Snippets for Aunt Sharon: James Maher, Cleveland Tailor

This tailor shop vignette shows young workers seated on the table in the “tailor’s pose.” They sewed by the natural light afforded by windows. James Maher may have done work like this early in his career. (Image: rawpixel.com)

 
The first evidence of James Maher, one of my Aunt Sharon's great-grandfathers, is in an 1861 Cleveland city directory—the telephone books of their day.¹

 

James Maher's entry in the 1861 Cleveland city directory.

 

James was a tailor in the days when Cleveland was on the verge of rivaling New York as a capital of the garment industry in the United States.² Earlier in the 19th century, before the spread of industrialization, clothing was still handmade, usually by women in the family. The wealthy might have their garments made by a tailor or seamstress. As the 19th century progressed, the need for ready-made clothing became more important for occupations like mining, for sailors, and for slaves.³

 

Bird’s eye view of Cleveland, 1877. Public Square, then known as Monument Park, is seen at the top center.⁴

 

Between the 1860s-1880s, when James was working in Cleveland, the garment industry grew enormously. There were many reasons: the incredible development of the city of Cleveland as an urban center and a great wave of immigrants to the U.S. were two reasons. Other reasons included:

• Increased mechanization of clothing production. Singer patented his sewing machine in 1851, and it was widely used by 1860, vastly speeding up clothing production.
• Standardization of clothing sizes for men. Garment manufacturers needed to supply over a million uniforms to Union Soldiers per year in the 1860s. Measurements taken from the soldiers to produce these uniforms resulted in more standardization of clothing sizes across the industry. Women’s measurements eventually were also developed.
• More people accepted “off-the-rack” clothing as quality improved. 
• The development of men’s trousers or “pants,” as separate from a suit. This allowed men to change up their outfit without purchasing an entirely new suit.

With these reasons as the backdrop, the garment industry in Cleveland blossomed.⁵

James may have been taught the tailoring trade beginning as an apprentice, a typical path. “The trade of tailoring was taught by a traditional apprentice education in workshops. The workshops consisted of several employees of the trade established with various work titles, from fabric cutters, which was considered as one of the most skilled tiers of the trades. There were also journeymen who were responsible for adding padding, sewing in interlinings, pockets, sleeves and collars: they were also responsible for manipulating heavy irons. The apprentice ran errands and cleaned up after the fabric cutters and journeymen before being taught basic sewing skills.”⁶ 

As a tailor, James would have been taught the “art of designing, cutting, fitting and finishing clothes.”⁷ He would work at measuring male customers for trousers, suits, frock coats, outdoor coats, etc., and perhaps bespoke women’s mantles (outside-wear somewhat similar to thick shawls), and costumes (suits for women).⁸ He likely did not make women’s day or evening dresses, as those would have been dressmaker’s work.

James may have had his own shop or been working for others. Three city directories refer to him working with an “M. Mooney,” who was listed as a “merchant tailor.” Merchant tailors typically both made and sold clothing as well as fabric. James worked for M. Mooney between 1875-1878, a fact that his wife Jane confirmed in a newspaper article published in 1888 that I recently wrote about.⁹

What sort of clothing would James have made on a day-to-day basis?

“For the majority of the 1860s, menswear was marked by an oversized appearance, with loosely-cut jackets and wide, tubular trousers.”¹⁰ A men’s outfit might include a thigh-length jacket with a dropped shoulder seam and wide sleeves, a waistcoat (vest), wide-legged trousers, a starched white shirt, and a cravat tied at the neck. The portrait below of John Mulvaney, c. 1863, shows the loosely fitting trousers and longer jacket worn in the early 1860s.¹¹

 

As the 1860s progressed into the 1870s, the men’s silhouette became slimmer and shorter. In the 1870s, James may have sewn frock coats, single- or double-breasted morning coats, sack or lounge jackets, or plain white shirts with a turned down collar.¹²

 

Victorian menswear in June 1871.¹³

James married Ann Jane Laughlin on 25 November 1867, in a ceremony performed by a Justice of the Peace. Together James and Jane had four children, John, Charles, Sarah, and Thomas Francis, Aunt Sharon's grandfather.¹⁴

 

 

James and Jane’s marriage record, 25 November 1867.

James was listed as a tailor in every Cleveland directory published between 1861 and 1878, except 1863-64. His workplaces centered near Public Square (then known as Monument Park), while he and his family lived nearby on Lake Street, Eagle Street, Hamilton Street, or Muirson Street (some no longer exist).¹⁵ Families likely moved frequently, renting their lodging. The Mahers seemed to live on Lake Street the longest.

