John W. Dungay was born June 9, 1823, in Norfolk County, Denver, England.
The 1857 Minnesota census showed John Dungay (age 35, born in England, carpenter) married to Ann M. (age 33, born in England) and living in Cannon City, Minnesota. Children Henry (age 11, born in England), Ann (age 9, born in England), Lester S. (age 8, born in England), Mary (age 6, born in England), and Edward L. (age 4 months, born in Minnesota) also lived with the couple.
The 1860 United States census showed John Dungay (age 40, born in England, wagon maker) married to Maria (age 35, born in England) and living in Cannon City, Minnesota. Children Henry (age 14, born in England), Lester (age 11, born in England), Ann (age 12, born in England), Mary (age 10, born in England), and Edward (age 3, born in Minnesota), and Moses (age 1, born in Minnesota) also lived with the couple.
The 1875 Minnesota census showed John Dungay (age 53, born in England) married to Ann (age 51, born in England) and living in Cannon City, Minnesota. Children Mary (age 24, born in England), Moses (age 16, born in Minnesota), Johnny (age 14, born in Minnesota), and Siley (age 12, born in Minnesota) also lived with the couple.
Section 5, a few miles west of this settlement, received an initiating settler soon afterward in the person of John Dungay, a native of England who came from Chicago, where he had been working at the carpenter trade for several years, and secured a good farm in Cannon City township. He at once erected a comfortable house, sawing the lumber therefore with a whip-saw, also preparing lumber and making probably the first wagon made in Rice county. He remained on his original place until 1862, when he removed to where he lives at present, in section sixteen. (History of Rice County, Including the Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Rev. Edward D. Neill, Minnesota Historical Company, Minneapolis, 1882, Page 521)
Three miles northeast of Faribault, Mr. Dungay is making the best brick yet produced in the county. His product so far has been but about 100,000 per year, but these have been sold at from $7.50 to $8 per thousand. (History of Rice County, Including Explorers and Pioneers of Minnesota, Rev. Edward D. Neill, Minnesota Historical Company, Minneapolis, 1882, Page 269)
The 1885 Minnesota census showed John Dungay (age 61, born in England) married to Maria (age 60, born in England) and living in Cannon City, Minnesota. Children Maria (age 38, born in England), Henry (age 39, born in England), Henry (age 39, born in England), Moses (age 26, born in Minnesota), Ida H. (age 25, born in Minnesota), and Nell (age 3, born in Minnesota) also lived with the couple.
John W. Dungay died March 4, 1900, in Cannon City, Rice County, Minnesota.