Coghlan, Edmund, pastor of St. Mary's church, Shakopee, was born in 1840 in Mayo county, Ireland, where he received a theological education. From 1871 until September 1880, he devoted his time to missionary labor in Africa, then returned to his native land and remained until December of the same year when he came to Minnesota and took charge of St. Mary's Catholic church.
From the book, History of the Minnesota Valley,
Conter, John B., a native of Loraine, France, was born August 15, 1830. when 12 years of age he came to America with his parents. In 1842 he settle at Port Washington, Wisconsin. About three years after he went to Kenosha where he worked on a farm one and on-half years at seven dollars per month; after passing three summers on a boat and winters in the pineries, he went with a circus for years, after which he worked on different steamboats the greater part of the time until May 15th, 1854, when he located at Shakopee and began the trade of plasterer and bricklayer, which he followed about thirteen years. He commenced lime burning about 1863 and now has facilities for turning out twenty-four hundred barrels of lime per week. Mr. Conter married Barbara Wagner, of this place, May 15th, 1858. They have had ten children; the living are Joseph, Mary, Anna, Emma, John, William and Margareta. Nicholas, John B. Jr., and William are dead.
From the book, History of the Minnesota Valley,
Dunn, Dr. James H, born May 29th, 1853, at Fort Wayne, Indiana. His father came to this country from Dublin in 1845 and served under General Scott in the Mexican war. In 1854 the family located near Winona, and after the death of his father in 1859, he was adopted in the family of Mr. Jesse Wheeler, of Winona county. At the death of this gentleman in 1868 Mr. Dunn entered the State Normal School at Winona, and by his own unaided efforts supported himself until his graduation in 1871. He was at once employed as lecturer in the State Teachers Institute by Hon. H.B. Wilson, and later by his successor, D. Burt. During the intervals he was principal of the Alexandria and Sauk Centre schools, and completed a course in natural science at the University of Chicago. He then gave his whole time to the study of medicine, and in 1878, after a three years course received the degree of M.D. form the University of New York City, having spent a year of study at Bellevue and other hospitals in that city. In the fall of 1878 he was appointed instructor of natural science in the Normal School at Mankato, which position he resigned in May, 1880 to enter upon the practice of his profession at Shakopee.
From the book, History of the Minnesota Valley,
