Cornelius Kelly

KELLY GUNN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 9/21/2010 at 15:58:14

History of Woodbury County , Iowa 1984

Cornelius Kelly
By Bob Hawley

Cornelius Kelly, 1844-1-928, first son of Daniel, was born in 1844, in County Cork, Ireland, was fifteen years old when his family left Raymond, New Hampshire and migrated to Sioux City, Iowa in April 1859. This young chap, long had been imbued with the idea of going West, and the thought that he would be better able to work out his own life on the vast prairies of Iowa had often come to him, when at school and at work in the little town of Raymond, so it was joyful news when his parents finally decided to migrate to Sioux City, Iowa.

Young Kelly attended grade school on Court Street and later went to high school at Seventh and Nebraska Streets. Then in 1862, he together with several other loyal young pioneers joined Company E of the Northern Boarder Brigade, to quell the Indian riots and protect the settlers. He was not yet of age and it was necessary to procure his father’s consent before he could enlist. They were mustered in on 27 September 1962, and from that time until 19 September 1963, when they were mustered out at Correctionville he never saw a Redskin. During that period he was stationed at West Ford and at Cherokee, where he was a cavalryman and worked on the Pony Express. Helping his father on the farm, teaming on the road for him to Boone and Yankton, and enjoying the life as all healthy and alert young men of his time did, was the life of Con Kelly for the next eight years.

In 1871, he homesteaded 80 acres for himself on land adjoining his father’s and it was here that he later built a home for his bride Anna Gunn, sister of Reverend Thomas Gunn, the first pastor of St Mary’s Catholic Church in this city. There his eight children were born and raised.

In about 1904 they moved into the city where he took up inspection of construction work for the city. Con Kelly was of the hardy and virile stock which has been the backbone of Sioux City. He was a member of the boys of 68, and at one time served as president of that organization. He treasured many memories of the growth of the city and his keenest interest were to follow the course of city government and to do what was possible to further the growth of the city.

The now Kelly Park, an addition to Sioux City was plotted on 19 August 1920 by Hattie Levitt and J L Levitt. The document dedicated streets, alleys, a public park and a school house on the site.

An 1893 detailed map of Sioux City lists Cornelius Kelly as the owner of the area that is now Kelly Park.