pioneers came to Quincy, many of them direct from Ireland. They were the
following: Rev. Fr. Michael Ahern, Richard and William Ahern, James
Arthur, Nathaniel, Thomas, Robert and William Benneson, Rev. William
Best and six sons (John H., Alexander, William, Jr., James, George,
Joseph), Patrick and Michael Barry, Patrick and Matthew Brady, Patrick
Britt, John Beattey, Thomas Burns, John Boles, George Callihan, Arthur
Carroll, James Campbell, Matthew Cashman, William, Matthew, Andrew and
Terence Clark, Matthew Campion, Matthew, David and John Cary, Matthew
Carmody, Patrick Curnan, Thomas Clancy, Michael Corcary, Matthew and
David Costigan, Martin Collins, John Connery, Edward Crotty, Michael
Connell, Thomas Clancy, Edward Condon, Patrick Costigan, Patrick and
John Cronin, Anthony and Montgomery Coyle, Michael Crough, Patrick Cody,
Patrick Curley, Patrick Corrigan, Perry Cushin, Rev. Fr. Derwin, Delany
Desmonde, James Dillon, Patrick Dowd, Patrick Daily, John and Thomas
Dwyer, Patrick and Michael Derry, Patrick Eagan, John Enright, Robert
Evans, Michael, William and John Fitzgerald, Dr. John and William
Fitzpatrick, James Flynn, Rev. William B., James B. and Matthew B.
Finlay and their three sisters, Ann B. Padgett, Jane B. and Mary B.
Finlay, Michael Feeney, James Fisher, Michael and Martin Farrell,
Richard and James Grant, Mathew Gorman, John and James Gregory, Michael
and Patrick Gerry, Oliver and William Geary, Jackson Grimshaw, Patrick
and Michael Haley, Joseph and Robert Hartley, John Heelan, John Hurley,
Thomas and Patrick Heires, Andrew and John Haire, Sylvester, Thomas,
Michael, Patrick and Timothy Haires, Patrick Hade, David and Dennis
Higgens, Edward Hoverton, Arthur Hughes, Daglon Hoolihan, Patrick Igo,
Michael Ives, Daniel Karns, Patrick Kirby, Patrick Kinsella, James Kane,
David Keef, Thomas Keough, Timothy, William and John Kelley, Patrick and
Maurice Lenehan, William Kennedy, Andrew, Robert, Joseph and William
Long, Thomas Landers, James Lawler, Thomas Leahy, Dr. John Leavey,
Michael Lawton, Samuel Lowry, Barney Little and son Edward, John William
and Charles Lee, Rev. Fr. Peter McGirr, James McGrath, Thomas McFall,
Bernard McCann, Michael McKevitt, Bernard McDermott, Michael McCarty,
Patrick McDonald, Joseph McConnell, Barney McCabe, John W. McFadon, John
McDade, Michael Maloney, Patrick, Edward and John Murphy, Michael, John
and Peter Meehan, John Murray, Michael Gilbert, John Mahaney, James and
Richard Montgomery, Patrick Nealon, John Nolan, Richard Nagle, Timothy
Noonan, John Nevins, James and Frederick O’Connor, Patrick, John,
Daniel, Jeremiah, William, James and Michael O’Brien, Charles O’Neil,
Michael and William B. Powers, Richard Purcell, George and John Padgett,
John Piggot, Michael Quin, Patrick Quigley, William Richards, Thomas,
Michael, George and James Redmond, Michael, James and Patrick Reardon,
James, Daniel, Patrick and William Ryan, John and Patrick Reagan, David
Roach, Patrick and Hugh Rudden, William, John and Patrick Shanahan,
Hugh, John and William Smyth, John and Thomas Sheridan, Owen, A.,
Terrence and Peter Smith, Timothy, Daniel, Florence and Henry Sullivan,
Maurice Savage, Patrick Sweeny, Darby and Jeremiah Shea, Michael
Sheehan, Thomas, Tobin, James and William Troy, Edward Trulock, Patrick
Tully, William Thompson, Sylvester and William B. Thayer, Terrence
Waters, Michael, David, Richard, Edward, John and Perry Whalen, Benjamin
Watson, James and Philip Walsh.
