Moriarty, Capt. Peter

MORIARTY, LATHROP

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 4/29/2007 at 05:29:53

Died suddenly June 16, 1875, at Council Grove, Morris County, Kansas, of a throat disease, contracted while in the Army, Capt. Peter Moriarty, aged 54 years, 5 months, 8 days.
Capt. Moriarty was born in Claremont County, Ohio, on the 22nd day of January, 1821, and at an early age learned the art of printing in Cincinnati; after which he came West and for sometime worked at his trade in Chicago, Muscatine, Iowa City, Dubuque and other western towns. In July, 1846, he married Miss Jennie Lathrop of Muscatine, by whom he had 9 children, 6 of whom are living-the wife of Mr. R.G.Gardner, of this City(Maquoketa) being one of them. In 1851 he received a surveying contract from the U.S.Government, after completing which he located in Bellevue, in this county, in 1852, and started a newspaper which he published until 1856 when he was elected State Printer for Iowa and removed to this city(Maquoketa), where he established the Excelsior, the first number of which was issued in March, 1856, and by the 11th of July following it had obtained a circulation of 1400 copies. In 1871 he removed to Kansas where his wife died in 1873. At the time of his death he was editor and proprietor of the Morris County Republican, a flourishing and influential newspaper. Capt. Moriarty was a genial and kindhearted gentleman, a good husband, a good neighbor, a faithful friend, and last, but not least, an honest man. Peace to his ashes. May the grass grow green above his far off Kansas grave. A.G.H.
(Maquoketa Excelsior, June 24, 1875.)