Guthrie County IA Archives Biographies.....Monahan, Stephen 1844 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 29, 2011, 5:47 am

Source: See below
Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1896)

STEPHEN MONAHAN.—The gentleman whose name heads this review is one of the
prominent Irish-Americans who are worthy of representation in a work of this
character. Beginning life at the foot of the great social and financial ladder,
he has, by dint of persistent labor attained a degree of prominence seldom
achieved without financial aid.

   He was born in county Clare, Ireland, on the 24th of December, 1844. In early
childhood he was bereft of a father's tender care and counsel, and when seven
years of age accompanied his widowed mother to America. They first located in
St. Albans, Vermont, whence they removed to Canada, after returning to Maine,
thence to Salmon Falls, New Hampshire. While the maternal home was in New
England our subject learned the machinist's trade at North And over,
Massachusetts, and this was his life work for many years. Being engaged
principally in railway machine shops Mr. Monahan was necessarily obliged to seek
employment at railway centers. This for some years necessitated much travel and
frequent change of location. He worked in Detroit, Michigan, for sixteen months;
spent two years in Manchester, New Hampshire; was in Adrian, Michigan, for six
months, and in Elkhart, Indiana, for six months. In 1871 he came to Stuart,
Iowa, and entered the employ of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad
Company, with which he continued for the long period of eighteen consecutive
years. This continued service was certainly a high testimonial to his skill and
ability and to his devotion to his company's interests. He was very successful
in his special line of mechanics and was considered safe counsel in matters
pertaining to the machinist's trade. Mr. Monahan has been twice married, his
first wife being Miss Mary Flynn, whom he wedded in Lawrence, Massachusetts.
After a happy married life of five years she died, leaving three children, two
of whom have joined their mother in the spirit world, the remaining son being
Patrick, who is now a student in the law department of the Iowa State
University. Mr. Monahan afterward wedded Miss Mary Drury, the marriage being
celebrated at Salmon Falls, New Hampshire. The lady is a native of the Emerald
Isle and came to this country in her youth. Three children bless this
union,—Mary,-Charles and Stephen, and all are yet under the parental roof.

   While employed at mechanical pursuits Mr. Monahan was industrious and frugal,
devoting his leisure to study and careful reading. He therefore became not only
generally well informed but especially bright and clearheaded upon political
topics, in which he has always taken a great interest. For five consecutive
years he has been employed by the Republican State Central Committee as a
campaign speaker, and for more than ten years he has taken an active part with
that party in political discussions. He is therefore a gentleman widely known
throughout his Congressional district as a fluent and able expounder of the
doctrines of Republicanism. He is a prominent and active member of the Roman
Catholic Church in Stuart, and is public-spirited and enterprising, giving
freely of his means to the support of all worthy religious or charitable
interests. He is also one of the Irish-Americans who cannot forget the distress
of his countrymen across the water and he cheerfully lends them assistance in
their dire necessities. He is prominently identified with the Ancient Order of
Hibernians, and in all the relations of life is an esteemed gentleman whom to
know is to honor.

   In 1889 Mr. Monahan left the work bench and the turning lathe and directed
his attention to buying and selling real estate, loaning money, and to general
insurance. His intimate and favorable acquaintance throughout the country
enabled him to develop at once a fine business. It is said that his real-estate
sales exceed all other business in that line in the city. His offices are
admirably located and well fitted up and he devotes his time to his business as
assiduously as he did when his daily bread depended upon his prompt response to
the whistle that called all employees to work. As a reward for industry and
frugality he has accumulated valuable property interests in Stuart and vicinity,
and is to-day one of the substantial citizens of this section of Iowa.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

A MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF IOWA

ILLUSTRATED

CHICAGO: THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
1896


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