The following were among the farmers and land-holding taxpayers in Adams
County, as appear by the tax records for the year 1845: James, John and
Henry Burke, James Bailey, Thomas Bryan, Thomas Bray, Daniel Bradley,
Thomas Boyd, John Buckley, John Brady, Thomas Beaty, John Burns, Sr.,
William Boyle, Michael Bradly, John Calihan, Thomas, William and Hugh
Clark, Michael and James Collins, Edward Corrigan, Thomas Curry, J. W.
Cassidy, William Cadogan, James, John and William Campbell, Hugh Connor,
John Caldwell, Hugh Carlin, James Colvin, Philip Cain, John and Joseph
Craig, John Cunningham, Jacob Dailey, Alexander Donovan, Peter Donnell,
John Donnelly, Charles Dempsey, John Dorsey, Patrick and John
Fitzgerald, Hugh Furguson, William Finley, James and L. Frazier, Ben
Galliher, Jeremiah Galliger, James Galligher, Daniel Higgins, Sr., and
Daniel Higgins, Jr., John and William Hughes, James Hawley, John
Hagerty, William and Jesse Hogan, Joseph, John, James, Thomas, William
and Patrick Kelly, Maurice Kelley, Andrew Long, Richard Lee, William
Lynch, John, William, Ben and Joshua Laughlin, Michael Limbaugh, John
Lawless, James Moore, James Mehan, John Moran, James Mulligan, Edward,
William and Henry Murphy, John and Charles Mullan, John Malone, John
Murry, William McAdams, James McNutt, William McKinney, James and
Michael McCann, Mathias McNeal, Martin McNitt, Thomas McKee, James and
William McLaughlin, Dennis McCalip, John, Isaac, Samuel and Thomas
McVay, John McClarry, Dennis McKellup, John and Robert McBride, A.
McClain, Robert and John McCoy, Dennis McDaniel, Philip McKay, John
McKinzie, William and John McClintock, Samuel McNulty, William and
Michael McGingley, William, John and James McCormick, Dorsy, Smith and
James McGinnis, George McMurry, James McCorian, Robert and John
McBratney, William McCreary, Ben and Joseph McFarland, Alex McGuire,
James McAnulty, William McGaughey, William McFarlin, Robert McWiney, S.
McKinney, Robert and Andrew McCully, Ed McCafferty, John, William and
Andrew McNay, John McGibbons, Hugh Nevin, William O’Harra, Doud L.
Patterson, William Piggott, John Padget, Robert Rankin, William and Luke
Riley, Andrew Redman, Michael Rawlings, John and James Smith, William
Smyth, John and Bradley Stewart, William Stewart, Sr., John Savage,
James Shannon, Dennis Seals, John Shaw, M. Scoggan, D. Sullivan,
Michael, Peter and James Thomas, John Terry, James and Michael Welsh.
The records of the county land warrants filed in Adams County before
1836, by ex-soldiers, plainly show that Irish-Americans were as well
represented in the war of 1812 as they were in that for American
Independence. The following names are taken from Volume 9, Adjutant
General’s reports of Illinois, published by the State in 1902, giving a
complete roster of Illinois officers and enlisted men in the Blackhawk
war of 1831–2, and the Mexican war of 1846–8, both taken from the
official rolls on file in the War Department, Washington, D. C., to show
the strength of Irish-Americans among the pioneers of the Mississippi
Valley in those early days, as well as to show that the race never fails
to respond in large numbers to the war-call of their country in time of
danger.
The following served in the Blackhawk war: John and Daniel Wood, Daniel
Hayes, James McCarlin, Thomas Duncan, Bernard Fleming, Thomas Gulley, H.
Riley, Timothy Inghram, John Russell, Thomas Stanly, John, James and
George Karnes, John and James Caldwell, Richard Hogan, Aaron Quigley,
Peter Smith, William Lafferty, James and Jacob L. Reynolds, James
Pougee, James, William, John and Reubin Clark, Michael and Ezekiel
Rawlings, William, John and William C. Murphy, Charles Dunn, James
McColugh, John Dobbins, Richard Hughes, Jacob Kennedy, John McCove,
James Rose, James Duncan, James Bryant, John Lowrey, William and F. A.
