West Chicago Immigrant Stories: They Came From Ireland

West Chicago celebrates our rich history of immigration, highlighting our four historic immigrant groups, Germans, English, Irish and Mexicans. On this St. Patrick’s Day we share some information about our early Irish immigrants.

In the 1850, 1860 and 1870 censuses, the largest number of foreign-born residents living here are from Ireland.  

For hundreds of years, Ireland had an agriculture-based economy.  The potato was introduced as a crop in the 1600s, and grew so well that it became a major food source.  The danger of this dependence was seen in the 1840s when a fungus wiped out the potato harvest for four years and all available potatoes were exported to England.  The result was the “Great Famine” or “Great Hunger,” in which one million Irish died due to starvation and disease.  More than one million left the island and emigrated, mainly to the United States and Canada.

Although the Famine acted as a “push” factor in immigration, many Irish came to the United States due to the “pull” of economic opportunities awaiting them here.  The 1850 census shows a significant amount of residents who arrived prior to the Famine period.

Many Irish came to Illinois by 1836 when work began on the Illinois & Michigan Canal.  Irish laborers were recruited to dig the canal by hand and with scoops and shovels.  Those who were skilled stonemasons shaped the limestone walls of the canal as well as buildings for homes and businesses along its route.  By the time the canal was completed in 1848, the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad was building its roadbed west from Chicago.  The railroad needed many workers, and Irish immigrants were eager to fill these jobs.

In many larger urban areas the Irish were not warmly welcomed.  So many had come in poverty that Americans felt the Irish had a national tendency for irresponsible behavior that had made them poor.  They were stereotyped as drunks and fighters, and discriminated against because of their Catholic faith.  Fears that the Irish with their large families would overpopulate were voiced.

In this community, discrimination was not obvious.  Perhaps it was due to the fact that the Irish were some of our earliest community members, and no one ethnic group had an advantage.  Local Irish immigrants displayed a strong work ethic. 

West Chicago’s Irish were integral community members in the early days of our town, including the Mulligan and Tye family highlighted here.

The Mulligan family home, which now sits near the present KFC on Route 59

Thomas Mulligan (1834-1910) was born in the province of Connaught in western Ireland.  He left his home for America in 1856, arriving in Turner in 1864.   The year before he comes to this area he marries his wife, Ellen.  Their family consisted of a daughter named Ellen after her mother, and a son, James. 

Thomas was one of the numerous Irish immigrants who found work on the railroad.  He began work for the Chicago & North Western Railroad as a track laborer, building and repairing rail lines.  He then served as a night watchman and depot agent.  During the last ten years of his career he manned a railroad gate tower at a grade crossing on Washington Street.  In 1904, at the age of sixty, Thomas retired.  Unfortunately Ellen did not live to enjoy his retirement, as she died in 1904.  “Uncle Tommy,” as Mulligan was affectionately known, died in 1910.

Thomas owned two acres of property near the present-day corner of Neltnor and Main.  Wife Ellen has seven acres on Hillview Avenue and is one of the few local women landowners.  The names of many other Irish landowners are seen on the early maps of Turner: Doyle, Cadigan, Hulihon [Houlihan], McGrath, O’Donohue, Ryan, Brennen [Brennan], and Carey. 

The Mulligan home was located at 339 S. Neltnor, just south of Murphy’s Ace Hardware.  It would house several generations of Mulligans.  This early photograph, circa 1880, shows Thomas standing at the far right.  Ellen is the woman next to him, and the young woman next to Ellen is most likely their daughter, Ellen.  The woman at the far left is unidentified.  The home was passed on to Thomas and Ellen’s son, James.  James’ son, Thomas and his wife, Mildred and son Thomas would be the next owners.

Tye family

John J. Tye (1832-1914) was a native of Ireland, who came to the United States by 1854.  He married a fellow Irish immigrant, Esther Gallagher (1836-1914).  Esther and her parents, Thomas and Esther, are listed in the 1850 local census.  It is not known when they emigrated.

John’s choice of work was the railroad, and he began as a railcar repairer for the Chicago & North Western.  Unlike many of his countrymen, Tye decided not to work on a train as a brakeman, conductor or engineer, but in the yards where rail cars were maintained.  Eventually he would advance to become foreman of the West Chicago depot yards.

After only four years on the railroad, Tye managed to save enough to buy some land.  By 1866 he owned almost eight acres near Summit Avenue.  Here he and Esther built a small Greek Revival style home which still stands.  The growing Tye family included ten children, but only five survived to adulthood.  John and Esther in their generosity provided lots for four of their children to build their homes.

Son John Jr. did well in the business world and built a spectacular home on his lot on the north side of Summit Avenue.  In 1891, this home was evidence of John Jr.’s status as one of the wealthiest men in Turner.  

Thomas Tye, the youngest son of Esther and John, was also accomplished as a local leader and served as mayor of West Chicago from 1911-1913.