NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey

Source: History Morris County New Jersey, Volume II, Lewis Publishing Co., 1914

James HAGAN, a prominent citizen of Dover, Morris county, New Jersey, is a native of that State as were his parents before him. He was born in the city of Paterson, Passaic county, 1849, son of Harry and Mary (GRIFFIN) HAGAN, natives of Lodi, Bergen county, New Jersey, who removed to Paterson in 1863, where they died at the advanced ages of eighty and seventy-five years respectively. Mr. HAGAN Sr. was employed for some time as a chemist in the Lodi Chemical Works and later in the same capacity at the Waverly Print Works in Paterson. To him were born four children, three sons and a daughter as follows: 

1. Anna, married John SULLIVAN, a soldier in the Civil War, and killed in that struggle, herself deceased, 1864. 
2. James, our subject. 
3. Patrick, went west in 1866 and prospered in Dayton, Nevada, until his death some eighteen or nineteen years ago. 
4. Harry, an iron moulder at Newark, New Jersey, where he died November 3, 1910, leaving a son, Andrew, now residing in New York City.

James HAGAN attended the old third ward school of Paterson, where he obtained his education, remaining until the year 1862. At this time there was great difficulty experienced by the chemical and print works in the neighborhood in securing men to carry on the industry. Owing to this lack of men to perform the tasks of peace, he was obliged to leave his studies and lend a hand with the active business of life. After the war, he apprenticed himself to Israel MUNSON, a butcher, to learn that trade. Mr. MUNSON was one of the old landmarks of Paterson, and with him young Mr. HAGAN served three years. After learning the butcher’s trade, he removed to Dover, Morris county, New Jersey, in company with James R. BEEMER, but on this occasion did not remain there, returning to Paterson after a year’s absence. Here, however, he did not remain either, but went once again to Dover, which has been his home and place of business ever since. In 1881 Mr. HAGAN started as butcher with Charles DeHART and continued this until 1891, in which year he was appointed chief of police for Dover, an office which he held for ten years. In 1901 he returned to the same business and opened a shop, but in 1908 he was elected justice of the peace and police judge, an office which he still holds, having been re-elected in 1913 for another term of five years. Mr. HAGAN has been a member of the Exempt Firemen’s Association of the town. He is a charter member of the Piute Tribe, Improved Order of Red Men, organized in December, 1893. Mr. HAGAN is a staunch Republican in politics and it is upon that party’s ticket that he has won his election to the offices he has filled. He served as coroner of Morris county from 1901 to 1904.

Mr. HAGAN was married in 1874 to Martha A. DAVIS, of Ledgewood, daughter of Peter and Mary A. DAVIS of that place. Mr. DAVIS was a miner by occupation. Both he and Mrs. DAVIS are dead. To Mr. and Mrs. HAGAN were born two children: 1. James Alvin, now in the automobile business at 365 Halsey street, Newark, New Jersey; he married Jenne _______, from Virginia, and by her has had one child, a daughter, Jenne, named for her mother. 2. Hattie, now Mrs. Elmer BAILEY, of Rockaway. Mr. and Mrs. BAILEY are the parents of six children. Mrs. HAGAN died May 18, 1879, and two years later, about the time of the formation of his association with Charles DeHART, Mr. HAGAN was again married, this time to Hattie L. BAILEY, daughter of Daniel BAILEY, the manager of Augustus McCARTHY’s large farm. The children of this second union were: 1. Harry, manager of the L. LEHMAN & Company’s meat department, married Edith VANDERHOFF, by whom he has had two children: Florence and Mabel. 2. Charles R., of the day police force of Dover, married Flossie TICE by whom he has had four children: Robert, Edna, Gladys, and Annie. 3. John M., a butcher at LEHMAN’s store, married Elizabeth JENKINS by whom he has had one daughter, Helen. 4. Edward B., in charge of LEHMAN’s butcher business in Rockaway, married Elma DICKERSON by whom he has had one son, Edward. 5. Fred J., at present a student in the Dover Business College, a musician and stenographer. 6. Ella A., wife of Fred ANDERSON, of Dover.

James HAGAN has been a resident of Dover for forty-two years and has seen many changes and a great development of the town in that period. His present residence at 82 McFarlan street was erected in 1901. He is a familiar and honored figure in the community, and the various public offices he has held have been discharged with honor and adequacy and to the evident popular satisfaction.

Transcribed by John Cresseveur (1949-2003)

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