Riley, John and A. S. Fitzgerald, Hugh and Robert McDaniel, Charles
Sexton, David Ray, James, William and James N. Clark, Serratt Riley,
John, Eagon, Franklin S. and I. S. Casey, William and Thomas Hayes,
James Rhea, James Flannagan, William, John and Edward Kirkpatrick, John
McMurphy, John Cain, William Finney, James Shaw, William Logan, James
Cummings, John Cowan, Patrick and I. H. Tennery, John McConkey, James
Bailey, John C. Bradley, Patrick Whalen, Josiah and Abraham Welsh,
William F. McClure, Samuel Burk, James Dunlap, Marshall Lafferty,
William and John McCabe, John McGuire, Cornelius Doherty, John McCoy,
Dennis Keen, James McMillan, Patrick, William and Robert Campbell,
Thomas McDonald, James Buchanan, Samuel Dunlap, Bonapart Gallaher,
Joseph McCreary, William McKinney, Hugh McCrakin, John Haynes, Robert
McClarney, Robert Patterson, Alexander McKinsey, Martin and John Farley,
Nathan McCarty, John McCoy, John R. Mullins, Nimrod, John, Dudly,
Richard and Benjamin Murphy, John McConnell, Edward McGovern, Nelson
McDowell, D. B. McConnell, William and John Duncan, John Dougherty,
James Kirby, William Patterson, Thomas McAdams, Joseph Burk, Thomas
Evans, Thomas C. Hughes, John McCurry, James Kincaid, William Finley,
John McFain, John Guffy, Phellonson and John Higgins, Joseph McKinney,
Jonathan McClanan, George W. McCarty, William, William R. and Samuel
McAdams, Josiah T. Bradley, Charles D. Kelley, John B. Logan, Samuel
McCully, John M. O’Harnett, John O’Mulvany, Albert B. Murphy, Hiram
Casey, Jesse Ford, Thomas McDowell, Andy and John McFarlin, Richard
Bradley, Robert Caldwell, James McCabe, Keavan Murry, Edward McNabb,
David McNair, Peter O’Leary, Patrick Clary, Patrick Gallagar, Patrick
Karnes, Daniel McKaney, John Ragan, Timothy Barrett, John and James
McDeed, Hugh Finley, John Lancaster, Thomas Welch, James, Francis, John
and William Kirkpatrick, Dennis Quinlivan, John Foley, John Brophy,
David, William and James McKee, Isaac Kilpatrick, James Patterson, John
Hughes, James Mulligan, Patrick Flaherty, James Whalen, Michael Davis,
John O’Hara, James, John and Samuel Burns, Mathew Lynch, John Nevins,
John Powers, John McMullin, Jeremiah Kelly, Hugh McGary, Michael
Brockett, Michael Fanin, John McDaniel, James Clark, Thomas Kenney,
Andrew Malone, Daniel Moore, John Sheeney, William Shaw, Mathew Bailey,
William Mallory, Thomas Kinney, William Lynch, James Green, Murry
McConnell, John Laughrey, John, William and James McKee, James McNabb,
Daniel Riley, James McGee, Michael Killion, Daniel Carter, Michael and
Jacob Kellyon, William Kelly, Daniel Doolin, Michael Horin, James
McMurty, George Higgins, Thomas McBride, Hugh Cochran, Robert McMahan,
James McElroy, Thomas McConnell, Patrick Gray, Michael Klean, Patrick
Kenney, Dennis Quinliven, John O’Neil, Patrick and John Dugan, Patrick
Gilroy and Michael Meara.
There were six Illinois regiments mustered for the Mexican war. The
first, second and third were enrolled and mustered as a brigade by Gen.
Philip Kearny at Alton, men principally from the “Bounty Land” district.
