Samuel Dooley, Sr.

Sam Dooley was born in Virginia, and died in Mt Run, Lebanon, Indiana. He was buried March 31, 1855 in Mt. Run Cemetary, Boone, Indiana. He married Mary Kelso, born 1768 in Ireland. They married on December 24, 1787 in Mercer, Kentucky. She also died in Boone, Indiana, but was buried in Kentucky. Sam and Mary had 4 children, Samuel, John, Robert, and Squire "Judge".

Sam Dooley "of Shelby County Kentucky" was awarded a land grant of 142 1/2 acres from the land office of Indianapolis in 1835. This certificate was "signed" by Andrew Jackson.

According to a written account by one of Sam, Sr.'s grandsons, (Squire Washington Dooley, published 1908) he enjoyed listening to his grandfather talk about his "adventures in frontier life". He states that he always claimed to be of English nationality (note: the Dooley name is Irish, originally O'Dooley). Sam was "a man of good sense though limited in education. He was a great lover of the Bible", and talked of roaming the forests in search of game, and having "wrestling matches with the Indians". He moved from Virginia to the northwestern territory that became Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. Sam told his grandson that he was often sent as a scout to watch the movements of the indians on the frontier.