One of the old-time pioneers of Wyoming and now a prominent ranchman and cattle owner of Hatton, Albany County, is James Dougherty. A native of Ireland, he was born in 1833, the son of James and Rose (McCray) Dougherty, both natives of that country. His father born in 1810, was a merchant, all of his active life following that pursuit up to the time of his decease in 1871. He was the son of George Dougherty also a native of Ireland and a merchant, with which he combined farming, and living to the great age of ninety-eight years, and dying in 1848. His wife whose maiden name was Celia McCue, also lived to an advanced age, dying in the same year with her husband at the age of ninety-six years. The father of George Dougherty was named Daniel, and he was a carpenter and a skilled mechanic, the builder of the first wheel-cart made in Ireland. The mother of the subject of this review passed away in her native country in 1848 at the age of thirty-two years, being the daughter of Daniel and Rosy (Madden) McCray, well-known and highly respected residents of Ireland. James Dougherty grew to manhood in his native land and received his early education, such as circumstances permitted to him, in the schools of the vicinity of his home. When he arrived at the age of twenty-one years he resolved to free himself from the hard conditions that surrounded him in his native country and to seek his fortune in the country of free institutions, and in the company of a number of other young men of like aspirations he left the home of his childhood and early manhood, the memory of which has ever been dear to him through all his after life and sailed away to America. Arriving in New York he soon found employment in draying, and followed that pursuit for about two years. He then secured employment on a railroad running through the states of Maryland and Virginia, and continued this business until 1861, then he responded to the call of his adopted country for troops to defend the flag and the integrity, of the Union, and enlisted as a private in Co. C, Third Pennsylvania Cavalry. With this regiment he served throughout the war, and for a total period of four years, two months and six days, and was mustered out of the service with a commission as a captain, a promotion he had earned by gallant service in the field. During his long term of service he was in many engagements, but escaped without serious injury from either wounds or disease. At the end of his army life he established his home in Maryland and engaged in contracting, in which he continued for about three years. He then removed his residence to Missouri, but soon proceeded to Council Bluffs, Iowa. Not finding business conditions here as favorable as he had anticipated, he went on to Laramie City, Wyo., where he arrived in 1868. Here be engaged in railroading and overland freighting, going as far as Nevada, and was in this employment for about four years, then he engaged in ranching and cattle-raising at Sheep Mountain on the Little Laramie River, being one of the earliest of the pioneer stockmen of that section of the country and one of the first to recognize its superior advantages as a stock-growing section. He has met with success in his business operations and is now one of the representative businessmen of the county. In 1872 Mr. Dougherty was united in marriage with Mrs. Ellen M. Hunt, a native of Ireland, whose maiden name was Cosgrove. She passed away in 1876, leaving one son, The present wife of Mr. Dougherty at their marriage was Mrs. Mary S. Luber, a native of New York. They have no children. Mr. Dougherty is a staunch member of the Democratic party and for many years he has taken an active and prominent part in the councils and management of that party in the county where he resides, and during the administration of President Cleveland he received the appointment as postmaster of Hatton post-office in Albany county. He is one of the leading citizens of his county and is held in the highest esteem by all classes of his fellow citizens.
