John Dougherty was born in Washington County, Ohio on May 6, 1806. A resident Union County, Illinois, he was a lawyer and politician. Aside from working as a pension agent for Union County residents such as Rosana Murray, he also represented the county in the Illinois State Legislature, first in the House from 1832-1838, and in 1840-1842, before taking a seat in the Senate from 1842-1850. He again served in the House from 1856-1858 and was Lt. Governor of the state from 1868-1872. He died in Union County on September 2, 1879.