Trails to the Past
Iowa
Adair County
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Biographies
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Progressive Men of Iowa
His father,
Timothy Kelly, who was born in the tame parish and county in 1812, came,
after his marriage in 1833, to Red Bank, N. J., where he remained for six
months, when he returned to Ire-land. He died August 15, 1895. The wife of
Timothy Kelly, whose maiden name was Catherine Doud, was born in Galway
county, the same year as her husband. In 1894 she visited America, where
her children lived. She remained six months, and died shortly after her
return to Ireland, on September 20, 1895. Michael Kelly, after his
marriage in 1857 to Agnes B. Fane, a native of the same county in Ireland,
born May 14, 1838, came to America, direct to Scott county, Iowa, In 1858.
Mrs. Kelly assisted her father in the government school, and after their
arrival in Scott county worked for the wife of the farmer with whom Mr.
Kelly was engaged, earning a salary of $60 a year. She still lives on the
old homestead in Scott county. Mr. Kelly received a salary of $100 for two
years, when he rented a farm in Sheridan township, which a few years later
he purchased, living on the same until his death, which occurred July 7,
1897 Mr. Kelly was well known in Scott and adjoining counties. He bought
and dealt in stock for twenty-five years. He was liberally disposed. His
reputation for honesty and fair dealing was above reproach. During the
forty years he farmed in Scott county, he was known as one of the hardest
working men in the county, and the only vacation he allowed himself was
the few months he spent in 1887 visiting his parents in Ireland. The grandfather of the subject of
our sketch, on his mother's side, was Walter Fane, who was born in
Killcorn, Ireland, and for twenty-five years prior to his death, which
occurred June 16, 1861, he was the government schoolmaster in the parish
of Ballymoe. His wife, whose maiden name was Betty Goulden, was born May
14, 1811, in French Park, Ireland. She came to America in 1865 and lived
with her daughter, Agnes Kelly, until her death in
1871. Thomas F.
Kelly was born October 16, 1861, in Scott county, Iowa. He attended the
district school in his township, his first teacher being Miss Wicks, now
the wife of Hon. B. T. Seaman, of Scott county. During the fall and winter
of 1881 and 1882 he attended the Wilton academy, at Wilton Junction. Mr.
Kelly earned his first dollar, in the winter of 1870, trapping mink and
muskrats, on what was then known as the Slopertown big slough, now drained
and farmed. During this winter he trapped and sold $27 worth of
hides. Most of his trapping
was done by moonlight, as he attended school by day, and in the evening
had the chores to do at home.
He remained at home and worked for his father on the farm until he
was 27 years of age, excepting for a few months attending college, and
eight months that were spent in the south and west. Following this he
rented one of his father's farms in Scott county for two years. Wishing to
become owner of a farm of his own, Mr. Kelly went west to Adair, March 1,
1891, where he accomplished his desire, and now owns two well-improved
farms in the vicinity of Adair. He is also the owner of considerable
property in the town of Adair, which has been acquired through his own
industry and economy. After the
death of his wife. December 16, 1893, he rented his farm, and the next
spring, in June, 1894, was appointed postmaster of Adair. After the fire,
in 1894, which destroyed twenty-two of the thirty-three business places in
Adair, he purchased a lot in the center of the business portion of the
town and erected a brick building thereon, a part of which he now uses for
an office room. Mr. Kelly has given excellent satisfaction as postmaster,
and is highly esteemed as a citizen. He is a charter member of Mount Hope Camp No. 59 Woodmen of the World, and is a member of the Catholic church. He was married March 4, 1888, to Miss Jessie Carter. Three children were born, two of whom died in infancy; Francis Walter, born November 18, 1891, lives with his grandparents in Scott county since the death of his mother.
Here the
son, William, spent his boyhood days on his father's farm, acquiring such
education only as the public schools afforded. In April, 1863, he came to
Iowa, stopping with his brother who was keeping a hotel at Fontanelle,
Adair county. At this time
Adair county was very sparsely settled, most of the country being a vast
stretch of wild prairie, upon which game was plentiful. He began farming
in 1864, his sister keeping house for him. The next spring he purchased a
four-mule team and ran a freight wagon between Omaha and Denver. The
business was attended with danger from Indians, who sometimes swooped down
on the trains, killing the drivers and running off the stock and other
property. It was no uncommon sight to find dead bodies of Indians along
the route where they had been killed by the freighters in defense of their
lives and property. He afterwards lived on a farm until 1874, when he
moved into Atlantic, Cass county, Iowa. In 1876 he moved to Casey, Guthrie
county, and there engaged in the lumber business. In 1883 he took in a
nephew as partner and they opened a hardware and agricultural implement
establishment in connection with the lumber business. In 1895 they built a
fine brick building for the accommodation of their rapidly growing
business, making one of the best establishments in western Iowa. In 1897
they purchased an implement house in Adair, Adair county, and are carrying
on both establishments. November 17,
1866, Mr. Valentine was united in marriage with Miss Naomi I. Taylor, daughter of Judge N. S.
Taylor, of Fontanelle. Eight children have been born to them: Margaret N.,
born September 3, 1867; Hettie R., born May 30, 1870, died October 16,
1879; Mabel G., born September 10, 1872; John W., born July 23, 1875;
Effie M., born December 14, 1877; Irene A., born June 7, 1880; Lucile E.,
born January 25, 1883, and Ethel C., born September 6, 1885. Mr. Valentine
is not a member of any church, but with his family attends the
Presbyterian. He is a republican, and belongs to the Masonic Fraternity,
Blue Lodge, Casey Chapter, at Fontanelle.
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KELLY, Thomas
Francis, postmaster of Adair, is the son of M. B. Kelly, who was born in
the parish of Balloymoe, Galway, Ireland, March 30, 1834.
VALENTINE, William, was born May 6, 1843, at West Point,
Tippecanoe county, Ind. His father, J. W. valentine, was a farmer in easy
circumstances, who was born in 1804 at Scotch Plains, N. J. He moved to
Ohio when it was a very new country, where, on the 29th of February, 1829,
he was married to Miss Rebecca Kinkennon. She was the daughter of James
Kinkennon, a minister of the gospel, and a man of fine intellectual
powers, having also an extensive knowledge of both law and medicine. J. W.
Valentine and his family moved to Tippecanoe county, Ind., in 1836, where
they lived until September, 1856, when Mr. Valentine died.