Pgs 935 - 36

JOHN QUINN, a prominent and substantial citizen of Pella, Shawano county, was born in Clifton, County Galway, Ireland, in 1835, son of John and Mary (Cady) Quinn.

John Quinn, Sr., was a miller by trade. He reared a family of four children, as follows: Michael, a merchant tailor in Cobourg, Canada, who has a wife and two children (his brother John made him a visit in 1892); Catherine, wife of Thomas McMahon, a fisherman of Cobourg, Canada (they have a large family); Martin, now in Bridgenorth, Canada (he learned the trade of milling with his father, and today works for the son of the man for whom his father commenced work nearly forty years ago, and they have been, one or both, in the employ of the same firm ever since); and John, the subject of this sketch. About 1848 John Quinn, Sr., came with his family to Canada, locating in Haldimand, where he engaged in work in a sawmill. He always followed this occupation, and continued with the same firm for the remainder of his life, being in their employ when he died. The firm afterward moved to Bridgenorth, where John Quinn, the subject of this sketch, also went. The father owned his own home, and brought up his sons to milling.

John Quinn, whose name introduces this sketch, obtained a very limited amount of learning in school, and the principal part of his education has been gained elsewhere. He remained at home only to the age of fourteen, and since that time has earned his own livelihood. For some two years he followed clerking in a store, and then served two years apprenticeship to a cooper, but not being suited with the cooper's trade he has never worked at it to any extent. He was fond of reading, and by his own efforts was able to obtain a certificate to teach school. On October 18, 1862, John Quinn was united in marriage with Martha Hickey, who was born in Emily township, in Canada, on November 4, 1841, and they have had ten children, of whom only four are now living, namely: Josephine, widow of Fred Grant, a ranchman of Wyoming, who left one daughter; John J., who has always remained at home with his parents, and Meade and Birda, at school. Mary, now deceased, was the wife of Henry Crebolt, and left one son, William.

The parents of Mrs. Quinn, James and Jane (O'Donnell) Hickey, both came from Ireland to America in 1811. Mr. Hickey was a farmer, and had 160 acres of wild unimproved land. Here they commenced the work of clearing and to make a home; there were no roads cut through at that time, Indians roamed about, and wolves were so numerous and so bold that the family could not cook meat in the morning or in the evening. Mrs. Hickey used to take wheat and carry it on her shoulders four miles through the woods to a mill, and return the next day with flour. Amidst such hardships and privations as these they established a home, where they reared their family, and where they both died. They had twelve children, only four of whom are now living, as follows: Martha, Mrs. Quinn; Mary, widow of Lawrence Doran, a farmer, who resides in Royalton, Waupaca Co., Wis.; Johanna, wife of William Whalen, a farmer, of Canada, and Edwin, who is engaged in farming in Canada, and has a wife and three children.  Mrs. Quinn's mother came to America with her parents Patrick and Martha (McMahon) O'Donnell, the former of whom, a mason by trade, died about a year after his arrival.

In 1866 Mr. Quinn went with his wife to New London, Waupaca county, where he worked to some extent at the carpenter's trade, and remained until 1868.  He then came by team to Pella, Shawano county, here purchasing eighty acres of land, which today forms part of his farm. There were no roads cut through here at that time. He erected a log shanty 14 x 16 feet, with floor of split logs, and in this house they lived two years. During those early days he had no team, and only an axe and a grub hoe, with which he went to work, his first crops being potatoes and corn; he traded in Shawano, journeying back and forth on foot, and there were but few clearings then on the way. He made shingles in those days that are still on the roofs where they were put. What Mr. Quinn possesses has been made by himself and wife, by their own united efforts, and today he has 128 acres of land, of which eighty are in good farming condition. He taught school for two years, and has also been engaged in carpenter work. In politics he is a Democrat, and has been justice of the peace for some twenty years.