KELLY, John

KELLY, KING, RASP

Posted By: Nettie Mae
Date: 1/18/2003 at 22:20:07

SOURCE: "Biographical history of Crawford, Ida and Sac Counties, Iowa" Lewis Pub. Co., Chicago, 1893

JOHN KELLY is one of the leading and representative men of Crawford county. He has
been a resident of the county since 1867. His birth took place in county Clare, Ireland, in
about 1837. He is the son of Thomas and Caroline (King) Kelly, both of whom died in
this country the father in Missouri and the mother in Canada. The family came to
America when the subject was a small boy of five years. He was reared in Clinton county,
Iowa, and at an early age learned the blacksmith trade, which he followed after he came
onto this county, for some five years. He then moved to his farm, which he had bought in
1869. This was in 1872 and the farm was located in Washington township and was all
wild land, consisting of 160 acres. This he placed under good cultivation and he built a
house, barns, etc., and 1876 he sold this place and then purchased a tract of land on
section 32, and 33 in Denison township, consisting of 240 acres. This was also wild land
and upon it our subject made another home. He kept on until he had one of the finest
farms in Denison township. He made his home on this farm until March, 1891, when he
moved to his present home, just south of the corporate limits. Here he has forty acres and
a fine comfortable home. In the spring of 1892 he sold his farm of 240 acres.

Mr. Kelly has always been a general farmer and raises and breeds fine Poland-
China hogs and the shorthorn and Hereford cattle. He takes special pains in his stock-
breeding and is one of the best in the county, and has some splendid specimens. He gave
up the cattle business in 1891 when he moved to his present home, and has given his
attention to hogs. There are registered Poland-China. He markets the most of his stock
here, and for many years has done a good business in buying and shipping cattle. He is
one of the leading agriculturists of the country and will endorse anything he thinks will
benefit the county.

Mr. Kelly is a wealthy and influential man now, but has had his share of the
hardships of life. He started out with a capital of nothing but pluck and energy, and has
made them bring the other desirable things of life. He is one of the self-made men of
Denison.

Our subject was married April 13, 1862, to Miss Bridget Rasp, a native of Canada.
A family of seven children have grown up around them: Thomas J., Mary A., Martin F.,
Marcus, Katie, Maggie and Hannah.

Our subject is a stanch Democrat and has held the office of Road Supervisor, and
has been a member of the Board of Education. He is an honored member of the Roman
Catholic Church.