The general, being the grandson of an Irishman, drew many of that race
to his standard. The following are the names: John W. Burns, William
Cassedy, William Finney, Richard Grant, John McCoy, Daniel McNeil, James
Ramsey, Patrick Higgins, William A. Clark, Patrick Mehan, Patrick Burk,
Peter Conover, Patrick Clemens, Chandler Bradley, Peter Dolin, Thomas
Cain, Dennis Griffin, Thomas Gorman, Francis Quinn, Thomas Riley, John
Smith, Jeremiah Sullivan, George Connor, Hiram Clark, R. F. Cochran,
John W. Hughes, William Long, James Murry, Hugh Fee, Thomas Turley, John
Crogan, James and Thomas Bryant, John Carter, C. McConnell, James
Neeley, Patrick O’Neil, James Stewart, Isaac Curry, James Doyle, James
T. Lawler, Daniel McClelland, John Scanland, Francis Ryan, John
McKibbin, John Hughes, Daniel Curry, James Campbell, James Cavanaugh,
Austin Daugherty, John Kincade, James McClure, Arch McBride, John
McIntosh, Francis McLeary, Daniel Shean, William Taggart, James
Buchanan, James Converse, William McAvoy, J. McCullum, Ezekiel and
Thomas Flynn, John Fisher, Dawson Cary, Michael Little, Edward and
Timothy Kelley, John Lynch, Timothy McCarty, John McDonnald, James
Stewart, Mathew Moran, Michael Brennan, James Carlin, Michael Hyde,
Michael McCarty, Frank Carney, James and Thomas Clark, John Carroll,
Arthur Hughes, Patrick Murry, Michael Page, William and James Wall,
Larkin Riley, Mathew Bradley, Benjamin Clark, Robert and Alex Kelley,
Mathew McAnnelly, James McCoy, Thomas Kinney, Ben. F. McNeil, David
Rawlings, James Russell, James McGuire, William Roach, John Tully,
Joshua Walsh, George Burk, William Barry, George Clark, Clark Higgins,
Isaac Kelly, Andrew McCauly, John Bostick, Murry Tully, Cornelius and
Asa Cochran, John Burns, Mason and Jobe Kelly, Michael McHale, James
Hayes, Michael McCarty, Michael Foy, John A. Logan, James Burk, James
Dunn, Charles McAnelly, John and Daniel McCarty, Richard McCord, Daniel
Carter, John Delancey, John Dougherty, Edward Little, Joseph and Reuben
McDade, McDaniel Welch, Hugh McElhanan, William Dempsey, John Flanagan,
John Curry, William Hughes, Patrick McGee, James Hayes, James Mulligan,
James McCru, Thomas Montgomery, David McCann, Patrick Kelly, Robert
Burk, Patrick Lanon, George Cochran, Dennis Campbell, Charles Devine,
Andrew Hayes, James Lancaster, Joseph Quigley, Hardy Carroll, Myron
Burns, William Cassidy, Martin Clark, Damon Kennedy, Josiah McCormick,
William McCassilin, Thomas Mullen, Martin McRorgh, James McDonald, James
McFadden, George Nolan, Thomas Sheridan, Patrick Casey, Thomas Carnahan,
John Connor, Warwick Flanagan, John Fitzgerald, Robert and John
McKinney, James, John and Keran McGinnis, John McMillan, James O’Leary,
John McAllister, William Donley, Patrick Flarity, George McGuire, James
Murphy, Patrick Cruis, John Duncan, John Dwyer, Charles Hunter, James
Hackney, William Kennedy, James McGovern, James O’Connor, John Quirck,
Michael Riley, James Ryan, Daniel Dougherty, James Phelan, James Regan,
Arthur Gallagher, John Kennedy, William Murry, John, Felix and Edward
Clark, George Carey, Carter Murry, John O’Brien, Daniel Sexton, James
Collins, Hugh Kelly, Levi McBride, William Bryant, Mathew Gillespie,
Patrick Green, George McConkey, James Rafferty, Andrew Shaw, Thomas
Smith, Francis Clark, Alexander Dougherty, William McMullen, Michael
Brennan, Daniel Doyle, David Sullivan, Mathew McWorter, William Bradley,
Patrick Hannon, Henry McGuire, James Shaw, Hugh Duffy, Thomas Gaffeny,
Daniel O’Melvaney, Andrew Burk, John Crowley, Patrick Murphy, John
Welch, Hugh McKinley, James Barry, John Burns, Richard Carter, James
Logan, James Fitzgerald, Timothy Ryan, Patrick and Samuel McDonald,
Thomas McGill, Hugh Riley, David Mooney, James Collins, Timothy Ryan,
Daniel Duff, William and James Flint, Jackson Larkin, Robert and John
Patterson, John Little, Davis Murphy, James McCrary, James Rearden,
Timothy and John Ingram, Patrick Scully, James Donovan, Charles Lowrey,
Logan Lynch, Thomas Reynolds, John Brady, James O’Neil, John Mahan,
George Haley, James and William Nolan, John Casey, Josiah O’Riley,
