meat packer, philanthropist, b. Callan, County Kilkenny, Ireland. He-was brought to Milwaukee by his parents in 1849 where he attended public schools. He began. his meat-packing career at the age of 14 and, in 1874, became superintendent of the Plankinton & Armour plant in Milwaukee. On its dissolution in 1884, Cudahy became Plankinton's partner under the firm name of John Plankinton & Company, and upon Plankinton's retirement in 1888, John Cudahy, brother of Patrick Cudahy, purchased Plankinton's interest and the name of the firm then became Cudahy Brothers. They leased the Plankinton plant and operated it until 1893 when, in anticipation of municipal legislation curtailing packing activities in the city, Patrick Cudahy moved his establishment to Cudahy, which he founded and promoted as an industrial city. The business was incorporated during the same year as Cudahy Brothers Company with Patrick Cudahy as president (1893-1915). He had many other business connections and was a director of the First Wisconsin National Bank of Milwaukee. Some years before his death, Cudahy's extensive real estate holdings in Milwaukee were incorporated as the Patrick Cudahy Family Company. He was active in the Milwaukee Association of Commerce, Ancient Order of Hibernians, and Friends of Irish Freedom, and was a contributor to many charities. Who's Who in Amer., 6 (1910); W. G. Bruce, ed., Hist. of Milwaukee (3 vols., Chicago, 1922); Columbian Biog. Dict.... Wis. (Chicago, 1895); Milwaukee journal, July 26, 1919; Milwaukee Sentinel, July 26, 1919; WPA field notes.

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[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]