Henry Cain, p. 1042

HENRY CAIN, an old and successful farmer of Donegal township, is a son of Thomas Cain and grandson of John Cain, the latter of whom, a native of Ireland, in early manhood immigrated to America, locating in Maryland, where he was united in marriage with Mary Means. About the year 1785 he came to Greene county, Penn., where brothers of his wife had located a year or two before. Here the following children were born to him: Thomas, Dennis, John, Nancy, Mary, Elizabeth and Catherine, all now deceased. John Cain, the father of this family, was among the early pioneers of Greene county, and shared the hardships and dangers of frontier life. He died about 1830, and his widow then returned to her native Maryland, passing the remainder of her life among her relatives.

Thomas Cain, the eldest in the above-mentioned family, was born in 1784, in Maryland, and, when a young child, was brought by his parents to Greene county, Penn. Almost every farmer operated a distillery in those days, and the youth of Thomas was passed in assisting in that work, and in the farm duties. He was naturally an apt and intelligent boy, and his meager educational opportunities were thus supplemented; he was also a mechanical genius, and made good use of almost any tool. In 1812 he was married to Mary Montague, who was born in 1784, a daughter of Henry and Rosanna Montague, who left County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1792, and after a stormy voyage of eleven weeks and three days, landed at New Castle, Del. They first located in eastern Pennsylvania, and soon afterward began the long journey to Kentucky, of which State they had heard so many glowing descriptions. But the severe winter of 1793 set in when the travelers had reached Washington county, so they concluded to remain there till spring, and made a temporary stop in Canton township. During this interval they met an old frontiersman who had been in Kentucky, and knowing the hostile disposition of the Indians at that time, he advised this family to remain in Pennsylvania. Mr. Montague took the advice, and proceeding a few miles farther west, made a permanent home in Donegal township, near the present postoffice of Coon Island. To Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Cain were born the following children: Henry (deceased at the age of ten years), Nancy (deceased wife of James Reynolds), Rosanna (married Patrick Reynolds, and died at a good old age), John (farming in Donegal township), Thomas (also farming in Donegal township), and Henry (our subject). Mr. Cain lived in Greene county for some time after his marriage, and in 1824 came to and made a permanent home on the old Montague farm, near Coon Island, Donegal township, Washington county. He was an industrious and successful man, respected by all who knew him. He died in 1837, his widow on March 17, 1860.

Henry Cain, the youngest son of Thomas and Mary (Montague) Cain, was born February 25, 1825, on the farm where he is now living, and which is located about one mile northwest of Coon Island, in Donegal township. When he was twelve years of age his father died, and the farm was then managed by the elder sons, with what little assistance young Henry could give, in 1882 our subject was married to Bridget Ryan, who was born December 1, 1848, a daughter of Martin and Mary (Fitzpatrick) Ryan, residents of Washington, Penn. Mr. and Mrs. Cain have no children. He is engaged in general farming and stock raising on the old home place, and has met with well-merited success. Politically he was formerly a Whig, and is now a Democrat. He and his wife are both devout members of the Catholic Church.

Text taken from page 1042 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).

Transcribed March 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project.
Published March 1997 on the Washington County, PA pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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