Montgomery County TN Archives Biographies.....Mehigan, Cornelius 1845 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com October 30, 2005, 4:00 am

Author: Will T. Hale

   CORNELIUS MEHIGAN. Among the citizens of Montgomery county who are entitled

to the often abused but always honorable title of "self-made man," by reason of

the manner in which they have risen from poor and obscure boyhood to positions

of responsibility and prominence among their fellow men, Cornelius Mehigan, of

Clarksville, holds a prominent place. Losing his father when he was but an

infant, it was necessary that he begin his battle with the world at a time when

the majority of men are securing the benefits of educational advantages or being

trained to fill the positions which they are destined to fill in life. That he

has succeeded in such an eminent degree is due to his perseverance,

determination and well-directed efforts, and his entire career has been one

worthy of the sturdy race from which he sprung. Mr. Mehigan was born May 27,

1842, in County Kerry, Ireland, and is a son of Timothy and Julia (Shea)

Mehigan. Timothy Mehigan was engaged in farming all of his life in Ireland, and

there died in middle life, in 1846. His widow subsequently came to the United

States with her five children, but soon returned to Ireland, and in about three

years later again came to America, here spending the remainder of her life.



   Cornelius Mehigan was an infant when his father died, and was about six years

old when brought to Massachusetts. When he was twelve years of age he was taken

to Toledo, Ohio, where he received a meager education, and as a lad left Ohio

for Missouri, where he worked as water boy for a construction gang on a

railroad. Mr. Mehigan came to Montgomery county, Tennessee, about 1858 and was

engaged in work in a livery stable for a short time when he began the tin

business. In 1861, he enlisted in Company A, Fourteenth Regiment, Tennessee

Volunteer Infantry, subsequently participating in all the engagements of General

Lee's army until Gettysburg. At the battle of Sharpsburg he was wounded in the

mouth, and at Gettysburg was so severely wounded that he was placed on the

retired list. On completing his military career, Mr. Mehigan went to New

Providence, where he engaged in the tin business. In 1888 he opened a hardware

store in Clarksville, and in this he has continued successfully to the present

time, so conducting his operations as1 to gain material success and the esteem

of his fellow citizens. He is the owner of a small, well-cultivated farm, where

he makes his home, and he has wisely invested his earnings in other enterprises.



   In 1870 Mr. Mehigan was married to Miss Irene Ogbom, daughter of John Ogbom,

a well-known agriculturist of Montgomery county, and eight children, four of

which are deceased, have been born to this union: Julia E., who lives with her

parents; Virginia, who is the wife of Prof. Kennedy, of the University of North

Carolina; and Cornelius, Jr., and William, both at home. Mr. Mehigan is a member

of the Catholic church, while his wife is connected with the Methodist Episcopal

denomination. He is a Democrat in political matters, but takes only a good

citizen's interest in affairs of a public nature. His career has been a long and

useful one and demonstrates that to the man of ambition, determination and will

power, nothing is impossible and that industry and integrity form the medium

through which success may be gained. 



Additional Comments:
From:



A history of Tennessee and Tennesseans : the leaders and representative men in

commerce, industry and modern activities

by Will T. Hale

Chicago:  Lewis Pub. Co.,  1913



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