Thomas Cain, p. 1455

THOMAS CAIN was born January 25, 1823, in Greene county, Penn., and is a worthy representative of a well-known pioneer family. His grandfather, John Cain, was a native of Ireland, and in early manhood immigrated to America, locating in Maryland, where he was united in marriage with Mary Means. About 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 son 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 duties of the farm. 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 until spring, and made a temporary location 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 (who married Patrick Reynolds, and died at a good old age), John (farming in Donegal township, Washington county), Thomas (our subject) and Henry. Mr. Cain lived in (Greene county, Penn., for some time after his marriage, and in 1824 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.

Thomas Cain, when but a small child, came with his parents to Donegal township, Washington county, and passed his boyhood on the home farm, of which he and his brothers took charge when the father died. His education was received at the common schools, but has since been supplemented by reading and observation. He has always followed agricultural pursuits, and now owns a part of the home farm upon which his brother Henry resides. Mr. Cain is living with his brother John, and has never married. Politically he is a Democrat, and in religion a member of the Catholic Church.

Text taken from page 1455 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).

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

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