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Note: David Houlihan was the 7th of 8 children of John Houlihan and Margaret McCarthy. The 1870, 1880 and 1900 census indicates his year of birth as 1855; son David reported it as 1856. According to his son, John J. Houlihan, David was born in the town of Saxonburg in Butler Co. According to "The History of Butler Co, 1876," Saxonburg is a beautiful village in the southern part of the county, 9 miles south of the city of Butler. Laid out in 1831, it's population in 1870 was 295, mainly German settlers. St. Mary's Cemetery records, Pittsburgh, indicate he was born in Pittsburgh, likely an error as John & Margaret Houlihan did not move to Pittsburgh until sometime between 1870 and 1880.
By the 1870 census David, 15, was living with his parents and siblings in Union Township, Allegheny Co., Pa where his occupation is shown as "coal miner," as was that of his father and uncle, Richard McCarthy. Union Twp. is located in what is now Green Tree Boro and the Banksville Road area of Pittsburgh, located in the southeastern corner of the city.
In 1880, when they'd been married 4 years and had 2 young children, David & Barbara Houlihan lived on Butler Street in Pittsburgh. The census taker indicated that Butler St. was in a rural area and the houses had no addresses. Two houses away lived his older brother John & his wife, their parents and several siblings. The census taker spelled the last name "Holehan." David's occupation is shown as "riveter."
David is listed in the 1890 Pittsburgh Directory as a "foreman" living at 5109 Carnegie Ave. He's also in the 1895 & 1896 Directories at the same address, shown as "laborer" (name spelled Hollihan). In the 20 Feb 1889 "Piitsburg Dispatch" newspaper, David 'Hoolihan's' election as a school director for the 18th ward was announced.
David Houlihan & his wife lived at 5109 Carnegie, Pittsburgh at the time of the 1900 census. He owned the house under a mortgage. They'd been married 23 years by the time of this census and, by then, 9 of their 10 children had been born; daughter Bertha Philomena had been born and died. The name was spelled "Hullahan." David's occupation appears to read "horseman, houseman or hose man."
David & Barbara moved to eastern PA in 1917, per son David F. Houlihan. Married children Ella, Estella, Clare, John and Charles all stayed in Pittsburgh with their spouses; the remaining children still living at home moved east with David and Barbara. At the time of the 1920 census they were living at 1408 Washington Ave, Chester, Delaware Co. David and Barbara were 63 and 62 respectively. David's occupation is listed as "foreman - ship yard." Daughter Elizabeth, 21, and son David, 17, were living with them. Next door were living married daughter Barbara and her husband Matthew B. Lutz (occupation " clerk - shipyard"), and their granddaughter, Stella O'Brien, shown as "foster daughter" of the Lutz's. According to F.X. Houlihan, David and Barbara later lived at 5658 Litchfield St, Philadelphia and David worked at the Sun Shipbuilding yards there. For short periods of time David and Barbara also lived in Burlington and Wilmington, SC where David obtained work. Granddaughter Rita (Kane) Burns believed that in Burlington David did iron work at the mills; grandson F.X. Houlihan believes David worked at shipbuilding yards in Wilmington.
Grandson Francis X. Houlihan only remembers seeing his grandparents once, in September, 1929, at the funeral of his brother, their grandson, John J. Houlihan, Jr, who'd died in a swimming accident in Pittsburgh. David and Barbara were driven to Pittsburgh by John Kane, the husband of Ella Houlihan Kane, aunt and uncle of the deceased boy. David & Barbara would have been 73 and 70 years of age, respectively.
According to his obituary and St. Mary's Cemetery records, David Houlihan died at 7:30 pm 26 June 1940 at Misericordia Hospital in Philadelphia of renal disease. His funeral was held at the home of his daughter and son-in-law, John J. & Ella Kane, 517 Fordham St., Pittsburgh; the requiem mass was held at Resurrection Church. He was buried 29 June 1940 at St. Mary's cemetery, Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh in Section C, lot 52, grave #1 of which he was the owner. Also buried in the same grave was his daughter, May A. Houlihan, who'd died January, 1905. David's wife, Barbara is buried next to him in Section C, lot 52, grave 2.
On 18 April 1998 I visited St. Mary's Cemetery, Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh. I located a single memorial tablet there with both David and his wife's names inscribed.
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