History of McDonoghville, (Jefferson Parish) Louisiana United States of America

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John McDonogh, philanthropist, was born in Baltimore, Md., Dec. 29, 1779; son of John and Elizabeth (Wilkins) McDonogh. His father, a native of York county, Pa., served under General Braddock in his unfortunate expedition of 1775, and under Washington in the Revolutionary war, after which he removed to Baltimore and engaged in the manufacture of bricks. John was employed in the mercantile house of William Taylor, where he attained a high position. He went to New Orleans in 1800 as Mr. Taylor's representative, and in 1801 formed a partnership with W. O. Payne which continued until 1802, when the financial depression of the year caused the dissolution of the partnership and the forming of new ones under the name of J. McDonogh, Jr., and Sheppard, Brown & Co. In 1803 the sale of Louisiana brought great wealth to McDonogh, and he purchased large tracts of land in Florida and Louisiana. He resided in New Orleans, 1803-17, entertaining lavishly, but in 1817 he suddenly removed to one of his plantations, now McDonoghville, where he lived in simple style and devoted himself to the education of his slaves, devising a scheme by which they became Liberian colonists. His bequests included $100,000 for the orphan asylum of New Orleans, $100,000 to the colonization society, and $1,500,000 to be divided between Baltimore and New Orleans for the education of poor boys. The portion that fell to New Orleans was used to erect free schools, and in 1899 thirty had been established; and Baltimore's share was used to establish a farm-school for boys and youths. McDonogh institute was founded at McDonogh, Md., in 1873. A monument to his memory, the work of Attilio Picirili of New York, was unveiled in Lafayette square, New Orleans, in 1898, the gift of the school children of the city. He died in McDonoghville, La., Oct. 26, 1850.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of McDonoghville, (Jefferson Parish) Louisiana

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