William and John Burk, Charles and John Lynch, Thomas and James Kelly,
Patrick McKelvy, James Murphy, William and Andrew McGuire, James Hughes,
William Clark, James Galliher, Thomas McDonald, Dennis Bolan, James
Eagan, Peter Murphy, John McCary, James McGuire, Patrick Toucy, Peter
Foy, William Grace, Peter Welch; Mathew Murry, James Conolly, James
McCabe, Charles Dillon, James Dailey, Michael Fitzpatrick, Daniel
Shields, Patrick McKee, Patrick Kelly, Michael King, Daniel Kennedy,
Daniel McClusky, John O’Malloy, Charles McCarty, Peter O’Neil, Cornelius
Mahoney, Thomas Mulligan, James Lancaster, James Murphy, James Phalan,
Jeremiah Sullivan, Patrick Plunkett, John Foley, Patrick Power and
Michael K. Lawler.
Many of these soldiers became very prominent in the political and social
affairs of the state and nation, especially John Wood, Murry McConnell,
Michael K. Lawler and John A. Logan.
After the Blackhawk war, two militia companies were organized in Quincy,
the “Quincy Rifles” and the “Montgomery Guards,” the latter principally
Irish, organized and commanded by Timothy Kelley, who was afterwards
killed at the battle of Buena Vista, Mexico. We were unable to secure a
roster of Captain Kelley’s Militia Company, but from men of his time, we
were informed that the following were among its members: William Kelley,
a brother of Timothy; William Kennedy, James Ryan, James O’Connor, a
veteran of 1812; Thomas Landon, Oliver and William Geary, William
Thompson, Thomas Mannix, John Dwyer, Richard Grant, James Dillon, James
Sheerin, Michael Corcary, Thomas Leahey, Bernard McDermott, John
McDaniel, James Clark, Thomas Kenney, Andrew Malone, Daniel Moore, John
Sheeney, William Shaw and Thomas Hickey, who still survives at the age
of eighty years, in the Illinois Soldiers and Sailors’ Home at Quincy.
John Kelley, a son of William, served honorably in an Ohio regiment
during the war for the Union.
There were several Kelley families in Adams County. Next to the family
of Timothy Kelley, that of Maurice Kelley became the most noted as men
of mark. Maurice Kelley came to Adams County in 1836 with his parents
and settled on a farm in the southeast part of the county. Being
temperate and industrious, the family prospered. Maurice was elected
sheriff of Adams County in 1860, and as a member of the Legislature in
1870; in 1874 as a state senator, where he served three terms. He was
collector of internal revenue at Quincy under President Cleveland. He
was for ten years a supervisor of the county, as was his brother Michael
from an adjoining township. Maurice Kelley is still living at Mt.
Sterling, Illinois.
Many of the old pioneers moved off with the human current to California
and other attractive places in the Far West. Only a few of those who
remained in Quincy are still living, but many of their children are
among the leading men of affairs in every branch of business as well as
the professions in Quincy and its vicinity.
In many instances, whole families came together, as will be noticed in
the list of names given above, as having come before 1840. The most
noted of them was that of the Rev. William Best, with his five sons and
a daughter Charlotte Best Finlay, who with her husband accompanied them.
The Reverend Best became a prominent minister of the Methodist Episcopal
Church of Illinois and lived to a ripe old age, to see his family all
successful in worldly affairs. His youngest son Joseph served as
adjutant of the Twenty-first Missouri Infantry in the Union army; the
other sons being over the military age supported the cause at home. His
grandsons and great grandsons are now among our best business men. A
grandson, John H. Best, has served as mayor of Quincy and is now
president of one of our banks, a stockholder and director in nearly
every corporation doing business here; also a large land owner in
Illinois, Missouri, Oregon, Idaho and Montana, while his brother, Ezra
Best, is president of the Best Plumbing and Steam Heating Company, one
of the largest and most successful in the West. Both brothers coöperate
and invest together. They are model citizens and have the respect and
confidence of all our people.
