Patrick Donahoe

Donahoe married in 1836, but his wife Catherine died of consumption (tuberculosis) in 1852 at the age of 36 ("Death Notice," Boston Evening Transcript, November 13, 1852, p. 2).

Working for the newspaper provided an opportunity for Donahoe to defend his religion and make non-Catholic readers more familiar with what Catholics believed ("Passed His Birthday," 1).

And at a time when doubts about the patriotism of Catholics could still be heard, Donahoe used his newspaper to strongly advocate in favor of the union cause and write about the Irish soldiers serving in the war ("An Old Boston Publisher," 6).

Another fire in the following year and injudicious loans to friends, as well as some unwise real estate speculation ("Patrick Donahoe's Case," 5), made him lose so much money that his bank failed in 1876.

When he finally died at his home, just after St. Patrick's Day in 1901, at the age of 90, his family had been expecting it; his wife, three sons and a daughter were at his bedside ("Tears From All," 6).

Typical of the acclaim he received was a headline in the Boston Herald which referred to him as "A Patriot and the Patriarch of His Race Among the People of New England" ("Mr. Donahoe's Life," 1).