Bios. Tulsa, OK- BRENNAN, Edward J.
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Posted by Sean Drury on Sat, 22 Jul 2000

From History of Tulsa, p. 510:
EDWARD J. BRENNAN
The specific and distinctive
office of biography is not to give voice to a man’s modest estimate of himself
and his accomplishments but rather to leave a perpetual record establishing his
character by the consensus of opinion on the part of his fellowmen. Throughout
Tulsa, Edward J. Brennan is spoken of in terms of admiration and respect. His
life has been so varied in its activities, so honorable in its purposes, so
far-reaching and beneficial in its effect that it has become an integral part of
the history of the city and has left an impress upon the annals of the state. In
no sense a man in public life, Mr. Brennan has never-theless exerted an
immeasurable influence on the city of his residence through his business
activity, which has been wisely directed along lines contributing to general
progress and improvement, while at all times he stands for those forces which
make for the uplift of the individual and the betterment of the community along
the lines of civic progress. Moreover, he has been most active in those
departments which ameliorate hard conditions of life for the unfortunate, for he
is a man of most benevolent spirit and of great liberality. In business circles
he is rated as a real estate dealer and an oil producer.
Mr. Brennan was born in Lewis
county, New York, March 20, 1867, and is a son of Edward J. and Ann (McDermott)
Brennan, both of whom were natives of Ireland, the former born in Waterford and
the latter in Queenstown. The father was educated in a Catholic college at
Waterford, Ireland. They came to America when young people, the father crossing
the Atlantic when about twenty-five years of age, while the mother was younger.
Edward J. Brennan, Sr., settled first in Canada, where he remained for a few
years, following civil engineering there. In the ‘50s he came to the United
States and settled on a homestead near the city of Rochester, cultivating his
land there as a general farmer and also carrying on stock raising. About 1860 he
removed to Lewis county, New York, where he purchased and improved a farm,
devot-ing his attention to its further development and operation until 1900,
when he retired and removed to Watertown. New York. His life was one of intense
and well directed activity and his success was the direct result and reward of
his earnest, persistent and honorable labor. Step by step he advanced as the
years passed until in later life he was enabled to put aside business cares.
After residing for some time in Watertown, New York, he removed to Tulsa in 1908
in order to he near his children: Philip H., Joseph H., Mrs. D.O. McCormick, who
died April. 9. 1921, Mrs. George Harmon, Edward J., Mrs. Fred Wheeler, and Mrs.
Thomas Murphy. In Tulsa the father continued to make his home until his death,
which occurred on the 19th of March, 1920, when he had reached the remarkable
age of one hundred and two years. His wife passed away in 1912. Mr. Brennan was
never very active in politics in this country, although much interested in
politics when a resident of Ireland. To him and his wife were born fourteen
children, ten of whom are living. Besides those living in Tulsa are: Charles H.,
who is in the coal business in Pennsylvania; Mrs. M W. Corcoran of San Mateo,
California; Mrs. Leon Wood of Copenhagen, New York; and Mrs. Dennis Carroll of
Barnes Corners, New York. This worthy couple endeavored to inculcate high
principles into the minds of their sons and daughters and reared a family who
have indeed been a credit to their teachings. Both Mr. and Mrs. Brennan were
consistent members of the Catholic church and their sterling worth of character
gained for them time highest re-spect, confidence and goodwill of all who knew
them. Edward J. Brennan, whose name
introduces this record, was reared and educated in Lewis county, New York. He
there attended the district schools and remained at home until he reached the
age of seventeen years, when he started out to provide for his own support.
Since then he has depended en-tirely upon his own resources and is truly a
self-made man, He went first to Ridgeway, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in the
jewelry business for three years. He next turned his attention to the gas and
oil business and later accepted a position as manager of a large gas company,
continuing to act in that capacity until 1908, when he removed to Tulsa that he
might more actively engage in the oil business in this rich field. He was very
successful in Pennsylvania, however, and still owns oil stock there which pays
big dividends. On coming to Tulsa Mr. Brennan
became actively identified with oil interests here and has drilled many wells in
Oklahoma. He is now drilling wells at Wagoner, this state, and has become
prominently known as owner of oil properties and as an oil producer. Mr. Brennan
has studied the business from every possible standpoint and his investments have
therefore been most judiciously made. Into other fields he has also extended his
efforts. Seeing the great possibilities in the growth and advancement of Tulsa,
Mr. Brennan in 1909 engaged in the real estate business, purchasing forty acres
of what is now one of the best residential sections of the city. He platted this
and sold it off in city lots. The purchase was made at two dollars and
seventy-five cents a front foot and today the property is worth seventy dollars
per front foot. The section is known as Morningside and here in 1910 Mr. Brennan
erected a fine modern residence at 1601 Newport avenue, where he has since
resided. Mr. Brennan has also built and sold a good many residences in Tulsa. He
also owns four hundred acres adjoining the city of Tulsa which he intends to
plat. In 1914 he platted the Swan Park addition to the city of Tulsa and in 1910
he platted the Brennan & Reed addition to the city of Tulsa. One of the most
prominent business men of the city said that Mr. Brennan has done as much for
Tulsa as any other one individual on account of his sound business judg-ment in
real estate matters. His advice in this particular is often sought by prominent
men of the city. He has displayed equal insight in connection with the oil
business, with which he has been identified since 1892. It was by reason of his
farsightedness as to the future of the oil industry that he located in Tulsa and
in all of his undertakings he has been very successful. His knowledge of the oil
and gas business and of the area of the productive belt in the mid-continent
field prompted his heavy investment in property adjacent to Tulsa, figuring it
would be the New York of the southwest in the oil industry, he thinks that on
account of the number of productive sands on the mid-continent field they will
be drilling wells here one hundred years from now.
On the 7th of February, 1904, Mr.Brennan was united in marriage to 
Miss Jane F. McCauley, a daughter of Hughie
and Mary (McDonald) McCauley, the former a native of Ireland and the latter a
native of England, pioneers of Pennsylvania. Her father died in December, 1917,
aged seventy in Pitts-burgh, and the mother now makes her home with Mr. and Mrs.
Brennan, who have become the parents of five children: Paul, who is attending
the Benedictine school of Atchison, Kansas; Kathleen, who is pursuing her
studies in Ursuline Academy, in Paola, Kansas; Edward, better known as Ned, the
baseball fan of the family, a pupil in the Sacred Heart school of Tulsa; Leo,
also attending the Sacred Heart school; and Jane, four years of age. The
religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and Mr. Brennan is
identified with the Knights of Columbus, while his political allegiance is given
to the democratic party. He is a most earnest worker and supporter of the church
and has devoted much time thereto, while his contributions to Catholic schools
and churches have been most liberal. He donated twenty acres of valuable land
for the building of Sacred Heart College and Academy conducted by the
Benedictine Sisters in Tulsa and wherever he can extend a helping hand to a
fellow traveler on life’s journey he does not hesitate to do so. He possesses
untiring energy, is quick of perception, forms his plans readily and is
determined in their execution, and his close application to business and his
excellent management have brought to him the high degree of prosperity which is
today his. Moreover, it has been so worthily won and so honorably used that the
most envious cannot grudge him his success.