Capt. Mike Hoy & Family

Histories of the Dakota County Irish logo

By Shawne FitzGerald

captain mike hoy & catherine quealy family

Capt. Mike Hoy was a colorful character in the history of the City of Minneapolis Minnesota. An early marshall of the City of St. Anthony, he continued his law enforcement career with the City of Minneapolis after the two cities merged. A contemporary biography appeared in History of the fire and police departments of Minneapolis : their origin, progress, and development by Augustine E. Costello:

CAPTAIN MICHAEL HOY has won distinction in many ways. During the war he served his country in the field, fighting on the side of liberty, and bears to-day and will carry to his grave the terrible marks of the southern bullets, his right arm being almost entirely disabled from a fearful bullet wound above the wrist, received at the battle of Nashville, where he was promoted from first lieutenant to captain on the field for gallantry in action. He joined Co. K. 10th Minnesota, Capt. J. H. Baker commanding, on the 22nd day of August, 1862, and served until the 16th day of December, 1864.

Captain Hoy belonged to the St. Anthony volunteer fire service for seventeen years, and was foreman of Minnesota Engine Company for four years. He was elected city marshal (east division) in the summer of 1867, and filled that position for seven years, until St. Anthony became consolidated with Minneapolis. In him, during this period, was centered the entire criminal and police system. He was also a deputy sheriff. For over two years he did all the criminal business of the whole county, and a great portion of it for many years after. After the consolidation he was appointed chief of police, under Mayor Brackett. Afterwards he held the position of chief of detectives, under Mayor Wilson. Later he was appointed by the council one of the police commissioners and served for two years as vice-president of that body, until April, 1868. Captain Hoy was also appointed deputy U.S. marshal by President Cleveland, which position he held until October, 1890. He is still hale and vigorous, with many years of usefulness yet in store...

While Captain Hoy was marshal, there was in the county but one small structure used as a jail, located near Central avenue between Fifth and Sixth streets. This was known for a long time as "Hoy's little stone jug," and it was the only lockup west of St. Paul. When prisoners were committed for any prolonged period they were taken to St. Paul, the county paying for their maintenance, as there was no place to keep them elsewhere. Sometimes "Hoy's little stone jug" would be filled to overcrowding, and if there were any females among the unfortunates they were placed apart from the male prisoners in one of the two rooms that served for the the lock-up. The duties of the jailor (Marshall Hoy) were simple enough. He merely turned the key on them and went about his business. Sometimes in the morning on his return he would find his little stone jug empty, the inmates having taken French leave. After a time, a high fence was built around the jail and the escapes were less numerous in consequence. Further on, a new lock-up was located under the court house (west side) where it is at the present time-Eighth avenue south and Fourth street...

The city of St. Anthony got its charter in 1855, and consequently was 16 years old when united with Minneapolis in 1872.

( Minneapolis : Relief Association, 1890, pp. 243-244.)

Hoy's law enforcement career may be best known for his failed attempt to arrest the fake Lord Gordon Gordon in Winnipeg Manitoba in 1872. The fake lord had bamboozled financier Jay Gould and others out of some capital and Gould's lawyers prevailed upon Minneapolis Mayor Brackett to dispatch an officer to Canada to retrieve Gordon. Bracket chose Hoy for the job. Canadian authorities disputed this irregular practice of extradition and Hoy plus his associate, Owen Keegan, were detained for months until political pressure brought about a plea bargain and Hoy and Keegan were released. A crowd of two thousand plus two marching bands and the Irish Rifles were present to welcome home the detainees. This story is fully told in William Watts Folwell's History of Minnesota (v. III, Appendix 5. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society, 1969).

According to historian Kevin Geraghty, the Dakota County Tribune had occasional reports of Michael and Catherine Hoy visiting their "cousins," Owen and Margaret (Quealy) Hyland in Lakeville. Capt. Mike and Catherine Quealy Hoy are buried at St. Anthony Cemetery in northeast Minneapolis Minnesota.

MICHAEL HOY (1837-1895) m. 1860
CATHERINE QUEALY (1839-1926)

Children

John M. (Abt. 1863-1940) m. Dorothea Fleetham
Mary ? (Bef 1860 - )
Michael J. (Aft. 1865 -  )
Anna (1866-1954)
James (Abt. 1869 -  )
Esther C. (1826-1931) m. James M. Lennon (1862-1933)
Frank P. (Abt. 1873 -  )
Albert H. (Abt. 1874-  )
Frederick J. (Abt. 1879- )

Capt. Mike Hoy's brother William, also a Civil War veteran, became a housemover in Minneapolis. Nephew William Hoy was a Minneapolis banker associated with Anthony Kelly, one of the first grocers in Mineapolis and later, a large food wholesaler. (See biography.) John M. Hoy married Dorothea Fleetham of the Fleetham furniture store family. Esther C. and James M. Lennon are buried in the Michael Hoy plot at St. Anthony cemetery in northeast Minneapolis.


This data is from Timothy Roebeck, a Fleetham family researcher.

JOHN M. HOY (Abt. 1863-1940)
DOROTHEA FLEETHAM (1865-1944)

Ralph L. (1885-1959)
Gerald (Abt. 1889 - )
Joane (Abt. 1890 -  ) m. J. Edward McGill
Milton (Abt. 1893 -  )
Mary Hoy (Abt. 1899 - ) m. Edward Alexius Regnier
Irene M. (1890-1971)

John and Dorothea are buried in the Michael Hoy plot at St. Anthony cemetery in northeast Minneapolis.



MARY HOY (Abt. 1899 - ) dau. of  John M. Hoy and Dorothea Fleetham
EDWARD ALEXIUS REGNIER (1895 - ) son of Joseph Regnier & Zepherine Mongeau

Edward John (1928 - )
Gerald Anthony (1929 - )
Mary Celestine (1932 - )
John Joseph (1938 - )

This data is unverified. One source Jean Whitney Muse, a Regnier descendent. The data is posted at http://www.my-ged.com/page/muse/2541 and http://www.my-ged.com/page/muse/2197. A source Muse cites on her homepage is Regnier Families in North American by Rev. Martin Keith O.P. available on LDS film #1597649, Item 5. Less detailed identical data appears at RootsWeb World Connect in Dick Dutton's Master File (sources not cited). [search Mary Hoy] [search Susie Qualey]. Both of these sites have extensive information about the Regnier families. See also Timothy Roebeck's history of the Michael Hoy and John M. Hoy families.


Descendent Site

Timothy Roebeck's Family Page

Related Pages

Resource Sites

Hennepin County MN Genweb


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