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Finley Peter Dunne 18671936 Journalist
One of the most memorable characters in Chicago literature is Martin Dooley, the loquacious and opinionated Irish immigrant who tended bar along Archer Avenue in the Bridgeport neighborhood. Mr. Dooley was created by Finley Peter Dunne. Peter Finley Dunne (he later reversed his names) was born to Irish Catholic immigrants in 1867. With his instinct for a good story, he gravitated toward journalism, joining the staffs of several newspapers, including the Chicago Telegram and the Chicago Times. It was at the Chicago Evening Post where he created the character of Martin J. Dooley, who was modeled after a real-life Chicago bartender. Mr. Dooley was known for his quick wit, common sense, and strong opinions delivered in a broad Irish dialect. Dunne's weekly columns became a Saturday evening tradition in Chicago. Between 1893 and 1900, he wrote about 300 Dooley pieces. In 1893-95, Dunne lived at 3109 West Warren Boulevard.
Dunne's satirical pieces on the Spanish-American War earned him a national reputation. By World War I, Finley Peter Dunne was the most famous newspaper columnist in the country.