O'Connor, Robert >Ireland>NY>PA>MN
An Illustrated History of Nobles Countyby
A. Rose, c1908
Page 435-36
[Taken from bio on son, John]
Robert
and Catherine (Foster) O'Connor, both deceased.The father was
born in County Kildare, Ireland.In 1848, being a colonel in the
rebel or insurgent army, he was forced to flee his natice country and
came to the United States.He and his half brother, Charles O'Connor,
now a noted criminal lawyer of New York City, were smuggled
aboard an American ship by an Aunt, who was the wife of the mayor
of Dublin, and made the trip in safety to the land of the free.The
English crown had confiscated 300,000 pounds of the estate of the
brothers, the estate now known as the Lord Pertarllton estate, located
in the town of Monasterevin, in the county of Kildare.
After arriving in the new world Robert O'Connor worked for a time in a
dry goods store in New York City, and later engaged in the real
estate business there.Leaving the metropolis, he went to western
Pennsylvania and engaged in the oil business, becoming a member
of the firm of O'Connor, McAllister and Hughes. The partners were
highly successful and became millionaires.Later their business was
cornered and they were forced out of business by a powerful oil
company - a company which developed into the all-powerful Standard
Oil company.Practically bankrupt, Rober O'Connor in 1868 moved west
and located in Fillmore county, Minnesota.There he made his home
with his son, John, until his death, which occured at the age of 56 years.
Our subject's mother was born near Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, in
1831. She died at the home of her son November 13, 1907.John is the
oldest of a famiily of six living children of these parents.The other children
are:
Mary
Sarah
Charles
Major
Agnes
[As this is worded "six living children" it is reasonable to assume that
there were more children who did not make it to adulthood.]
************