John J. Lydon biography

JOHN J. LYDON, joint car inspector, who since 1886 has continuously been in the railroad service and now makes his home at North Fort Worth, where as an office he is also well known, was born at Weston, Lewis county, West Virginia. His father, John Lydon, Sr., was a native of county Galway, Ireland, and after arriving at years of maturity was married to Mary Fahey, whose birth occurred in the city of Galway. They had emigrated previous to this time to America with their respective parents, settling in Lewis county, West Virginia, and there both passed away, their remains being interred in the cemetery at Weston. The father was a successful man in business and left a valuable estate, and the old Lydon homeplace, comprising four hundred and sixty acres of land, is rich in oil resources. It is still in possession of John J. Lydon and his brothers and sisters.

Thomas Fahey, a maternal uncle of our subject, is a prominent old time citizen of Lewis county, West Virginia, and is likewise the owner of property interests in North Fort Worth. He is the father of W. J. Fahey and the father-in-law of W. E. Bideker, both of Fort Worth, the latter being chief of the fire department there.

John J. Lydon was reared to farm life and came to Texas in 1881 when twenty-one years of age, locating at Fort Worth, and was employed by the Texas & Pacific until 1886. He has been constantly in the railroad service, beginning in that year with the Fort Worth & Denver Railway, since which time his name has been upon the pay rolls of that company. Previous to 1898 he had charge of the yards of the Fort Worth & Denver road in the former city and in the year mentioned he was appointed chief joint car inspector for the railroads entering Fort Worth, the headquarters of this inspection being at Fort Worth, where he has made his home since 1902. In this connection he is serving the following railroad companies: The Texas & Pacific, the Fort Worth & Denver, the Missouri, Kansas & Teas, the Santa Fe, the Houston & Texas Central, the Cotton Belt, the Red River & Rio Grande, the Rock Island, the International & Great Northern and the Frisco roads, and in addition to these the North Texas Traction Company also participates in joint inspection. Mr. Lydon is likewise a member of the well known grocery firm of Lydon & Company, doing business on South Main street in Fort Worth, the store being under the active management of the brother, M. M. Lydon.

John J. Lydon was married in Fort Worth to Miss Maggie Mulholland, a daughter of H. A. Mulholland, who is represented elsewhere in this work. They have a wide and favorable acquaintance in the city socially and Mr. Lydon is quite prominent in local political circles. At the first election held in North Fort Worth after the organization of the new municipality he was elected alderman by a large majority than was received by any candidate for any other office here. He has since been a member of the city council and he is likewise a valuable member of the school board. His home, at the corner of Twelfth and North Rusk streets, is prettily located, and is one of the substantial structures of the city, being a two-story dwelling, built in modern style of architecture in the year 1902.

Source: B. B. Paddock, History and Biographical Record of North and West Texas (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1906), Vol. II, pp. 166-167.

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