Notes for: John Patrick Coogan
Son of James Francis and Margaret Callaghan Coogan, he was born at Wishaw, Scot, near Glasgow. With his mother he came to the US aboard the Furnisia at about age 4 along with his brother Francis (Frank). Record available at Ellis Island on line. Family settled at Fayette City, PA where father worked in the mines; however, due to poor working conditions Margaret insisted they move and thus took up residence at 1022 Oak St, Turtle Creek, Pa. where John attended St. Colman's school until 8th grade. He joined the Navy in 1917 and upon return lived with family at 2412 Woodstock Ave. Swissvale, PA.
John's professional training had in a school sponsored by the K of C where he learned the elements of drafting. Using these skills he took further training at Carnegie Tech, now Carnegie Mellon University. So equipped he found work in engineering design and was hired at the Edgar Thompson Steel Co., Braddock, and later move to US Steel, Homestead.
Jack, Bill, and Jim visited Wishaw in July, 2006. In the company of Paddy Feechan, a distant cousin on the Callaghan side of the family, they were able to see family records on file in the rectory of St. Patrick's church. The church building is the same as it was at the time the family lived there before leaving Wishaw in the early nineteen hundreds. While the surrounding neighborhood has changed remarkably from housing for industrial workers to small housing and light industry the main roads are basically the same. Dad visited there upon retirement in 1965 and asserted that he recognized many of the same building he has seen as a very young lad.
Considerable additional information available at the local Wishaw Heritage Center. Further material available in the biographical section of the bound family history located at the John Heinz Historical Museum, Pittsburgh, PA.