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Our Brick Wall - The Mystery
Man from Dublin
From Haycraft's
History of Elizabethtown page 126
" Ambrose Geoghegan, Sr., was born in the city of Dublin, in Ireland, on
the 30th day of March, 1753, and graduated in Dublin as a engineer, and
was in other respects an accomplished scholar. The family is notice in
Macaulay's History of England, as being one of the party that espoused the
cause of King James, the Second, who was deposed, and William, Prince of
Orange, in conjunction with Mary, his wife ascended the throne' and when
King William invaded Ireland, the Geoghegans were found in arms.
Ambrose Geoghegan while yet a single man emigrated to America and landed
in Baltimore on the 6th day of May, 1771, and was married to Peggy
Zelman on the 6th day of May, 1777; and after losing his wife, married
again in 1784. He was living at Hagerstown, in Maryland, until about
1804, when with his sons Denton, Thomas and J. H. Geoghegan came to
Kentucky and stopped at the Crab Orchard, in Lincoln County, and while
there purchased of Armstead Churchill the Hynes Station track, part of
which is now in Elizabethtown. The deed bears date of 1805, and
recognizes him as a citizen of Lincoln County.
His grandson, A.D. Geoghegan, Esq., says he arrived at Hynes' Station on
the 21 of February, 1808. But that must be a mistake as the deed bears
date of December 29, 1806, and recognizes him as a citizen of Hardin
County. Immediately after coming to Hardin County the family purchased
several adjoining farms.
Ambrose Geoghegan, Esq., was an old man when he came to Kentucky, and
was possessed of considerable means, was an accomplished engineer and
surveyor, and, moreover was an accomplished gentleman and of social
disposition, and soon formed the acquaintance of the principle citizens
of the town and neighborhood, and, in order to cultivate friendly and
social relations, got up a Whig club, which frequently met, when the
free interchange of ideas and discussions on the subjects of the day
were well calculated to make friendship and brighten up society.
The first celebration of the 4th of July was a barbecue dinner with a
speech and toasts that I ever remember of was gotten up by him, and was
freely participated in by all the gentry of the county; and by his
example, and under his influence that state and tone of society was
greatly improved. His son, Thomas, died soon after he came to Hardin
County, leaving an only daughter, who at an early age married John B.
Wathen, and they are both dead."
Hynes Station was one of the three original 'forts' in the area of what
was to become Elizabethtown.
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