Kennedy, James H. death 1906

KENNEDY

Posted By: S. Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 11/16/2004 at 05:58:34

Tragic Death of Noted Pioneer
Bozeman, Mont. -- James H. Kennedy, aged 74 years one of the most picturesque pioneers not only of this state but of the entire west, reaching to the Pacific coast, met a violent death at Belgrade near this place. He had been assisting his son Benjamin Kennedy in a wheat field and had been left with a team and reaper while his son returned to the house for some binding twine. The latter had barely reached the house when he was followed by the horses and reaper, dragging in their wage the dead body of the aged pioneer. The old man had evidently had a partial paralytic stroke while on the seat of the reaper and had fallen his foot catching in the trip.

Mr. Kennedy was known as one of the most unique characters in Montana. He was born in Grant county, Wisconsin and was taken by his father to Clayton county Iowa the following year, where he remained until 1853. At that time he started overland for Oregon walking the entire distance and swimming every river from the Mississippi. He arrived in Oregon the same year and joined the forces in the Rogue River war, for his services in which the Oregon government still owes him $180. He carried the first Indian scalp into Yreka, Cal. and received a bounty of $250. He went from California to South America thence to New York and later to Kansas where he served in the second batalion Kansas volunteers during the war. He came to Montana in 1864.

[transcribers note: If Mr. Kennedy was age 74 at death, his year of birth would have been 1832/3; coming to Clayton co. c1834. The Ambrose Kennedy family can be found on the 1838 Wisconsin territory census, which included Clayton co. In 1838, Iowa had not yet gained Territorial status.
On the 1880 census, James H. Kennedy is enumerated in Bozeman, Montana territory, with his wife Clara and 8 children, aged 3 to 21 yrs. old]

-source: 'Emery County Progress', Emery county, Utah, August 11, 1906