 

 James and family lived in various houses on Lake St. and Hamilton Street. The 1874 map above shows this area south of the current Shoreway and Burke Lakefront Airport.¹⁶

James did not have a very long career. He died on 1 December 1879, at age 53, of heart disease. He was buried at St. John’s Cemetery, on Woodlawn Avenue in Cleveland.¹⁷ His wife Ann Jane outlived him by nearly 40 years. Aunt Sharon's grandfather Thomas was about 3 years old when his father died. James' death left his widow to raise their four children—who at the time ranged in age from 3 to 11—by herself.

Another Brush with Lincoln?

James Maher very well could have been working close by in downtown Cleveland in April 1865 when President Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train visited the city and his body lay in state at Monument Park (now Public Square). Perhaps James’ employer let his workers off for the day to pay their respects as so many did. Many clothing dealers and manufacturers were centered around downtown Cleveland, with many on Monument Square itself or nearby on Superior Avenue.¹⁸

Lincoln’s body traveled the country by train, then was transported to the square by horse drawn carriage. It was positioned on a catafalque where the Soldiers and Sailors Monument now stands.¹⁹ The photo below was taken on the date; note the large crowd and their clothing. Was James or his family in the crowd? Did James make any of the clothing worn that day?

 

Lincoln’s body was transported by horse-drawn carriage to Monument Park.²⁰

 

Until next time...

© Nancy Gilbride Casey, 2026. All rights reserved.

 

NOTES

¹ Cleveland City Directory for 1861 (Cleveland: Loomis & Talbot, 1861), p. 168, James Maher, tailor; imaged, "U.S., City Directories 1822-1995, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/3979827?pId=1487429128 : accessed 12 Feb. 2026).

² Stanley Garfinkel, Encyclopedia of Cleveland History (https://case.edu/ech/articles/g/garment-industry : accessed 11 Feb. 2026), “Garment Industry.” 

³ Ibid.

⁴ Ruger, A.; Stoner, J. J.; Shober & Carqueville, Bird’s Eye View of Cleveland Ohio 1877 (Madison, Wis.: J.J. Stoner, 1877); imaged, Library of Congress (https://lccn.loc.gov/73694507 : accessed 12 February 2026); citing Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C. 

⁵ Garfinkel, “Garment Industry.” 

⁶ Lux Tailor (https://luxtailor.com/history-of-tailoring/#:~:text=Tailors%20in%20the%201800s%20would,for%20both%20menswear%20and%20womenswear. : accessed 11 Feb. 2026), “History of Tailoring.”

⁷ Ibid.

⁸ Adèle Emm, “What was life like for our Victorian seamstress and dressmaker ancestors?” FamilyTree (https://www.family-tree.co.uk/how-to-guides/what-was-life-like-for-our-victorian-seamstress-and-dressmaker-ancesto/: accessed 11 Feb. 2026).

⁹ Robison, Savage & Co.'s Cleveland Directory for the Year Ending June, 1876 (Cleveland: Robison, Savage & Co., 1875), p. 422, James Maher; imaged, "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/4120941 : accessed 4 April 2026). Also, Robison, Savage & Co.'s Cleveland Directory for the Year Ending June, 1877 (Cleveland: Robison, Savage & Co., 1876), p. 404, James Maher; imaged, "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/4121359 : accessed 4 April 2026). Also, Robison, Savage & Co.'s Cleveland Directory for the Year Ending June, 1878 (Cleveland: Robison, Savage & Co., 1877), p. 399, James Maher; imaged, "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/4120497 : accessed 4 April 2026). Also, "Widow or Wife," Cleveland Plain Dealer [Cleveland, Ohio], 27 Nov. 1888, p. 4; imaged, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image-view/1076314310/?match=1&terms=%22william%20laughlin%22 : accessed 1 Dec. 2025)

¹⁰ Fashion History Timeline (https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1860-1869/ : accessed 11 Feb. 2026), “1860-1869.”

¹¹ Mathew B. Brady, “John Mulvaney,” photograph, c. 1863; Smithsonian (https://npg.si.edu/object/npg_S_NPG.2007.139 : accessed 11 Feb. 2026); citing the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, gift of Larry J. West.

¹² Fashion History Timeline (https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1870-1879/ : accessed 11 Feb. 2026), “1870-1879.” 

¹³ Gentlemen’s Gazette (https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/tuxedo-black-tie-guide/black-tie-tuxedo-history/early-victorian-black-dominates/ : posted 26 November 2018), “Early Victorian Men’s Clothing: Black Dominates 1840s – 1880s.” 

