JOHN PATRICK DARRAH, a leading retired agriculturist and a representative self-made man, is a native of County Antrim, Ireland, born in 1826. His father, William Darrah, was married in the "Emerald Isle" to Jennie McMuller, and they had born to them a family of eight children, viz.: Archibald, who died in Kansas; Alexander, who died in the East Indies; George, who died in East Liverpool, Ohio; John, who died in Glasgow, Scotland; John Patrick; William (deceased); Annie, married to Michael Parker, and died in Pittsburgh, and Mary, who died in Glasgow, Scotland. The parents both died in Ireland long since. John P. Darrah came to America about 1843, with his brother George, landing in Montreal, Canada, whence, two years later, he proceeded to Buffalo, N. Y., by way of the St. Lawrence, Lake Ontario, etc., and thence at once went to Pittsburgh, Penn., where he remained, however, but one year, when he came to Washington county. He was a poor boy, without means to pay for stage hire or any other mode of conveyance, so he had to walk the entire distance from Pittsburgh to the town of Washington. Here he soon obtained employment on the National pike, in course of construction between Washington and Wheeling, and this was his first start in life in the land of his adoption. Mr. Darrah has been a resident of Washington county ever since. He industriously worked at various employments, practicing strict economy, until he was enabled to buy, in 1861, a farm in Morris township. This he sold, and then bought, in Franklin township, the farm now owned by Nelson Hathaway, where he remained some seventeen or eighteen years, when he moved into the city of Washington, having erected his present commodious residence, on the edge of Franklin township. On October 29, 1855, Mr. Darrah was married to Miss Catherine Naughten, a native of Galway, Ireland, whence her family had come to Washington county, her brother John having been an early settler here, but they are all now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Darrah were born seven children, of whom the following is a brief record: George B. is a prominent contractor and builder in Washington, Penn.; Alexander E. is a graduate of Washington and Jefferson College, and for three years was a professor of Greek and Latin in Beech Grove College, Beech Grove, Tenn. (he is now principal of one of the ward schools in the city of Nashville, Tenn., where he resides); John R. is a law student in the West; Alexander and Robert Emmet both died young; Jennie F. and Anna M. are at home with their father. Mrs. Darrah (the mother of these children) died August 2, 1889, at the age of about sixty years, and is buried in the Catholic cemetery, near Washington. Politically, Mr. Darrah has always been a Democrat, but never a partisan, and he is a member of the Catholic Church. He and his wife were the first couple to be married in the old Catholic church building in the borough of Washington. When Mr. Darrah first came to what is now the borough of Washington he found it an old, dead-looking place, without any improvements to speak of. When night-time came the place was covered as with a pall, the darkness was so impenetrable, the only light visible being from a chance tallow candle placed in a window here and there. Candles were brought to the town by the wagon load from Wellsburg, Mr. Darrah himself having at one time brought a load. It was dangerous to walk the streets at night, owing to the deficiency of lights and the rude condition of the streets. The stage coach was a daily visitor at the place, and its arrival and departure produced about the only excitement the staid inhabitants had an opportunity of indulging in. Taking horses East, "over the mountains," to sell, was at the time a source of considerable revenue. The animals would be taken in large droves, "double-tandem" fashion, with a long, stout rope between each row, to which they were fastened, and every sixth horse had a rider in charge. Mr. Darrah had his share of the hardships incident to those pioneer days, and experienced many privations, but by a life of industry, perseverance and strict temperance he succeeded in overcoming all obstacles and evolving a handsome competence from a commencement of nothing, save a pair of willing hands and a stout heart.

Text taken from page 327 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed June 1997 by Paula Talbert of Caldwell, OH as part of the Beers Project. Published July 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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