Linn Family

John Joseph Linn (1798-1885) and his father, John Linn, fled Ireland in 1798 after his father was branded a traitor by British authorities for his participation in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. Linn, Sr., married Grace Woods and they had four sons and a daughter, including Edward, John Joseph, Charles and Henry.

John Joseph grew up in New York, where he eventually became a successful bookkeeper. He established a merchant business in New Orleans in 1822 and soon developed an interest in Texas, specifically the De León Colony. After moving to Guadalupe Victoria (now Victoria) in 1829, he established the town of New Port (soon called Linnville) two years later. The new town included a wharf and a warehouse for Linn’s merchant business. Linn served as a liaison and translator between the Irish and Mexican settlers, who called him Juan Linn.

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