John Dougherty was born 4 June 1856 in Owego, Tioga County, New York, United States to Edward Dougherty (1821-1902) and Rachel Louisa Buell (1826-1905) and died 12 March 1943 Haydenville, Hocking County, Ohio, United States of unspecified causes. He married Fannie Wolfe (1856-1946) 19 September 1883 .
He became acquainted with the Peter Hayden interests in Columbus, Ohio, going into the rolling mill at a very early age, and learning telegraphy. When Hayden needed a trained operator for his valley coal mines and clay industry, he sent John to Haydenville, Ohio, in 1873. When Hayden came back from the Philadelphia Centennial, he brought with him a telephone and the first long distance message in Ohio was carried between Peter Hayden in Columbus, and John in Haydenville.
John was employed by the company originally called Hayden and Son, then it became known as Haydenville Mining Co.. Late it was sold to the National Fireproofing Corp., and still later it became the Natco Corp.. John worked in the capacity of bookkeeper and telegrapher for these firms for 67 years. For 50 years, he carried the payroll from office to mine.
He established the first telephone in the Hocking Valley, and the first message that came from one of the mining settlements reported the birth of a girl named "Telephone". She was known as "Telly".
John slowly purchased bits of farming land along the Hocking River, at the edge of Logan, Ohio. He owned about 500 acres. After his death and the estate was settled, his two sons became heirs to the land, which they divided. John Jr. (John Wolfe) sold "the home place" to Mrs. Grace McNeil, the "tombstone field", to the Carborundum Co., a tract near the fairgrounds to Metal Powder Products Co., and his share of "Baldhead Hill" was sold to Dannie Devol (without mineral rights) by his widow after death.
A grandson, John C. Dougherty (Jack), bought all of this land south of the Hocking River from the estate before Fannie died. He later bought all of his father's heired farming land and his share of "Baldhead Hill" including the mineral rights. He did not buy the tracts of land that were sold as lots in the James Addition.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| James Wolfe Dougherty (1885-1959) | 7 October 1885 Haydenville, Hocking County, Ohio, United States | 29 November 1959 Logan, Hocking County, Ohio, United States | Mary Faye Chesher (1894-1917) Helen Tilton (1904-1968) |
| John Wolfe Dougherty (1887-1958) | 1 June 1887 Haydenville, Hocking County, Ohio, United States | 22 March 1958 Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States | Elizabeth Alice Purnell (1896-1994) |
Siblings
Residences
Footnotes (including sources)
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