Allegany County MD Archives Biographies.....Rev. Joseph P. NOLAN, 1875- ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/md/mdfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Shawn McGreevy shawnmcgreevy@geatz.com "History of Allegany County, Maryland" by Thomas and Williams, 1923: "REV. JOSEPH P. NOLAN has been associated with St. Mary's Catholic Church at Lonaconing since 1908, and priest in charge from 1910 to the present with a highly creditable record of service in the parish. Father Nolan's gift for close, effective work, his pleasing personality, studious attention to the needs of his charge, and unselfish devotion to the best interest of the community, have endeared him to all classes in Lonaconing, and won him a place in the ranks of its most desirable citizens. His disinterested efforts in all good movements are an honor to his individual character as well as to his calling. Father Nolan was born in Lonaconing in 1875, being a son of Michael and Anna (O'Reilly) Nolan and grandson of Martin and Mary (Fahey) Nolan, who came from Galway, Ireland, and lived in Allegany county, Maryland, the rest of their days. They settled at Mount Savage, then but a small village, without railroad communications with the outside world and Martin Nolan worked in the old Mount Savage rolling mills, where the first iron rails for railroads made in the United States were produced in 1841. He also followed mining in the Georges Creek region for many years. He is buried at Barton, Allegany county. Michael Nolan, father of Rev. Joseph P. Nolan, was born December 26, 1845, at Mount Savage, and in 1861 moved to Lonaconing, where he and his wife continue to reside. He followed mining in the Georges Creek valley, in the employ of various coal companies, for fifty-five years, and is a highly respected resident of this section. On September 27, 1870, he married Miss Anna O'Reilly, a native of Philadelphia, where her parents Patrick and Mary (Smith) O'Reilly, settled on their arrival from County Cavan, Ireland, in 1847, and they have reared a large family, namely: Rose, now the wife of Michael Byrne, of Midland Maryland; Dennis, who was killed by falling rock in the workings of Consolidated Mining Company, at Midland, when twenty-eight years old; Rev. Joseph P. Nolan; Mary, wife of John McDermitt, a miner, of Midland; Anna, wife of James Canning, of Frostburg, Maryland; James who died of typhoid fever when sixteen years old; Michael and Teresa, deceased in childhood, Martin, Helen and Luretta all living in Lonaconing. Joseph P. Nolan grew up in Lonaconing, attending St. Mary's parochial school in his boyhood, and later St. Charles College at Ellicott City, Maryland. He was trained for the priesthood in St. Mary's Seminary at Baltimore, and received ordination December 19th, 1903, at the Cathedral in that city, at the hands of his eminence, James Cardinal Gibbons. On December 29th, 1903, he became assistant to Rev. S.J. Clarke, then father in charge of St. Michael's Church at Frostburg, Allegany county, Maryland, in 1908 being transferred to Lonaconing, as assistant to Rev. J.J. Conway, at that time in charge of St. Mary's. He assumed his duties at St. Mary's March 3, 1908 and has been serving there ever since, having been given charge of the parish in December, 1910. Father Nolan has been an able executive, keeping well up with the increased labors of the charge due to the growth of the church, and by the forward-looking policy which he has advocated has kept his congregation in line with the most progressive in this section of the State. He has entered heartily into all of its interests, coming into close touch with the life of the people at many points, and by his broad sympathy and sincere desire to promote their welfare has exceeded a potent influence for good." This file is located at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/md/allegany/bios/n/nolan-jp.txt