for any additional information you could supply.  What would be most useful would be a list of family members in a 1850 census, if any such exists.

     

    Bob Healy

    Durham, North Carolina

    rhealy

    Monday 8th Jul 2013, 07:54PM

  • Many thanks for your reply.  Since writing the above, I've learned a bit more, thanks to the web material made available by the government of Ireland.

    There is a record of:

    Christening of Peter Healy (my great grandfather, one of the two brothers who arrived in New Orleans in March 1853) at Ballyvourney parish, 1833.  Son of Thomas Healy and Mary Hallisy.

    Thomas Healy listed in 1851-53 Griffiths Valuation.  Listed as living at Coolavokig, Ballyvourney

     

    So perhaps the Healys said they were from Macroom (the larger of the towns) but actually lived on the road between Macroom and Ballyvourney.

     

    Thanks in advance for any additional information you could supply.  What would be most useful would be a list of family members in a 1850 census, if any such exists.

     

    Bob Healy

    Durham, North Carolina

    rhealy

    Monday 8th Jul 2013, 07:54PM

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