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From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin, publ. 1901 - page 475
THOMAS TIGHE, an old and venerable agriculturist of Grant county, was born in Roscommon, Ireland, Dec. 3, 1820, a son of Hugh and Margaret (RATEKIN) TIGHE, born, reared and died in Ireland. The father died in August, 1836, and his widow a few years later. Seven children were born to them: Thomas, Bridget (who died in New Orleans), and Bartholomew (who returned to Sheffield, Eng., where he still resides) were all of the family who came to this country.
In Ireland, in 1842, Thomas TIGHE married Miss Bridget CARRELL, who he left in the old country with three children, while he was seeking a home for them in America. After leaving them a year and a half he sent for them, and they settled in Trumbull county, Ohio, where they lived some six years. In 1852 he came to Wisconsin and purchased 170 acres of wild land, two miles north of the village of Ellenboro. Here he put up a log cabin and began life in the wilderness, seeing many hardships in the early days. Mr. TIGHE later purchased eighty adjoining acres, and cleared up a fine farm, which he devoted to farming and stock raising. A few years ago he retired from active life, having accumulated an ample competence. Many friends have come to prize his plain and rugged character, kindly disposition and downright honesty. A few years ago he lost his home by fire, but now he has a fine modern home. Mrs. TIGHE died in August, 1865, leaving him a family of seven children: Michael died in St. Louis; John died in Oklahoma, where he had married, and settled; Thomas is a resident of Lebanon, Kans.; Herbert lives in the gold and silver mining region of Arizona; Mary is the wife of Andrew OMSTED, of Oketo, Kans.; Maggie is the widow of Mack REGAN, of Lebanon, Kans.; and the mother of seven children; and Susan, wife of John HEAD, of Prescott, is the mother of one daughter.
In 1865 Mr. TIGHE married his second wife Mrs. Freeman VAUGHN, nee PHILLIPS, daughter of David and Harriet (McKEE) PHILLIPS, who came West from Connecticut to Ohio, and from there to Wisconsin. Here he became wealthy, and was noted as one of the leading men of this county. Mrs. TIGHE, his daughter, was born in Trumbull county, Ohio, in 1838, and is a lady of culture and education, and for some years was one of the most successful teachers in Grant county. There was one son, Dorus Vaughn, who owns a fine farm in Kansas, by her first union, and to Mr. and Mrs. TIGHE was born one daughter, Amy, in 1880. She is the wife of John BERREGAN, and they reside with her family, and are the parents of one child, Ivy. Mr. TIGHE has always been a Democrat, but has never aspired to office. Brought up a Catholic, he has never been able to take part in the church work on account of the remoteness of any organized body of his fellow believers.
This biography generously submitted by Carol Holmbeck