Museum the New Llano Colony



John C. Dougherty (Alternate spelling Daugherty)

Birth: Born in 1910 in Texas.  

Family Information: Son of W.A. and Martha Dougherty.

He married Winnie Ogden on July 13, 1931, officiated by Dr. Samuel Irwin of the Christian Commonwealth Community.

Description:  

Pre-Colony History: In 1910 he was a baby living in Texas with his parents.

His father, W.A., came to the colony in August 1918 with 22 head of Holstein calves and heifers, 200 fig and 500 plum trees. John and his mother followed in October of that year.  

Home in Colony: In 1932, he and Winnie moved into the rooms vacated after his mother and the Skinner family moved into the Ole Synoground house (the Synogrounds having gone to Premont, Texas to run that unit).  

Job in Colony: In 1922 he was part of a group of students who worked in the cafeteria -- shelling peanuts, setting tables, getting dinner together and washing dishes -- along with Alice Jaques, Albert Kapotsy, Beulah Gaddis, Ruby Synoground, Laura Merrill, Laura Synoground, Margaret Seelye, Emma Kapotsy, Vinita Thurman, Nellie Kemp, Margaret Kapotsy, Rachel Jaques and Dora Cryer.

In December 1927 James Maxwell was working on Loutrel's ice plant crew, along with John Dougherty and Ted Landrum -- later in the month the same crew were doing repair work at the ice plant and building a new pump house on the bank of the creek just north of the general office -- they had the pump up, wires stretched and connected with the electric motor and at that time it was pumping water, giving a sufficient supply to the cooling tower at the ice plant, also supplying the laundry and steam plants.

In late April 1928 the crew at the cut-off saw consisted of Condon, F. Jensen, John Dougherty, Dane and McGee while Extrom and Shipman helped the carpenter kiddies to pile the lumber.

In July 1931 the veneer plant was going in full force with Johnny Dougherty, Long, Ole Synoground, Carl Bradshaw, George Jensen, Slaughter, Ray Bradshaw, Fred Hamel, Hoag and Roede on the job; as well as Bennie Brown, Jimmie Brown, Helen Joe Dougherty, Lucille Oberlitner, Rhea Mae Baldwin, George Maki and Jimmie Dix.

In 1931, helping out in the laundry; in 1932 he was inside the steam boiler, shoveling out loose brick, cement and other debris; and in 1933 he and Lionel Crossland had to deliver ice after Roy McClean twisted his knee while fixing a flat tire on the ice truck.

A report in the "Llano Colonist" read, "Over at the store window you will see the big blue bird on the NRA (National Recovery Administration) poster. No business until eight o'clock. But that [sign] doesn't appear in the laundry window. No competition there. Johnny Dougherty, Mrs. Dupros, Mrs. Gaylord, Mrs. Ribbing and the girls -- when they are there -- just stick to the job until it is done."

By 1934 was in charge at the laundry -- in September 1934 Mrs. Ribbing and Vivian Crossland were doing the ironing while John and Thelma Perkins hung clothing out to dry. Arlene Watson was sprinkling the clothes while Mrs. Hullinger and Mrs. Watson were busy helping all the others.  

Other Info:

He was one of the members of the colony when Geroge Pickett first named General Manager.

He was part of the orchestra at one of the largest dances of the time, along with William Bingham, Bill DeBoer, Fred Hamel, Florence Hamel, Raymond de Faussell, Earl Swenson, Louis Roedemeister, Ed Loope, Ivy Loope and Bohnstedt (?).

In November 1933 the weekly bridge club met at the new home of Mrs. Myrtle Bradshaw. Those present were Misses Ruth Shoemaker, Vivian Busick, Mary Lou Monk, Doris Layer, Rhea Baldwin, Lloyd Potter, Earl Swenson, Lionel Crossland, Roy McClean, John Dougherty and Fred Busick.

In the summer of 1934 many of the colonists wanted to commercialize the colony dances by charging admission to outsiders so they could hire bands to come. After several bitter debates on the subject, it was finally agreed that colonists could lease the Roof Garden on evenings when it wasn't being used by the colonists, hire a band and charge admission if they so desired. In July 1934 a group including John Dougherty, Roy McLean, Rhea Mae Baldwin, Lloyd Potter and Roscoe Busick did lease the facility for Friday July 20th when Tony Babin would play, and July 26 when they would have a Mexican orchestra. They announced that outsiders would pay an admission fee of 75 cents.

After the May Day Revolution of 1935, he signed a statement supporting John Szpila's letter, which had been published in the September 21, 1935 issue of the "Llano Colonist" and spelled out the reason's the overthrow of former General Manager, George T. Pickett, had been necessary.

Notice inside the shoe repair shop:
If you want your shoes rebuilt, go to Ed Clark.
If you want your shirts mended, go to Ida Ann Bartlett.
If you want your socks washed, go to John Dougherty.
If you want work, go to Ralph Field, don't hang around here.

Post-Colony History: In 1940 he was boarding with Joseph and Louise Gaddis in Chicago, Illinois, along with nine other lodgers, while he worked as a salesman for a dental manufacturie.

He enlisted in the US Army on July 20, 1943 and was released from duty October 12, 1945.  

Death: Died in 1990 in Illinois.  

Sources: "Llano Colonist": December 10, 1927, December 17, 1927, December 31, 1927, April 21, 1928, September 14, 1929, July 4, 1931, July 11, 1931, July 25, 1931, September 26, 1931, November 21, 1931, June 4, 1932, April 11, 1933 (Reprinted from the Colonist May 17, 1924), August 19, 1933, October 28, 1933, November 4, 1933, November 11, 1933, March 31, 1934, July 21, 1934, July 28, 1934, October 12, 1935; US Census: 1910, 1920, 1940; "Can We Cooperate?" by Bob Brown; US Dept. of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File; US SSDI  

 


Llano children involved in the 1918 play, "Pandora": (Front row L to R) Ross Brown, Mabel Synoground, Lois Will, unknown, Roberta 'Pete' Will, Mary Bellrawski, Ruby Synoground, John Dougherty; (Back row L to R) Irene Brown, Nellie Kemp, Rosa Matz, Elizabeth Brown, Mr. Cryer and his sister Dora Cryer.


(L to R) Victor and Beulah Gaddis, John Dougherty in Chicago -- possibly when he was lodging with their parents.


Clipping from the "Vernon Parish Democrat", April 28, 1921.


(L to R) Bennie Wade Hewitt, John Daugherty, John Alred, (Dub) Killian, Cletus Killian.

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