BIOGRAPHIES:  John B. CORCORAN, Ettrick, Trempealeau Co., WI

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John B. Corcoran, a well known and popular citizen of Ettrick Village, 
engaged in the mail service as carrier, has lived in Trempealeau County all 
his life, having been born a quarter of a mile from the site of Ettrick, May 
15, 1858.  His parents were James and Hannah (Callahan) Corcoran.  James 
Corcoran was born in County Kerry, Ireland, in 1830, and his wife, in 
Ireland in 1831.  The former was a young man when he came to the United 
States, settling in New York State.  For two years he was employed as clerk 
in the old Van Dusen Hotel at Elmira, N. Y., and then, about 1855, came west 
to Wisconsin, locating in Galesville, Trempealeau County.  Here he entered 
the employ of Judge Gale, his wife -- for he had married in New York State 
-- boarding the men who were engaged in building the judge's residence, 
which now stands on the Gale farm.  After being thus occupied for awhile 
James Corcoran, anxious to become independent, availed himself of the 
opportunity to homestead a farm on the East Branch, near Ettrick, and having 
secured his property, settled down to develop and improve it.  There he 
resided until his death, which occurred about 1890.  His wife survived him 
many years, dying in 1913.  They had a family of seven children, of whom 
John B. was the first born.  John B. Corcoran first attended school in the 
Ettrick district and distinctly remembers the small log shanty in which he 
mastered his A, B, Cs.  Afterwards he went to school at Frenchville, where 
he gained some further knowledge.  He had to make himself useful at an early 
age, however, especially as being the eldest child and son he was the best 
able to assist his father.  At that time he frequently drove cows over the 
site of the present village of Ettrick.  Wild game was abundant and he has 
counted as many as 15 or 20 deer at one time, while there were also many 
beaver.  When 12 years old he often used to haul wheat from Ettrick to 
Trempealeau with an ox team.  Later he became a regular farm hand and also 
tried other industrial lines, working some four or five years as a machinist 
in Ettrick, following the same trade for awhile in Galesville and later at 
Eau Claire, in which place he continued at it three years.  Then returning 
to Ettrick he built a hotel and feed barn, and has continued in that 
business since, being now engaged in erecting a new hotel of 16 sleeping 
rooms, office, dining room, parlor and kitchen.  The building is of brick 
veneer two fulls stories, with ground dimensions of 65 by 34 feet, and will 
be operated as a commercial hotel.  Mr. Corcoran is now serving in his 
thirteenth year as railroad mail carrier from the Ettrick office and will 
continue in that occupation, his son, Edwin J., operating the hotel.  He is 
also the owner of a farm of 160 acres, situated a mile and a quarter east of 
Ettrick on the south branch of Beaver Creek, and is a stockholder in the 
Ettrick and Northern Railroad.  At times he has held office as a member of 
the township and school boards, his political principles being those of the 
Democratic party.  He is a member of the Catholic church at Ettrick.  June 
1884, Mr. Corcoran was married to Margaret Lane, who was born in La 
Crescent, Minn., daughter of Timothy and Mary (Buckley) Lane, her parents, 
like his own father, being natives of County Kerry, Ireland, though coming 
to America seven years later.  They settled six miles east of Ettrick, on 
the Willie Mack farm, where they resided practically for the rest of their 
lives, though they finally retired and removed to Ettrick Village, where 
they died.  Mr. and Mrs. Corcoran are the parents of three children:  Edwin 
J., who resides in Ettrick and has charge of his father's hotel and barn; 
Florence, wife of Ray Trunbar, proprietor of a European hotel in Sioux City, 
Iowa, and Perry, who lives with his parents.  Mr. Corcoran's fraternal 
affiliations are with the Order of Beavers.  He is noted throughout this 
region as a skillful hunter, never missing a season of deer hunting in the 
north woods.  Among his trophies of the chase are a jacket, gloves and 
mittens of buckskin, made from the hides of deer which he killed.

--From the "History of Trempealeau County Wisconsin, 1917," pages 582 - 583.