NORTHERN NEW YORK
Genealogical and family history of northern New York: a record of the achievements of her people
in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation.
New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co. 1910.



HAUGHRAN



Transcribed by Coralynn Brown



This is an Irish name not often met with in this country, but its bearers have borne a creditable part in the settlement and development of northern New York, and it is now prominently connected with mercantile and dairy interests of the region.

(I) John Haughran was a native of Ireland, born in 1808, and learned the trade of tailor there, which occupation he steadily followed through his active life. In 1853 he came to America and soon settled at Chazy, N.Y., where he died in 1867.
He was a Catholic in religion, and one year after his arrival married Jane Fenn, an Episcopalian. She was born in county Antrim, Ireland, of Scottish ancestry, and came to this country at the age of seventeen years. Her voyage across the ocean consumed six weeks, a much long period than is now required. After twenty-two years of happy married life in Chazy, she passed away in 1858, at the age of fifty-two years.
They had only one child.

(II) John (2), only child of John (1) and Jane (Fenn) Haughran, was born July 27, 1838, in Chazy, Clinton county, N.Y., and received a good common school education in his native town. At the age of seventeen he began a most successful mercantile career by entering the store of L. F. Merrihew, of Chazy, as clerk, and continued several years in that capacity. In 1865 he engaged in business on his own account, in partnership with Napoleon Trombly, under the firm name of Haughran & Trombly. This connection continued successfully two years, at the end of which time the senior partner sold his interest and removed to Ellenburg Centre. In partnership with D. S. Kinsley, of Chazy, he conducted there a similar business under the firm name of Haughran & Kinsley for nearly one year. Later, in company with Mr. Kinsley, he purchased the saw mills and lumber business of William Whipple & Company, which they conducted until Mr. Kinsley's death. Having purchased the interest of his partner, Mr. Haughran continued the business some years and then admitted to partnership W. H. Gordon, this arrangement leasting four years. Mr. Haughran then continued the business alone. He also engaged in the handling of produce unedr the firm name of Haughran & Hammond, and did a large shipping business at Ellenburg Depot.
The energy, industry and business shrewdness of the senior partner in all these combinations led to successful results, and in course of time Mr. Haughran possessed several farms, aggregating seven hundred acres. In addition to his mercantile operations, he went into the creamery business about 1882, erecting a building for the purpose at West Hill. This was conducted with such success that it outgrew the accomodations, and he erected a modern plant in which, in company with C. P. Fifield, a practical buttermaker, a very successful business was carried on up to 1907. The establishment was known as "Star Creamery," located at Ellenburg, West Hill, or Star. It was one of the leading creameries of that section and manufactured over seventy-five tons of butter during a season of six months.
Starting with little capital, Mr. Haughran built up a large business by his own efforts chiefly, and is esteemed as a sound business man of broad views and excellent charatcter. His store at Ellenburg was the first to be built of brick in that place, and to this he had gradually addd a flour and feed mill, his residence and four tenements, a saw mill, the creamery and cold storage plant, beside four large barns and other outbuildings, making a small hamlet of his own in the pleasant village of Ellenburg Centre.
In 1897 he sold out all his interests there except the creamery and farms, which he held until 1907, and removed to the city of Plattsburgh. He was a director of the Vilas Bank of that city, and since its reorganization as the City National Bank has been its vice-president. He is a director of the Plattsburgh National Bank. For five years he was supervisor of Plattsburgh, and after it received its charter as a city was a member of the board of public works for six years. He was a member of the building committees which erected the Young Men's Christian Association building and the Champlain Valley Hospital.
In politics Mr. Haughran is a stalwart Republican and has taken part in many campaigns. In 1892 he was his party's candidate for assemblyman. The campaign was hard fought, and his opponent, H. E. Barnard, won by only thirty-four votes.
During his residence in Chazy, Mr. Haughran held the office of collector one term and also served as supervisor in Ellenburg thirteen terms.

He married, Dec. 8, 1865, Helen Langfeld, of Chazy, who died in 1869, at the age of twenty-seven years, leaving a child, Helen E., born Aug. 22, 1869. She was educated at Montpelier, Vermont, and the Boston Conservatory of Music; married Howard D. Hadley, of Malone, N.Y., and has two children: Helen Mary and John Haughran.
Mr. Haughran married (second) Catherine, daughter of Michael Gordon, a native of Ireland.
After a long and unusually active business career, Mr. Haughran is enjoying in the evening of life, that tranquility which he deserves, amidst many warm friends, in the pleasant and handsome city of Plattsburgh.

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