BIOGRAPHY: John DOWLING, Cambria County, PA 

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From Wiley, Samuel T., ed. Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria 
County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Union Publishing Co., 1896, p. 274
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JOHN DOWLING is one of the enterprising merchants of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He 
is a son of Walter and Mary (Hanna) Dowling, and was born at Mount Savage, 
Maryland, in 1855. His father was born in Ireland in 1814, and came to America 
at the age of twenty-five. He first settled at Baltimore; about a year later he 
moved to Mount Savage, and was employed as an ironworker until 1861, when he 
came to Johnstown and found employment at the Cambria Iron company's coke yard. 
He remained in their employ for more than twenty years, and was strong and 
active until near his death, which occurred in 1884. He took an active interest 
in public-affairs and served for a time in the town council. In politics he was 
a democrat; in religion a devout Catholic, a member of the St. John's church. He 
left a family of six sons and three daughters; one of the sons has since died.
     John Dowling, after receiving a small amount of schooling, went to work in 
the mills of the Cambria Iron company and worked in nearly all the departments 
of the works. He finally 
  became a roller. In 1885 he left the mills and began business as a merchant on 
Broad street, Cambria borough, now in the Sixteenth ward of the city of 
Johnstown. Mr. Dowling is still doing business on Broad street, and by many 
years of square dealing and up-to-date business methods has built up a fine 
trade in dry-goods, notions, and general merchandise.
     Mr. Dowling is a public-spirited citizen, and is always ready to aid any 
enterprise that will benefit the community in which he lives. He is a member of 
St. Columba's Catholic church. He is one of the stockholders of the Cambria City 
Water company, and served as president of the company for one year, then 
resigned the office.
     In politics Mr. Dowling is an ardent democrat and an active party worker, 
and has had a share of the honors and rewards of active party service. He was 
treasurer of Cambria borough for six years--from 1884 to 1890. When that borough 
was merged into the city of Johnstown, in 1890, Mr. Dowling was made the 
democratic nominee for city controller and was triumphantly elected, and has the 
honor of being the first controller of the city of Johnstown. He entered upon 
the duties of his office in April, 1890, and served until the expiration of his 
term in April, 1893.
     In January, 1891, he was married to Miss Mary T. Fromald.