The Finlay family, Rev. William B., James B., Matthew B., with their
three sisters, Ann B. Padgett, Jane B. and Mary B. Finlay, became
equally prominent. They came to America with the Best family in 1839,
from County Cavan, Ireland. The Rev. William B. Finlay was an ardent
church worker, and a school teacher in Ireland. His father, before him,
was a school teacher and a member of the English church. His mother was
a primitive Methodist and a member of the Bell family, hence the initial
“B” was retained by the brothers and sisters. He had his religious
training under such noted ministers as Rev. G. B. Moffatt, Doctor
Averill and Gideon Ousley, D. D., a converted priest, who generally
preached a part of his sermons in Irish. In his twentieth year, his
father having died in 1829, the Rev. William Bell Finlay took charge of
his father’s old parish school. In 1830 he attended the Kildare College
in Dublin. He afterwards served five years as a government teacher, from
which he resigned to accept charge of a school in the Parish of
Tyholland, County Monaghan, where he married Charlotte Best and united
with the Methodist Church. He remained at Tyholland, teaching and as an
exhortor, until he started for Quincy, where he arrived June sixth,
1839, and the following Sunday united with the Methodist Church. He was
licensed to exhort in September of that year, and in 1849 was ordained
by Bishop Janes when the conference met at Quincy. The year before he
died, he prepared a little sketch of his life work, which was found by
his children after his death. The last paragraph, which we quote, shows
that his was a beautiful Christian life: “So I am now in my eighty-ninth
year, and an official member of the old Illinois Conference, still in
the church of my childhood and of my youth, and of riper years. And now,
old and grey-headed, I love the church of my choice; I love her
doctrines and her ways. Though feeble in body, praise God, my mind is
clear and sound as a bell. I don’t know how soon I may be permitted to
leave for home, but it cannot be long. But Glory, honor, power and
dominion be unto God, and the lamb, forever. Amen and Amen.” He died
October fourth, 1898, at West Point, Illinois, within a few days of his
ninetieth year. His four sons were all in the Union army and made
excellent soldiers; William J. B. Finlay is dead; Matthew G. Finlay is a
wealthy farmer; John H. Finlay is living at Warsaw, Illinois, a
prominent lawyer and wealthy; Gerald H. Finlay is a retired, wealthy
farmer and merchant in Quincy; all of fine reputations. His brother
Matthew B. Finlay was a prosperous merchant and died wealthy, about ten
years ago, leaving no children. James B. Finlay was not married. He died
shortly after coming to Quincy. Ann B. Finlay married George Padgett
before leaving Ireland. Her grandson, George H. Wilson, is a prominent
attorney at the Quincy bar, and now a member of the State Legislature.
Jane B. Finlay was married in Quincy to F. K. Carrott. Her son James
Finlay Carrott, was a graduate of Harvard, and at the time of his death
was an attorney for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad and was
succeeded by his son, Matthew Finlay Carrott, also of Harvard, who is
married to a daughter of Judge Montgomery, president of the State
Savings, Loan and Trust Company, one of the oldest banking institutions
in Quincy, and lives in the handsome Matthew B. Finlay homestead. Her
daughter, Helen Carrott Walz, had two sons, one now being dead, the
other an attorney in Chicago. Mrs. Walz was at one time considered
Quincy’s brightest daughter. She now resides in Chicago with her son.
Mary B. Finlay married William Jones in Quincy. Three of her sons are
now railroad men in the West. One of them is in charge of the telegraph
system of the Santa Fé Railroad. William Finlay Morgan, a grandson of
Mary B. Finlay Jones, is now located in New York City. He married the
daughter and only child of Mr. Nevins, head of the American Cordage
Company. Before his marriage, he was in the employ of the company, first
at St. Louis and then in New York, and made good in every department
entrusted to his care.