Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Downey, John W 1860 - 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 4, 2007, 9:53 pm

Author: Portrait & Biographical Album, 1890

JOHN W. DOWNEY. 

The legal fraternity of Will County numbers among its most painstaking and 
promising members him with whose name we introduce this notice. He is yet 
young in years, having been born April 3, 1860, and his childhood home was in 
Norman Township, Grundy County, this State. His parents were John and Mary 
(O'Halloran) Downey, who were natives of County Tipperary, Ireland. The father 
of our subject came to America in 1849, and in 1851 was married to Miss 
O'Halloran, in LaSalle County, this State. They settled upon a farm, and there 
were born to them six children, five sons and one daughter. One son, Edward, 
died at the age of twenty-six years. The others, with the exception of our 
subject, are residing in Grundy County. John W., who was the fourth in order 
of birth, spent his boyhood on the farm, assisting in its labors, and 
attending, mostly during the winter season, the common school. He was of 
studious habits, improving his leisure hours by reading and study, and after 
leaving school occupied himself as a teacher, which is the usual stepping 
stone to other professions. He was desirous, however, of advancing his 
education, and in the summer of 1882 entered the Normal School at Valparaiso, 
Ind., which he attended three terms. Mr. Downey, having resolved upon 
following the profession of law, came, in the spring of 1885, to Joliet, and 
entered the office of Haley & O'Donnell, where he closely applied himself to 
the study of the best legal works until December following when he was 
admitted to the bar. He remained with his preceptors one year, then opened a 
law office, and has since confined himself to the practice of his profession. 
He was elected City Attorney in April, 1889, for a term of two years. 
Politically, Mr. Downey affiliates with the Democratic party, and in religion 
he adheres to the Catholic faith of his forefathers. Socially, he belongs to 
the Independent Order of Foresters. He gives his whole time to the duties of 
his profession, and is rapidly acquiring a substantial footing therein. 

Additional Comments:
Portrait and Biographical Album of Will County, Illinois, Containing Full Page 
Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens 
of the County; Chicago: Chapman Bros., 1890

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/will/bios/downey1301nbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/

File size: 2.9 Kb