John J. Broderick
Since 1883 John J.
Broderick has lived upon his fine farm of one hundred and twenty
acres in Fairview township and has carried forward its
improvement and cultivation along modern and progressive lines,
the results of his labors being evident today in the value,
productiveness and attractive appearance of his homestead. He is
a representative of one of the best known pioneer families in his
section of the state, his grandfather having entered government
land as early as 1845, having remained a continuous resident of
Fairview township until his death. Mr. Broderick of this review
was born at Dubuque, December 1, 1861, his parents being Hugh and
Ellen (Rabbit) Broderick, the former born in County Galway,
Ireland, in 1837, and the
latter in County Roscommon on the 22d of December 1829. Hugh
Broderick's mother died when he was still in his infancy and his
father afterward married again. Crossing the Atlantic in 1845 the
grandfather of our subject
settled in Iowa, taking up government land on the site where the
city of Des Moines now stands. He endured all of the hardships
incident to life in the wilderness in those early times and was
often in danger of his life from
the hostile Indians. Hugh Broderick and his brother-in-law,
Thomas Cavanaugh, had one especially narrow escape, for they were
captured, tied to the stake and about to be scalped before help
arrived. In fact the knife had already been inserted at the base
of Mr. Cavanaugh's head when an Indian to whom he had given a
drink of whiskey a few days before came up and declared him to be
a "good paleface" and untied the cord which bound the
captives. They were released, given their clothing and sent back
to their homes but Mr. Cavanaugh carried a deep scar at the back
of his neck during the remainder of his life. He and Mr.
Broderick afterward proved up on land to which they had entered a
claim and the father of the subject of this review went to
Dubuque, where he entered the employ of John T. Hancock as clerk
in a general store. He remained in this capacity for eleven
years, dying in 1864. His wife survived him until 1908.
John J. Broderick acquired his education in the public schools of
Elkport, Iowa, but his advantages along this line were extremely
limited as he attended for only six months during his entire
life. He grew up amid pioneer
conditions, learning farming by practical experience upon his
father's homestead, and when he was sixteen years of age he
engaged as a farm laborer for Senator Garber at Elkport. He
retained this position for five years and six months and in 1883
married and bought the John Walsh homestead of one hundred and
twenty acres. He paid for as much of this land as his capital of
one hundred dollars would buy and went into debt for the
remainder. Upon the property he has continuously resided since
that time, engaging in general
farming and stock-raising, and he has met with excellent success,
his property today being worthy of comparison with the finest
farms in the state. His prosperity has come as a natural result
of his own industry, firm determination and well directed labor
and his career furnishes a splendid example of the value of these
qualities in the attainment of an honorable place in the world.
On the 2d of April, 1883, Mr. Broderick was united in marriage to
Miss Alice M. Walsh, who was born in this township, May 29, 1862,
a daughter of John and Maria (Carter) Walsh, natives of County
Galway, Ireland, the former born August 15, 1819, and the latter,
August 17th of the same year. The father crossed the Atlantic in
1840 and settled in Ohio, where he married a Miss Ryder, who died
in that state. After a residence of four or five years there,
John Walsh moved to Iowa and settled on the farm now owned by his
son-in-law. he there married again, his second wife being Mrs.
Broderick's mother, who had crossed the Atlantic in 1860. Mr.
Walsh held various local offices and did especially efficient
work for a number of years as the township trustee. Mr. and Mrs.
Broderick became the parents of eleven children: Ellen, who was
born April 10, 1884, and died January 18, 1893; John P., who was
born March 17, 1886, and who married Rose McDonald;
Michael, who was born October 15, 1888, and died October 19th of
the same year; a son, born October 2, 1889, who died on the day
of his birth; Mary E., who was born January 5, 1891, and who
married William Finnegan, a farmer of Fairview township; Alice,
who was born December 25, 1892, and whose death
occurred a few days later; a child, who died in 1895; Hugh J.,
who was born May 1, 1896 and who resides at home; Katherine
Irene, born June 8, 1898; Alice Estrella, born January 30, 1901;
and a child, who died in 1903. Mr. and Mrs. Broderick have also
an adopted son, Thomas J., who was born December 7, 1904.
-source: Past & Present of Allamakee County; by
Ellery M. Hancock; S. J. Clarke Pub. Co.; 1913
-transcribed by Cathy Joynt-Labath
Return to Bio Index