Michael Costello, Sr.

Immigration to US 1876 when 16 years old (1910 Census)

Eight children. 2/27/1889 Marriage License, Dallas County Records to Mary Fleming. Worley's 1910 Directory for Dallas, TX list Michael M. Costello, sec. foreman H&TC RR r es. Airline, 1 n Webb av., Worley's 1919 City Directory for Dallas, TX list Michael Costello as City Secretary Tax Assesor & Collector for Highland Park residence 3500 Lexington. Acccording to death certificate, died 10/1/1929 at St. Paul Hospital in Dallas, Tx at age 70 (Cause of death - Diabites)- Father Michael Costello, Mother Sarah Gillighan both born in Ireland. Buried in "Costello" family plat at Calvary Hill Cemetery & Mausoleum, Setion A, lot 43. His head stone reads DOB as 4/4/1858, his death certificate gives DOB as 1859. Declaration of Naturalization gives his age as 32 and was notarized 11/1/1876.

Michael Costello
BIRTH
4 Apr 1859
County Mayo, Ireland
DEATH
1 Oct 1929 (aged 70)
BURIAL
Restland Memorial Park
Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, USA
MEMORIAL ID
69428065 · View Source
MEMORIAL
PHOTOS 0
FLOWERS 1
Mr. Costello's life was one of the many American romances of an immigrant Irish lad rising to comparative wealth in this country. He began his career in 1880, when the lad of 20, the brogue of County Mayo still thickening his speech, trudged the streets of Red Bank, New Jersey, lighting lamps. It was on Easter Sunday, April 4, 1859, that Mr. Costello was born, the youngest of eight children, in County Mayo Ireland. It was there that he received a few years of schooling before setting out on his journey to America. He was 20 when, in May 1880, he landed in New York. Forty-eight hours later he was lighting lamps in Red Bank, evincing therein a civic interest which was to be strongly evidenced during his years of service to Highland Park. After a short while as lamp-lighter he was offered a job as section hand on the New York & Long Branch Railroad. He took it at $1.20 a day. His rise was certain, and in 1884 he was given the job of superintending the spur line which the railroad built from its main road to the Elberon Hotel along which to carry the body of the assassinated President Garfield. Two years later the foreman who had given him his first job induced him to Leave New York and go to Denver, where he had a much better job to offer him. The foreman himself had prospered in the West. Again in March, 1888, Mr. Costello made a change, coming toDallas to become a road superintendent for the Dallas & Wichita Falls Railroad, a branch of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway, which was built only from Dallas to Denton and later electrified. Two years later he again changed, becoming road superintendent for the Houston & Texas Central Railroad. He occupied various positions with this road until his retirement in 1910. Mr. Costello built the third home to be built in Highland Park and from the very first became interested in civic affairs in the newly created community. As a member of the school board there, he was instrumental in the building and location of their first school. Later, he became secretary and manager of the town, and practically ran it single-handed while it endured its growing pains. On various occasions he occupied various positions, and since the creation of the office has been city secretary. In Feb. 1889, Mrs. Costello married, in Dallas, Miss Mary Fleming, a native of Missouri. Mrs. Costello survives him with 5 daughters and 3 sons, all of Dallas. Mrs. J. A. Leiendecker, Mrs. R. W. Finklea, Katherine Costello, Mary Costello, J. P. Costello, T. J. Costello, and Michael Costello, Jr.

Gravesite Details
Headline: Story of Immigrant Irish Lad Rising to Riches Ends in Michael Costello Death; Article Type: Death Notices Paper: Dallas Morning News; Date: 10-02-1929; Page: Three; Location: Dallas, Texas

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