Biographical sketch extracted from:

Biographical and historical record of Adams and Wells counties, Indiana. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1887. p. 654.

WILLIAM DOUGHERTY, deceased, father of Hon. Hugh and John DOUGHERTY, who are classed among the active and enterprising men of Bluffton, was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, June 20, 1820, a son of Hugh DOUGHERTY. His parents were natives of Ireland, the mother being of Scotch-Irish ancestry. They left their native country for America in 1818, bringing with them their only child, Betsy, who is so well and favorably known as Aunt Betsy Miller, she having married the late Daniel Miller, and both were numbered among the pioneers of Wells County. Six children were born to the parents of our subject after coming to America — Margaret, widow of John Tillman; William, whose name heads this sketch; Hugh, deceased; John, of Jay County; Anna, wife of Crawford Edington, a merchant of Poneto, Indiana, and Edward, deceased. The father first settled in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, where he followed farming until 1831. In that year he removed with his family to Darke County, Ohio, and settled on a farm near Greenville, where he died about 1833. William DOUGHERTY was reared to the avocation of a farmer in Darke County, Ohio. He was united in marriage June 7,1841, to Miss Margaret Studabaker, of Darke County, where she died August 15, 1860, at the age of thirty-nine years. Mr. Dougherty became a resident of Adams County, Indiana, in 1874, where he made his home until his death, which occurred June 2, 1879, at the age of fifty-nine years.