Walter Kelly

KELLY, ROHM, STILES, GALE

Posted By: Rebecca Foster (email)
Date: 9/5/2014 at 09:31:45

A PIONEER GONE

Death of a Respected Resident of Davenport for Fifty-Three Years.

All of the old settlers of this city and county as well as those of a later day, will hear with regret the announcement of the death of Walter Kelly, an old and respected resident of Davenport, which took place at 9:50 o'clock Wednesday morning at his residence Iowa street. Mr. Kelly came here in 1840, fifty-three years ago, so that he belonged to the original "pioneer," who include all those who settled in this locality before Dec. 31, 1840. His death therefore is the snapping of another link of the living chain that joins Davenport's past and present together.
In 1840, when Mr. Kelly came to this city, it numbered only about 500 inhabitants and Scott county about 2,500. Chicago was five days distant and it took thirteen days to get from here to New York. Iowa was then a territory having been cut off from Wisconsin only two years previous, and it did not become a state for six years after Mr. Kelly settled in this community. These few items will show to Davenporters of the present generation the state of affairs then existing in this part of Iowa.

The deceased pioneer was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, on June 29, 1814, so that the time of his demise he was aged 79 years, 4 months and 23 days. He came to this country in September, 1835, the same fall that Antoine LeClaire, Col. George Davenport and six others met and decided to lay out a town site for Davenport. Mr. Kelly had two brothers living in Detroit, one being a Catholic priest, Rev. Patrick Kelly, and the other named Michael. He accordingly went to Detroit, where he remained for three years, there learning his trade as a moulder. After this he went to Chicago, where he worked at his trade for two years, thence coming in 1840 to Davenport, where he had been preceded for a couple of years by two other brothers, James and Thomas, whose presence in this city determined his coming here.

Mr. Kelly engaged in such occupations as Davenport afforded in those early days, for a dozen years, part of the time working in the packing house of Burrows & Prettyman. In 1852 he entered into partnership with a namesake, though no relative, Bartholomew Kelly, under the firm name of B. & W. Kelly. The firm conducted a general business, handling various lines of goods, and their store was one of the most extensive and handsomely equipped in the state. It occupied what old settlers knew as the Bazaarblock, corner of Front and Brady streets, directly south of the present wholesale house of J.F. Kelly & Co.

In 1857 the firm of B. & W. Kelly was dissolved and Walter Kelly and James Roche entered another, which lasted for a short time, however, Mr. Roche retiring, and Mr. Kelly continuing the business as sole proprietor. In 1884 Mr. Kelly retired from business. He had accumulated by his industry and energy an honorable competence and the last decade of his life was thus one of well-deserved leisure and contentment.

Mr. Kelly was married Feb. 5, 1845, to Miss Mary McNamara, the ceremony being performed by the reverend Father John A. Pelamourges at St. Anthony's church. Mrs. Kelly survives the partner of her wedded life for almost half a century. The children who also survive are John F. and William F. Kelly, the members of the wholesale house of J.F. Kelly & Co., Thos. E. Kelly and Mrs. E.T. Rohm, of this city, and Mrs. J.S. Stiles and Mrs. E.W. Gale of Chicago.

Mr. Kelly was a quiet and unassuming citizen and though his claims on the community entitled him to political honors, he did not seek them. He consented only once to stand for an office, being elected alderman for the Fifth ward in 1862, serving two years during the mayoralty of Hon. Geo. W. French. Mr. Kelly's venture proved uniformly lucrative, so that from a financial standpoint his business career was crowned with success. Furthermore in his sons and daughters he leaves behind him a legacy of honored and influential members of society.

The funeral took place Saturday with services at St. Anthony's church at 9 o'clock. Interment was in St. Marguerite's cemetery.

Source: Davenport Daily Leader; Davenport, Ia., 29 Nov 1893.