The American Dream

The American Dream

Great Grandpa Joseph McCann, January 1859-1 March 1950

Great Grandpa Joseph McCann was born in Ireland, emigrated to America, and lived the American dream. This picture above, was taken after retirement, in about 1933. But let's go back to the beginning of his story.

Joseph was born to Susan McIlvenna and Neal McCann in the Toomebridge area of County Antrim, Ireland in approximately January 1859. Below is his baptism, recorded in the Catholic church of his area (now called Sacred Heart Church, in Cargin). The last name is given as M'Ann. His mother's maiden name says M'Kenna. Sponsors were John & Charlotte M'Neill. These were most likely his mother's relatives.

From Ancestry.com

He had 7 siblings that I have found: John, Maria, Catherine, Charles, Elizabeth, Daniel, and Jane.

I don't know much about the family's life in Ireland. Family lore says the government took the 'family' home on Lough Neagh from them, but...? And although we have this photo of the house there, I don't have any information on the true circumstances of the family living there. Did they themselves live there? Did other relatives live there? I don't know. It's at Doss Point on Lough Neagh. My grandmother took this photo of it in the late 1930s when she visited Northern Ireland. No one in our family was living there at that time.

Taken by Margaret McCann Kilgariff, circa 1935, Co. Antrim, No. Ireland

Joseph came to America in February of 1881 according to the Oath of Citizenship he signed in 1887. I haven't been able to find any information on his coming to America. 

From Ancestry.com

But then in September of 1881 he was back in Ireland, getting married! He married Catherine Sherlock in Belfast, Ireland on 15 September 1881 in St. Matthew's Catholic Church. Their witnesses were Catherine's brother John and Nellie Donnelly, John's future wife.

From St. Matthew's Catholic Church, Belfast, Northern Ireland

I believe these are their wedding photos. These are photos of tin types.

Joseph had a trade, carpentry. It was listed on his civil marriage registration. Specifically, he was a joiner. That is someone who builds cabinetry that is affixed to walls, usually. I don't know where or how he learned this trade. As a result, though, when he came to America, he was in carpenter's union and worked predominantly for Western Union.

When the family of three settled in America--their first child, Mary was born in Belfast--they were living in the southern part of Hell's Kitchen in Manhattan. Three addresses found where they lived were 315 W. 35th Street, 456 W. 35th Street, and 565 W. 37th Street. Their first son, Neil, born in 1884, and second daughter Margaret, born in 1885, were born when they lived in this area. By the time their son Charles was born in December 1892, they were living in northern Manhattan, in Harlem at 302 W. 118th Street. The image below is from 1920, but it shows about the type of structure the McCanns would have been living in in Hell's Kitchen. These addresses are 327, 325-321 & 319 W. 35th St. 

from oldnyc.org/#712249f-a accessed 4/18/2020

In 1899 Joseph was able to buy a brownstone in Brooklyn, and the family had moved to 91 4th Ave., in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn. They lived on one floor, the other three floors were rented out.

By 1912, Joseph had prospered enough that he was able to buy land to build a summer home in Lindenhurst, on Long Island, NY, for $200. In 1913 he had a house and boathouse erected. 

From the South Side Signal, 9 May 1913, pg 8, from https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/ accessed 4/18/2020 

His tale certainly is one of the American dream. To top it off, he was brought out of retirement to build the cabinetry of Western Union's offices in the Empire State Building! Here is a write up of him from their employee magazine mentioning his work on the Empire State Building.

 Copy rec'd from Geraldine Holzmann Cassidy, granddaughter of Neil McCann

from Western Union employee magazine