History of  Carroll County, Indiana, 1882; Kingman Brothers Chicago; page 251

JAMES P. DUGAN

The subject of this biographical sketch was in Champaign County, Ohio, June 9, 1812. His father was a native of Ireland and his mother of Pennsylvania. After spending his boyhood in the counties of Champaign, Darke, and Madison and receiving what might be deemed a liberal education, he went to Cincinnati at the age of twenty-three and accepted a situation in a wholesale dry goods store. In 1832, he accepted the responsible position of Discount Clerk to the Commercial Bank of Cincinnati. It was under the former banking system a bank of issue, and one of the strong financial institutions of the West. In 1835, after having spent the summers of 133 and 1834 in Delphi, he concluded to make this place his future home. Arriving in the spring of 1835, he engaged in the dry goods trade and pursued that line of business for about six years. In 1847, he entered as the junior member of the firm of Spears, Case & Co., and conducted a banking grain and packing business. The firm maintained a large business until 1872, when it was dissolved by the death of Mr. Case. In 1873, Mr. Dugan became the President of the First National Bank of Delphi, organized under the national banking laws and remained in that situation until the bank went into liquidation in 1877. Since that period, he has devoted his time to closing up the old firm business. Mr. Dugan, though a zealous Republican has never held of sought any position of public trust other than that of Councilman in the municipal government of Delphi.

Mr. Dugan was initiated into the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in Franklin Lodge of Cincinnati, in 1833, and was one of the chapter members of Delphi Lodge No. 28, of Delphi, also holds membership in the Blue Lodge and Chapter of the Masonic fraternity. Mr. Dugan has at all times proven a liberal, public spirited citizen and has had the confidence and regard of the community in which he has so long resided.