JOHN A. HAGAN was born in Ireland 23 April 1843 son of John and Hattie Hagan.  He immigrated to this country when quite young, most likely as a result of the potato famine in Ireland.  He came over with a brother (and possibly his father) but a sister and mother remained in Ireland.  I believe they landed in New York, but have no confirmation of this.  From about 1855 to 1860, John worked for the Sweet Manufacturing Company in Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York.  An 1874 city directory as this company located on the corners of West & Otisco Street and as an iron & steel manufacturer.  There it was said that they had the best grade of stationary engines constructed, and there he learned the trade of mechanic.  During the Civil War (1861-1865), he was employed by the Lehigh Valley Railroad, again probably in New York.  After the war, he came to Michigan and in the course of events located in Three Rivers, where he established a match factory.  In a few months thereafter he sold his interest in the factory to Joseph Hile and others, and returned to railroading.  From about 1867-1871, he was master mechanic of the Kansas City, Lawrence & Western Railroad, until the road was merged into the Santa Fe.

 During this time, somehow, he met and then married on 26 September 1871 in Elkhart County, Indiana 1) HANNAH MARIA VAN FRANK, daughter of John Van Frank and Harriet Whipple; born Bristol, Elkhart County, Indiana 28 October 1842.  From about 1871 to about 1875, they lived in Three Rivers, St. Joseph County Michigan.  There he was associated with J. Willets, under the firm name of Willets & Hagan for the manufacture of pumps.

 Then about 1875, they moved to Lawrence, Douglas County, Kansas.  It appears that he took the position of chief draughtsman of the Kansas Pacific Railroad.  One of his obituaries states that after he learned the trade of machinist, he was not satisfied to stop there.  He then took up the study of mechanical drawing and mechanics and then was able to secure and hold the position of chief draughtsman of the Kansas Pacific Railroad.  The obituary also states that he was a good German scholar, having for some years taken and read a German mechanical periodical.  3 children were born to them while they were living in Kansas.

 Hannah Maria does not seem to have been in good health.  Her obituary states that they left their home in Armstrong, Kansas on 02 Sept 1881 for New York City, expecting that her health would be benefited by the change.  They stopped in Bristol, Indiana for the purpose of visiting her parents.  While there, she failed rapidly and then died on 11 Sept 1881.

 After his first wife died, John took a job as chief draughtsman of the Northern Pacific Railroad, with headquarters in Brainard, Minnesota.   While there, he met and married his second wife 2) HATTIE MARIE VAN FRANK in Ashland, Dodge County, Minnesota 10 Oct 1882.  Hattie was born in Bristol, Indiana 10 February 1863.  Immediately after his second marriage, they moved to Three Rivers, Michigan where he became the superintendent of the Sheffield Velocipede Car Company.  He organized a company called “The Hagan Steel Car Wheel Company” which had patents on a new process to manufacture steel wheels for rail cars.  Within two weeks of publicly announcing the company, he died of congestive chills (malaria) at age 40. His 2 week old son had died a week earlier of congestive chills as well. 

 His second wife went back to  live with her mother in Minnesota and died in Dodge County, Minnesota 03 Feb 1905.  His children from his first marriage were sent to live with nearby relatives.  It appears that John Van & Lawrence were sent to live with the family of B.F. Whipple in three Rivers.  He was their great uncle.  Jessie was living with Charles P. Van Frank in Bristol, Indiana.  John had 4 children:

By wife Hannah:

            by wife Hattie:

John, Hannah (first wife) and Lawrence are all buried in the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Bristol, Elkhart County, Indiana.

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This web site was last updated on January 24, 2011