¹⁴  Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Marriage Records, May 1866-Nov. 1868, p. 85, James Maher and Jane Laughlin, 25 Nov. 1867; imaged, "Cuyahoga County, Ohio, U.S., Marriage Records and Indexes, 1810-1973," Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/1876/images/32365_225646-00407 : accessed 1 Dec. 2025); citing Probate Court, Cleveland. Also, 1880 U.S. Census, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, population schedule, Cleveland, p. 28, Enumeration District 36, line 41, dwelling 256, family 303, Ann Maher household; imaged, "1880 United States Federal Census," Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6742/images/4243515-00534 : accessed 3 April 2026).

¹⁵ Cleveland City Directory for 1861 (Cleveland: Loomis & Talbot, 1861), p. 168, James Maher, tailor; imaged, "U.S., City Directories 1822-1995, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/3979827?pId=1487429128 : accessed 12 Feb. 2026). Also, Cleveland Leader City Directory for 1865-66 (Cleveland: E. Cowles & Co., 1865), p. 181, James Maher; imaged, "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/3970244 : accessed 4 April 2026). Also, Cleveland Leader City Directory for 1866-67 (Cleveland: Cleveland Leader Co., 1866), p. 184, James Maher; imaged, "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/3961828 : accessed 4 April 2026). Also, Cleveland Leader Annual City Directory for 1868-69 (Cleveland: Cleveland Leader Printing Co., 1868), p. 223, James Maher; imaged, "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/3960222 : accessed 4 April 2026). Also, Wiggins & Weaver's Directory of the City of Cleveland and Adjoining Towns for 1870-71 (Cleveland: Wiggins & Weaver, 1870), p. 197, James Mahar; imaged, "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/41199_1220706242_4285-00204 : accessed 4 April 2026). Also, W.S. Robison & Co.'s Cleveland Directory 1871-72 (Cleveland: W.S. Robison & Co., 1871), p. 292, James Mahar; imaged, "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/4333952 : accessed 4 April 2026). Also, W.S. Robison & Co.'s Cleveland Directory 1872-73 (Cleveland: W.S. Robison & Co., 1872), p. 318, James Mahar; imaged, "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/41199_1220706242_4286-00325 : accessed 4 April 2026). Also, W.S. Robison & Co.'s Cleveland Directory 1875 (Cleveland: W.S. Robison & Co., 1874), p. 415, James Maher; imaged, "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/4338819 : accessed 4 April 2026). Also, Robison, Savage & Co.'s Cleveland Directory for the Year Ending June, 1876, p. 422, James Maher. Also, Robison, Savage & Co.'s Cleveland Directory for the Year Ending June, 1877, p. 404, James Maher. Also, Robison, Savage & Co.'s Cleveland Directory for the Year Ending June, 1878, p. 399, James Maher. Also, The Cleveland Directory for the Year Ending June, 1879 (Cleveland: Cleveland Directory Co., 1878), p. 367, James Maher; imaged, "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/4152936 : accessed 4 April 2026).

¹⁶ Cleveland Historic Atlas (https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/6085d8f1ddbf4634860990b687bfa6fe : accessed 3 April 2026), 1874 Cleveland and Cuyahoga County map. 

¹⁷ Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Probate Court, Record of Deaths, Vol. 2, 1878-1884, p. 49, #26, James Mahar, 1 Dec. 1879; imaged, "Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L98Q-C5J : accessed 11 Feb. 2026); citing Cuyahoga County Probate Court, Cleveland. Also, Cemmansys (https://cemmansys.com/burial-search/dashboard/search?organizationId=2535cbd8-43de-4212-ba1f-0171abe29f69&firstName=james&lastName=maher&pageNumber=1&cemeteryId=cbae5618-2e89-48b2-969c-b1a000d013ad : accessed 11 Nov. 2025), entry for James Maher, 2 Dec. 1879; citing Cleveland Catholic Cemetery Association.

¹⁸ Cleveland Leader City Directory for 1865-66, p. 264, "Clothing Dealers and Merchant Tailors"; imaged, "U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995," Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/3970286 : accessed 3 April 2026).

¹⁹ CSU Center for Public History and Digital Humanities, "Abraham Lincoln in Cleveland: Remembering a Slain President," Cleveland Historical (https://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/70 : accessed 3 April 2026).

²⁰ Funeral Carriage, photograph, 1865; image, Cleveland Historical (https://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/70 : accessed 3 April 2026).; citing Cleveland Memory Project, Cleveland State University Special Collections; citing