Daniel Kelly

KELLY

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 9/21/2010 at 16:00:15

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Daniel Kelly
By Bob Hawley

Daniel Kelly, 1813-1885, was born in County Cork, Ireland in 1813. He spent his early years there and in 1849 he brought his wife, Bridget H and their first three children, Mary, Cornelius, and Maude to America. They first settled in the town of Raymond, New Hampshire. In the spring of 1859 the family migrated to Iowa and settled in Sioux City. The first and longest lap of their journey was made by rail to St Joseph, Missouri. From there they took a steamboat to Nebraska City, then on to Omaha and finally to Sioux City. Upon arrival the family took 80 acres on the Floyd River east of town and work was soon begun on building a house, which was later moved to Seventh and Wall Streets, during the Indian uprising.
In those days Sioux City was just a frontier village, typically Western. The town itself boasted a population of about 400 people, and it was not at all common to come in contact with a friendly group of Indians from the surrounding area, for it wasn’t until the Civil War when agents of the South stirred up the Red Man, that the settlers were attacked and the Indians and whites became enemies.
When the old farm, now Kelly’s Park addition, was sold around 1920, the Government Patent for it was said to be the oldest held by one person for the greatest number of years on record.
It was in Daniel’s later years that his great delight had been to tell of early times where he founded a little settlement at the steamboat landing. A quiet man and not given to active political work, he declined the office of Alderman to which he was once elected, and while always taking an active interest in all that had to do with the welfare of the city, he did not care to be identifies with party intrigues. His industry and thrift were rewarded as the years went on by fair success and he was rated in property one of the solid men of the city.
He had satisfaction of seeing a numerous family grow up to take stations of usefulness and respect in society.
Suffering from a severe attack of pneumonia, he passed away at his residence 1801 Seventh Street on 12 February at the age of 72 years. His wife, Bridget, passed away on 24 May 1899. His children are listed as follows: Mary (Mrs G W Kingsnorth) of this city; Con (Cornelius Kelly), who lives on the old farm; Maude (Mrs Joe Shinski) of Sheldon, Iowa; Margaret (Mrs Michael Keeffe); Josephine (Miss Josie Kelly), who resided with her sister in Sheldon; John Kelly of Luverne, Minnesota; Miss Kate Kelly, teacher in the Sioux City Schools.